Basic Musical Definitions

Overview

Brief explanation of the basic terminology in music.

Music

Music is the art of combining and expressing sounds. ¹

Music: from Ancient Greek μουσική (mousikḗ): any of the Muses' arts, especially music and lyrical poetry set to music

Melody

A succession of various agreeable sounds produces Melody.

Melody: from Ancient Greek μελῳδίᾱ (melōidíā, “singing, chanting”), from μέλος (mélos, “musical phrase”) + ἀοιδή (aoidḗ, “song”), contracted form ᾠδή (ōidḗ). Sequence of notes that makes up a musical phrase

Harmony

Combined Sounds to be heard simultaneously produce Harmony.

Harmony: from Ancient Greek ἁρμονία (harmonía, “joint, union, agreement, concord of sounds”). A pleasing combination of elements, or arrangement of sounds.

Summary

Music is the art of combining sounds, if these sounds are played successively in an agreeable way, they form a melody, but if they are played simultaneously they produce harmony