Minds On
Today’s vocabulary
Let’s get started!
Explore the following piece of music.
Music Piece
Next, we will explore the piece using the Elements of Music reference guide.
The element of music that relates to time, which includes beat, rhythm, metre, and tempo.
Consider the following questions:
- How would you describe the rhythm?
- Are short or long notes being primarily used?
- How does the rhythm affect the overall energy of the piece?
- How might you represent the length (duration) of the notes?
- What tempo markings (e.g., allegro, vivace, largo) do you notice?
- How would a different tempo change your experience of the music?
How does an increase in tempo affect the mood of the piece?
The element of music that relates to the highness or lowness of a tone.
Consider the following questions:
- How might someone move their body to show how individual pitches go up, go down, or stay the same, and how do they connect to form a melody?
- What patterns do you notice in the melody (e.g., repetition, sequence)?
- How could you show others how this melody moves without singing/playing it for them?
- What words might someone use to describe the character of this song/piece of music (e.g., cheerful, bright, bold, intense)?
- In musical terms, how would you describe the tonality of this piece of music (e.g., pentatonic, major, minor, chromatic?)
- What accidentals or key signatures do you observe in the music?
The element of music that relates to volume.
Consider the following questions:
- What range of dynamics is being used?
- What dynamic markings do you notice in the music?
- How does a decrease in volume affect the feeling or mood in the music?
- What dynamic level would support the mood of this piece?
- How does the compose use expressive controls (e.g., staccato/legato or crescendo/decrescendo) to create contrasts and changes in mood?
Comparing two pieces of music/songs:
- How do these two pieces of music/songs use dynamics differently to create uniquely expressive pieces?
The element of music that relates to the quality of a sound (e.g., sound of a doorbell versus a laugh, a trumpet versus a clarinet, or two people speaking).
Consider the following questions:
- What are the primary instruments used by the composer?
- Which pitched or non-pitched percussion instrument(s) are used to accompany this piece of music/song?
- Why do you think the composer chose specific instruments for this work?
- What mood do the instruments in this piece create?
- How would changing the instruments change the effect?
- What words might someone use to describe the tone, colour, or timbre of this song/musical work (e.g., rich, bright, mellow, or piercing)?
The element of music that relates to the layers of sounds within music.
Consider the following questions:
- Which instruments or found sounds are used to accompany this piece of music/song?
- What is the rhythmic relationship between the melody and the accompaniment?
- How does the accompaniment in this piece of music/song reflect the story/poem/lyrics?
- What similarities and differences do you notice between the melodies and rhythms?
- How might someone graphically portray the layering of melodies in this piece of music?
- Is the accompaniment rhythmic, melodic, or choral?
The element of music that relates to the way musical pieces are organized.
Consider the following questions:
- How is the music organized?
- Using musical terms, how would you describe the overall form and effect of the music?
- How does the music change from one section to the next?
- What elements of music does the composer use to vary the original theme?
- How did the composer use form to suggest certain images?
Using the Elements of Music reference guide, choose 3 to 6 elements to explore in the piece of music.
Record any ideas about how these elements are represented in the piece. You can record your ideas in the following fillable and printable Thinking About the Elements of Music document. You can also record your ideas using another method of your choice.
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Elements of music |
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Duration |
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Pitch |
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Dynamics and other expressive controls |
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Timbre |
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Texture/ Harmony |
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Form |
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Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Thinking About the Elements of Music.
Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
Take a moment to reflect on the following question:
What did this piece of music make you think of and why?
Record your ideas using a method of your choice. If possible, share your thoughts and ideas with a partner.
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Action
Get ready, get set…
The selection of music that you explored in the Minds On section is titled “Ballet of Unhatched Chicks.” It is a movement from Pictures at an Exhibition.
“Ballet of Unhatched Chicks” is based on costume designs of a scene in a ballet called Trilby. The ballet has a scene of children dancing as chicks in their shells. This version is by composer Maurice Ravel and is written for an orchestra. The original work was for piano and was composed by Modest Mussorgsky.
Visual art and music
Visual art and music have always been closely connected. Music often reflects what is happening in the visual art world. Pictures at an Exhibition was composed in 1874 during the Impressionism period. Impressionist artists were not trying to paint real life, but an ‘impression’ of what the world looked like to them.
Did You Know?
Impressionism
The Impressionism period was an art movement from the 19th century. Impressionism was developed by French painter Claude Monet. Some characteristics of Impressionism style include small, visible brushstrokes, unblended colour, and an emphasis on an accurate portrayal of natural light.
Explore the following images to discover some examples of paintings from the Impressionism period.
Woman with a Parasol - Madame Monet and Her Son by Claude Monet, 1875
Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1876
Pont Neuf, Paris by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1872
The Cradle by Berthe Morisot, 1872
Visual art and music often influence and inspire one another.
Often music is a reaction to what happens in the visual art world. This is what happened during the Impressionism period.
“Ballet of Unhatched Chicks” is connected to the art world. The composer, Modest Mussorgsky, wrote this musical work after visiting an art exhibition. Mussorgsky wrote Pictures at an Exhibition for his friend Viktor Hartmann, whose art was featured at an art exhibition.
Pictures at an Exhibition is about 10 paintings by Hartmann.
Portrait of M. P. Musorgsky by Ilya Repin, 1881
“Ballet of Unhatched Chicks”
In the Minds On activity, we explored a piece called “Ballet of Unhatched Chicks.”
Let’s explore the painting that inspired this music.
A painting of a person hatching from an egg. Their arms, legs, and head have broken through the eggshell. They also have on a hat that looks like a baby chick’s head. To the right of this is a second hatching chick, however, this figure has legs that look like a chicken and human arms. It’s facing sideways. At the top of the painting is a chick’s head.
Interpreting music
Now that you have explored the painting, let’s revisit the Elements of Music to connect these ideas back to the painting.
Explore the piece “Ballet of Unhatched Chicks” once again.
Ballet of Unhatched Chicks - Pictures at an Exhibition
This chart displays how the Elements of Music could be represented in the piece:
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Elements of Music |
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Duration |
This movement is fast moving. It is also a very short movement. |
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Pitch |
The pitches of the melody are higher pitches and are in the woodwind section (oboes, flutes, clarinets). |
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Dynamics and Other Expressive Controls |
There are a lot of staccato (short) notes. There are some crescendos and decrescendos. This movement is very light in nature. |
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Timbre |
This movement has been created for an orchestra. The melody is predominantly in the woodwind section (flutes, clarinets, and oboes). The melody is supported by the string (violin, viola, cello, bass) and the brass section (trumpets, trombones, French horn). |
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Texture/ Harmony |
This movement would be homophonic since there is a melody with accompaniment. |
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Form |
This movement is in ABA form. |
Now that we have a better understanding of the Elements of Music in this movement, let’s explore how they connect to the painting.
This next chart displays how the Elements of Music reflect the idea of unhatched chicks from the painting.
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Elements of Music |
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Duration |
The idea of a chick pecking its way out of a shell is reflected in the pecking rhythms in the woodwind section. The grace notes and trills also help turn the music into birds. |
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Pitch |
The higher-pitched woodwinds connect to the idea of high-pitched peeping sounds that chicks would make. |
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Dynamics and Other Expressive Controls |
The staccato (short) notes help emphasize the idea of pecking and the movement of chicks. |
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Timbre |
The orchestration of this movement enhances the idea of pecking rhythms by using the woodwinds for these rhythms. |
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Texture/ Harmony |
The melody focuses on the woodwinds which represent the chicks hatching. The accompaniment could represent the environment around the chicks. |
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Form |
The ABA form could represent the process that a chick goes through when pecking its way out of its shell. |
Go!
We are going to explore another piece from Pictures at an Exhibition titled “Catacombs.” This piece depicts Hartmann and two others exploring the old Roman catacombs in Paris.
Press the ‘Catacombs’ button to learn about this term.
What are the Paris catacombs?
The Paris catacombs are an underground burial place in Paris, France. The dead were buried in underground tunnels and rooms. The tunnels and rooms are called catacombs.
Here is the piece “Catacombs” from Pictures at an Exhibition. Feel free to explore the piece a few times.
Catacombs - Pictures at an Exhibition
Just like “Ballet of Unhatched Chicks,” the piece “Catacombs” was inspired by a painting.
Explore the following painting by Viktor Hartmann, which was the inspiration for the musical piece “Catacombs.”
There are 3 dark figures in this painting. Two are standing beside one another and appear to be talking. They both have on long coats and top hats. There is a man approaching the other two men and he is carrying a lantern in his right hand. They appear to be in a dark tunnel.
Let’s explore how the Elements of Music are represented in the piece and the painting.
Use the Elements of Music reference guide to record information about the following categories: duration, pitch, dynamics, and other expressive controls, timbre, texture/harmony, and form.
The element of music that relates to time, which includes beat, rhythm, metre, and tempo.
Consider the following questions:
- How would you describe the rhythm?
- Are short or long notes being primarily used?
- How does the rhythm affect the overall energy of the piece?
- How might you represent the length (duration) of the notes?
- What tempo markings (e.g., allegro, vivace, largo) do you notice?
- How would a different tempo change your experience of the music?
How does an increase in tempo affect the mood of the piece?
The element of music that relates to the highness or lowness of a tone.
Consider the following questions:
- How might someone move their body to show how individual pitches go up, go down, or stay the same, and how do they connect to form a melody?
- What patterns do you notice in the melody (e.g., repetition, sequence)?
- How could you show others how this melody moves without singing/playing it for them?
- What words might someone use to describe the character of this song/piece of music (e.g., cheerful, bright, bold, intense)?
- In musical terms, how would you describe the tonality of this piece of music (e.g., pentatonic, major, minor, chromatic?)
- What accidentals or key signatures do you observe in the music?
The element of music that relates to volume.
Consider the following questions:
- What range of dynamics is being used?
- What dynamic markings do you notice in the music?
- How does a decrease in volume affect the feeling or mood in the music?
- What dynamic level would support the mood of this piece?
- How does the compose use expressive controls (e.g., staccato/legato or crescendo/decrescendo) to create contrasts and changes in mood?
Comparing two pieces of music/songs:
- How do these two pieces of music/songs use dynamics differently to create uniquely expressive pieces?
The element of music that relates to the quality of a sound (e.g., sound of a doorbell versus a laugh, a trumpet versus a clarinet, or two people speaking).
Consider the following questions:
- What are the primary instruments used by the composer?
- Which pitched or non-pitched percussion instrument(s) are used to accompany this piece of music/song?
- Why do you think the composer chose specific instruments for this work?
- What mood do the instruments in this piece create?
- How would changing the instruments change the effect?
- What words might someone use to describe the tone, colour, or timbre of this song/musical work (e.g., rich, bright, mellow, or piercing)?
The element of music that relates to the layers of sounds within music.
Consider the following questions:
- Which instruments or found sounds are used to accompany this piece of music/song?
- What is the rhythmic relationship between the melody and the accompaniment?
- How does the accompaniment in this piece of music/song reflect the story/poem/lyrics?
- What similarities and differences do you notice between the melodies and rhythms?
- How might someone graphically portray the layering of melodies in this piece of music?
- Is the accompaniment rhythmic, melodic, or choral?
The element of music that relates to the way musical pieces are organized.
Consider the following questions:
- How is the music organized?
- Using musical terms, how would you describe the overall form and effect of the music?
- How does the music change from one section to the next?
- What elements of music does the composer use to vary the original theme?
- How did the composer use form to suggest certain images?
Describe how each Element of Music is represented in the musical piece. In addition, connect each Element of Music to the painting.
Record your thinking using the following fillable and printable Catacombs: Elements of Music graphic organizer or any other method of your choice.
There is a column in the organizer for you to connect each element of music to the painting.
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Element of music |
Description of element of music |
How Element of music connects to painting |
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Duration |
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Pitch |
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Dynamics and other expressive controls |
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Timbre |
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Texture/ Harmony |
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Form |
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Catacombs: Elements of Music.
Portfolio
Portfolio
Consider adding your Catacombs: Elements of Music document to your portfolio.
Consolidation
Putting it all together
Use the following questions to reflect on your learning.
- How does music communicate meaning?
- What message or meaning do you think “Catacombs” conveys?
- What are some ways the composer used the elements of music to connect to the visual art piece?
- Describe one element you are comfortable exploring in a piece of music. What is one element you would like to describe further and why?
Record your responses using a method of your choice.
Reflection
As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel...
Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.