Elements of Music Elements of Life

Rhythm, harmony, melody, timbre, texture, form, dynamics

We can use the basic elements of music to help us navigate the situations in our everyday life.  We know that atoms are in motion because there are electrons moving within them.  These moving atoms make up the molecules around and inside us, and they are in motion as well.  Since all of the fundamental building blocks of the universe are moving, it goes without saying that the universe is in motion.  It is constantly moving and it is doing so at various rates of speed.  It is these varying rates of speed that create the variety of matter and vibration around us.  When something is in motion it creates a frequency or pitch.  A molecule that moves at varying rates of speed is creating a melody.  It is raising or lowering its vibration at different rates and it is this intervallic motion that creates a melody.  The rhythm of the melody is the timing in which the frequencies are raised or lowered.  When you combine several molecules together that are vibrating at various pitches you are creating harmony.  The relationship of these pitches can either create dissonance or consonance. 

The rhythm of our day picks up and slows down at various rates of speed and we change our frequencies during the day by raising or lowering our vibrational response to each situation.  We are creating a melody through these responses and the beauty of the melody depends on the symmetry and detail of our actions.  Do we play the melody of our lives with meaning and clarity?  Are we virtuosos of thought, word and deed?  Do we have great timing? 

The timbre or tone color of a sound is based on the type of wave that the sound is creating.  A sawtooth (violin) wave will have a different color than a sine wave (clarinet).  You can also combine these tones together to create an even more interesting timbre.  It is the combination of frequencies that are resonating at a consistent rate that creates the tone color.  We can add variety and color to our lives by experimenting with different colors around us. We can change the timbre of our voice or the color of our mood to effect the environment around us.  When we combine these colors then we get texture.  The texture of a piece of music is the general thickness or thinness of the overall sound.  In some places the piece will have a full orchestra and in others there may be a solo instrument or a duet playing.  It is the variation of texture throughout a piece that can add depth and meaning to the performance.  In life we experience texture through the interactions that we have during the day.  We start the day by ourselves and then go throughout the day interacting with various people in duets, trios, quartets and sometimes in very large groups (full orchestra).  How we interact within these circumstances governs how well we make music with others and how the overall music (of life) will sound.

The form of our day will take shape based on the day of the week, time of the month and time of the year.  We plan our days based on the events around us but also on the ideas we are trying to manifest.  We schedule meetings, parties, dates, vacations and various other activities based on our calendars.  We organize our events so they don’t conflict or happen too close or too far apart.  It is this planning that creates form to our lives and if it is done well our lives can make some beautiful music.  Life is a bit more like jazz than it is like classical music.  There is a lot more improvisation that happens because we are co-writing this song with the Creator who already knows the tune but is allowing us to learn how to write by sharing the composition credits with us.  The Creator may throw in a few changes in the song that we have to compensate for and work them into our design.  It is the re-writes that help us to become better improvisers and allow us to create music more spontaneously.  

When we learn our instrument more (human body) we learn how to play more expressively with dynamics.  We know when to be loud and when to be soft.  We know when to let others have the melody and we can play backup.  We learn how to take control of a moment by playing out and making a statement.  We also learn how to blend so that there is one cohesive sound coming from a large group.

Learning how to play music can be a rewarding experience. Learning how to apply these musical concepts to life can be a liberating experience.