No matter your favorite style, music contains five fundamental characteristics.
It is hard to define what music really is, and music means a myriad things to different people. When you break down all the elements of music, you will find almost all music contains five basic characteristics. Some forms have more or less of a given trait, and these elements go together to create what people call music.
Melody
The characteristic many people remember the most is melody; it is what people hum from a favorite song or the tune they sing to their children as a lullaby. As a basic definition, a melody is one note after another. A note is a particular pitch that also has a specific duration. When you string multiple notes together, that rhythmic succession of tones makes up a melody.
Harmony
Two or more notes played simultaneously give you the harmony of music. Harmony is used to support the melody of a song or a piece of music. You can change a piece dramatically by changing the harmonies behind the same melody. Most harmony is based on chords, or a group of notes that you can play together as a block chord or with separated notes, called an "arpeggio."
Rhythm
Rhythm is one of the most basic aspects of music. The rhythm is the beat you feel when you listen to music, and it also refers to the specific durations of notes. Music is grouped into measures, and each measure is assigned a certain number of beats. People feel strong and weak beats, and they feel when notes are off beat. Rhythm is particularly important in styles like rap, in which elements such as melody and harmony often take a backseat.
Form
Most music you listen to has a prescribed form. During the Classical period, for example, certain "rules" existed for music to fit into a particular form. Even popular music today follows forms with verses and choruses, and more-complex forms add elements such as prechoruses or bridges.
Tone
The overall sound of music, or its tone or timbre, is another characteristic of music. Many things go into the tone, including what instruments are used, the dynamic or volume at which the music is played, what melodies and harmonies are used and the use of counterpoint. Many people say they love their favorite music because of the way it sounds -- which is really a reference to its tone and texture.
