Meyer lists melody, rhythm, timbre, harmony, “and the like” as principal elements of music, while Narmour lists melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, tessitura, timbre, tempo, meter, texture, “and perhaps others”.

9/8 uses the eighth note or the dotted quarter as the basic unit, rather than the quarter, so unless you see half of an eighth note (a 16th, or perhaps a dotted eighth) in there somewhere (making it 8.5/8), it will not start on the “and” of the beat. Re: 9/8 time signature 18:19 on Monday, August 7, 2006.

9/8 time is classified as compound triple. There are three beats (three dotted quarter notes), thus making the meter triple. There are three beats (three dotted crotchets), thus making the meter triple.

For example, in nine eight time the number of beats per measure (beat unit) is three (9 ÷ 3 = 3). The beat unit is equal to the duration of three eighth notes. Stated another way; in nine eight time there are three beats per measure and a dotted quarter note gets one beat.

There are eight notes for each degree of the scale. Do is normally C, but if you are singing in a higher or lower key it depends on your starting note, so really Do is just the first note of the scale. For example D is Do for D major, F for F major and so on.

The 8 Elements of Music are, in alphabetical order, Dynamics, Form, Harmony, Melody, Rhythm, Texture, Timbre and Tonality. Each of the elements of music are like an ingredient in a recipe. Just a like a recipe needs a little bit of some ingredients, and a lot more of others, they all contribute to the overall flavor of the dish.

Rhythm is the element of “TIME” in music. When you tap your foot to the music, you are “keeping the beat ” or following the structural rhythmic pulse of the music.

The term “Musical Elements” refers to musical production elements. They can include a short musical melody, a brief musical chord sequence (also known as a “riff” or a “lick”), or the sound of a recognizable musical instrument being played without accompaniment.

Without a clear grasp of the elements of music your ability to write music will be seriously compromised and you will not be able to reach your potential as a composer (whatever style you are wanting to write in). The different elements of music are covered in different music theory videos and lessons around the site.