Music has 32 Elements

Can you name them?

When we listen to music, it has a direct connection between our brain and soul. Music is perceived mainly through the seven parts of our ear sensory surfaces and infiltrates our body without any filters to impede its journey.

Sound, and for this writing, music is the only type of "input" that works this way. There is no delay, and it is a direct pathway. Take a second to get that. Music is directly connected to the "systems" in our body; it is pure and without psychology, at least on the way into our brains. All our ancestral, societal, and personal experiences are called upon immediately to make a choice.

Every part of our brain, from the stem (the oldest region), the cerebellum to the frontal lobe and the Hypothalamus, reacts and contributes to our musical experience and can do so immediately. Music that makes our body want to move is when our soul feels the groove—the rhythm of it, its pumping, but more importantly, its imperfection in perfect syncopation. Drumming is in our DNA; it is primal and foundational to the homo-sapiens story.

The secret to achieving a "satisfactory listening experience" is familiarity, with just the right amount of "violation" in the arrangement. You must carefully violate your audience's expectations, or they will move on. These are the natural laws that connect us to music. We listen to hit songs out of trust, and we trust the song will remain the same and supply us with that first dopamine spike we got when we first heard the song; it never is the same as the first time. Yes, I would say music is a drug.

As a music producer for 30+ years, this got me interested. Could I name all the elements that makeup Music as a whole experience? Could I understand each element's place in the tapestry of a satisfactory listening experience?

Could I do it without a Google search?

Lucky for me, I was scheduled for a "zoom party" with my favorite people in the world, all musicians, mixers, and producers. I thought, why not play this game with them.

The moment came, and we all logged in with our favorite beverages, and after the usual catchups, I posed the question. Off to the races we went. Here is what we came up with; you are welcome to play along.

The 32 elements

Melody, Harmony, Meter, Rythm, Contour, Timbre, Accidentals, Pitch, Tempo, Expression, Tension, Release, Groove, Violation, Familiarity, Word, Cadence, Story, Journey, Memory, Movement, Phrase, Genere, Form, Arrangement, Modes, and Modality, Intonation, Syncopation, Authenticity, Truth, History, Performance, Rests

The whole process took four hours of arguing merits and hilarious discussion of past works and future musical intentions, but in the end, these 32+ elements made the grade.

I want to thank all the writers, professors, and autodidacts that have crossed my path and provided me with the knowledge to form this thought. None of these concepts are mine uniquely; this is only my interpretation of what others have said more eloquently than I. I thank all who have done the work and take no credit.

At the risk of some self-severance, I include one of my songs below. It is an attempt at a “satisfactory listening” experience. Think ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow” Israel Kamakawiwo meets Bob Marley. It is up to be placed in a movie if the universe smiles on it that is. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for your trust.

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