GROUP 4

Elements of the Combined Arts

Lesson 5 - Elements of Music

● Rhythm - is a movement or pattern with uniform recurrence of accented and accented beat

● Melody - is the succession of tones arranged in such a way as to give it a musical sense. It
may also refer to the rising and falling of the tune in time.

● Harmony - is the sounding of a series of groups of tones in the same time. It may also refer to
the pleasing sound that is produced when two or more notes are played together. Concordance
results when the combination of sounds are in agreement which makes it sound good while
dissonance results when the combination is not pleasant to hear.

● Timbre - is tonal quality or the character of the tone that is produced by an instrument or by
the human voice. Timbre allows the listener to distinguish the sound between a guitar and a
violin for example. In the same way, people can be identified by their voices. A man’s voice
sounds different from a woman’s voice and an old person’s voice is different from that of a child.

● Form - is the structure or the framework of a composition

Vocal Forms

■ Opera is a drama set to music complete with actions, costumes and scenery

■ Cantata is a religious story told in music without actions

■ Moro-moro is a Philippine drama set to music which depicts the conflict between the
Christians and the Muslims.

Instrumental Forms

■ Sonata is a long composition for solo instruments (piano, Violin)

■ Symphony is a sonata for the orchestra

● Dynamics - is the loudness and softness of the sound in music indicated by symbols to
regulate the volume of the sound.

■ pp pianissimo - very soft

■ p piano - soft

■ mp mezo piano - half soft

■ ff fortissimo - very loud

■ decrescendo - gradually becoming softer

Elements of Dance

● Music plays an important role in the dance to which it is closely related. It should be melodic
and harmonious and fits into the movements of the dance. Music motivates the dancers to move
in tune with its rhythm. The background music of the dance functions to captivate the interest
and awe of the audience.

● Movement is how the dancers use their bodies to move and create organized patterns.
Dancers also use gestures which express specific emotions or ideas in sign language.

● Choreography refers to how the steps and movements are connected for it to be performed in
an organized manner. The choreography guides the dancers’ movements for them to perform
the movement, convey the message and tell the story through body language.

● Technique is the skill of the dancer in executing the movements. A good dancer has complete
control over the muscles of the body thus creating grace and fluidity of movements.

● Theme is the content or the main ingredient of the dance. It tells what the dance is trying to
convey. It has something to do with the message of the dance.

● Design is the planned organization or patterns of movement in time and space. Pattern in
time, is provided by rhythm to be executed in space on a stage or dance floor.

● Costume. The type of dance performed and the costumes worn relate closely to the customs,
beliefs, and environment of the people. Costumes enhance the effect of the dance.

Lesson 6 - Elements of Drama

Drama is basically one of the genres of literature that is written primarily to be performed. The
performance is done by actors on stage before a live audience.

● Plot is the overall structure of the play. It is concerned about what the story is all about.
Traditional plots have a beginning, a middle, and an ending.The Plot progresses through the
following:

Exposition is the part that familiarizes the audience with the characters and the situation they
are in.

Complication happens in the middle part of the play which develops the conflict that was started
in the exposition.
Resolution is also called the anticlimax or the part where conditions in the story are normalized
and the situation becomes stable.

● Setting is the locale and period in which the story takes place. It includes the scenery, props
and costumes used in staging. It is the background of the play that informs the audience where
and when the story will take place.

● Characters are the persons involved in the story. They may seem real to the audience
depending on how the playwright structures the dialogues to make the characters come to life.
Characters can be the protagonist or the antagonist. Protagonist is the character from which the
story revolves around while the antagonist is the person who challenges the role of the
protagonist.

● Dialogue refers to the words uttered by the characters in the story. It what the characters use
when conversing with each other or when expressing his thoughts and emotions. Dialogues let
the audience know the kind of character that the actor is portraying. There are, however, plays
with no dialogues. Pantomimes rely heavily on actions, gestures, facial expression and sound
effects.

● Theme is what the story means. It is how the individual elements are put together to give the
story significance and perspective. It relates something about life that is presented in its totality.
The theme may be directly or indirectly stated.

Lesson 7 - Elements of Theater

Theater art is performed live. Its performance is immediate and once performed cannot be
undone. Its magic begins when the curtains are raised and the stage lights go on.

● The Playwright’s role is to work out the plot in terms of the actual actions to be performed and
dialogue to be spoken by actors within the limited facilities of the stage.

● The Performers are the ones who portray the characters in a play.

● The Director works with the playwright to present which is interpreted and translated into
dramatic action.

● Production Design includes the scenery, props, make-up, costumes, lights, music, sound and
all other special effects used in a theater production.

Lesson 8 - Elements of Cinema (Motion Picture)

● Acting and the Stars.Acting is the art of portraying or impersonating a character in the story. A
performer during filming should embody the character he is portraying. The actor’s portrayal
must be perfect and complete.
● Set and Directors should know the setting of the story and build artificial sets.

● Music and Musical Director. Music is indispensable in motion pictures. The musical director is
in charge of selecting, composing new songs, writing orchestration, preparing background
music, creating musical scores and supervising all recording.

● Color in the movies is an innovation in cinematography. It costs twice as much as the black
and white films. Most films are now shown in high definition (HD) color.

● Make-up, Hair and Costume Design. These people are responsible for applying the specific
type of make-up, hairstyle and costume to the actors before they face the camera.

● Sound, Camera and Special Effects Technicians. Sound technicians are responsible for
making the dialogue clear and music of fine quality. They make sure that there is no background
noise. The use of cameras and the functions of the special effects technician is indispensable in
cinematography. They decide on the use of masking, the choice of lens, the camera angle and
the control of camera movements.

Lesson 9 - Principles of Art

Generally, the visual arts are made-up of three key elements that are independent of each of
their specific elements. In the appreciation of the visual arts, these three elements present
themselves as:

● Form refers to how specific elements in the artwork are organized to produce a unified whole.
Form is further classified into:

■ Primary Features. This is how the artwork appears to the viewers.Its physical attributes in
terms of medium, color, texture and size.

■ Secondary Features. This is how the primary features of the artwork relate to one another.
Particularly, this refers to balance, proportion, unity and harmony that are used to create the
whole composition.

● Content refers to the message the artist wants to convey through his art. The levels of content
are:

■ Factual is the literal interpretation of the work, its images, attributes, actions and poses.

■ Conventional level takes into consideration the basic genres and the figurative meanings
usually indicated by familiar signs and symbols and the quality of work.

■ Subjective level takes into consideration the effect of form and content on the viewers of the
art.

● Context refers to the various circumstances that influence how a work of art was produced
and interpreted. The two types of context are:
■ Primary context pertains to the characteristic of the artist, his personality, beliefs, interests and
values.

■ Secondary context pertains to the setting. The historical period, time in which the work was
produced. Included here are the functions served by the art work, its religious and philosophical
conviction, socio political and economical undertones, climate and geography.

Lesson 10 - Principles of Design

The principles of design describe the ways in which an artist has used or can use the elements
of art to create beautiful compositions. (Grieder 1996)

● Balance is the distribution of the visual weight of objects, color, texture and space. The use of
these elements should be balanced to make the viewers see and feel design as stable. Three
types of balance:

■ Symmetrical balance results when the elements used on one side of the design are similar to
those on the other side.

■ Asymmetrical balance is when the sides of the composition are different but still looked
balanced.

■ Radial balance is achieved when the elements are arranged around a central point. Elements
may exhibit similarities as they spread around the central point.

● Emphasis is the part of the design that catches the viewer's attention. The artist will usually
make one area stand out by contrasting it with other areas.

● Movement is the path the viewer's eye takes when looking through the work of art. Such
movement can be implied along lines edges, shape, and color within the work of art.

● Pattern is the repetition of objects, shapes, lines, or symbols all over the space or picture
plane.

● Proportion is the feeling of unity created when all parts relate well with each other.

● Repetition works with patterns to make the work seem active. The repetition of elements of
design creates unity within the artwork.

● Rhythm is created when one or more elements of design are used repeatedly to produce a
feeling of organized, continuous, sometimes flowing movement. To keep rhythm exciting and
active, variety is important.

● Variety is the use of several elements of design that adds interest in order to hold the viewer's
attention and guide the viewer’s eye through and around the work of art.
● Unity is the feeling of harmony between and among the parts of the work of art, which creates
a feeling of completeness in the composition.

Lesson 11 - The Rule of Thirds and the Seven Da Vincian Principles

● The surface with two equally spaced vertical lines and two equally spaced horizontal lines.

● These lines divide the picture plane into nine equal parts with four intersecting points.

● Based on studies, placing an object in one of the intersecting points results in a pleasing
composition.

● Balance is achieved by placing another object at the point opposite the first one.

The major function of the Rule of Thirds is to serve as a guide for visual artists on the proper
placement of their subjects on the picture plane to achieve a more interesting composition.
Placing the subject at the center does not provide enough interest for viewers to be able to
appreciate the work.

The Seven Da Vincian Principles

Leonardo da Vinci was more than an artist. He was also an architect, scientist, inventor,
anatomist, geologist, historian and writer. Through the centuries, Da Vinci influenced various
areas in many disciplines. Based on the research conducted by Michael J. Gleb (born 1952),
specifically, in his book “How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci” (1998), da Vinci’s genius was
based on 7 principles which he called the seven da Vincian Principles.

1. Curiosita is approaching life with a heightened level of wonder and continuous search to
know and learn more.

2. Dimostrazione is the commitment to test knowledge and to persist in this task, which includes
experiencing both success and failures in undertaking.

3. Sensazione is experiencing life through refinement of the senses. For example, the eyes
should do more than see, it should be able to distinguish between the beauty of various colors,
note minute details and savor the physicality of everything the world has to offer.

4. Sfumato literally translates to “going up in smoke”. It is accepting life’s paradoxes and

5. Arte/Scienza is finding a balance between art and science or logic and imagination. This
relates to the concept of a whole brain thinking (not just the left and right brain).
6. Corporalita is taking care of one’s body. Ensuring that healthy habits are practiced and
sustained. A sound mind is usually the product of a sound body and vice versa.

7. Connessione is realizing that all things are interconnected. It is discovering patterns in the
way things work and how things and lives work out. Interconnectedness is seeing how events in
the past led to the present state of affairs. A closer study of history would make one realize how
events in the past explains the present.