Geometry in Art and Music
Patterns in Rhythm
Proportions and Scale
Value and Dynamics
Symmetry and Form
100

A shape with three equal sides; also the three-note chord in music.

What is a triangle?

100

Repeating shape pattern in art; repeating beats in music.

What is a pattern?

100

Artist scales objects; composer balances loud and soft—this ratio is called…

What is proportion?

100

Lightness/darkness in color; softness in music volume.

What is value?

100

Mirror on two halves in art; balanced form in music phrases.

What is symmetry?

200

Five-line staff in music; also term for artist’s arrangement on their canvas.

What is a composition?

200

Sequence of notes; also visual motif on pottery or border designs.

What is a motif?

200

Math term for comparing two numbers also used for comparing instrument sizes.

What is ratio?

200

Term for increasing volume in music; also “getting darker” in a painting.

What is crescendo?

200

Circular symmetry in mandalas and rondo form in music.

What is radial symmetry?

300

3D shape with a circular base like a musical bell; also used in sculpture.

What is a cone?

300

In art, alternating stripes; in music, alternating strong and weak beats.

What is an alternating pattern?

300

Scale factor in scaling a drawing; also relates to transposing music up or down.

What is a scale?

300

Measure of sound level; similarly artists use light contrast to measure value.

What is decibel/value contrast?

300

3D shape with all points equidistant; analogous to uniform harmony in music chords.

What is a sphere?

400

Angle greater than 90°; composers sometimes pace melodies in this “space.”

What is an obtuse angle?

400

Visual pattern that rotates around a center; music repeated melody around a note.


What is a radial or circular pattern?


400

Enlargement or reduction in art; raising or lowering pitch in music.

What is transformation?

400

Very soft in music, Italian term; also faint light in pastel drawings.

What is pianissimo?

400

Symmetry around one axis; music mirror form like ABA.

What is bilateral symmetry?

500

A three-dimensional form with all faces identical parallelograms; seen in sculpture and music notation spacing.

What is a cuboid?

500

Complex repeating in art (like tessellations) and syncopated beats in music.

What is syncopation?

500

Dividing a line into equal parts in art; dividing a measure into equal beats in music.

What is unit partitioning?

500

Dramatic change from soft to loud—or light to dark in painting; this is called…

What is contrast?

500

The three-dimensional “body” of an art sculpture; in music, the “body” or main section of a composition.

What is form?