Chapter 1: The Elements of Music

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the basic elements of music, rhythmic terms, dynamic levels, harmonic concepts, textures, forms, and historical style-periods from the lecture notes.

Beat

The pulse of the music and the element of "TIME" in music.

Duration

How long a sound (or silence) lasts.

Tempo

The speed of the BEAT.

Largo

"Large" or labored (slow); $40-65$ beats per minute.

Adagio

Slow; $66-75$ beats per minute.

Andante

Steady "walking" tempo; $76-107$ beats per minute.

Moderato

Moderate; $108-119$ beats per minute.

Allegro

Fast ("happy"); $120-167$ beats per minute.

Presto

Very fast; $168-208$ beats per minute.

Meter

Beats organized into recognizable/recurring accent patterns.

Duple meter

A $2$-pulse grouping, often found in marches.

Triple meter

A $3$-pulse grouping, often found in waltz-dances.

Quadruple meter

A $4$-pulse grouping.

Syncopation

An "off-the-beat" accent occurirng between the counted numbers.

Ritardando

Gradually SLOWING DOWN the tempo.

Accelerando

Gradually SPEEDING UP the tempo.

Rubato

Freely and expressively making subtle changes in the tempo; a technique commonly encountered in music of the Romantic era.

Dynamics

All musical aspects relating to the relative loudness (or quietness) of music.

Pianissimo

[pp]; very quiet.

Piano

[p]; quiet.

Mezzo-piano

[mp]; moderately quiet.

Mezzo-forte

[mf]; moderately loud.

Forte

[f]; loud.

Fortissimo

[ff]; very loud.

Crescendo

Gradually getting LOUDER.

Diminuendo (or decrescendo)

Gradually getting QUIETER.

Accent

"Punching" or "leaning into" a note harder to temporarily emphasize it.

Melody

The LINEAR/HORIZONTAL presentation of pitch.

Pitch

The highness or lowness of a musical sound.

Theme

A melody that is the basis for an extended musical work.

Conjunct

Smooth; easy to sing or play melodies.

Disjunct

Disjointedly ragged or jumpy; melodies that are difficult to sing or play.

Harmony

The VERTICALIZATION of pitch; the art of combining pitches into chords.

Chord

Several notes played simultaneously as a "block".

Chord progressions

Chords arranged into sentence-like patterns.

Dissonance

A harsh-sounding harmonic combination that produces musical "tension".

Consonance

A smooth-sounding harmonic combination.

Modality

Harmony created out of the ancient Medieval/Renaissance modes.

Tonality

Harmony that focuses on a "home" key center.

Atonality

Modern harmony that AVOIDS any sense of a "home" key center.

Tone color (or Timbre)

The unique sound quality or characteristic pattern of "overtones" produced by a musical instrument or voice.

Register

A portion of the range or compass of an instrument (e.g., the upper register of a clarinet is brilliant and piercing).

Texture

The number of individual musical lines (melodies) and the relationship these lines have to one another.

Monophonic

Music with only one note sounding at a time, having no harmony or accompaniment.

Homophonic

Music with two or more notes sounding at the same time, featuring a prominent melody supported by a less intricate harmonic accompaniment/chords.

Polyphonic

Music with two or more independent melodies sounding at the same time.

Counterpoint

The manner of writing used in intricate polyphonic textures like canon and fugue.

Imitative texture

A type of polyphonic texture produced when a musical idea is ECHOED from "voice" to "voice".

Strophic Form

A design in VOCAL music where the same music is used for several different verses (strophes).

Through-composed

A structure in which there is no repeat or return of any large-scale musical section (e.g., Schubert's "Erlkönig").

Binary Form

A two-part form (A B) where both main sections are repeated, based on the premise of CONTRAST.

Ternary Form

A three-part form (A B A) featuring a return of the initial music after a contrasting section.

Middle Ages

(Approximately $450-1450$); An era dominated by Catholic sacred music; leading composers include Pérotin and Machaut.

Renaissance

(Approximately $1450-1600$); The "golden age of vocal music" focused on Humanism; leading composers include Josquin Desprez, Palestrina, and Weelkes.

Baroque

(Approximately $1600-1750$); An ornate era featuring the rise of instrumental music and the first orchestras; composers include Vivaldi, Handel, and JS Bach.

Classic

(Approximately $1750-1820$); Era focused on structural unity, clarity, and balance; leading composers include Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.

Romantic

(Approximately $1820-1900$); Era of flamboyant personal expression and nationalism; leading composers include Berlioz, Chopin, and Wagner.

Modern

(Approximately $1900-present$); Era of daring experimentation and advances in technology; leading composers include Debussy, Schoenberg, and Stravinsky.