fa 370 exam 1

three important textures of music

Monophony: This is a single melodic line with no accompaniment. It’s the simplest texture. Example: a solo singer singing without any instruments.

Homophony: This texture consists of a main melody supported by harmonies or chords. A good example is a singer accompanied by guitar or piano.

Polyphony: This is when two or more independent melodies are heard at the same time. Think of a fugue, where multiple melodies intertwine.

aural difference between major and minor mode

Major: happy! minor: sad :(

Melodic Motion

steps, leaps, and repeated notes

pitch

the specific frequency of a note

duration

how long each note lasts

intervals

the distance between two pitches

rythmn

how the music interacts with the beat

what does rythmn include?

a)     Beat: basic unit of time in music

b)    Tempo: The speed at which the beats occur.

c)     Meter: How beats are grouped (e.g., duple, triple meter).

d)    Syncopation: rhythm that counters or masks the beat

different types of meters

Duple Meter: The beat is divided into two equal parts. Common time signatures: 2/4, 4/4. Feels like two main beats per measure. Example: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

Triple Meter: The beat is divided into three equal parts. Common time signature: 3/4. Feels like three beats per measure. Example: "National Anthem”

Compound Meter: The beat is divided into three equal parts, but it’s grouped into larger units. Common time signatures: 6/8, 9/8, 12/8. Feels like two or three main beats per measure, each subdivided into three smaller beats. Example: A fast-paced jig or some ballads.

make up of a modern symphony orchestra

Strings: Violins, violas, cellos, double basses, harp

Woodwinds: Flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons

Brass: French horns, trumpets, trombones, tuba

Percussion: Timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, KEYBOARDS

Modernism as a new means of artistic expression

Modernist composers sought innovative ways to express emotions, ideas, and concepts that hadn't been explored before. This often meant rejecting conventional structures and tonality. They used new scales (such as the whole tone scale), innovative instrumental techniques, and experimental forms.

• Example: Arnold Schoenberg’s "Pierrot Lunaire" (1912) introduced atonality, rejecting traditional harmonic relationships to create a more dissonant and complex sound.

Modernism as a rebellion against the excess of Austro-German Romanticism

Modernism arose as a reaction to this overindulgence in emotional expression, length, and harmonic complexity.

Modernist Rejection: Composers such as Igor Stravinsky (in works like The Rite of Spring) and Schoenberg felt that the emotional excesses and the romanticized grandiosity of late 19th-century music were no longer relevant.

incremental changes in the elements of music to make it “modern”

Harmonic structures (atonality, dissonance)

Rhythm (irregular, asymmetrical meters)

Orchestration (unconventional instrumental techniques and combinations)

Form (breaking away from traditional forms like sonata-allegro)

Music leader: Gustav Mahler

a. Wrote music evoking “...vast expanses of space and time.” P. 17

b. Chords removed from their harmonic (do-re-mi) moorings

Claude Debussy

a. Was influenced by impressionism, but not “impressionist”

b. “Planar” chords, masking of meter/beat, use of exoticism

Arnold Schoenberg

composer of Pierrot Lunaire, and very “progressive.”

Beat

The basic unit of time in music, a regular pulse that you can feel and often tap along with.

Measure

A segment of time in music, defined by a specific number of beats (often separated by vertical lines in music notation).

Meter

The organization of beats into regular patterns, typically grouped into duple <march> (2), triple (3), or quadruple (4).

syncopation

A rhythm that counters or masks the beat

tempo

The speed at which a piece of music is performed, usually measured in beats per minute (BPM).

Melody

principle musical statement

interval

The distance between two pitches, measured by the number of steps (or half steps) between them.

accidental

A sharp, flat, or natural sign placed in front of a note to alter its pitch from the key signature.

consonance

RELEASE. A harmonious combination of tones that sounds stable and pleasing, often used to convey resolution in music.

dissonance

TENSION. A combination of tones that creates tension or a sense of instability, often requiring resolution to consonance.

dynamics

The variation in loudness or softness of sound in music, indicated by terms like piano (soft) and forte (loud).

phrase

A musical unit or "sentence," typically ending with a sense of closure or a cadence, like a complete thought in music.

movement

A self-contained section of a larger musical work, such as a symphony or concerto, usually with its own distinct character or theme.

harmony

result of 2+ notes sounding together

Key

The group of pitches that forms the foundation of a piece of music, centered around a tonic note. It defines the tonality (major or minor).

mode (major/minor)

The major mode has a bright, happy sound, while the minor mode tends to sound darker or more somber. These are two of the most common modes used in Western music.

chord

3+ notes deliberately sounding together.

texture

The way different musical voices or instruments are combined in a piece, ranging from monophonic (single melody) to polyphonic (multiple independent melodies) or homophonic (melody with accompaniment).

timbre

quality of music

modernism

A broad cultural movement in the early 20th century, in music, it involves breaking away from tradition, embracing innovation, and experimenting with new forms, sounds, and techniques.

symbolism

A literary and artistic movement focused on using symbols to express emotions, ideas, and states of mind, often with vague or dreamlike imagery.

impressionism

An artistic movement that sought to capture fleeting impressions, particularly of light and color, often using unconventional harmonies and rhythms. In music, composers like Debussy focused on atmosphere and sensory experience rather than structure.

exoticism

The use of foreign or distant elements (such as scales, rhythms, or instruments from other cultures) to evoke a sense of the "other" or to create a mood of mystery or adventure in art and music.

Stéphane Mallarmé (Afternoon of a Faun)

Mallarmé was a French poet whose work influenced composers like Claude Debussy. His poem "L'Après-midi d'un faune" (Afternoon of a Faun) inspired Debussy’s tone poem, which evokes a sensuous, dreamlike atmosphere.

claude monet

A French painter and key figure in the Impressionist movement. His works, such as "Water Lilies", focused on capturing light and color rather than detail, influencing both visual arts and music, especially composers like Debussy.

scale

parameter of music

modality

a system of tuning that doesn’t have specific tendencies.

2 types of chords

TRIAD: 3 —> consonant

7th CHORD: 4+ notes→ dissonance

melodic motion (contour)

sequence of melodies, pitch changes, which creates a shape or outline

families of instruments

strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion

woodwinds

flute, bassoon (largest), english horn, oboe, clarinet

strings

violin, viola, double bass, cello, harp

brass

aerophones. trumpets, trombone, tuba, english horn

percussion

piano

4 classifications of musical instruments

aerophones, chordophones, membranaphones, idiophones

makeup of a modern symphony

brass: 2-3 trumpets(soprano), 2 trombone (tenor), 4 frenchhorn(alto), 1 tuba(bass),

strings: violins (2 sect of 12), cello, double bass, viola

woodwinds

italian words

allegro: fast presto: very fast adante: walking pace largo: slow and broad