MADTSHIRTS Musical Elements, Texture, Sonority, and Theory

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards reviewing the MADTSHIRTS musical elements, texture types, sonority/instruments and pitch ranges, tempo and dynamic markings, harmony and tonality, and film music concepts.

Articulation

Describes how the note is played (for example, staccato and legato).

Structure/Form

Describes the arrangement of sections in the music (e.g., verse and chorus in popular music, or section A and section B in classical music).

Sonority

Describes the instruments used and the techniques applied to them.

Rhythm & Metre

Rhythm describes the arrangement of sound and silence (e.g., crotchets and quavers), while metre describes the time signature (e.g., $4/4$ or $2/2$).

Style/Genre

The style (such as film, jazz, classical, or romantic) or genre (such as rock, R&B, Bhangra, or Hip-Hop).

Pitch

How high or low a sound is.

Melody

The tune or main theme of the music.

Motif

A small fragment of melody, often repeated or changed to form a larger melody.

Ascending

Getting higher in pitch (sometimes generally ascending).

Descending

Getting lower in pitch (sometimes generally descending).

Sequence

When a motif or melody is repeated at a higher or lower pitch.

Conjunct

Moving up or down by step ($1$ or $2$ semi-tones).

Disjunct

Moving up or down in leads ($3$ or more semi-tones).

Leitmotif

A theme or melody that represents a person, place, emotion or thing.

Fanfare

A disjunct brass melody associated with the military or a grand occasion.

Ostinato/looping

A repeating melody.

Pianissimo (pp)

Very quiet.

Piano (p)

Quiet.

Mezzo Piano (mp)

Quite quiet.

Mezzo Forte (mf)

Quiet loud.

Forte (f)

Loud.

Crescendo

Getting gradually louder.

Decrescendo/Diminuendo

Getting gradually quieter.

Tempo

The speed of the music.

Lento

Slow.

Adagio

Quite slow.

Andante

Moderate, walking pace.

Moderato

Moderate speed.

Allegretto

Quite fast.

Allegro

Fast.

Presto

Very fast.

Accelerando

Getting faster.

Ritardando/Rallentando

Getting slower.

Harmony

Multiple pitches at the same time. Describes the chords.

Tonality

Describes the 'key' of the music - e.g. major or minor.

Major

A common type of scale or key. Sounds bright, uplifting, happy, proud, funny, positive, etc.

Minor

A common type of scale or key. Sounds dark, ominous, threatening, sad, heavy, dramatic, tense, mysterious.

Dissonance/dissonant

Clashing sounds, pitches that don't sound pleasing when played together.

Consonance/consonant

Pitches that sound nice when played together.

Pedal

A sustained or repeating note whilst other aspects of the music changes. Usually low pitched.

Drone

A sustained or repeating chord - usually a $5^{\text{th}}$ - whilst other aspects of the music changes. Usually low pitched.

Diatonic

All the notes fit inside the key.

Texture

The number of musical ideas going on at once and their function e.g. the melody, the bassline, the accompaniment. Thicker texture has more ideas and thinner texture has fewer ideas.

Monophonic

One musical idea (note this can be more than one performer).

Solo

One musician performing on their own.

Unison

Multiple musicians or 'musical voices' performing the same thing at the same time. If musicians are playing the same thing but at different octaves this still counts as unison.

Homophonic Chordal

Multiple musicians or 'musical voices' playing the same rhythm but at different pitches.

Homophonic Melody & Accompaniment

A prominent melody line being accompanied by other musicians or 'musical voices'.

Polyphonic

Multiple musical voices or melodies playing at the same time.

Countermelody

An additional melody different to the main melody. This makes the texture polyphonic.

Canon

The same melody superimposed on top of itself at different times.

Fugue

A complicated sort of canon, often for organ. In fugue the entire melody is played before the second 'voice' comes in, which does not have to be the case with canon.

Thick (Texture)

Lots of musical ideas. Characterized by added parts and layered sounds.

Thin (Texture)

Few musical ideas. Characterized by stopping parts or reduced layers.

Diegetic

Music that the characters in the film can hear (less common).

Non-diegetic

Music that only the audience can hear; the music interprets the emotions or sets the scene (more common).

Minimalism

A style of music built on the repetition and gradual change of musical ideas. Quite a common style for some film music.

French Horn

An instrument belonging to the Brass family with a medium low to high pitch range.

Tuba

An instrument belonging to the Brass family with a low pitch range.

Bassoon

An instrument belonging to the Woodwind family with a low pitch range.

Piano and Harpsichord

Instruments classified under the Percussion family that possess a full pitch range.

Timpani

An instrument belonging to the Percussion family with a low pitch range.

Cymbals, Snare Drum, and Drum Kit

Instruments belonging to the Percussion family with their pitch categorized as NA.