Music Appreciation Final Study Guide

MUSC 130

Melody: *

A sequence of pitches that forms a recognizable musical idea; the part of a piece you might sing or hum

Rhythm:*

The organization of time in music, including beats, meter, patterns, and rhythmic emphasis

Harmony:*

The vertical combination of sounds in music; it occurs when different pitches sound together

Dynamics: *

The loudness and softness of music

Crescendo:*

Gradually getting louder

Decrescendo: *

Gradually getting softer

Mezzo Piano:

Moderately soft

Tempo: *

The rate or speed of a musical piece or passage

Largo:

Slow

Adante:

Moderate, walking pace

Allegro:

Fast

Presto:

Very Fast

Timbre/ Tone Color:^

The unique quality or color of a sound that allows us to distinguish one instrument or voice from another

Texture:*

How musical lines are layered together

Monophonic: *

One melodic line with no accompany harmony

Homophonic: *

One main melody accompanied by harmony, with parts generally moving together rhythmically

Polyphonic: *

Two or more independent melodic lines occurring simultaneously

Consonance: *

The combination of notes that are harmonically stable and pleasing to the ear, often creating a sense of resolution/

Strophic Form: *

The same music is repeated for each stanza or verse of the text

Binary Form:*

A musical form with 2 main sections, A-B

Themes and variations: *

A main musical theme is presented and then altered in successive variations while remaining recognizable

Soprano:

High female voice; bright, ringing, expressive. Example: Mariah Carey

Alto:

Low female voice; warm, mellow, dark. Example: Adele

Tenor:

High male voice; clear, ringing, expressive. Example: Freddie Mercury

Bass:

Low male voice; deep, rich, resonant. Example: Barry White

Strings:

An orchestral family that includes violin, viola, cello, and double bass; sometimes harp and piano

Woodwinds:

An orchestral instrument family that includes flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon

Brass:

An orchestral instrument family that includes trumpet, trombone, French horn, and tuba

Percussion:

Instruments that produce sound when they are hit, shaken, or scraped

What are examples of percussion instruments?

Drums, cymbals, tambourines, and marimbas

What is the modern orchestra

A large ensemble of musicians that includes strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion, performing a wide range of orchestral music

Music:

A rational organizatoin of sounds and silences passing through time

Middle Ages / Medieval Period:

A period in which church music, vocal music, and monophonic texture were important. Gregorian Chant was a major musical example

Gregorian Chant:

A major musical example associated with the Medieval Period

Renaissance:

A period in which polyphonic texture, word painting, church music, and increasingly significant secular music were important

Word Painting:

A musical concept introduced and developed during the Renaissance, as described in the study guide

Renaissance instrument:

Lute, sackbut, and shawm

Baroque:

A period associated with J. S. Bach, heavy ornamentation, unity of mood, polyphony, and homophonic writing

Unity of Mood:

An important concept associated with Baroque music

Classical Period:

A period in which music followed relatively strict forms

Vienna, Austria:

An important musical center during the Classical Period

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozar, Ludwig van Beethoven, Joseph Haydn

Major composers associated with the Classical Period

Romantic Period:

A period in which music became more emotional and dramatic, orchestras grew larger, and composers had more possibilities for tone color

Romantic composers:

Increasingly worked as independent or freelance musicians

Middle class during the Romantic Period:

Became an important source of musical support

Public concerts during the Romantic Period

Became increasingly important

20th/21st Century Music:

Music characterized by fewer traditional rules, technological advances, new sounds, experimentation, and sometimes atonal musical languages

20th/21st-century music characteristics:

Complex chords, rhythms, and performance practices became common

Important 20th/21st-century artistic movements:

Primitivism, Minimalism, and Impressionism

Nationalism: *

Music that incorporates musical ideas associated with a particular country, region, or ethnic group

Nationalism examples:

Folk melodies, rhythms, harmonies, national songs, or other national musical characteristics

Impressionism: *

A movement that focuses on tone color, atmosphere, musical suggestion, and interesting harmonies and textures

Primitivism: *

A movement associated with rhythmic energy, percussive effects, and musical ideas inspired by “primitive” or ancient concepts

Minimalism: *

A movement associated with repetition, gradual musical changes, and limited musical materials

Exoticism: *

The use of musical characteristics intended to evoke cultures or places perceived as unfamiliar or foreign

Blues:

An important precursor to jazz that emphasizes expressive vocal and instrumental styles

Ragtime

An important early American popular music tradition strongly associated with syncopated rhythms and the piano

Gospel singing:

A musical tradition that played an important role in the development of American popular music

Country music:

A musical tradition that contributed to the development of American popular music

Syncopation:

Emphasis on the unexpected or weak part of the beat

Big Band / Swing:

Music characterized by large ensembles, strong rhythm sections, significant brass presence, arranged ensemble passages, and dance-oriented music

Bing band:

A large ensemble with a strong rhythm section and significant brass presence

Leonard Bernstein:

Composer associated with West Side Story

Stephen Sondheim:

Composer associated with Sweeney Todd

Andrew Lloyd Webber:

Composer associated with The Phantom of the Opera

George Gershwin:

Composer associated with Porgy and Bess

Total immersion era:

A topic emphasized in the study guide concerning the technological development of music in film, television, and video games. No further definition is provided in the source

Technological advances in sound:

Developments that expanded the possibilities for musical experiences in visual media

Music and visual media:

The relationship between music and the visual content it accompanies

Popular music:

Music that often connects directly with listeners through relatable lyrics, strong beats, memorable melodies, and accessible musical structures