Ethnomusicology and Fundamentals of Sound

Vocabulary flashcards covering ethnomusicology, soundscapes, pitch elements, rhythm, instrument categories, textures, and meters based on the lecture notes.

Ethnomusicology

The study of music in its social and cultural contexts, which is highly interdisciplinary.

Soundscape

A term referring to different aspects of a sonic environment, which can be musical or non-musical.

Musical Soundscape

A specific, intentional musical performance that looks beyond just the music itself to involve senses beyond hearing, formed by sound, setting, and significance.

Music

The intentional organization of sound by and for human beings.

Setting

The environment of a musical soundscape, including the venue/space, behavior of present individuals, surrounding environment, and accompanying visuals.

Significance

The aspect of a musical event that influences experience and interpretation, often tied to important life events (like weddings or funerals) or unexpected performance moments.

Pitch

The musical element that allows us to differentiate between the relative highness or lowness of one sound compared to another.

Definite Pitch

A clear, distinctive, measurable frequency produced when sound waves oscillate at a consistent, regular frequency.

Indefinite Pitch

A sound produced when sound waves oscillate at an inconsistent, irregular frequency, resulting in a pitch that cannot be sung.

Melody

Definite pitches that are sung or played one after another in sequence.

Note

The visual representation of a pitch seen on music manuscript paper.

Tone

A synonym often used for a definite pitch rather than an indefinite pitch.

Interval

The distance between one definite pitch and another.

Octave

A special type of interval between definite pitches that share a letter name and vibrate at a frequency ratio of $2:1$.

Consonant Interval

An interval that sounds stable, harmonious, and pleasant.

Dissonant Interval

An interval that sounds jarring, clashing, or unstable.

Rhythm

The relative length of time one pitch is played or sung in relation to surrounding pitches, representing how music is organized with respect to time.

Beat

The fundamental aspect and basic unit of time in music, serving as its consistent pulse.

Tempo

The speed at which the beat is played, measured in beats per minute (BPM).

Dynamics

The dynamic level of a sound referring to its relative loudness or softness.

Timbre

Also known as tone color, the musical element that allows us to recognize that two or more instruments or voices sound different, even at the same pitch, rhythm, and dynamic level.

Chordophones

Instrument classification (from Latin chorda, meaning string) that produces sound by vibrations of a string when plucked, struck, or bowed.

Angbindi

An earth bow used by the BaAkan forest people, constructed out of a simple cord and a stick anchored into the ground; an example of a chordophone.

Aerophones

Instrument classification (from Greek aero, meaning air) that produces sound by causing air to vibrate as air is moved through the instrument.

Membranophones

Instrument classification (from Latin membrum) characterized by a vibrating skin or membrane stretched over a frame, producing indefinite pitches used for rhythm only.

Bodhrán

A small hand-held Irish traditional frame drum (pronounced BOW-rhawn) classified as a membranophone.

Idiophones

Instrument classification (from Greek idios, meaning distinct or personal) that creates sound when a solid unit of the instrument or the entire instrument vibrates.

Electrophones

Instruments whose ability to produce sound depends on electricity, encompassing instruments like the theremin and keyboard synthesizers.

Musical Texture

The term for the number and function of musical layers created using definite pitches.

Monophony

A musical texture experienced when hearing only one musical layer, which is the melody.

Polyphony

A musical texture created when music has two or more separate melodies happening at the same time.

Homophony

A musical texture where definite pitches in the music serve as accompaniment, such as harmony or chords, rather than a main melody.

Meter

The grouping of steady beats into patterns of accented (louder) and unaccented (softer) beats.

Downbeat

The first beat in a meter pattern (beat one), which is usually louder and receives emphasis.

Quadruple Meter

The most common meter type, consisting of 4 beats in each group with primary emphasis on beat one and a secondary accent on beat three.

Triple Meter

A common meter type with 3 beats in each group, where beat one is emphasized and beats two and three are softer.

Quintuple Meter

A meter grouping that consists of 5 beats in each group.

Septuple Meter

A meter grouping that consists of 7 beats in each group.