Untitled Flashcards Set

Timbre

The quality or color of sound that distinguishes different types of sound production.

Pitch

The perceived frequency of a sound; how high or low a sound is.

Volume

The perceived loudness or intensity of a sound.

Duration

The length of time a sound is heard.

Dynamics

The variations in loudness between notes or phrases in music.

Tempo

The speed at which a piece of music is played.

Gradual Change in Dynamics

An increase or decrease in volume over time, often indicated by symbols such as 'crescendo' or 'diminuendo'.

Gradual Change in Tempo

The gradual speeding up or slowing down of music, indicated by terms like 'accelerando' or 'ritardando'.

Clef

A symbol at the beginning of the staff that indicates which notes correspond to which lines or spaces.

Key Signature

A set of sharps or flats placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate the key of the music.

Time Signature

A notation that specifies how many beats are in each measure and what note value receives one beat.

Measure

A segment of time in music defined by a given number of beats.

Melody

A succession of musical notes in a recognizable and coherent sequence.

Harmony

The combination of different musical notes played or sung simultaneously.

Musical Texture

The way different sounds and melodic lines interact in a piece of music.

Musical Form

The structure of a musical composition, outlining how it is organized.

Estampie

A 13th-century instrumental dance form.

Gregorian Chant

A form of plainchant or plain song used in the liturgy of the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages.

Drone

A sustained sound or note that accompanies a melody.

Sacred Music

Religious music typically used in worship services.

Secular Music

Non-religious music meant for entertainment or other social contexts.

Organum

Early polyphony in which a plainchant melody is accompanied by one or more additional voices.

Ars Nova

A term referring to a style of polyphonic music from the late Medieval period that allowed greater complexity and expression.

Guillaume De Machaut

A French composer known for his significant contributions to the development of music, especially with the Notre Dame Mass.

Motet

A vocal composition with a sacred text, often polyphonic.

Madrigal

A secular vocal music composition originating from the Renaissance era, typically for a small group of singers.

Terraced Dynamics

An abrupt change in volume, rather than a gradual transition, common in Baroque music.

Fugue

A contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning.

Basso Continuo

An accompaniment made up of a bass part along with harmonies, typically played by keyboard and bass instruments.

Opera

A dramatic work that combines singing, music, acting, and sometimes dancing to convey a story.

Art Song

A vocal music composition, typically for solo voice and piano, which artfully sets poetry to music.

Nationalism

A musical trend that expresses the composer's national identity through musical themes.

Exoticism

A style of music that incorporates elements from foreign cultures.

Program Music

Music that is meant to convey a specific idea or tell a story.

Leitmotif

A recurring musical theme associated with a particular character or idea in a musical composition.

Idee Fixe

A term used by Berlioz for a recurring theme that represents a person or idea, transforming in each section of a piece.

Neoclassicism

A 20th-century movement in music that sought to draw inspiration from the classical styles of the past.

Impressionism

A late 19th-to-early 20th-century musical movement characterized by the suggestion of mood and atmosphere rather than detailed emotion.

Chance Music

Music in which some aspects are left to chance or determined by random methods.

Twelve-Tone Technique

A compositional method developed by Arnold Schoenberg, using a series of all twelve notes of the chromatic scale.

Minimalism

A style of music that uses limited musical materials, repetitive phrases, and gradual change.

Experimental Music

Music that challenges conventional forms or techniques, often involving new sound sources.

New Tone Color

A term used to describe innovative uses of sound in contemporary music compositions.

Aaron Copland

An American composer known for his unique integration of American themes in classical music.

George Gershwin

An American composer famous for his works that bridge classical music and jazz.

John Williams

An acclaimed composer known for his film score compositions, significantly impacting movie music.