Music Appreciation Test 1

Music can be defined as

an art based on the organization of sounds in time

Music is considered a vital part of human society because

It provides entertainment and emotional release, accompanies many activities that humans do, and it is present in our daily lives

The smallest unit of musical sound

note

A single line of notes heard in succession as a coherent unit is called a

melody

a cadence is

a musical arrival point

the distance between notes is called a

interval

the smallest interval in western music is a

half step

Major mode sounds

happy, bright

Minor mode sounds

dark, sad

The ordering of music through time can best be described as

rhythm

When music is rhythmically felt in groups of three, it is likely in

triple meter

This is used to indicate silence in music

rest

When two or more notes are played or sung at the same time, this is known as

harmony

A chord is

three or more notes being played or sung at the same time

Tempo can be best described as

how fast or slow a piece of music is to be played or sung

Tempo and dynamics are often indicated in which language

Italian

A device that indicates an exact tempo is

metronome

Dynamics can be best described as

how loud or soft music should be preformed

A gradual change in the decrease in dynamics or to gradually get softer is know as

decrescendo

Tone color or timbre describes

the different qualities, colors, or characteristics of a sound

Rondo form is most easily noticed because

the return of the “A” section

Ternary form can be described as

A B A

A gradual change in the increase in dynamics or to gradually get louder is known as

crescendo

For string instruments, the general acoustical principle is

the shorter string, the higher the pitch

The saxophone is a

single reed instrument

The trombone is different than other brass instruments because

it has a slide instead of valves

Brass players change notes by

changing the pressure and shape of their lips and by also using valves or a slide

percussion instruments with indefinite pitch

produce noise-like sounds that you cannot sing back

An example of a percussion instrument with definite pitch is

cymbals

female voice type

alto

lowest male voice types

bass

pipe organ

is a keyboard instrument that usues knobs called stops, and produces sound by air being pushed through pipes

harpsichord

a keyboard instrument that produces sound by small wedges plucking strings

western instruments

strings, woodwinds,brass,percussion,keyboard, and electronic

the chnages of music style throughout history have been because

changes in trends, social attitudes,political shifts, economic shifts, and intellectual movements

Monophonic

A single melodic line

homophonic

one melody with a supporting accompaniment

polyphonic

two or more melodic lines being played or sung at the same time

woodwinds

flute, clarinet, and saxophone

Brass

french horn, tuba, trombone

strings

violin, cello, viola

percussion

cymbals, bass drums, snare drum, and xylophone

keyboard

piano

Mezzo Piano

MP

Forte

f

very soft

pp

fortissimo

ff

moderately loud

mf