Music Theory Unit 2

Conjunct

Stepwise motion 

Disjunct

 Motion by leaps

Syllabic

Music setting where one note is sung per syllable.

Melismatic

A style of singing where multiple notes are sung for a single syllable.

Contour

The overall shape or direction of a melody, indicating how it rises and falls in pitch.

Motive

A short musical idea or pattern that is repeated and developed throughout a piece.

Register

The range of pitches in which a voice or instrument comfortably performs, often categorized into different sections such as soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.

Range

The distance between the highest and lowest pitches in a piece of music, defining its tonal breadth.

Timbre

the perceived characteristics of a sound other than pitch, loudness, and duration

Basso Continuo

Harpsichord plus cello or bass. Core sound of a Baroque ensemble.

Rhythm Section

Piano/guitar, Bass, and Drums

String Quartet

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello

Symphony Orchestra

String Orchestra plus Woodwinds, Brass and Percussion

Jazz Ensemble

Rhythm section plus melodic instruments horns (saxophones, trombones, trumpets, etc), and or voice.  

Woodwind Quintet

Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, French Horn

Brass Quintet

Trumpet 1, Trumpet 2, French Horn, Trombone, Tuba

Monophonic

 One melody, unaccompanied

Homophonic

A melody with accompanying harmony

Chordal Homophony

chorales, hymns, etc.  Harmonic progressions in which voices are  rhythmically synchronized

Polyphonic

Multiple independent melodic lines occuring simultaneously

Imitative Polyphony

polyphonic music in which voices imitate other voices.  Can be more or less structured

Heterophonic

A single melody paired in unison with an embellished version.  No harmony.  Often improvised.  Common in non-western folk musics.

Alberti Bass

Accompaniment pattern (1 - 5 - 3 - 5).  Most common in classical era piano.

Walking Bass Line

Jazz bass line using improvised lines to connect chords

Imitation

One voice copies a previous voice

Cannon

A voice exactly imitates another voice offset by a certain amount (row, row, row your boat)

Tutti

Everyone plays

Ostinato

A repeating bass line

Doubling

Multiple instruments playing the same part

Polyrhythm

conflicting beat divisions occurring simultaneously (4 against 5, etc)

Hemiola

rhythmic pattern spread across bars that obscures the regular metric feel.  Common baroque phrase ending

Agogic Accent

a regular accent implied by the meter

Fermata

hold the note longer than usual

Triplets / Duplets

A simple meter beat divided into 3, or a compound meter beat divided into 2

Mixed Meter

Time signatures that change in a phrase

Irregular Meters

5/8, 7/8, 5/4, etc.