music fundamentals

what is music

The art of sound in time.

What is the time aspect of music

It includes rhythm, duration, beat, accent, meter, syncopation, and tempo

What is duration?

The distance in time that a sound or silence lasts.

What is a beat?

A series of equal durations that provides a background pulse.

What is rhythm

A combination of long and short durations of sound and silence.

Where is the beat usually found in music?

In the background.

Where is specific rhythm usually found?

in the foreground.

What is an accent?

A stressed beat.

What does the symbol > represent in music?

An accent, or stressed beat.

What is meter?

A regular pattern of strong and weak beats.

What is a measure?

A strong beat followed by a set number of weak beats.

What identifies the beginning of a measure?

The strong beat, called the downbeat.

What number is the downbeat?

Beat 1.

What is duple meter?

A meter with 2 beats in each measure.

What is simple time?

Time in which each beat can be subdivided into multiples of 2.

How can a simple beat be subdivided?

into 2 equal parts, such as 1 + 2 +.

What is compound time?

time in which each beat is subdivided into multiples of 3.

How can a compound beat be subdivided?

Into 3 equal parts

What is compound duple meter?

A meter with 2 main beats per measure, where each beat is subdivided into 3.

What is syncopation?

A displaced accent that goes against the regular pattern of strong and weak beats.

What does syncopation do to the regular meter?

It moves or emphasizes accents in unexpected places.

What is tempo?

he speed or rate at which beats follow one another.

Which tempo marking is the fastest?

Prestissimo.

Which tempo marking comes after Prestissimo?

Presto.

What is metrical music?

Music with a regular meter.

What is non-metrical music?

Music with no regular meter.

What is Signal Listening?

noticing each change in the listening example.

What is Identity Listening?

Listening while asking “What is it?” and identifying specific musical elements.

What happens when sounds are distributed equally through time?

We are more likely to stay engaged and perceive the music as passing quickly.

What are the major concepts in Is our perception of musical timealways objective?

No. Time is relative; our perception can change depending on what we hear.

What are the major concepts in the TIME aspect of music?

Rhythm, duration, beat, accent, meter, syncopation, and tempo.

What is the difference between beat and rhythm?

Beat is the regular background pulse; rhythm is the pattern of long and short sounds/silences.

What is the difference between simple and compound time?

Simple = beats divide into 2; compound = beats divide into 3.

What is the difference between meter and tempo?

Meter is the pattern of strong and weak beats; tempo is the speedof those beats.

What are the main concepts of the sound aspect of music?

Frequency, pitch, amplitude, dynamics, definite pitch, and indefinite pitch.

What is frequency, and how is it measured?

The rate at which sound waves/cycles travel through space, measuredin cycles per second (CPS).

What frequency range can humans generally hear?

20–20,000 CPS (Hz).

What is pitch, and how is it related to frequency?

Pitch is how high or low a sound is. Low frequency = low pitch; high frequency = high pitch.

What is amplitude?

The strength of a vibration, determined by the amount of energy carried by the vibration.

How is amplitude measured, and how do we perceive it?

t is measured in decibels (dB) and perceived as loudness or softness.

What are dynamics?

The musical terms used to describe loudness and softness.

What are the dynamic markings from softest to loudest?

pp (pianissimo) → p (piano) → mp (mezzo piano) → mf (mezzo forte) → f (forte) → ff (fortissimo).

What do pp, p, mp, mf, f, and ff mean?

pp = very soft, p = soft, mp = moderately soft, mf = moderately loud, f = loud, ff = very loud.

What is definite pitch?

A sound with a clear, identifiable pitch.

What is indefinite pitch?

A sound that does not have a clearly identifiable pitch.

What is Environmental Listening (Ear Cleaning)?

listening carefully to notice every sound in your environment.

What is passive listening?

A mechanical process where the ear receives sound vibrations.

What happens when sound is produced and travels through the air?

A source of motion moves air particles, creating repeating patterns of thin/thick density called waves or cycles, which travel through space at about 1,000 feet per second according to the notes.

What happens when sound waves reach the ear?

The eardrum vibrates at the same number of CPS as the sound, stimulating the cochlea.

What does the cochlea do?

It converts the vibrations into electrical impulses that travel to the brain through the nervous system.

What is active listening?

A mental process where the brain becomes psychologically active after receiving sound information.

What does the brain do during active listening?

It perceives sound, understands its meaning, interprets it, and responds.

What is the difference between passive and active listening?

Passive = mechanical hearing process.
Active = mental interpretation and response to sound.

What is the difference between frequency/amplitude and pitch/dynamics?

Frequency and amplitude are physical properties of sound.
Pitch and dynamics are how we perceive/describe those properties.

• Frequency → pitch (high/low)

• Amplitude → dynamics (loud/soft)

What should you listen for in The Prince Who Changed into a Cat from the Beijing Opera?

Definite and indefinite pitch.

diatonic scale

a series of pitches from low to high

intervels

distance between two pitches

scale

collection of pitches from high to low

contour

linear shape. (highs and lows)

climax

the highest point of interest. more tension where the emphasize is

cadence

break of rest in a melody can happen during and definitely at the end. there can be half cadence

phrase

section at a melody that raises at a break.

row row row ———— your boat ——-

motive

it repeats. marley marely marely life is about a dream.

Marley is repeated on the same same pitch

melody is

contour

phrase

climax

cadence

motive

harmony

vertical aspect. pitch one on another.

tonic triad

is built on the first note of the scale

dominat triad

is built on the 5th note of the scale

consonance

more constant. notes aren’t as close together then dissonance. pitches blend together

dissonance

high pitch. tense. notes close together

consonance

stable

diatonic triads

3 note chords derived from the diatonic scale

tonality

the centrality of one pitch within a collection of pitches. in tonal music pitches are organized around a tonal centre.

modality

changing the starting note of the diatonic scale (changing the tonal centre) changes the mode of the scale.

key

collection of pitches

modulation

moving from one key to another

atonal music

tonal music

major mode

minor mode

medeval modes

difference between imitated and nonimiltated

imitated copied or echoed

nonimiated independent melodies

distance listening

listening from a distance. retaining info from the begging of the line. did an example in class of all of the names.

form

the shape of the musical work through time.

contrast

if something new happens B

restatement

relating something to remember it A

variation

restatement and contrast A1

style

it is determined by the inner form

tempo vs dynamics

tempo is the speed (allergy fast, adagio slow) and dynamics is volume (f loud, soft)

unaltered theme vs variations

unaltered= the original melody/ theme Is played the same way

variations= changed version of the original