Music 1107 Quiz #1 Study Terms & Definitions | KState

String Family

Bowed or Plucked: violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp, guitar, banjo, mandolin

Woodwind family

Flute, piccolo, Oboe, english horn, clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, saxophone

Brass family

Air creates sound- ex: trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, french horn, trombone, tuba, euphonium, sousaphone

Percussion

Pitched- melody can be played on it, ex: Idiophones, Xylophone, Membranophones, timpani/kettle drum, Bass drum, Tambourine

Simple meter

the beat is divisible by 2, it sounds like you can march to it.

Compound meter

the beat is divisible by 3, you can skip to it.

Major mode

describes harmony that sounds happy, fun, excited ex. "jingle bells"

Minor mode

describes harmony that sounds dark, scary, sad

Consonance

agreeable harmony, relaxing, release tension ex. Country dance

Dissonance

instability in music, creates tension

Monophony

one single melodic line with nothing else happening, one note after another

Heterophony

when two or more instruments have the same melody at the same time, but they embellish the melody

Polyphony

two or more equally important melodic lines happening simultaneously

Homophony

melody with accompaniment can have a counter melody

Homorhythm

everybody has the same rhythm at the same time

a Cappella

without accompaniment

Jazz band

woodwind, brass, rhythm section, rarely has a conductor.

Gamelan Orchestra

just percussion; non-Western; Bali/Indonesian; no conductor; played by memory not sheet music.

Piano trio

violin, piano, cello

String Quartet

two violins, viola, cello

Woodwind Quintet

flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn

Jazz combo

any combination of instruments- piano, saxophone, jazz instruments...

Brass Quintet

two trumpets, French horn, trombone, tuba

Melody

tune, succession of single pitches that we perceive as a recognized whole.

What are the characteristics of a melody?

Range, Contour, Structure, Phrases and cadences, Climax

Countermelody

secondary melody that accompanies a main melody

Rhythm

moves music forward through time.

Meter

patterns into which rhythmic pulses are organized

Harmony

simultaneous events in music consisting of chords.

Chord

three or more pitches happening at the same time

Musical texture

melody and harmony combined

Tempo

speed of a piece of music

Dynamics

how loud or soft you play

Timbre

tone color, sound quality

Human voice

most widely used and natural of all musical instruments

What are the typical vocal ranges of the female voice?

Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Alto

What are the typical vocal ranges of the male voice?

Tenor, Baritone, Bass

How is a vocal ensemble typically voiced?

satb "soprano, alto, tenor, bass"

List vocal ensembles

chorus, choir, accompaniment, a cappella

Chorus

very large group of people

Choir

small group of people

What are the four categories of instruments?

aerophone, chordophone, idiophone, membranophone

Aerophone

produce sound using air- ex: trombone

Chordophone

produces sound by vibrating a chord between two points- ex: violin

Idiophone

produces sound using the substance of the instrument itself- ex: cymbals

Membranophone

produce sounds by striking a tightly stretched membrane- ex: drums

Keyboard

Piano (idio & chordophone), organ (idio), Harpsichord (idio & chordo)

Conductor

the leader of a large ensemble

Baton

an extension of the conductor's hand

Chamber ensemble

smaller. 10 or less people.

Examples of chamber ensembles

piano trio, string quartet, woodwind quintet, brass quintet, jazz combo, rock band

Examples of large ensembles

Symphony orchestra, concert band, wind ensemble, marching band, DCI, jazz band, Gamelan orchestra.

Genre

categories of music suggesting overall character of work and its function.

Functions

sacred and secular music.

Sacred music

religious, spiritual.

Secular music

everything else not religious.

Oral transmission

preservation of music without written notation, passed down.

Style

defined by the individual treatments of the elements of music