IB Music Midterm

Terminology and Theory

Polyphony

Simultaneous voice parts with individual melody, creating harmony

Cantus Firmus

Pre-existing melody, usually chant, sung in whole notes while other voices sing florid counterpoint

Modes

Use of 4 church modes for composition (Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian) - eventually added Ionian, Aeolian

Canon

A melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration. Strict imitation of one voice from another

Soggetto Cavato

Cantus Firmus made from the vowels of special words

Paraphrase

Work where all voices loosely imitate the Cantus Firmus. The Cantus Firmus is not sung completely, but merely referenced by all voices

Imitation

A polyphonic musical texture in which a melodic idea is freely or strictly echoed by successive voices

Counterpoint

The general practice of individual lines written against each other to create good harmony and texture. Independent, but coherent. May move with each other or in opposite directions

Parody

Work that imitates other polyphonic work, copying multiple voices

Meter

Rhythmic structure of the verse of a poetic work

Foot

The 'measure' unit of a verse with a specific meter

Prosody

The study of rhythm/sound in poetry

Rhapsode

Professional, traveling performer of epic poetry

Alliterative Verse

Rhyme/repetition of consonants/beginning sounds, 'rhyme scheme' of a verse is based on alliteration

Bard

Royal Celtic poet/musician

Blank Verse

Works (mostly plays) in unrhymed iambic pentameter (unstressed-stressed)

Common Meter

Meter common to English poets and hymn-writers (4 lines alternating iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter)

Rap

Verse with rhyme, rhythmic speech, and cadence

Holorime

Complete rhyme of an entire line (same sounds different words)

Double Entendre

Phrase with two meanings (one is usually funny or inappropriate)

Bar

Verse or line in RAP

Vocables

Syllables that do not have direct meaning

Pentatonic

Anhemitonic (no semitones), 5 notes

Tritonic

3 note scale from ancient Native American Music

Scotch Snap

16th-dotted 8th rhythm

Cut

Most common in American folk, higher pitch grace note before the principle note

Tap

higher pitch grace note before the principle note

Mountain Dulcimer

A type of musical instrument, fretted and from the zither family

Banjo

African in origin; fretless

Bluegrass

Type of American folk music

Blue Note

note outside the pentatonic scale

Blues Scale

A minor pentatonic scale with a flatted 5th

12-bar Blues

A chord progression that lasts 12 bars and typically uses three chords (usually I IV and V)

Types of Triads

Major, minor, augmented, diminished

Types of 7th Seventh Chords

MM, Mm, mm, mM, half-dim., full dim.

Order of Flats

BEADGCF

Order of Sharps

FCGDAEB

Half Steps in a Major 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th, and Octave

2, 4, 9, 11 and 12

Half Steps in perfect unison, 4th, and 5th

0, 5, and 7

Augmented Triad

Major or Perfect +1 half step

Minor Triad

Major -1 half step

Diminished Triad

Major -2, Perfect -1 Half Step

What is on the outer circle of the Circle of 5ths

Major Keys

What is in the inner circle of the Circle of 5ths

Minor Keys

What interval is this?

P4

What interval is this?

d5

What interval is this?

d4

What interval is this?

m7

What interval is this?

m2

What interval is this?

M7

ID this Chord

B M, 1st inv.

ID this Chord

C m, 1st inv.

ID this Chord

G mM 7th, 2nd inv.

ID this Chord

A mm 7th, 3rd inv.

ID this Chord

B mM 7th, root

ID this Chord

B MM 7th, root