Music Appreciation Final Exam Flashcards

This flashcard set covers the vocabulary and core concepts for the Music Appreciation Final Exam, including music elements, world instruments, and historical periods.

Measure

A segment of time within a piece of music that contains a specific number of beats.

Tempo

The speed or pace at which a piece of music is played.

Dynamics

The volume of a musical sound, ranging from soft to loud.

Staff

The set of five horizontal lines and four spaces on which musical notes are written.

Octave

The interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency.

Crescendo

A gradual increase in the volume of music.

Decrescendo

A gradual decrease in the volume of music.

Forte

A dynamic marking indicating that the music should be played loudly.

Fortissimo

A dynamic marking indicating that the music should be played very loudly.

Piano

A dynamic marking indicating that the music should be played softly.

Pianissimo

A dynamic marking indicating that the music should be played very softly.

Pitch Alphabet

The letters used to represent musical pitch, which are $A, B, C, D, E, F,$ and $G$.

Half Note Duration

In common time, this note lasts for $2$ beats.

Common Time

A time signature of $4/4$ indicating there are $4$ beats in one measure.

Sharp or Flat

Musical symbols that raise or lower the pitch of a note.

Middle C

The note located on the invisible line between the treble and bass clef.

Steel Pan

A world music percussion instrument originating from the Caribbean.

Sitar

A plucked stringed instrument used in Indian classical music.

Taiko

A broad range of Japanese percussion instruments, specifically drums.

WOMAD

An acronym that stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance.

Caribbean Music History

Music style brought to the islands by enslaved Africans beginning in the $1500$'s.

Six Periods of Musical History

The major eras of music including Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern.

Chant

A type of singing or speaking in a repetitive rhythm, often used in Medieval music.

Baroque (Original Meaning)

A term originally derived from a word meaning a misshapen pearl.

Harpsichord

A keyboard instrument where the strings are plucked rather than hit, common in the Baroque period.

Bach

A notable composer from the Baroque period.

Mozart

A notable composer from the Classical period.

Hayden

A notable composer from the Classical period.

Handel

A notable composer from the Baroque period.

Tchaikovsky

A notable composer from the Romantic period.