Elements of Music, Voices, and Instruments

Fill-in-the-blank practice flashcards covering basic elements of music, musical notation, dynamics, tempo, styles, texture, form, historical periods, vocal classifications, and instrument families.

Music can be defined as the organization of __________ in time.

sounds

In musical rhythm, the steady, unchanging pulse is called the __________.

beat

The ordering of music through time, defined by the duration of and relationship between sound and silence, is called __________.

rhythm

According to the note duration chart shown, 1 whole note is equal in duration to __________ eighth notes.

8

A musical symbol used to show silence is called a __________.

rest

In musical notation rests, the rectangular rest attached beneath a staff line representing a full measure of silence is the __________.

whole rest

In western music, meter is indicated by a time signature found at the __________ of a piece of written music.

beginning

A meter that is felt in groups of three is classified as __________ meter.

triple

In a time signature written as two numbers, the top number indicates __________.

how many beats per measure

In a time signature written as two numbers, the bottom number indicates __________.

what type note counts 1 beat

The speed of the beat in a piece of music is called the __________.

tempo

An exact tempo can be indicated using a device called a __________.

metronome

In the tempo terms chart, the Italian word defined as 'moderately slow, a walking pace' is __________.

andante

The musical performance style indication that means smooth and connected is __________.

legato

The musical performance style indication that means short and detached is __________.

staccato

The musical performance style indication characterized by lots of accented or emphasized notes is __________.

marcato

Degrees of loudness or softness in music are referred to as __________.

dynamics

In the dynamics chart shown, the symbol 'mp' stands for the Italian term __________.

Mezzo piano

The Italian dynamic term fortissimo ($ff$) translates to __________.

Very loud

An indication to gradually play or sing louder is called a __________.

crescendo

An indication to gradually play or sing softer is called a decrescendo or __________.

diminuendo

The smallest unit of musical sound is a __________.

note

The letters used in the musical alphabet are __________.

A, B, C, D, E, F, G

A single line of notes heard in succession as a coherent unit is defined as a __________.

melody

In a melody, a musical arrival point that indicates a phrase or sentence is over is called a __________.

cadence

The clef symbol shown at the beginning of the staff is the __________.

treble clef

The combination of two staves joined together containing both a treble clef and a bass clef is called the __________.

Grand Staff

The distance between any two notes in music is called an __________.

interval

The smallest interval in western music is a __________.

half step

To manipulate a note to go up by a half step, composers use a __________.

sharp (#)

To manipulate a note to go down by a half step, composers use a __________.

flat (b)

A scale pattern that produces a darker, sad, or more somber sound is a __________ scale.

minor

When two or more notes are played or sung at the same time, it creates __________.

harmony

Three or more notes played simultaneously are often called a __________.

chord

Harmony that sounds pleasant and easy to listen to is described as __________.

consonant

Harmony that sounds tense or creepy and creates suspense is described as __________.

dissonant

A musical texture featuring a single instrument or singer, or multiple performers in exact unison, is called __________.

monophonic

A musical texture with one prominent melody supported by an accompaniment is called __________.

homophonic

A musical texture consisting of two or more melodic lines of equal importance played or sung at the same time is called __________.

polyphonic

Musical form is structured based on three key principles: repetition, variation, and __________.

contrast

A three-part musical form with the structure $A\,B\,A$ is known as __________ form.

ternary

A musical form structured around a recurring main section ($A\,B\,A\,C\,A\,D\,A$) is called __________ form.

rondo

The quality that describes the distinct character or color of a sound is called __________.

tone color or timbre

In Western art music history, the era spanning from 1600 to 1750 is known as the __________ period.

Baroque

The Classical era of Western art music occurred between the years __________.

1750-1820

In the female voice classification chart, the middle voice range between soprano and alto is __________.

Mezzo-soprano

The three primary male vocal classifications are tenor, baritone, and __________.

bass

Western musical instruments are categorized into 6 broad groups: strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, keyboard, and __________.

electronic

In string instruments, a shorter string length and tighter tension produces a __________ pitch.

higher

In the labeled diagram of a string instrument, the wood piece holding the strings upright above the instrument body is called the __________.

Bridge

Non-bowed string instruments such as guitars and harps are played using fingers or a small wedge called a __________.

plectrum (or pick)

The fundamental acoustic principle of woodwinds states that the longer the tube, the __________ the pitch.

lower

Woodwind instruments that use a single reed to generate sound include clarinets and __________.

saxophones

Main orchestral double-reed woodwind instruments include oboes and __________.

bassoons

In brass instruments, sound is produced by the vibration of the player's lips and exits through a flared end called the __________.

bell

While the trombone uses sliding tubes to change pitch, other brass instruments use __________ connected to additional tubing.

valves

According to the percussion classification chart, percussion instruments like snare drum, bass drum, and triangle are classified as having __________.

Indefinite Pitch

The keyboard instrument created around 1700 where sound is produced by felt hammers striking tight strings is the __________.

piano

The keyboard instrument prominent from ~1500 through ~1775 where sound is made by small wedges plucking strings is the __________.

harpsichord

In a pipe organ, sets of pipes are engaged by using knobs called __________.

stops

In the 1960s, electronic instruments called __________ came into use, giving composers complete control over pitch, volume, and tone.

synthesizers