Elements of Music and Sound

Hertz

________: the derived unit of frequency and is defined as one cycle per second.

Tone

________: the distinctive quality of a voice or instrument caused by overtones.

Meter

________: recurrent groupings of beats by twos, threes, or some combination of twos and threes.

Amplitude

________ is measured in decibels (dB) but our perception of loud and soft changes depending on the sounds around us.

Frequency

________ (pitch): how high or low the sound is.

Interval

________: the distance between steps; the difference between pitch in two sounds.

Texture

________: can be dense or transparent, thick or thin, heavy or light; how many different layers of sound are heard simultaneously, whether these layers have a primarily melodic or an accompaniment function, and how the layers relate to each other.

Homophony

________: one dominant melody with accompaniment.

Polyphony

________: the simultaneous combination of two or more independent melodies is classified as ________.

Written texts

________, pictorial representations, and folklore sources provide evidence that people from all over the world and from the beginnings of recorded history have created and performed music for the following purposes:

Harmony

________: when two or more pitches are played at the same time.

Octave

________: when the ratio between two notes, in terms of frequency, is 2: 1.

Monophony

________: a texture of a single, unaccompanied melodic line.

Keynote

________: starting pitch of the scale.

Polyrhythm

________: the combination of two or more simultaneous rhythmic lines is classified as ________.

Heterophony

________: spontaneous variations of two or more performers producing different versions of the same melody at the same time.

Melody

________: a succession of pitches.

Syncopation

________: irregular or unexpected stresses in the rhythmic flow.

electronic means

Pure sine waves rarely occur in nature but they can easily be created through ________.

Rhythm

________: the time pattern of the attack points of a sequence of sounds (think of syllables)

musical instrument

From the perspective of a musician, anything that can make a sound has potential to be a(n) ________.

Wave form

________: determines the tone color, or timbre that we hear and is how we differentiate between sounds.

Frequency

________ is determined by the length and thickness of the vibrating object.

Amplitude

________: the amount of energy contained in a sound wave and is perceived as being either loud or soft.

Sounds

vibrations (sound waves) traveling through a medium

Frequency (pitch)

how high or low the sound is

Hertz

the derived unit of frequency and is defined as one cycle per second

Melody

a succession of pitches

Harmony

when two or more pitches are played at the same time

Step

each element of a scale

Interval

the distance between steps; the difference between pitch in two sounds

Keynote

starting pitch of the scale

Amplitude

the amount of energy contained in a sound wave and is perceived as being either loud or soft

Wave form

determines the tone color, or timbre that we hear and is how we differentiate between sounds

Duration

how long or short the sound is (depends on the context)

Rhythm

the time pattern of the attack points of a sequence of sounds (think of syllables)

Meter

recurrent groupings of beats by twos, threes, or some combination of twos and threes

Rhythmic pattern

a distinctive sequence of long rhythms and short rhythms that recurs throughout an individual work or groups of works

Syncopation

irregular or unexpected stresses in the rhythmic flow

Texture

can be dense or transparent, thick or thin, heavy or light; how many different layers of sound are heard simultaneously, whether these layers have a primarily melodic or an accompaniment function, and how the layers relate to each other

Monophony

a texture of a single, unaccompanied melodic line

Heterophony

spontaneous variations of two or more performers producing different versions of the same melody at the same time

Polyphony

the simultaneous combination of two or more independent melodies is classified as polyphony

Homophony

one dominant melody with accompaniment

Polyrhythm

the combination of two or more simultaneous rhythmic lines is classified as polyrhythm

Tone

the distinctive quality of a voice or instrument caused by overtones