Academic Decathlon: Music Fundamentals

Music

Sound organized in time
In some cultures, is interconnected with ritual, language, dance, and other aspects of life

Sound

A wave of energy with both amplitude and frequency

Decibel level

How loud or soft the tone is
Affected by amplitude
Higher = louder

Pitch

The highness or lowness of the sound; a sound that consists of a steadily oscillating sound wave
Affected by frequency
Greater = louder

Ethnomusicologists

The modern term for scholars who study the music of other cultures, or who study multiple cultures comparatively

Curt Sachs and Erich von Hornbostel

Two ethnomusicologists who, in the late 19th century, grouped instruments into 4 categories (Chordophones, aerophones, membranophones, idiophones)

Cordophones

Have one or more strings which are plucked, bowed, or struck
Ex: Violins, harps, guitars
These vibrating strings induce vibrations in the instrument's body and then transfer their energy to the surrounding air to produce sound

Aerophones

Wind instruments, such as the many varieties of horns and flutes
Produce sound by directly vibrating a column of air

Membranophones

Have a skin or other membrane stretched across some kind of frame, which vibrates when struck

Idiophones

The body of the instrument itself vibrates when struck
Ex: bells, woodblocks, xylophones

Families

System used to categorize instruments that are still widely used today, though the Sachs-Hornbostel system has come into use

Strings (string instruments)

Usually bowed or plucked

Brass (brass instruments)

Aerophones made of metal that are sounded by the performer's buzzing lips, which make the column of air vibrate

Woodwind (woodwind instruments)

Aerophones in which the column of air is moved by breath alone (flutes, etc.) or by one or two vibrating reeds (called single or double reeds) usually made from wood

Percussion (percussion instruments)

Include membranophones as well as idiophones, plus some chordophones that are struck rather than bowed or plucked (piano)

Keyboard (keyboard instruments)

Sometimes constitute a 5th category in the family categories

Neck

The part of certain string instruments that projects from the main body and is the base of the fingerboard, where the fingers are placed to stop the strings at different pitches

Body

The main part of an instrument, typically from where the sound resonates

Frets

metal bars or strings arrayed across the instrument's neck at pitch intervals

Resonator

Sounding body

Sympathetic strings

Metal strings that resonate without being separately plucked

Octave

The distance between a note, A, and the next-higher or next-lower A

Half step

Aka semitone
The distance between any two adjacent keys on the keyboard or the distance between any two consecutive pitches in the chromatic scale

Whole step

The distance between every other key (regardless of color, black or white) on a keyboard

Intervals

Basic = half steps and whole steps in a scale

Scale

A sequence of pitches in ascending or descending order

Natural keys

Typically the white keys on a keyboard
Named in the western system by 7 alphabetical letters, A through G

Microtones

Aka quartertones
Pitches smaller than half steps
Not available on most western keyboard instruments

Solfege

"Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti"
Set "Do" to any pitch and build a scale from there

"Pure" or "just" intonation

Where pitches are determined by ear

"Equal temperament"

Tuning system created for keyboard instruments
Mathematical ratios are adjusted so that the octave is divided into 12 equal parts

Chromatic scale

The 12 different pitches in ascending order

Melody

A series of successive pitches perceived by the ear to form a coherent whole
Made up by one pitch at a time
Most are based on the seven notes of a single scale

Harmony

Two pitches occur together to produce a second simultaneous melody

Natural scale

The scale in which you sing "Do-Re-Mi"

Tonic

The "home" or "fundamental" pitch on which a scale is based
Notated as 1, when scales are notated by number degrees

Rhythm

The way music is organized in time

Beat

The steady pulse that underlies most music
Also known as pulse

Tempo

The speed or pace of the beat
Might remain steady for the duration of the piece, or it may slow down or increase as the piece progresses

Single Speed

When the notes of a musical piece express the base underlying tempo of its beats

Double Speed

When two sounds occur in the space of one beat
Also known as double tempo

Triple Speed

When three sounds occur in the space of one beat

Unmetered

When there is no steady tempo or no discernible beat
Also known as "free rhythm"

Downbeat

Also known as "strong beat"
Typically the first beat of a group

Regular clusters

Groups that beats are usually put into

Typical four beat grouping

Most common of all groupings
Beat 1 is the strongest, beat 3 is the second strongest

Syncopation

When accented or emphasized notes fall on weak beats, or in between beats

Chord

Is made up of 3 or more pitches, which are intentionally sounded simultaneously
Most commonly, do not employ immediately adjacent pitches

Harmony in a piece of music

Occurs when chords are used systematically in a musical piece

Chord progressions

Sequences in which chords are typically used

Drone instrument

Primarily sounds the tonic pitch

Second melody line

One that follows behind and enhances the main melody

Main melody

The center of the music piece, usually accompanied by a second melody line and drone instrument

Melodic system

Each individual note follows another with a regular sequence of pitch, rhythm, and tempo

Harmonic system

Music progresses by group of notes, called chords

Texture

Describes the number of things that are going on at once in a piece of music

Monophony

A song consisting of a single, unaccompanied melodic line
Similar to unison

Unison

Multiple instruments or voices may be playing a single melodic line, and performing the same pitch at the same time
Similar to monophony

Heterophony

Two or more performers are producing slightly different versions of the same melody at the same time, but are not playing in precise unison

Timbre

The quality, character, or "color" of a musical sound
Affected by the individual's voice or technique, and by the instrument's material, shape, and density

Musical sound qualities

Have no limits, regarding what terms can be used
Described in many ways

Instrumentation

Refers to the instrument or combination of instruments used
Among the most noticeable and distinctive features of a given piece of music, and is fundamental to writing about a musical performance

Dynamics

The loudness and softness of a sound (a result of the sound's amplitude wave)
Useful to performers for expressive purposes

Intensification

Draws the listener in and raises the excitement level of a piece of music
A gradual increasing of volume and speed, and a matching use of higher and higher pitches

Ornamentation

Refers to localized embellishments on a melody
Considered to be at the heart of a melody's expressiveness

Ornate

Title given to a section of music that uses ornamentation techniques profusely

Melisma

Used to describe a melody that moves across several pitches smoothly, sweeping from note to note without a change of syllable or added instrumental strokes

Melismatic

A piece or section that uses melisma sounds

Syllabic

Contrasting to melismatic
Used to describe music phrases marked by syllables, changes in bow direction, or instrumental strokes
Each pitch is marked by a separate syllable or stroke

Form

Describes how music is organized on a larger time scale
How units, such as sections, subsections, and lines, are combined to make larger structures
The architecture of music

Genre

A category, usually named and recognized by a specific set of conventions
Distinguished by form, instrumentation, context, poetic content, and techniques

Examples of large genres

"Classical" and "Popular"

Examples of specific genres

"Blues" and "Country"

Style

A term that is used quite broadly in music and may overlap with genre
Usually refers to the particular set of techniques or conventions used by an individual or a group

Memory

1/2 key component to the listening of music

Anticipation

2/2 key component to the listening of music

Tension

Lends shape to a melody
Created through dissonance and resolution

Dissonance

Lack of harmony among musical notes

Resolution

The move of a note or chord from dissonance to a consonance

Consonance

The combination of notes that are in harmony with each other due to the relationship between their frequencies

Techniques to create tension and release

Increased dynamic level, increased tempo, or increased rhythmic activity using shorter durations

Phrase

A cohesive musical thought

Motive

The beginning of a phrase

End

The ending of a phrase

Theme

A set of phrases that make a complete melody, which plays a prominent role in a longer piece of music

Musical form

Controls larger spans of time and follows certain patterns
Includes balance, proportion, drama, climax, and denouement

Composition

Typically written out in scores
Make up a central part of a musician's repertoire

Scores

Notations from which a musician reads

Core composition

Most often a short line or two, which is followed by repetitions and variations

Variations

Changes in the core composition
Repetition with enough alterations that the listener senses both continuity and contrast

Pre-composed

Memorized ahead of time

Improvised

Created anew at each performance

Two-section scheme

Type of core composition with two different parts
First main section is the melody, and the second usually reaches the higher pitches (going into the upper octave)

Through-composed

A piece of music that is composed from beginning to end

Flexible piece

A piece allowing performers the chance to expound or improvise according to their judgement of the audience or the needs of the performance

Repetition

The repeating of musical material using the identical pitches and rhythms, or at least a close approximation

Systematic patterns

Usually chosen and played on the spot in new combinations (as a part of improvisation)

Extemporized

Phrases or notes that are chosen and played on the spot in new combinations

Verse-chorus form

Aka verse-refrain form
Very common form of musical architecture
Consists of multiple verses, each with different words, and a repetitive chorus, or refrain

Theme and variations form

Where a melody line is recognizable but played in different ways