Music Theory Lehigh Exams

Enharmonics

notes that sound the same but are written differently

If middle C is C4, then what is the A before it

A3

Line off of a note goes ____ on the left and ____ on the right

Down, up

Tricks for treble clef

Every good boy does fine and face in the space

Tricks for bass clef

Good boys do fine always and all cows eat grass

Major scale pattern

WWHWWWH

Minor scale pattern (natural)

WHWWHWW

pp

pianissimo, very soft

p

Piano, soft

mp

mezzo piano, medium soft

mf

mezzo forte, medium loud

f

Forte, loud

ff

fortissimo, very loud

Crescendo

gradually louder

diminuendo/decrescendo

gradually softer

What is the line that comes off an eighth or sixteenth note called

Flag

Tempo

The speed at which the beats occur

Slower tempi

grave, largo, larghetto, adagio

Medium tempi

andantino, andante, moderato, allegretto

Faster tempi

allegro, vivace, presto, prestissimo

Increasing in tempo

accelerando

Decreasing in tempo

ritardando, ritenuto, rallentando

Flexibility within tempo

rubato

Andante

walking tempo

Cantabile

Singingly

Lento

Real slow

Hemiola

3:2

A tempo

return to the original tempo

Poco

Little

Meno

less

Mosso

motion, movement

Anacrusis

pick up note

Syncopation

Emphasis of the wrong syllable

Beam

The line that connects two like eighth notes and stuff like that

Simple duple

2 beats a measure

Simple triple

3 beats per measure

Simple quadruple

4 beats per measure

When answering what a meter signature is you gots to say...

The meter type, the beats per measure, and the beat unit

C

Common time or 4/4

C with the line through it

cut time 2/2

The flag out of the note goes in what direction

Away from the note jawn

Irregular time

The top number cannot be divided

Half rest

Above line

Whole rest

Below line

Compound duple

When the top number is divided by 3 and it becomes 2

Compound triple

When the top number is divided by 3 and it becomes 3

Compound quadruple

When the top number is divided by 3 and it becomes 4

Chromatic scale

scale of half steps

Scala

Step

Major Tetrachord

W W H + W W H

Circle of fifths sharps

Fat cats go down at every bow

Circle of fifths flats

Bead greatest common factor

Scale degrees

tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, leading tone

Tonic

Scale degree 1, the tone in which the scale is built

Supertonic

2nd scale degree, above the tonic

Mediant

3rd scale degree, middle between tonic and dominant

Subdominant

4th scale degree, below the dominant

Dominant

5th scale degree, most powerful and dominates tonal music, leads to tonic

Submediant

6th scale degree, middle between tonic and dominant opposite

Leading tone

7th scale degree, most unstable note in scale because of its strong pull

The relative minor

2 notes below the major and sometimes has accidental (or sixth scale degree really)

Harmonic minor

Raise the 7th

Melodic minor

Raised seventh and sixth ascending, natural minor descending

Scale degrees minor

Raised submediant and subtonic added between submediant and leading

Diatonic modes

Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian

Ionian mode

major scale

Aeolian mode

natural minor scale

Intervals

distance between two pitches

Compound intervals

intervals that are larger than an octave, subtract 7 to get it

In 3rds, the number of half steps for each jawn

Aug 5, Maj 4, min 3, dim 2

Perfect intervals

1, 4, 5, 8 also only Aug, Perf, dim

Unison

1 scale step, 0 half steps

m2

2 scale steps, 1 half step

M2

2 scale steps, 2 half steps

m3

3 scale steps, 3 half steps

M3

3 scale steps, 4 half steps

P4

4 scale steps, 5 half steps

A4 or d5

4 or 5 scale steps, 6 half steps

P5

5 scale steps, 7 half steps

m6

6 scale steps, 8 half steps

M6

6 scale steps, 9 half steps

m7

7 scale steps, 10 half steps

M7

7 scale steps, 11 half steps

P8

8 scale steps, 12 half steps

Subtio

Suddenly

Tenuto

sustain full value

Accent

Emphasize the note

Slur

Smoothly connects two or more notes of different pitches by a curved line over or under the notes

Triad

group of three in chord

First inversion

A triad written with the third as the lowest note (6)

Second inversion

a triad written with the fifth as the lowest note (6/4)

Programmatic music

Music that tells a story or depicts an image

Medieval Era

Mostly monophonic church music like Gregorian Chants, eventually polyphonic. Lute, harp, organ

Renaissance Era

A capella, with major and minor scales, sheet music, lute

Baroque Era

(1600 to 1750 C.E.) produced highly intense, textured and ornate music with a rich counterpoint and melodic line. Unlike earlier works, this music expressed emotions and feelings, and emphasized a wide range of vocal and instrumental harmonies. Opera was developed in Italy during this time. Opera, concerto, had the harpsichord. Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel

Concerto

a musical composition for a solo instrument or instruments accompanied by an orchestra, especially one conceived on a relatively large scale.

Oratorio

a musical composition for voices and orchestra based on a religious text

Bach

Sacred, always oratorio, Baroque

Handel

Secular in Baroque

Classical Era

Way more structural, homophonic texture, PIANO. Symphonies, string quartets, operas. Had Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven