Terms 1

Flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to music theory and acoustics.

Music

Organized sounds and silences.

Sound

An audible vibration.

Frequency

The number (speed) of vibrations per second that determine a musical pitch.

Fundamental

A base pitch from which a series of harmonics is produced, or a base pitch on which a chord is built.

Tone

The specific sound of an instrument or voice.

Interval

The distance between 2 pitches.

Octave

12 half steps; 8 notes apart; the distance from the fundamental to the first partial.

Decibel

The unit used to measure the volume of a tone.

Pitch

The highness or lowness of a tone, as determined by the loudest sound (frequency) heard in a given tone.

Articulation

Terms and symbols that indicate how notes are separated, sustained or connected.

Timbre

What makes a particular sound unique from another sound even when pitch and volume are identical.

Envelope

The attack, sustain, and decay and release of sound.

Notes

Symbols to indicate the duration of pitch.

Rests

Symbols to indicate the duration of silence.

Acoustics

The science of the production, development, and perception of sound.

Amplitude

The size of the vibrations that determine the volume of a pitch.

Hertz

The unit used to measure the frequency of a pitch.

Scientific Pitch Notation

A method of naming the notes combining a letter name, accidentals, and a number identifying the pitch's octave.

Enharmonic

Two notes that sound the same but have different names (e.g., F# and Gb).

Diatonic

Involving only notes proper to the prevailing key without chromatic alteration.