Music 18-31

What is rhythm?

The way music is organized in time

What is beat?

The steady pulse that underlies most music

What can the beat be compared to?

The silent or ticking second hand on a mechanical clock

What is tempo?

The speed of a beat

How many beats per minute is Presto? What is its approximate meaning?

200; "very fast"

How many beats per minute is Allegro? What is its approximate meaning?

120; "fast"

How many beats per minute is Moderato? What is its approximate meaning?

108; "moderate"

How many beats per minute is Andante? What is its approximate meaning?

84; "at a walking tempo"

How many beats per minute is Adagio? What is its approximate meaning?

72; "slow"

How many beats per minute is Lento or Grave? What is its approximate meaning?

40; "very slow"

What is the origin of the terms for tempo?

They are related to indicated mood or other expressive equalities related to tempo

What does Allegro mean in Italian?

"cheerful"

What is a ritardando?

The slowing down of tempo

What is an accelerando?

The speeding up of tempo

What is the term for gradually changing tempo?

poco a poco

What is the term for suddenly changing tempo?

subito

What is an unmetered tempo?

Tempo where there is no steady tempo and no discernable beat

What is a rubato?

Tempo when there is a perceived beat, but it speeds up and slows down for an expressive effect

How are all beats in a song equal?

They have the same length

How are beats normally grouped?

Measures separated by bar lines

What is the first beat of any measure called?

The downbeat or strong beat, as it is usually the strongest

What is meter?

The pattern of emphasis superimposed on groups of beats

What are the four different meter types?

Duple, triple, quadrule, or irregular (AKA asymmetrical)

What is duple meter?

Music with groups of two beats (STRONG-weak-STRONG-weak)

In what listening example can duple meter be heard?

“Dippermouth Blues” (listening example 2)

What is triple meter?

A three-beat pattern with a STRONG-weak-weak-STRONG-weak-weak pulsation

Which listening example has a slow waltz-like pulse in triple meter?

illustrated in the rapid “Burlesque” from “Music for the Theatre” (listening example 12)

What is the most common meter?

Quadruple meter

What is quadruple meter?

Groups of four beats where beat 1 is the strongest, beat 3 is the second strongest, and beats 2 and 4 are weak

What difficulty arises from discerning quadrule meter?

It's hard to distinguish duple and quadruple by ear

What are irregular meters?

Groupings that cannot be divided into pulsations of two, three, or four beats

What are the most common irregular meters?

Five-beat or seven-beast measures

What is a "pickup" (AKA anacrusis)?

What occurs when the first word of a song falls before the downbeat

What is the meter of "Happy Birthday"?

Triple

What is the meter of "America (My country, 'tis of thee)"?

Triple

What is the longest note used today?

A whole note

What is the shape of a whole note?

An oval

What occurs when a line is added to a whole note? What is that line called?

It indicates that the new note is half as long as the original note, creating a half-note; the line is called a stem

What occurs when a half-note's note head is solid black?

It indicates a quarter note

What happens when a flag is added to the stem of a quarter note?

It is halved in duration, so it becomes an eighth note

What is the alternate notation for notes with multiple flags?

Beams

What are the purpose of beams?

They connect lines and are easier for a musician to read quickly

What is the function of a dot in sheet music?

It adds half of a note's original value

What is the function of a tie in sheet music?

It connects notes of the same pitch so that the note can last as long as their combined values

what listening example employs many repetitions of the same dotted rhythm?

“Tea for Two” (Listening example 6)

What are rests?

Symbols for silence in music

Where should half rests be placed on the staff?

Directly below the fourth line from the bottom

Where should whole rests be placed on the staff?

Directly above the middle line

How many dots does the longest rest have?

Four

What is a time signature?

An indication of meters which consists of two numbers

What does the lower number in a time signature indicate?

A durational value

What are the different durational values of a time signature and what do they correlate with?

2 - the half note
4 - the quarter note
8 - the eighth note
16 - the sixteenth note

What does the upper number of a time signature indicate?

How many durational values will occur in one measure

What does it mean if there is a time signature of 6/8?

One measure will have the combined value of 6 eighth notes

What is common time?

An equivalent to 4/4 time represented with a large capital C

What is "cut-time"?

An equivalent to 2/2 time represented with a vertical slash through a large capital C.

What is the original name for "cut-time"?

"alla breve"

Which listening example utilizes a "cut-time" time signature?

“The Charleston” (Listening example 5)

What is simple subdivision?

What occurs when each beat is divided in half (1 & 2 & 3 & 4)

What is compound subdivision?

What occurs when each beat is subdivided into three equal parts (ONE-&-a TWO-&-a, ONE-&-a TWO-&-a)

Which listening example illustrate compound subdivision?

"Sicilienne” (listening example 14)

What listening example illustrates simple subdivision?

“Toot, Toot, Tootsie! (Goo’ Bye)” (listening example 9)

How are the rhythms used in swing music notated?

As if they are in 4/4 time

How are the rhythms in swing music played?

As if they are in 12/8 time

What is mixed meter?

Measures that have different meters occur in rapid succession

What is irregular meter?

Measures that have different meters alternating in an irregular pattern; or a steady beat that is grouped unpredictably/inconsistently

What does an accent (>) indicate?

That the note is to receive a greater stress than the unaccented notes around it

What is polymeter?

What occurs when two or more meters are operating simultaneously

which listening example contains a polymetric passage, between the voice and guitar?

“Hotter Than That” (listening example 3)

When is rhythm syncopated?

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

Is "Happy Birthday" syncopated? Why or why not?

No, because the rhythms are regular and coincide with the beat

Which two jazz selections, among others, include large amounts of syncopation?

“The Charleston” (listening example 5) and “sweet georgia brown” (listening example 8)

What is another word for polyrhythm?

Cross-rhythm

What is polyrhythm?

What occurs when two conflicting rhythmic patterns are present simultaneously

What are most common polyrhythms?

Two against three and three against four

In what genre are polyrhythms common?

Jazz

What listening example did Darius mimic the characteristics of polyrhythms?

During Tableau 1 of La création du monde (listening example 10)

What is harmony?

What occurs when two or more tones sound simultaneously

What is another word for common-practice tonality?

Common-practice harmony

What is common-practice tonality?

The system of organizing pitch and harmony that we find intuitive in Western cultures

When did common-practice tonality develop? When?

Europe in the Middle Ages

In what year was common-practice tonality codified?

1750

What is a chord?

Three or more pitches sounding simultaneously

How can a chord be created on a piano?

Three or more pitches A book or forearm pressed down

What do the most common and useful chords employ?

Pitches that aren't immediately adjacent

What is a triad?

A three-note chord consisting of two intervals of a third

What are the four qualities of a triad?

Major, minor, diminished, and augmented

What is a major triad? How is it abbreviated?

A triad with an M3 interval between its lower two pitches and an m3 between its upper two pitches; abbreviated as "M"

What is a minor third? How is it abbreviated?

A triad with an m3 interval between its lower two pitches and an M3 between its upper two pitches; abbreviated as "m"

What is a diminished triad? How is it abbreviated?

A triad with two minor thirds between its pitches; abbreviated as "d"

What is an augmented triad? How is it abbreviated?

A triad with two major thirds between its pitches; abbreviated as "A"

What are the most basic chords in any piece of music? Why?

Triads; because they're built above each note of the scale

What is the term for the lowest of three notes in a triad?

The root

What is the term for the middle note of a triad?

The third

What is the term for the highest note in a triad?

The fifth

What is the term for a triad with its root on the bottom?

Root position

What quality of triads make them dynamic?

Any pitch in a triad can be moved up/down any number of octaves

What is first inversion?

A triad where the third is on the botto

How is first inversion described in sheet music?

A "six" following the chord symbol

What is second inversion?

A triad where the fifth is on the bottom