Part 1: Elements

Sound

Vibrations that are transmitted, usually through air, to the eardrum, which sends impulses to the brain.

pitch

The perceived frequency of a sound, determines how high or low it is

Tone

Sound that has a definite pitch, or frequency.

Interval

“Distance” in pitch between any two tones.

Octave

Interval between two tones in which the higher tone has twice the frequency of the lower tone.

Pitch range/ range

Distance between the highest and lowest tones that a given voice or instrument can produce

Dynamics

Degrees of loudness or softness in music.

Accent

Emphasis of a note, which may result from its being louder, longer, or higher in pitch than the notes near it.

Pianissimo (pp)

Very soft.

Piano (p)

Soft.

Mezzo piano (mp)

Moderately soft.

Mezzo forte (mf)

Moderately loud.

Forte (f)

Loud.

Fortissimo (ff)

Very loud.

Decrescendo (diminuendo)

Gradually softer.

Crescendo

Gradually louder.

Tone color (timbre)

Quality of sound that distinguishes one instrument or voice from another.

Soprano

Female voice of high range.

Mezzo-soprano

Female voice of fairly low range, though not so low as alto.

Alto (contralto)

Female voice of low range.

Tenor

Male voice of high range.

Baritone

Male voice range lower than a tenor and higher than a bass.

Bass

Male voice of low range.

String instrument

Instrument whose sound is produced by the vibration of strings.

Woodwind instrument

Instrument whose sound is produced by vibrations of air in a tube; holes along the length of the tube are opened and closed by the fingers, or by pads, to control the pitch.

Brass instrument

Instrument, made of brass or silver, whose sound is produced by the vibrations of the player’s lips as he or she blows into a cup- or funnel-shaped mouthpiece. The vibrations are amplified and colored in a tube that is flared at the end.

Percussion instrument

Instrument of definite or indefinite pitch whose sound is produced by striking by hand, or with a stick or hammer, or by shaking or rubbing.

Keyboard instrument

Instrument—such as the piano, organ, or harpsichord—played by pressing a series of keys with the fingers.

Electronic instrument

Instrument whose sound is produced, modified, or amplified by electronic means.

Register

Part of the total range of an instrument or voice. The tone color of the instrument or voice may vary with the register in which it is played or sung.

100

Compositions may be written for solo instruments, small groups, and for orchestras with more than how many members?

string, woodwind, brass, percussion

Modern symphony orchestras contain what categories of instrument? (4 categories)

violin, viola, cello, double bass

What instruments form the string section of the symphony orchestra?

Violin

String instrument with the highest range of the string family.

Viola

String instrument with a lower range than the violin and a higher range than the cello.

Cello (violoncello)

String instrument with a range lower than that of the viola and higher than that of the double bass.

Double bass (bass)

Largest string instrument, having the lowest range of the string family.

Bow

Slightly curved stick strung tightly with horsehair, used to play string instruments.

higher

The greater the tension, the (higher/lower) the pitch

Stopping

Means of playing a string instrument by which a string is pressed against the fingerboard to vary the length of its vibrating portion and therefore its pitch.

Pizzicato

Means of playing a string instrument by which the strings are plucked, usually with a finger of the right hand

Vibrato

Small fluctuations of pitch that make the tone warmer, produced in string instruments by rocking the left hand while it presses the string down.

Mute

Device used to veil or muffle the tone of an instrument. For string instruments, the mute is a clamp that fits onto the bridge; for brass instruments, it is a funnel-shaped piece of wood, metal, or plastic that fits into the bell.

Tremolo

Rapid repetition of a tone, produced in string instruments by quick up-and-down strokes of the bow.

Harmonics

Very high-pitched whistle-like tones, produced in bowed string instruments by lightly touching the string at certain points while bowing.

Plectrum

Small wedge of plastic, leather, or quill used to pluck the strings of certain instruments, such as the guitar, koto, and harpsichord. (Plural, plectra.)

Harp

Plucked string instrument, consisting of strings stretched within a triangular frame.

Guitar

Plucked string instrument with six strings stretched along a fretted fingerboard.

Piccolo

Smallest woodwind instrument, having the highest range; a smaller version of the flute.

Flute

Woodwind instrument, usually made of metal, with a high range, whose tone is produced by blowing across the edge of a mouth hole.

Clarinet

Single-reed woodwind instrument with a beak-shaped mouthpiece, cylindrical in shape with a slightly flared bell.

Bass clarinet

Member of the clarinet family, having a low range. Its shape is curved at the end before flaring into a bell.

Oboe

Double-reed woodwind instrument with a relatively high range, conical in shape with a small flared bell.

English horn

Double-reed woodwind instrument, slightly larger than the oboe and with a lower range, straight in shape with an egg-shaped bell.

Bassoon

Double-reed woodwind instrument, made of wood, having a low range.

Contrabassoon

Double-reed woodwind instrument with a register one octave lower than that of the bassoon.

Recorder

Family of woodwind instruments whose sound is produced by blowing into a “whistle” mouthpiece, usually made of wood or plastic.

Reed

Very thin piece of cane, used in woodwind instruments to produce sound as it is set into vibration by a stream of air.

Single-reed woodwinds

Instruments whose sound is produced by a single piece of cane, or reed, fastened over a hole in the mouthpiece. The reed vibrates when the player blows into the mouthpiece.

Saxophone

Family of single-reed woodwind instruments.

Double-reed woodwinds

Instruments whose sound is produced by two narrow pieces of cane held between the player’s lips; these pieces vibrate when the player blows between them.

True

True or false: Woodwinds can only produce a single note at a time.

rustic

Woodwinds are typically featured in melodies that evoke what kind of tone?

Trumpet

Brass instrument with the highest range, commonly used in symphony orchestras, bands, and jazz and rock groups.

French horn

Brass instrument of medium range, whose tube is coiled into a roughly circular shape and fitted with valves; commonly used in symphony orchestras and in bands.

Trombone

Brass instrument of moderately low range, whose tube is an elongated loop with a movable slide, commonly used in symphony orchestras, bands, and jazz ensembles.

Tuba

Largest brass instrument, with the lowest range, commonly used in symphony orchestras and bands

Cornet

Brass instrument similar in shape to the trumpet, with a mellower tone.

Baritone horn

Brass instrument similar in shape to the tuba, with a higher range, commonly used in bands.

Euphonium

Brass instrument similar in shape to the tuba and the baritone horn, with a higher range than the tuba’s, commonly used in bands.

Mute

Device used to veil or muffle the tone of an instrument. For string instruments, the mute is a clamp that fits onto the bridge; for brass instruments, it is a funnel-shaped piece of wood, metal, or plastic that fits into the bell.

brass

What kind of instruments are used at climaxes and for bold, heroic statements?

Timpani (kettledrums)

Percussion instruments of definite pitch, shaped like large kettles with calfskin or plastic stretched across the tops, played with soft padded mallets.

Glockenspiel

Percussion instrument of definite pitch, made up of flat metal bars set in a frame and played by striking with small metal hammers.

Xylophone

Percussion instrument of definite pitch, consisting of flat wooden bars set in a frame and played by striking with hard plastic or wooden hammers.

Celesta

Percussion instrument of definite pitch, with metal bars that are struck by hammers controlled by a keyboard.

Chimes

Percussion instrument of definite pitch, with suspended metal tubes that are struck with a hammer.

Snare drum (side drum)

Percussion instrument of indefinite pitch, in the shape of a cylinder with a stretched skin at either end. A “snare” of gut or metal is stretched below the lower skin and produces a rattling sound when the drum is struck.

Bass drum

Percussion instrument of indefinite pitch, the largest of the orchestral drums.

Tambourine

Percussion instrument of indefinite pitch, consisting of a skin stretched across a shallow cylinder, with small circular plates set into the cylinder that jingle when the skin is struck or the cylinder is shaken.

Triangle

Percussion instrument of indefinite pitch, consisting of a triangular length of metal suspended from a hook or cord, played by striking with a metal rod.

Cymbals

Percussion instrument of indefinite pitch, consisting of a pair of metal plates, played by striking the plates against each other.

Gong (tam-tam)

Percussion instrument of indefinite pitch, made up of a large flat metal plate that is suspended and struck with a mallet.

percussion

What kind of instruments are used to emphasize rhythm and heighten climaxes?

Piano

Widely used keyboard instrument of great range and versatility, whose sound is produced by felt-covered hammers striking against steel strings.

Harpsichord

Keyboard instrument, widely used from about 1500 to 1775, whose sound is produced by plectra that pluck its wire strings. The harpsichord was revived during the twentieth century.

Accordion

Instrument consisting of a bellows between two keyboards (piano-like keys played by the right hand, and buttons played by the left hand) whose sound is produced by air pressure that causes strips of brass or steel to vibrate.

Tape studio

Studio with tape recorders and other equipment used to create electronic music by modifying and combining recorded sounds.

Synthesizer

System of electronic components that can generate, modify, and control sound; used to compose music and to perform it.

Computer

Tool used to synthesize music, to help composers write scores, to store samples of audio signals, and to control synthesizing mechanisms.

Sampling

A technology that enables composers to hear what their music sounds like on the instruments for which their pieces are written by taking brief recordings of acoustic instruments and placing them under the control of a keyboard or computer.

Rhythm

The ordered durations of sounds and silences.

Beat

Regular, recurrent pulsation that divides music into equal units of time.

Meter

Organization of beats into regular groups.

Measure

Rhythmic group set off by bar lines, containing a fixed number of beats.

Bar

Another term for measure, often used in jazz.

Duple meter

Pattern of two beats to the measure.

Downbeat

First, or stressed, beat of a measure.

Quadruple meter

Pattern of four beats to the measure.

Triple meter

Pattern of three beats to the measure.