Music Appreciation Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards for reviewing music appreciation concepts.

Music

The art of combining sounds of varying pitch to produce a coherent composition that is melodious, harmonious, intelligible, and expressive of ideas and emotions.

Pitch

The relative highness or lowness of a sound.

Beat

A steady pulse contained in music.

Volume or intensity

The loudness or softness of a sound.

Tempo or rate

The speed of a composition or any of its sections.

Duration

The length of time during which a sound is produced.

Timbre or tone color

The quality of sound that makes it distinct from other sounds.

Rhythm

The consistent pattern or succession of identical or similar sounds.

Melody

The series of consecutive tones that vary in pitch and duration but form a line of individual significance and expressive value.

Harmony

The simultaneous sounding of two or more tones.

Texture

The number of tones expected to be apprehended simultaneously.

Homophonic

A soloist performing a melody with accompaniment.

Monophonic

A soloist performing a melody.

Polyphonic

Many musicians performing/combining rhythmic and melodic patterns together.

Form

The overall organization of the composition which is associated with shape, structure and coherence.

Program Music

Connected with elements of a story or poem which is abundant with literary and pictorial connotations.

Imitative music

Copies the actual sound of the subject, as in imitation of animals.

Descriptive program music

Pictures an event or scene.

Narrative music

Intends to tell a story or represents a series of related events.

Folk Music

The traditional and spontaneous music of people, race, nation or region.

Art songs

Usually composed with a piano accompaniment and is often sophisticated, the work of a trained composer.

Jazz music

Melody and rhythm blend harmonically; much is improvised and influenced by work songs and "blues".

Classical Music

Musical compositions of enduring excellence felt to be of first significance before modern time.

The Opera

A musical drama, which is a combination of vocal and instrumental music, ensembles, soloist, chorus, ballet, orchestra, scenery pantomime and acting.

Alternative music

A phrase invented in early 80s describing bands which broke from the barrage of pop and hair metal and formed a new direction of more focused and honest rock.

Blues

Harmonic genre that evokes sensations of sadness, depression, or being upset.

Hip hop

A cultural movement created by African Americans, Caribbean Americans, and Latino Americans in the 1970s; includes rap music.

Pop

Short for popular; the defining term for the ever-changing music favored by the public.

Vocal Music

Music produced by the voices of singers.

Instrumental Music

Music produced by musical instruments.

Mixed Music or Mixed Ensemble

A combination of vocal music and instrumental music.

Ensembles

Music rendered by a group of performers – singers and/or players of musical instruments.

Orchestra

The most spectacular of the ensembles because of its large size.

Symphony Orchestra

A large ensemble composed of about 100 players.

Concerto

A form written for an orchestra in which one solo instrument is given prominence.

Band

An instrumental ensemble having the size of an orchestra but consisting mainly or exclusively of wind and percussion instruments.

Rondalla

A band usually composed of stringed instruments.

Chamber Orchestra

An ensemble larger than a chamber ensemble and smaller than a full orchestra.

Chamber Ensemble

A small group of instrumental players.

Special Ensemble

A grouping other than the ones earlier mentioned; e.g., Pangkat Kawayan or Bandang Kawayan.

Kundiman

A genre of traditional Filipino love songs.