Academic Decathlon 25-26 Music Theory in 1920s

What era is referred to as the Roaring Twenties?

The 1920s in the United States, characterized by cultural dynamism and economic prosperity.

What is the primary focus of the Music Resource Guide?

To provide educational resources related to music theory and the Jazz Age.

What are the basic elements of music theory discussed in the guide?

Sound, harmony, rhythm, pitch, and musical form.

What does the term 'syncopation' refer to in music?

A rhythmic concept where the expected beat is displaced, creating a sense of surprise.

What is polyrhythm?

The simultaneous use of two or more conflicting rhythms in music.

What is meant by 'common-practice tonality'?

A system of harmony and melody that was prevalent in Western music from the 17th to the 19th centuries.

What are triads in music?

Three-note chords that are the building blocks of harmony.

What is the significance of the dominant triad?

It plays a crucial role in establishing tension and resolution in harmonic progressions.

What does the term 'dissonance' mean in music?

A combination of tones that creates a sense of tension or instability.

What is 'consonance' in music?

A combination of tones that is stable and harmonious.

What is a cadence in music?

A melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of resolution.

What is the twelve-bar blues structure?

A common chord progression in blues music that lasts for twelve measures.

What is improvisation in jazz?

The spontaneous creation of music during a performance.

What does 'theme and variations' refer to?

A musical form where a theme is presented and then altered in successive iterations.

What is the role of dynamics in music?

To indicate the volume of sound, contributing to the expressiveness of a piece.

What is the importance of rhythm in music?

It provides the timing and pace, forming the backbone of a musical piece.

What is a 'motive' in music?

A short musical idea or phrase that is developed throughout a composition.

What does the term 'phrase' mean in music?

A musical unit that expresses a complete thought, similar to a sentence in language.

What is the purpose of musical form?

To structure a piece of music, organizing its sections and themes.

What is the significance of the 'Circle of Fifths'?

It illustrates the relationships between different keys and their signatures.

What is the role of instrumentation in music?

It refers to the selection and use of instruments to create a specific sound or texture.

What is 'jazzomania'?

The widespread popularity and cultural impact of jazz music during the early 20th century.

What does 'jazz as subtext' imply?

The use of jazz music to convey deeper meanings or themes in various forms of media.

What is the significance of 'The Empress of the Blues'?

A title often associated with Bessie Smith, a prominent figure in the blues genre.

What does the term 'shuffle along' refer to?

A musical and theatrical production that was significant in the development of jazz.

What is the broadest definition of music?

Music is sound organized in time.

What are the two types of musical sounds?

Pitched and non-pitched sounds.

What affects the loudness of a sound wave?

Amplitude affects the decibel level, determining how loud or soft the tone is.

What determines the pitch of a sound?

Frequency affects the pitch, with higher frequencies resulting in higher pitches.

What frequency range can the normal human ear hear as a single tone?

Between 20 and 20,000 cycles per second.

What does 'A-440' refer to in orchestral music?

It refers to tuning instruments to a frequency of 440 Hz, which sounds like an A above middle C.

What is the significance of jazz in the 1920s?

Jazz became a powerful force in mainstream entertainment, influencing Broadway and film music.

What are the primary substyles of blues discussed in the resource guide?

Country blues and classic blues.

How did jazz begin to break away from its Southern origins?

Through the rise of commercial recordings and wider audience acceptance.

What genres are featured in Section IV: Jazz in the Concert Hall?

Ballet, orchestral music, chamber music, and solo piano.

What is the role of Black creative teams in Broadway shows during the jazz era?

They were the first to demonstrate the power of jazz in mainstream entertainment.

What is the relationship between jazz and classical music in the 1920s?

Jazz elements began to be incorporated into classical compositions by various composers.

What is the significance of the first 'talkie' film in relation to jazz?

It featured jazz songs within its soundtrack, highlighting jazz's integration into new media.

What does the term 'swing' refer to in jazz?

A substyle of jazz that became dominant in the United States by the late 1930s.

What does the resource guide suggest about the evolution of jazz features?

Early recordings reflect the continuing development of jazz and foreshadow future styles.

What is the impact of radio broadcasts on jazz music?

They helped popularize jazz elements in dance numbers heard nationally.

What is one way jazz composers challenged traditional music elements?

By experimenting with the manipulation and combination of musical pitches.

What is the significance of F. Scott Fitzgerald's collection titled 'Tales of the Jazz Age'?

It reflects the cultural impact and popularity of jazz during the Roaring Twenties.

What does the term 'burlesque' refer to in the context of music?

A musical piece by Aaron Copland featured in the resource guide.

What is the role of improvisation in jazz music?

It allows for simultaneous composition and performance, creating spontaneous music.

What is the focus of the 'Jazz Stepping Stone' section?

It discusses the evolution and impact of jazz after its peak at Carnegie Hall.

What is necessary for music to exist?

Some degree of human intention and perception.

Who categorized instruments into four groups in the late nineteenth century?

Curt Sachs and Erich von Hornbostel.

What are chordophones?

Instruments with one or more strings that create sound by being plucked, bowed, or struck.

What are aerophones?

Instruments that produce sound through a vibrating column of air, such as brass and wind instruments.

What are membranophones?

Instruments that have a membrane stretched across a frame, which vibrates when struck.

What are idiophones?

Instruments that produce sound through the vibration of their own body when struck, such as bells and cymbals.

What category of instruments was added later to Sachs and Hornbostel's classification?

Electrophones, which create sound waves using an oscillator and require electricity.

What is the significance of the theremin in music history?

It is one of the best-known early electronic instruments, allowing performers to control sound through hand movements.

What are the four properties of a single musical sound?

Pitch, duration, volume, and timbre.

What is pitch?

The highness or lowness of a sound, determined by the frequency of the sound wave.

What is an octave?

The interval between a pitch and the next higher or lower pitch of the same name.

How does a piano keyboard help in understanding pitch?

High-sounding pitches are to the right, and low-sounding pitches are to the left.

What is musique concrète?

A type of composition that uses recorded sounds, often manipulated and edited, first developed in Paris.

What role did Western traditions play in the music of non-Western cultures?

They have encountered and incorporated music from non-Western cultures, leading to permeable cultural boundaries.

What is the relationship between music and other aspects of life in some cultures?

In some cultures, music is interconnected with ritual, language, and dance, with no separate word for 'music'.

What instruments are classified as chordophones?

Instruments like the violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar, and lute.

What instruments are classified as aerophones?

Instruments like the piccolo, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone.

What instruments are classified as membranophones?

Instruments such as timpani, bass drum, snare drum, and tambourine.

What instruments are classified as idiophones?

Instruments like marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, tubular bells, gongs, cymbals, triangle, and wood block.

What is the significance of pitch on a keyboard?

It visually represents the relationship between high and low pitches, aiding in musical understanding.

What is the role of electronic music in the postwar era?

It involved collaboration between scientists and composers to create art using advanced electronic equipment.

Where is Middle C located on the keyboard?

To the left of the group of two black keys closest to the middle of the keyboard.

What is the smallest interval used in Western music?

A half step, or semitone.

What is a whole step in music?

The distance between every other key on the keyboard.

What are the natural keys on a keyboard?

The white keys, which span the seven alphabetical letters A through G.

What symbol represents a natural note?

♮ (natural sign).

What do the symbols ♯ and ♭ indicate?

♯ (sharp) raises a pitch by a half step, while ♭ (flat) lowers it by a half step.

What is the purpose of a clef in music notation?

A clef indicates how the lines and spaces of the staff correspond to pitches.

What is the treble clef also known as?

G-clef, which indicates that the second line from the bottom of the staff is the pitch G.

What is the bass clef also known as?

F-clef, which indicates that the fourth line from the bottom of the staff is the pitch F.

What is the grand staff used for in piano music?

It consists of two bracketed staves, with the left hand playing the lower staff (bass clef) and the right hand playing the upper staff (treble clef).

What is equal temperament in music?

A tuning system where the octave is divided into twelve equal parts.

What is the chromatic scale?

A scale that includes all twelve pitches in ascending order.

What is a diatonic scale?

A scale consisting of seven pitches arranged in ascending order, falling into major and minor patterns.

What is the C major scale?

A diatonic scale consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C.

What are enharmonic pitches?

Pitches that have two different names but are identical in pitch, such as E♭ and D♯.

What is the fundamental pitch?

The lowest and strongest sound wave produced by a vibrating string or air column.

What are overtones or partials?

Higher pitches that are present at faint volumes alongside the fundamental frequency.

What does the symbol X represent in music notation?

A double-sharp, indicating a pitch raised by two half steps.

What does the symbol 𝄫 represent?

A double-flat, indicating a pitch lowered by two half steps.

What is the significance of the C-clef?

It is a movable clef that can indicate different pitches based on its position on the staff.

What is the alto clef?

A C-clef centered on the middle line of the staff, indicating that line represents pitch C.

What is the tenor clef?

A C-clef centered on the fourth line from the bottom of the staff, indicating that line represents pitch C.

What is the interval between two consecutive pitches in the chromatic scale?

A half step or semitone.

What happens when you play or write down a scale?

The first pitch is normally repeated at the top as the last pitch.

What is the seventh scale degree known as?

The leading tone

What is the tonic pitch in a C major scale?

C

What is the dominant pitch in the key of C?

G

What interval is formed between the tonic and the third scale degree in a major scale?

Major third (M3)

What is the sequence of intervals in a major scale?

Whole step-whole step-half step-whole step-whole step-whole step-half step

How many half steps are there in a minor third?

Three half steps

What distinguishes a harmonic minor scale from a natural minor scale?

The seventh scale degree is raised by a half step.

In a melodic minor scale, what happens to the sixth and seventh scale degrees as the scale ascends?

They are raised by a half step.

What is the relationship between C natural minor and E♭ major?

They are relative major and minor scales, using the same pitches.