Elements of Music & Historical Periods – Lecture Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering the elements of music, texture types, text-setting styles, and characteristics of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.

Timbre

The quality or color of a sound that lets us distinguish one instrument or voice (e.g., strings, woodwind, brass) from another.

Meter

The regular grouping of beats into measures; the number of beats in a bar (e.g., 2/4, 3/4, 4/4).

Melody

A succession of pitches that form the main tune; the effect created by combining notes of different pitches.

Harmony

The way notes are combined to build chords and support the melody.

Texture

How melodic and harmonic elements are woven together; the thickness or thinness of musical sound.

Rhythm

The pattern created by combining notes of different durations within the beat.

Dynamics

The degrees of loudness or softness in music (pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff).

Tempo

The speed at which a piece of music is performed.

Text-Setting

The relationship between lyrics and notes; can be syllabic, neumatic, or melismatic.

Monophonic Texture

Music with a single melodic line and no accompaniment (e.g., unison singing of Lupang Hinirang a cappella).

Homophonic Texture

A primary melody supported by harmonic accompaniment (chords move with the tune).

Polyphonic Texture

Two or more independent melodies sounding simultaneously (common in Renaissance and Baroque music).

Syllabic (Text-Setting)

Each syllable of text is sung to one musical note.

Neumatic (Text-Setting)

Most syllables are sung to two–four notes each.

Melismatic (Text-Setting)

One syllable of text is stretched over many notes.

Medieval Period (700-1400 AD)

Era marked by Gregorian Chant or plain-song: monophonic, free meter, a cappella worship music.

Renaissance Period (1400-1600 AD)

Characterized by rich polyphonic texture and greater use of harmony among voices.

Baroque Period (1600-1750 AD)

Known for dynamic contrast, balance of voices and instruments, grand style, and complex polyphony.

Gregorian Chant

Medieval liturgical chant: monophonic, free meter, Latin text, sung a cappella.

Partner Songs

Two or more groups sing the same melody starting at different times, creating polyphonic texture.

Round Songs

Canonic songs where each group enters with the same melody in succession, producing overlapping harmony.

Free Meter

Music without a strict beat pattern, typical of Gregorian Chant and other plain-songs.