Academic Decathlon Music Curriculum

What era is referred to as the Jazz Age?

The Roaring Twenties

What is the primary focus of the United States Academic Decathlon®?

To provide students the opportunity to excel academically through team competition.

What is the significance of the year 2025 in the context of this resource guide?

It is the year for which the Music Resource Guide is prepared.

What is the basic definition of music?

Music is sound organized in time.

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

Sound, pitch, rhythm, harmony, and dynamics.

What is the term for the organization of sound in music?

Music is organized sound in time.

What is common-practice tonality?

A system of harmony 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 Circle of Fifths?

A visual representation of the relationships between different key signatures in music.

What is the difference between dissonance and consonance?

Dissonance refers to a combination of tones that sounds unstable, while consonance refers to a combination that sounds stable.

What is a cadence in music?

A sequence of chords that brings a phrase, section, or piece of music to a close.

What is the role of dynamics in music?

Dynamics indicate the volume of a sound or note, ranging from soft to loud.

What is syncopation?

A rhythmic concept where emphasis is placed on beats that are normally unaccented.

What is polyrhythm?

The simultaneous combination of contrasting rhythms in music.

What is the significance of improvisation in jazz?

Improvisation allows musicians to create spontaneous melodies and harmonies during a performance.

What is the twelve-bar blues form?

A musical structure consisting of twelve measures that is commonly used in blues music.

What does the term 'theme and variations' refer to?

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

What is the function of a motive in music?

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

What is the difference between a phrase and a motive?

A phrase is a longer musical statement, while a motive is a shorter, recurring musical idea.

What is the role of instrumentation in music?

Instrumentation refers to the specific instruments used in a piece of music, affecting its timbre and texture.

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

The quality or color of a musical sound that distinguishes different types of sound production.

What is the significance of the 'Dominant Seventh Chord' in music theory?

It is a chord that creates tension and typically resolves to the tonic chord.

What is a 'harmonic progression'?

A sequence of chords played in succession that creates a sense of movement in music.

What is the importance of the 'Grand Staff' in music notation?

It is used to notate music for piano and other instruments, combining treble and bass clefs.

What is the purpose of rhythmic notation?

To visually represent the duration and timing of notes in music.

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

The pattern of beats in a piece of music, typically organized into measures.

What are the common time signatures used in music?

Duple (2/4), triple (3/4), and quadruple (4/4) time signatures.

What is the role of 'form' in music?

Form refers to the structure of a musical composition, organizing its sections and themes.

What is the broadest definition of music?

Sound organized in time.

What are the two kinds of musical sounds?

Pitched and non-pitched sounds.

What affects the decibel level of a sound wave?

Amplitude.

What affects the pitch of a sound?

Frequency.

What frequency range can the normal human ear hear?

Between 20 and 20,000 cycles per second.

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

A tuning standard where 440 Hz is the pitch of A above middle C.

What type of sounds do percussion instruments primarily provide?

Non-pitched sounds.

What is the significance of jazz in the Roaring Twenties?

Jazz was a powerful cultural force influencing various forms of entertainment.

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

Jazz elements began to be incorporated into classical compositions.

What is the focus of Section III in the resource guide?

Jazz on Stage, on the Air, and On-Screen.

What are the primary substyles of blues mentioned?

Country blues and classic blues.

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

It featured jazz songs within its soundtrack.

What does the term 'sound waves' refer to?

Waves of energy that have amplitude and frequency.

What is the impact of commercial recordings on jazz?

They helped jazz break away from its Southern origins and gain national popularity.

What is a key characteristic of the jazz substyle known as 'swing'?

It became dominant in the United States by the late 1930s.

What role did F. Scott Fitzgerald play in the cultural context of jazz?

He titled a short-story collection 'Tales of the Jazz Age' in 1922.

What is the purpose of Section I in the resource guide?

To provide an overview of the specialized vocabulary and notation system used in Western music.

What is meant by 'improvisation' in music?

The simultaneous composition and performance of music.

What is the significance of jazz in the context of the concert hall?

It explores how jazz elements are integrated into various concert music forms.

What does the term 'jazz for chamber musicians' imply?

Jazz compositions tailored for small ensemble performances.

What does 'breaking the sound barrier' refer to in music?

Innovations in music that challenge traditional sound limits.

What is the significance of the 'Jazz Stepping Stone'?

It represents the evolution and influence of jazz in music history.

What does the term 'globe trotter' refer to in the context of jazz?

It signifies the global influence and reach of jazz music.

What is the role of patrons in the development of jazz?

They provided financial support and resources for jazz musicians and projects.

What is the purpose of the glossary at the end of the resource guide?

To define key terms and concepts discussed throughout the guide.

What is the focus of Section IV in the resource guide?

Jazz in the Concert Hall.

What does 'creating a world' refer to in the context of music?

The ability of music to evoke imagery and emotions, creating a unique experience.

What is the significance of jazz at Carnegie Hall?

It represents a milestone in the recognition of jazz as a serious art form.

What is necessary for music to exist according to the text?

Some degree of human intention and perception.

What are the four groups of instruments categorized by Sachs and Hornbostel?

Chordophones, Aerophones, Membranophones, Idiophones.

What is a chordophone?

An instrument with one or more strings that create sound when plucked, bowed, or struck.

What type of instruments are aerophones?

Brass and wind instruments that feature a vibrating column of air.

What is a membranophone?

An instrument with a skin or membrane that vibrates when struck.

What defines an idiophone?

The body of the instrument itself vibrates when struck.

What is the fifth category of instruments added later?

Electrophones, which create sound waves using electricity.

What are some examples of chordophones?

Violins, harps, and guitars.

Name an example of an aerophone.

Trumpet or flute.

What is the role of percussion instruments in music?

They provide rhythm and can include instruments like drums and cymbals.

What is the significance of the theremin in music history?

It is one of the earliest electronic instruments, allowing control of frequency and amplitude.

What are the four properties of a single musical sound?

Pitch, duration, volume, and timbre.

What does pitch refer to in music?

The highness or lowness of a sound.

How is pitch related to string length on a guitar?

Halving the length of the string produces a pitch that is an octave higher.

What is musique concrète?

A type of composition that uses recorded sounds, edited and manipulated, to create art.

What does the term 'octave' mean in music?

The distance (or interval) between a pitch and the next higher or lower pitch.

What is the function of the three main clefs in music?

They indicate the pitch of the notes on the staff.

How is pitch visually represented on a piano keyboard?

High pitches are to the right and low pitches are to the left.

What is the relationship between pitch and frequency?

Pitch is determined by the frequency of the sound wave.

What is the significance of globalization in music?

It has made the boundaries between Western and non-Western cultures increasingly permeable.

How do some cultures view music differently?

In some cultures, music is so interconnected with other aspects of life that there is no separate word for 'music'.

What are the main families of Western orchestral instruments?

Strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and keyboards.

What is the role of ethnomusicologists?

They study the music of other cultures or compare multiple cultures.

What is the significance of the term 'pitch' in the context of a single tone?

It refers to a sound that consists of a steadily oscillating sound wave.

What is the historical context of electronic instruments?

They began to appear in the first decades of the twentieth century, with significant advances after World War II.

What is the role of the performer when playing the theremin?

The performer regulates frequency and amplitude by disturbing electrical fields.

What instruments are classified as idiophones?

Bells, woodblocks, marimbas, and cymbals.

What is a common example of a keyboard instrument?

Piano, harpsichord, or organ.

What is the relationship between Western and non-Western music traditions?

They have historically encountered and incorporated each other's music.

What is Middle C on the keyboard?

Middle C is located to the left of the group of two black keys closest to the middle of the keyboard.

What is a half step in music?

A half step, or semitone, is the distance between any two adjacent keys on the keyboard.

What is a whole step in music?

A whole step is the distance between every other key on the keyboard.

What are the basic intervals of any scale in Western music?

Half steps and whole steps.

What are the natural keys on the keyboard?

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

What does the symbol ♮ represent?

The natural note.

What do the symbols ♯ and ♭ indicate?

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

What is an enharmonic pitch?

Two different names for the same pitch, such as A♯ and B♭.

What is the purpose of a clef in music notation?

A clef indicates which pitches correspond to the lines and spaces on the staff.

What is the treble clef also known as?

The G-clef.

What does the bass clef indicate?

The 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 the chromatic scale?

The twelve different pitches in ascending order, divided into half steps.

What is equal temperament in music?

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

What are the seven pitches in a diatonic scale called?

They are known as the diatonic scale when arranged in ascending order.