Music 101 Exam 1

pitch

a sound created by vibrations

how high or low the sound is

fast vibration = what pitch?

high

slow vibration = what pitch?

low

note

a specific pitch

interval

the distance between two pitches (notes)

half step

type of interval

the distance between two neighbor notes

dissonant (clashing)

whole step

type of interval

any two pitches that are two half-steps apart

mildly dissonant (clashing)

scale

a succession of whole step and half step intervals that sound normal or logical

types of scales

major, minor, chromatic

major scale sequence of whole + half steps

WWHWWWH

Why Would Harry Willingly Waste Water at Home?

minor scale sequence of whole + half steps

WHWWHWW

Would Holly Walk With Henry, Without Wisdom?

chromatic scale sequence of whole + half steps

only half steps

church modes

certain scales approved for use by the Catholic church

it was believed that modes could…

influence the way a listener felt/behaved

melody

a succession of notes (any)

phrase

a short melody

natural to take a breath at the end if singing

motive

short succession of notes used throughout a piece to create a sense of unity

theme

similar to motive (succession of notes repeated) but longer

nonmetrical

no regular recurring pattern of beats

texture

the means by which melody, harmony, and rhythm are combined in a composition

monophony

most basic texture

single melody line has absolutely no harmony

tone color/timbre

quality of sound of an instrument or voice

genre

category based on shared characteristics

absolute music

instrumental music intended for listening pleasure

score

printed piece of music