Music Appreciation Notes

Flashcards covering key concepts and terms from the Music Appreciation lecture.

Rhythm

Group of beats in music.

Melody

Main tune of a song.

Harmony

The rest of the music that accompanies the melody.

Timbre

The color of music; distinguishes different sounds and instruments. TONE

Pitch

Frequency of sound; refers to how high or low a note is.

Dynamic

Volume of sound, ranging from soft to loud.

Tempo

The speed at which music is played.

Meter

The underlying pattern of beats in music.

Syncopation

Accents in music that fall where they are not typically expected.

Cadences

Points of arrival or rest in music, functioning like periods in a sentence.

Chords

A combination of at least two notes played together.

Consonant

Sounds that are smooth and pleasing to the ear.

Dissonant

Sounds that are harsh and create tension.

String family

Group of instruments played with a bow or plucked, including violin, viola, cello, and double bass.

Woodwind family

Instruments that produce sound by blowing air, including flute and clarinet.

Brass family

Instruments typically known for their loudness, such as trumpet and tuba.

Percussion family

Instruments that produce sound when struck, such as drums and cymbals.

Monophonic

Music consisting of a single melody line.

Homophonic

Music with a main melody supported by harmonies.

Polyphonic

Music featuring two or more independent melodies.

Key

The group of pitches, or scale, that forms the basis of a music composition.

Diatonic scale

A scale that contains seven pitches within an octave, arranged in a specific order of whole and half steps.

Chromatic scale

A scale that includes all twelve pitches available within the octave.

Major

A musical scale that often sounds bright or happy.

Minor

A musical scale that often sounds somber or dark.

Cadence

A musical phrase that signifies a conclusion.

Improvisation

The act of creating music spontaneously, often found in jazz.

Orchestration

The arrangement of music for performance by an orchestra.

Transcription

Playing a piece of music written for one instrument on a different instrument.

Jazz Ensemble

A group of musicians in a jazz setting, typically larger than a jazz combo.

Strophic form

A song structure where multiple verses are sung to the same melody.

Binary form

A musical form with two contrasting sections, labeled A and B.

Ternary form

A three-part musical form, structured as A-B-A.

Piano

A versatile keyboard instrument known for its dynamic range.

Voicing

Adjusting the tone produced by the piano’s hammers.

Hammer voicing

A process in which a technician modifies the felt of the piano hammers to adjust the sound quality.

Action regulation

Adjusting the mechanism of the piano to ensure proper functioning.