Music Appreciation Test 1

Frequency

The rate of vibration of a string or column of air determines pitch

Duration

Distance between lowest and highest tones of melody

Shape

Music notation system originating in 19th century American church music in which the shape of note heads determines pitch

Conjunct Movement

The smooth, connected melody that moves principally by small intervals

Disjunct Movement

Disjointed or disconnected melody with many leaps

Phrase

Music unit; often a component of melody

Cadence

Resting place in a musical phrase; music punctuation

Rhyme

Countermelody

An accompanying melody sounded against the principal melody

Beat

Regular pulsation, a basic unit of length in musical time

Meter

Organization of rhythm in time; the grouping of beats into larger, regular patterns, notated as measures

Measure

A rhythmic group or metrical unit that contains a fixed number of beats, divided on the musical staff by bar lines

Additive Meter

Patterns of beats that subdivide into smaller, irregular groups

Nonmetric

Music lacking a strong sense of beat or meter, common in certain non-Western cultures

Chord

Simultaneous combination of 3 or more tones that constitute a single block of harmony

Scale

Series of tones in ascending or descending order; may present the notes of a key

Syllables

Solfege (Do,Re,Mi,Fa,Sol,La,Ti,Do), Each syllable aligns with a number of the scale, (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)

Octave

Interval between 2 tones 7 diatonic pitches apart; the lower note vibrates half as fast as the upper and sounds an octave lower

Triad

Common chord type, consisting of 3 pitches built on alternate tones of the scale

Tonic

The first notes the scale or key, do. Also keynote

Tonality

Principle of organization around a tonic, or home, pitch, based on a major or minor scale

Major Scale

Scale consists of 7 different tones that comprise a specific pattern of whole and half steps. It differs from a minor scale primarily in that its 3rd degree is raised half a step

Minor Scale

Scale consists of 7 different tones that comprise a specific pattern of whole and half steps. It differs from the major scale primarily in that its 3rd degree is lowered half a step

Diatonic

Melody or harmony built from the 7 tones of a major or minor scale. A diatonic scale encompasses patterns of 7 whole tones and semitones

Chromatic

Melody or harmony built from many if not all twelve semitones of the octave. A chromatic scale consists of an ascending or descending sequence of semitones

Dissonance

Combination of tones that sounds discordant and unstable, in need of resolution

Consonance

Concordant or harmonious combination of tones that provides a sense of relaxation and stability in music

Drone

Sustained sounding of one or several tones for harmonic support, a common feature of some folk music

Monophony

Single line texture or melody without accompaniment

Imitation

Melodic idea presented in one voice and then restated in another, each part continuing as others enter

Canon

Type of polyphonic composition in which one musical line strictly imitates another at a fixed distance throughout

Round

Perpetual canon at the unison in which each voice enters in succession with the same melody (ex. Row, Row, Row your boat)

Retrograde

Backward statement of a melody

Retrograde Inversion

Mirror image and backward statement of a melody

Retrograde Inversion Augmentation

Flipping the melody line and making the notes longer

Diminution

Statement of a melody in shorter note values, often twice as fast as the original

Repetition

Sounds, words, phrases, or lines that are stated or used more than once

Contrast

Change in music after a repeated phrase

Variation

Some aspects of a phrase are altered but still have the same theme

Improvisation

Creation of a musical composition while it is being performed, seen in Baroque ornamentation, cadenzas of concertos, jazz, and some non western musics. See also embellishment.

Binary Form

2 part (A-B) form with each section normally repeated. Also 2 part form

Ternary Form

3 part (A-B-A) form based on a statement (A), contrast or departure (B), and repetition (A). Also 3 part form

Theme

Melodic idea used as a basic building block in the construction of a composition. Also subject

Thematic Development

Musical expansion of a theme by varying its melodic outline, harmony, or rhythm. Also thematic transformation

Sequence

Restatement of an idea or motive at a different pitch level

Motive

Short melodic or rhythmic idea; the smallest fragment of a theme that forms a melodic harmonic rhythmic unit

Call and Response

Performance style with a singing leader who is imitated by a chorus of followers. Also responsorial singing

Ostinato

A short melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic pattern that is repeated throughout a work or a section of one

Movement

Complete, self contained part within a larger musical work

Tempo

Rate of speed or pace of music

Tempo Markings

Italian markings in music that tell you how fast to play (grave, largo, adagio, andante, moderato, allegro, vivace, presto), in order of slow to fast

Dynamics

Element of musical expression relating to the degree of loudness or softness, or volume, of a sound (pp,p,mp,mf,f,ff), in order of soft to loud

Metronome

Device used to indicate the tempo by sounding regular beats at adjustable speeds

Inversion

Mirror or upside-down image of a melody or pattern, found in fugues and twelve-tone compositions