Overview of Music Fundamentals

These flashcards cover key concepts in music fundamentals, including melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, form, and expression.

Melody

A unique musical line or tune characterized by its contour and range.

Conjunct Melody

A melody that moves in small, connected intervals.

Disjunct Melody

A melody that moves by larger, disconnected intervals.

Interval

The distance between any two pitches.

Phrase

A musical unit that ends at a resting place called a cadence.

Cadence

A resting place in music that signals the end of a phrase.

Countermelody

A secondary melody that accompanies the main melody.

Pitch

A perceivable and measurable sound determined by frequency.

Timbre (Tone Color)

The distinct quality of sound that distinguishes different voices or instruments.

Rhythm

The movement of music in time, organizing beats into measures.

Meter

The organization of beats in music, marked off in measures.

Duple Meter

A simple meter that alternates strong and weak beats.

Triple Meter

A simple meter with one strong beat followed by two weak beats.

Quadruple Meter

A pattern containing four beats per measure, with primary emphasis on the first beat.

Syncopation

A rhythmic complexity that deliberately shifts the normal pattern of accents.

Polyrhythm

The simultaneous use of conflicting rhythmic patterns.

Harmony

The vertical aspects of music, describing how notes sound together.

Chord

The simultaneous sounding of three or more pitches.

Tonic

The central pitch around which a piece of music is organized.

Dissonance

An unstable combination of pitches that creates tension.

Consonance

A combination of pitches that resolves dissonance and produces a stable sound.

Octave

The interval spanning eight notes of the scale.

Scale

A sequence of pitches arranged in ascending or descending order.

Chromatic Scale

A scale composed of all twelve half steps within an octave.

Diatonic Scale

A seven-note scale built on whole and half steps forming major and minor scales.

Soprano

The highest female vocal range.

Alto

The lower female vocal range.

Tenor

The higher male vocal range.

Bass

The lowest male vocal range.

Chordophone

Instruments that produce sound through vibrating strings.

Aerophone

Instruments that produce sound by vibrating air.

Idiophone

Instruments that produce sound from the material itself.

Membranophone

Instruments that produce sound through a vibrating membrane.

Monophony

A musical texture consisting of a single melodic line without accompaniment.

Polyphony

A musical texture with two or more independent melodic lines.

Homophony

A musical texture where one melody is prominent over accompanying lines.

Strophic Form

A song form with repeated music for each stanza of text.

Binary Form

A two-part musical form (A-B) without a return to the first section.

Ternary Form

A three-part musical form (A-B-A) that brings back the first section.

Tempo

The speed or pace of music, indicated by Italian terms.

Dynamics

The volume of music, indicating how loud or soft it is played.

Word Painting

A technique where the music reflects the literal meaning of the text.

Scat Singing

Vocal improvisation using nonsensical syllables.