Music Theory Flashcards

Flashcards for music theory review.

12 Tone Music

12 notes of chromatic scale are sounded with equal frequency to prevent emphasis of any single key, achieved through tone rows.

Tone Rows

Orderings of the 12 pitches to give notes approximately equal importance.

Arnold Schoenberg

Developed 12 Tone Music.

Fanfares

consisting of movements in fourths and fifths, played by brass and percussion, sometimes featuring timpani as a solo instrument.

Arch Form

musical structure where sections mirror each other in a symmetrical way  goes from the beginning, has middle climax, and returns to a point similar to the start, creating a balanced structure.

Samuel Barber

Associated with Arch Form.

Polyrhythms

simultaneous use of two or more rhythms.

Stravinsky

Associated with Polyrhythms, Bitonality, and Ostinato.

Bitonality

use of only two different keys at the same time.

Ostinato

motif that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch.

Chance Operations

A compositional technique incorporating randomness or unpredictability into music.

John Cage

Associated with Chance Operations.

Extended Techniques

Unconventional or non-traditional methods of singing or playing musical instruments to obtain unusual sounds.

George Crumb

Associated with Extended Techniques.

Phase Technique

musical technique  used by one person slowly speeding up. another technique is used by dropping beats.

Steve Reich

Associated with Phase Technique.