Year 7 and 8 Musical Concepts Comprehensive Concepts Summary

Meter / Time Signature: Refers to the number of beats per bar. Examples include $2/4$ , $3/4$ , $4/4$ , $6/8$ , and $12/8$ .
Simple Time Signatures: These divide beats into $2$ parts. For example, in $4/4$ time, one would say: "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and".
Compound Time Signature: These divide beats into $3$ parts. For example, in $6/8$ time, one would say: "1 and a 2 and a".
Beat / Pulse: Defined as the underlying steady and consistent beat of a piece of music.
Accent: Occurs when a note or beat is given more emphasis than the surrounding notes.
Rhythm / Groove: The combination of different note values, patterns, and accents that together create a rhythmic idea.
Ostinato: A repeated rhythmic phrase.
Tempo: Refers to the speed of the music.
- Largo: Slow.
- Andante: Moderate walking pace.
- Allegro: Fast and Lively.
- Accelerando: Speeding up.
- Ritardando: Slowing down.
Syncopation: This occurs when musical beats are accented off the main beats.

Note Durations and Symbols:
- Semibreve ( $O$ ): Length of $4$ beats.
- Minum ( $J$ ): Length of $2$ beats. (Note: Transcribed as "Minum").
- Crotchet: Length of $1$ beat.
- Quaver: Length of $1/2$ beat each.
- Semiquaver: Length of $1/4$ beat each.
Rests: Symbols exist for each corresponding note duration to denote silence.
Common Rhythmic Cells: Mnemonic associations for specific rhythms include:
- Pear
- Apple
- Coco - nut
- Blue-berry
- Watermelon

Identification of Layers: This involves identifying what instruments are used in the piece of music, listing them, and noting when they occur.
Density: The relative thickness or thin-ness of music. It is affected by three primary factors:
- The number of layers.
- How loud the dynamic is.
- The rhythmic complexity of the music.
Instrument Roles:
- Melody: A sequence of single notes creating a tune.
- Harmony: Two or more notes played at the same time creating chords.
- Bass Line: The instrument playing the lowest notes, following the chords.
- Rhythmic: Instruments that create pulse or rhythm.
- Sound effect: Layers that create atmosphere or interesting effects.

Volume (Dynamics):
- $pp$ (Pianissimo): Very soft.
- $p$ (Piano): Soft.
- $mp$ (Mezzo piano): Moderately soft.
- $mf$ (Mezzo forte): Moderately loud.
- $f$ (Forte): Loud.
- $ff$ (Fortissimo): Very loud.
- Crescendo: Gradually getting louder.
- Diminuendo: Gradually getting softer.
Expressive Techniques: The specific techniques used by a voice or instrument for expression:
- Vibrato: A wobble or variation in the pitch.
- Pizzicato: Being plucked rather than bowed.
- Staccato: Short and detached.
- Legato: Smooth and flowing.
- Glissando: Sliding to a note from above or below.
- Falsetto: A high male voice technique.
- Ornamentation: Includes trills, acciaccaturas, appoggiaturas, mordents, and turns.
- Unconventional techniques: Includes screaming, scraping, etc.
- Electronic modification: Includes added effects, distortion, echoes, etc.

Structure Definition: Refers to how music is put together in sections, or organized.
Macro Structure: The main sections that go together to make the piece as a whole.
- Verse-Chorus Form: Intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, Bridge/Instrumental, Chorus, Outro.
- Binary: $A\,B$
- Ternary: $A\,B\,A$ or $A\,A\,B\,A$
Micro Structure: What happens inside each of the smaller sections.
- Ostinato: A repeated rhythmic phrase.
- Phrase: A short musical section, comparable to a sentence.
- Bar / Measure: The count of how many are in each section.
- Call and Response: A musical phrase acting as a ‘‘question,’’ followed by another responding musical phrase acting as an ‘‘answer.’’

Timbre: Refers to the unique quality or character of an instrument.
Timbre Descriptions: Terms used to describe sound quality include: Bright, nasal, mellow, metallic, warm, shrill, woody, breathy, etc.
Ensemble Types: Specific groups of instruments, such as: Orchestra, Rock band, choir, jazz band, concert band, and Quartet.
Instrument Families and Types:
- Strings: Violin, Viola, cello, double bass, guitar, banjo, ukelele, harp, etc.
- Brass: Trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba, euphonium, bass trombone, etc.
- Woodwind: Flute, piccolo, oboe, cor anglaise, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, contra bassoon, etc.
- Percussion (Untuned): Cymbals, shaker, guiro, gong, etc.
- Percussion (Tuned): Glockenspiel, marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, chime, timpani.
- Membranophones: Tom-tom drums, snare drum, conga, djembe, bass drum, etc.
- Electronic: Synthesisers, amplified instruments (such as electric guitar or microphones), and samplers.
- Voice: Soprano, alto, tenor, bass, falsetto, throat singing, fry, and choirs.
Physical Manipulations: Methods to alter sound physically, including mutes, dampeners, sticks, slides, soft vs. hard mallets, picks, mouthpieces, and string types.
Electronic Manipulations: Methods to alter sound electronically, including distortion, reverb, delay/echo, equalisation, chorus/phaser/flanger, and wah-wah.

Melody: A sequence of single notes creating a tune.
Riff: A repeated melodic phrase.
Contour: The shape of the melody, characterized by steps or leaps, and whether it is ascending or descending.
Register: Refers to how High, Medium, or Low an instrument plays.
Range: The distance from the lowest to the highest notes used by an instrument.
Harmony: Two or more notes occurring at the same time to create chords.
Tonality: The key signature of the piece, such as Major or Minor.
Root Note: The name-defining note of a chord.