Music 103 Final Exam Study Guide Notes

Rock and Classical Music

  • Rock Band Timbres: Electric guitar, bass guitar, drum kit, keyboards, vocals.
  • Classical Orchestra Timbres: Strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion.
  • Theme and Variations Form: Theme altered in successive variations.
  • Sonata Form: Exposition, Development, Recapitulation.
  • Rock Song Form: Verse-chorus, bridge, pre-chorus, instrumental break.
  • Tuneful Melodies: Repetition, stepwise motion, rhythmic simplicity, catchy hooks.
  • Classical/Rock Familiarity: Simple motifs with complex development.

Composers

  • Mozart: Classical; clarity, elegance, balance.
  • Beethoven: Transitional; emotional depth, rhythmic drive.
  • Debussy: Impressionistic; tone color, non-traditional scales; influenced by Gamelan music.
  • Monteverdi: Early Baroque opera composer.
  • Puccini: Romantic opera composer; emotional melodies, realistic plots.
  • Schubert: Romantic composer known for lieder.

Music Styles and Movements

  • Impressionism (Painting): Soft edges, light colors, focus on light.
  • Impressionism (Music): Subtle dynamics, blurred rhythms, timbre emphasis.
  • Cubism: Geometric shapes, multiple perspectives.
  • Baroque (Architecture/Art): Ornate, dramatic, detailed.
  • Baroque (Music): Ornamented, expressive, contrasting dynamics.
  • Minimalism (Music/Art): Repetition, gradual change, limited materials.

Key Concepts

  • Pentatonic Scales: Five notes, folk-like.
  • Whole-tone Scales: Lacks leading tones, dreamy.
  • Multi-perspectivism: Showing multiple viewpoints in one artwork.
  • Opera: Dramatic musical genre combining singing and acting; originated in Italy around 1600.
  • Lieder: German art songs for voice and piano.
  • Virtuosity: Exceptional technical skill.

People

  • Monet: Impressionist painter.
  • Picasso: Cubism pioneer.
  • Stravinsky: Rhythmic innovation, dissonance.
  • Warhol: Pop artist; mass-production techniques.
  • Reich, Glass, Riley, Adams: Minimalist composers.
  • Paganini: Virtuoso violinist.

Jazz

  • Buddy Rich: Jazz drummer known for speed and showmanship.
  • Walking Bass: Steady bass line outlining chords.
  • Jazz Drumming: Ride cymbal, hi-hat, kicks to complement soloist.
  • Jazz Brass: Mutes (harmon, cup, plunger).
  • Jazz Woodwinds: Saxophones, clarinet, flute.
  • Jazz Form: Head, solos, return to head.
  • Jazz Improvisation: Over chord changes, stylistically guided.
  • Jazz Evolution: New Orleans to swing, bebop, cool jazz, fusion.
  • Louis Armstrong: Trumpeter/vocalist; solo improvisation pioneer.

Jazz Styles

  • Big Band: Large ensembles, arranged sections.
  • Bebop: 1940s small-group, fast tempos, complex solos.
  • Cool Jazz: 1950s relaxed tempos, lighter tones.
  • Fusion: 1970s blend of jazz with rock and funk.