Basic Elements of Musical Structure Flashcards
Timbre is also known as
tone color
Degrees of loudness and softness in music are called
dynamics
The relative highness or lowness of a sound is called
pitch
distance between the lowest and highest tones a voice or instrument can produce is called
pitch range
The pitch of a sound is decided by the _________ of its vibrations.
frequency
The distance in pitch between any two tones is called
an interval
A gradual increase in loudness is known as a
crescendo
A dynamic accent occurs when a performer
emphasizes a tone by playing it more loudly than the tones around it
In music, a sound that has a definite pitch is called a
tone
Music can be defined as
an art based on the organization of sounds in time
A series of single tones which add up to a recognizable whole is called a
melody
The repetition of a melodic pattern at a higher or lower pitch is called a
sequence
A resting place at the end of a phrase is called a
cadence
A melody is made up of shorter units called
phrases
Legato refers to playing or singing a melody
smooth, connected style
A melody is said to move by steps if it features
small intervals of adjacent scale tones
A short, detached style of playing a melody is known as
staccato
A combination of three or more tones sounded at the same time is called
a chord
Harmony refers to
the way chords are constructed and how they follow each other
Resolution refers to a
dissonant chord moving to a consonant chord
A combination of tones that is considered unstable and tense is called a
dissonance
A series of chords is called a(n)
progression
When a melodic idea is presented by one voice or instrument and then restated immediately by another voice or instrument,
the technique is called
imitation
A round is an example of
strict imitation
When there is one main melody accompanied by chords, the texture is
homophonic
The texture of a single melodic line without accompaniment is
monophonic
Performance of a single melodic line by more than one instrument or voice is described as playing or singing in
counterpoint (polyphonic)
Which of the following could be an example of homophonic texture?
A folksinger accompanied by a guitar.
When two or more melodies of equal interest are performed simultaneously, the texture is
polyphonic
Contrapuntal texture is sometimes used in place of the term
polyphonic texture.
Three-part form can be represented as
A-B-A
The organization of musical ideas in time is called
form
Repetition is a technique widely used in music because it
helps engrave a melody in a listener’s memory.
A tone in music is a sound that
has a definite pitch
When notating music for others to read, composers traditionally have used ____________ words to indicate dynamics.
Italian
A gradual decrease in loudness is known as a
diminuendo
Register refers to
part of an instruments total range
When music is created at the same time as it is performed, it is said to be
improvised
Conductors often hold a ______ to indicate pulse and tempo.
baton
Woodwind instruments are so named because they
use a wooden reed
Synthesizers
allow the composer complete control over pitch, tone color, dynamics, and duration.
The element of music defined as the ordered flow of music through time, or more specifically, the particular arrangement of note lengths in a piece of music, is
rhythm
The organization of beats into regular groups is called
meter
_____________ is the effect of unexpected accents in the music.
syncopation
The term ___________ refers to the speed of the beat of the music.
tempo
A gradual slowing-down of tempo is indicated by the term
ritardando
Melody may be defined as
a series of single notes which add up to a recognizable whole
The distance between a melody’s lowest and highest tones is known as its
range
A melody is said to move by steps if it moves by
adjacent scale tones
cadence
resting place at the end of a phrase
A consonance is a combination of tones that
is considered stable and restful
When a dissonance moves to a consonance, it can be called a
resolution
The organization of musical ideas in time is called
form
A musical section followed by a contrasting section and then a return of the original section is in
ternary form
In music, _________ refers to a characteristic way of using melody, rhythm, tone color, dynamics, harmony, texture, and form.
style
Changes in musical style from one historical period to the next are usually continuous.
continuous
