Basic Elements of Musical Structure

Question 1

Timbre is also known as

Answer 1

tone color

Question 2

Degrees of loudness and softness in music are called

Answer 2

dynamics

Question 3

The relative highness or lowness of a sound is called

Answer 3

pitch

Question 4

distance between the lowest and highest tones a voice or instrument can produce is called

Answer 4

pitch range

Question 5

The pitch of a sound is decided by the _________ of its vibrations.

Answer 5

frequency

Question 6

The distance in pitch between any two tones is called

Answer 6

an interval

Question 7

A gradual increase in loudness is known as a

Answer 7

crescendo

Question 8

A dynamic accent occurs when a performer

Answer 8

emphasizes a tone by playing it more loudly than the tones around it

Question 9

In music, a sound that has a definite pitch is called a

Answer 9

tone

Question 10

Music can be defined as

Answer 10

an art based on the organization of sounds in time

Question 11

A series of single tones which add up to a recognizable whole is called a

Answer 11

melody

Question 12

The repetition of a melodic pattern at a higher or lower pitch is called a

Answer 12

sequence

Question 13

A resting place at the end of a phrase is called a

Answer 13

cadence

Question 14

A melody is made up of shorter units called

Answer 14

phrases

Question 15

Legato refers to playing or singing a melody

Answer 15

smooth, connected style

Question 16

A melody is said to move by steps if it features

Answer 16

small intervals of adjacent scale tones

Question 17

A short, detached style of playing a melody is known as

Answer 17

staccato

Question 18

A combination of three or more tones sounded at the same time is called

Answer 18

a chord

Question 19

Harmony refers to

Answer 19

the way chords are constructed and how they follow each other

Question 20

Resolution refers to a

Answer 20

dissonant chord moving to a consonant chord

Question 21

A combination of tones that is considered unstable and tense is called a

Answer 21

dissonance

Question 22

A series of chords is called a(n)

Answer 22

progression

Question 23

When a melodic idea is presented by one voice or instrument and then restated immediately by another voice or instrument,
the technique is called

Answer 23

imitation

Question 24

A round is an example of

Answer 24

strict imitation

Question 25

When there is one main melody accompanied by chords, the texture is

Answer 25

homophonic

Question 26

The texture of a single melodic line without accompaniment is

Answer 26

monophonic

Question 27

Performance of a single melodic line by more than one instrument or voice is described as playing or singing in

Answer 27

counterpoint (polyphonic)

Question 28

Which of the following could be an example of homophonic texture?

Answer 28

A folksinger accompanied by a guitar.

Question 29

When two or more melodies of equal interest are performed simultaneously, the texture is

Answer 29

polyphonic

Question 30

Contrapuntal texture is sometimes used in place of the term

Answer 30

polyphonic texture.

Question 31

Three-part form can be represented as

Answer 31

A-B-A

Question 32

The organization of musical ideas in time is called

Answer 32

form

Question 33

Repetition is a technique widely used in music because it

Answer 33

helps engrave a melody in a listener’s memory.

Question 34

A tone in music is a sound that

Answer 34

has a definite pitch

Question 35

When notating music for others to read, composers traditionally have used ____________ words to indicate dynamics.

Answer 35

Italian

Question 36

A gradual decrease in loudness is known as a

Answer 36

diminuendo

Question 37

Register refers to

Answer 37

part of an instruments total range

Question 38

When music is created at the same time as it is performed, it is said to be

Answer 38

improvised

Question 39

Conductors often hold a ______ to indicate pulse and tempo.

Answer 39

baton

Question 40

Woodwind instruments are so named because they

Answer 40

use a wooden reed

Question 41

Synthesizers

Answer 41

allow the composer complete control over pitch, tone color, dynamics, and duration.

Question 42

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

Answer 42

rhythm

Question 43

The organization of beats into regular groups is called

Answer 43

meter

Question 44

_____________ is the effect of unexpected accents in the music.

Answer 44

syncopation

Question 45

The term ___________ refers to the speed of the beat of the music.

Answer 45

tempo

Question 46

A gradual slowing-down of tempo is indicated by the term

Answer 46

ritardando

Question 47

Melody may be defined as

Answer 47

a series of single notes which add up to a recognizable whole

Question 48

The distance between a melody’s lowest and highest tones is known as its

Answer 48

range

Question 49

A melody is said to move by steps if it moves by

Answer 49

adjacent scale tones

Question 50

cadence

Answer 50

resting place at the end of a phrase

Question 51

A consonance is a combination of tones that

Answer 51

is considered stable and restful

Question 52

When a dissonance moves to a consonance, it can be called a

Answer 52

resolution

Question 53

The organization of musical ideas in time is called

Answer 53

form

Question 54

A musical section followed by a contrasting section and then a return of the original section is in

Answer 54

ternary form

Question 55

In music, _________ refers to a characteristic way of using melody, rhythm, tone color, dynamics, harmony, texture, and form.

Answer 55

style

Question 56

Changes in musical style from one historical period to the next are usually continuous.

Answer 56

continuous