Chapter 2 - Simple Meters

Question 1

Alla Breve

Answer 1

Allows the quickened moving pitches to be notated as eighths rather than sixteenths

Question 2

Anacrusis

Answer 2

Occurs when a melody starts just before the 1st downbeat in a meter; also called an upbeat or pick-up

Question 3

Bar Line

Answer 3

A vertical line that indicates the end of a measure

Question 4

Beam

Answer 4

A horizontal or diagonal line used to connect multiple consecutive notes to indicate rhythmic grouping

Question 5

Beat

Answer 5

The primary pulse in musical meter

Question 6

Common Time

Answer 6

4/4 conducting pattern

Question 7

Cut Time

Answer 7

2/2 conducting pattern

Question 8

Dot

Answer 8

Rhythmic notation that adds to a note half its own value

Question 9

Downbeat

Answer 9

Beat 1 of a metrical pattern

Question 10

Flag

Answer 10

Wavy line attached to the stem of a note

Question 11

Hemiola

Answer 11

A temporary duple rhythmic grouping in the context of an underlying triple meter; a temporary two-part division of the beat in the context of an underlying three-part division

Question 12

Hypermeter

Answer 12

A high-level metric grouping that interprets groups of measures as though they were grouping of beats within a single measure

Question 13

Measure

Answer 13

A unit of music grouped by beats; generally, a measure begins and ends with notated bar lines

Question 14

Meter

Answer 14

A hierarchical arrangement of beats and their divisions that repeat from measure to measure and are perceived as relatively strong and weak. The first beat of each measure is perceived as the strongest.

Question 15

Simple Meter

Answer 15

Meter in which the beat divides into twos and subdivides into fours. The top number of the meter signature will be 2, 3 , or 4.

Question 16

Compound Meter

Answer 16

Meter in which the beat divides into threes in subdivides into sixes. The top number of compound meter signatures is 6, 9, or 12.

Question 17

Simple Duple

Answer 17

Any meter with two beats in a measure, with each beat divided into two

Question 18

Simple Quadruple

Answer 18

Any meter with four beats in a measure, with each beat divided into two

Question 19

Simple Triple

Answer 19

Any meter with three beats in a measure, with each beat divided into two

Question 20

Meter Signature

Answer 20

A sign that appears at the beginning of a piece, after the clef and key signature: the upper number indicates a meter type and the lower number indicates which note gets the beat; also called a time signature

Question 21

Metric Accent

Answer 21

The pattern of strong and weak beats based on the “weight” of the downbeat in the “lift” of the upbeat

Question 22

Note Head

Answer 22

The oval part of a note

Question 23

Rest

Answer 23

A duration of silence

Question 24

Rhythm

Answer 24

The patterns made by the durations of pitch and silence in a piece

Question 25

Rhythmic Value

Answer 25

The duration of a note or rest

Question 26

Eighth Note

Answer 26

A stemmed black note head with one flag

Question 27

Half Note

Answer 27

A stemmed white note head

Question 28

Quarter Note

Answer 28

A stemmed black note head

Question 29

Sixteenth Note

Answer 29

A stemmed black note head with two flags

Question 30

Whole Note

Answer 30

A stemless open note head

Question 31

Slur

Answer 31

An arc that connects two or more different pitches

Question 32

Stem

Answer 32

Thin, vertical line that is directly connected to the note head

Question 33

Syncopation

Answer 33

Off-beat rhythmic accents created by dots, ties, rests, dynamic markings, or accent marks

Question 34

Tempo

Answer 34

How fast or slow the music is played

Question 35

Tie

Answer 35

A small arc connecting the note heads of two identical pitches, adding the durations of the notes together

Question 36

Time Signature

Answer 36

Another term for meters signature

Question 37

Upbeat

Answer 37

Occurs when a melody starts just before the first strong beat in a meter; named for the upward lift of the conductors hand. Another word for anacrusis.