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Nat 5 Music > Concepts > Flashcards

Concepts Flashcards

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1
Q

A capella

A

Unaccompanied singing

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2
Q

Accelerando

A

The tempo becomes gradually faster

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3
Q

African music

A

Music from Africa, which often features voice and African drums

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4
Q

Alberti bass

A

Broken chords played on a piano by the left hand outlining the harmonies, while the right hand plays the melody. Very popular in the classical period

“When you know your scales and your arpeggios”

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5
Q

Allegro

A

At a brisk speed

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6
Q

Alto

A

The lowest female voice

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7
Q

Anacrusis

A

An upbeat

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8
Q

Andante

A

A tempo at walking speed, at a moderately slow tempo

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9
Q

Arco

A

String players use the bow to create sound

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10
Q

Arpeggio

A

Notes of a chord played one after the other in ascending or descending order

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11
Q

Aria

A

A solo song. Could be from an opera (Italian) or oratorio (religious,German), for example

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12
Q

Atonal

A

Music which has no feeling of key, major or minor. It will sound dissonant. A feature of Serial Music

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13
Q

A tempo

A

The music returns to the main tempo after there has been a change

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14
Q

Backing vocals

A

Singers who support the lead singer, usually singing in harmony in the background

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15
Q

Baritone

A

A male voice type. The range is between that of a bass and a tenor

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16
Q

Baroque

A

Music Composed between 1600-1750

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17
Q

Bass Drum

A

A big, low sounding instrument from the persuasion family

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18
Q

Bass (voice)

A

The lowest male voice

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19
Q

Bass Guitar

A

A low pitched electric string instrument with four strings

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20
Q

Bothy ballad

A

A folk song from the north east of Scotland, sung in the Doric dialect by men about farming life. Often has many verses

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21
Q

Bassoon

A

A low sounding, double reeded woodwind instrument

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22
Q

Binary

A

Music in two sections, AB form

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23
Q

Bodhran

A

An Irish wooden drum played with a beater

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24
Q

Bongo Drums

A

A percussion instrument with two fairly high-pitched drums joined in a pair, played with the hands

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25
Q

Brass Band

A

An ensemble of brass and percussion instruments

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26
Q

Broken Chord

A

The notes of a chord played separately

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27
Q

Cadenza

A

This is a significant part of a concerto where the soloist really gets to show off.

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28
Q

Canon

A

Strict imitation where one part begins to play a melody and another enters shortly afterwards with exactly the same melody

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29
Q

Cello

A

Instrument from the string family, smaller that a double bass, lower pitched that a violin and viola

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30
Q

Castanets

A

A popular Spanish untuned percussion instrument

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31
Q

Celtic Rock

A

A style that mixes Celtic folk with rock music

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32
Q

Chord Progression

A

A series of related chords

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33
Q

Chorus

A

Music sung by a group of singers
Or
The refrain between verses of a song

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34
Q

Chromatic

A

Notes which ascend or descend consecutively in intervals of semitones

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35
Q

Chromatic scale

A

A scale that plays all the notes including semitones e.g. A,A flat,B,B flat

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36
Q

Change of key

A

A move from one key to another (modulation)

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37
Q

Cluster

A

A group of notes which clash when played together

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38
Q

Clarsach

A

A small Scottish harp used in folk music. The Garlic word for harp

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39
Q

Classical

A

Music composed between around 1750-1810. The era of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven

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40
Q

Coda

A

A passage at the end of a piece which brings it to a finish

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41
Q

Con sordino

A

Muted

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42
Q

Compound time

A

The beat is divided into groups of 3, e.g. 6/8, 9/8, 12/8

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43
Q

Concerto

A

A concerto is a large-scale work for a solo instrument (or solo instruments) accompanied by an orchestra.
A typical concerto has three movements - a fast opening movement, a slow and lyrical movement, then a fast movement to finish.

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44
Q

Clarinet

A

A sing reed instrument of the woodwind family

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45
Q

Contrapuntal

A

Texture with two or more parts each of which has an interesting and independent melodic line. It is similar in meaning to polyphonic

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46
Q

Contrary Motion

A

Two parts which move in opposite directions

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47
Q

Countermelody

A

A second melody played alongside the main melody- two different melodies which fit together

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48
Q

Cymbals

A

A metal percussion instrument, played in pairs which are stuck together, or singly. Also part of the drum kit

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49
Q

Cross Rhythms

A

Contrasting rhythms played at the same time or played with unusual emphasis

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50
Q

Descant

A

A countermelody which is sung above the main melody. It’s often featured in hymns

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51
Q

Distortion

A

A electronic effect used in rock music to colour the sound of an electric guitar. It creates a fuzzy sound, rather than the usual clean sound

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52
Q

Dixieland

A

One instrument per part - Jazz - Improvisation

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53
Q

Dotted rhythms

A

A long note followed by a shorter one, or vice versa, like a scotch snap

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54
Q

Double stopping

A

On a string instrument, playing on two strings (notes)

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55
Q

Double Bass

A

The largest and lowest instrument of the string family

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56
Q

Drone

A

Note (or two notes) held while other music is played above it

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57
Q

Flute

A

A woodwind instrument made of metal, plated by blowing into the mouthpiece rather that by using a reed

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58
Q

Flutter Tonguing

A

An effect created by rolling your ‘r’s while playing a brass or woodwind instrument

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59
Q

Fortissimo - ff

A

The music is to be played very loudly

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60
Q

French Horn

A

A brass instrument with curled metal tubing and a bell shaped opening

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61
Q

Gaelic psalm

A

Unaccomplished psalms (like hymns) sung in Gaelic. One singer usually begins with the congregation joining in afterwards

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62
Q

Glissando

A

Sliding from one note to another, taking in all the notes in between

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63
Q

Gospel

A

Songs written with religious lyrics often in praise or thanksgiving to God

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64
Q

Ground bass

A

Often used in the Baroque era. A theme in the bass which is repeated many times while the upper parts vary

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65
Q

Glockenspiel

A

A tuned percussion instrument with metal bars in a similar pattern to the piano

66
Q

Guiro

A

An untuned percussion instrument made of hollow wood which is scaled by a wooden stick along ridges one the outer surface

67
Q

Harmony

A

When a ground of singers or instrumentalists play at different pitches

68
Q

Harp

A

A large string instrument which has 47 strings

69
Q

Homophonic

A

A texture where all the parts play or sing similar a rhythm at the same time

70
Q

Harpsichord

A

A keyboard instrument which looks like a small grand piano. Used extensively in the Baroque era before the invention of the piano. Sound is produced by the strings being plucked inside the instrument when keys are pressed.

71
Q

Hi-Hat Cymbals

A

Used as part of a drum kit- two cymbal which can be opened and closed with a foot pedal or hit with drumsticks

72
Q

Imitation

A

The melody is immediately copies in another part

73
Q

Imperfect Cadence

A

Two chords at the end of a phrase, the last being being chord V, making it sound unfinished

74
Q

Indian music

A

Music from India which uses instruments such as the sitar and tabla

75
Q

Impressionism

A

A 20th century style connected to the art movement of the same name. Brief musical ideas merge and change, creating a blurred and vague outline, often using pentatonic and whole tone scales or modes

76
Q

Inverted Pedal

A

A note is held on or repeated continuously at a high pitch while other music is played underneath

77
Q

Jig

A

A fast Scottish dance in compound time

78
Q

Melismatic

A

Several notes sung to one syllable

79
Q

Major

A

Music in major keys generally sound bright and cheerful

80
Q

Mezzo Forte

A

The music is to be played moderately loud

81
Q

Mezzo Piano

A

The music is to be played moderately quietly

82
Q

Mezzo soprano

A

A female voice type. The range is between that of soprano and alto

83
Q

Minor

A

Music in a minor key often seems sadder and darker than music in a minor key

84
Q

Middle 8

A

A section of a pop song which provides a contrast to the opening section, so called because it is 8 bars long

85
Q

Modulation

A

The music changes key

86
Q

Moderato

A

The music is to be played at a moderate or medium tempo

87
Q

Minimalist

A

A style created in the 1960s by American composers, based on simple rhythmic and melodic figures which are constantly repeated which change slightly

88
Q

Mouth Music

A

Unaccompanied rhythmic Scottish songs with Gaelic or nonsense words, originally invented as a substitute for instruments when music was required for dancing

89
Q

Muted

A

Using a device which reduces the volume, or rather alter the sound of the instrument (con sordino)

90
Q

Oboe

A

A woodwind instrument with a double reed

91
Q

Octave

A

The distance of eight notes, for example from one C to the next C

92
Q

Opera

A

A drama set to music with soloists, chorus and orchestral accompaniment, performed in costume on a stage

93
Q

Ornament

A

A decoration to a melody be adding extra notes. A trill is an example

94
Q

Pan Pipes

A

Typically made from bamboo or cane bound together, an instrument associated with Latin America. Sound is made by blowing across the top of the pipes

95
Q

Pedal

A

Short for pedal point. A sustained or repeated note in the bass, beneath changing harmonies

96
Q

Pentatonic scale

A

A scale made up of five notes. Folk music is often based on aversion of the pentatonic scale - C,D,E,G,A

97
Q

Perfect Cadence

A

When the final two chords of a phrase are chords V the chord I, making the music sound finished

98
Q

Pianissimo- pp

A

The music is to be played very softly

99
Q

Pibroch

A

Music for solo bagpipes in theme and variation form, ornamented with grace notes

100
Q

Pitch Bend

A

Changing the pitch of a note slightly - like pulling a string on a guitar up or down after the note has Ben plucked to change the pitch

101
Q

Pizzicato

A

Plucking the stings instead of using the bow

102
Q

Piccolo

A

The highest pitched woodwind instrument, a half sized flute played in the same way, but sounding and octave higher

103
Q

Ragtime

A

A style of dance music popular at the end of the 19th century and helped to influence jazz. Ragtime music is typically played on piano, with a vamp accompaniment in the bass, and a catchy melody featuring off-beat accents (syncopation)

104
Q

Rallentando

A

The tempo of the music gradually slows down

105
Q

Rapping

A

Rhyming lyrics which are spoken and performed in time to a beat. Rap is popular in hip hop and grime music

106
Q

Recorder

A

An early woodwind instrument. There are four main types: descant, treble, tenor and bass

107
Q

Reggae

A

A style of music developed in the late 1960s in Jamaica. It features strong accents on the 2nd and 4th beats of the bar. Bob Marley is the most famous reggae artist.

108
Q

Reverb

A

An electronic effect which can give the impression for different hall acoustics. Some electric guitar amps include a reverb effect

109
Q

Riff

A

A repeated phrase usually found in jazz or pop music

110
Q

Ritardando

A

The music slows down

111
Q

Robato

A

Fluctuates in speed (fast,slow,fast,slow)

112
Q

Rock

A

A style of popular music with a heavy driving beat, usually featuring electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit

113
Q

Roll

A

A very fast repetition of a note on a percussion instrument to make it last longer

114
Q

Romantic

A

Music composed between around 1810 and 1900 belongs to the Romantic era. Orchestras were bigger and composers often focused on the portrayal of emotions

115
Q

Rondo

A

A from where the first section keeps returning between contrasting different sections - ABACADA etc

116
Q

Rubato

A

A rhythmic feature meaning ‘robbed time’. The tempo is flexible to allow the performer to slow down or speed up to provide more expression. Romantic music often uses rubato

117
Q

Polyphony

A

Texture where two or more melodic lines weave independently of each other

118
Q

Saxophone

A

A woodwind instrument made of metal and uses a single reed

119
Q

Scale

A

A sequence of notes moving by step in ascending or descending order

120
Q

Scat singing

A

Nonsense words, syllables and sounds who’s are improvised by the singer, used is jazz music

121
Q

Scots Ballad

A

A Scottish song which tells a story like Loch Lomond or Flower of Scotland

122
Q

Scotch Snap

A

A very short accented note before a longer note - e.g. a semi quaver followed by a dotted quaver. A common feature in strathspeys

123
Q

Semitone

A

A distance of half a time e.g. from B-Bb or E-F. One the piano this is from any hey to the nearest white or back key; on the guitar, from one fret to another

124
Q

Sequence

A

A pattern of notes which is repeated at a higher or lower pitch

125
Q

Sfrorzando - sfz

A

The music is to be played with a sudden emphasis

126
Q

Simple Time

A

The music has two, three or four beats in each bar. Each beat can be divided into 2 e.g. 2/4, 3/4, 4/4

127
Q

Sitar

A

A plucked Indian stringed instrument

128
Q

Snare Drum

A

A percussion instrument eh did forms part of a drum kit. Found in the pipe band, and also used as part of the orchestra

129
Q

Soprano

A

The highest pitched female voice

130
Q

Strathspey

A

A Scottish dance in 4/4 time and featuring Scotch snaps and dotted rhythms

131
Q

String crossings

A

Changing strings

132
Q

Strophic

A

A form wherein a song has the same music in verses/choruses. Most songs are strophic rather that through composed

133
Q

Swing

A

A jazz style which started in the 1930s, performed by a big band

134
Q

Symphony

A

A complex composition written for a full orchestra. It usually has four movements. At least on of these movements is traditionally in sonata form

135
Q

Syllabic

A

Vocal music where each syllable is given one note only

136
Q

Syncopation

A

A catchy rhythm where strongly accented notes are played against the beat

137
Q

Tabla

A

Indian drums, often use to accompany the sitar

138
Q

Tambourine

A

A percussion instrument

139
Q

Tenor

A

A high male voice

140
Q

Ternary

A

A piece is structured in three sections, where section A is followed by a B section which has a contrasting melody, and is then followed by a repetition of the A section.

141
Q

Theme and variation

A

A structure where the melody is played, then repeated in various ways with variations so that it sounds different each time but the main theme is still recognisable

142
Q

Tremolando

A

When you play the same note very fast which a bow on a string instrument to create a “trembling” effect

143
Q

Triangle

A

An untuned percussion instrument

144
Q

Trill

A

An ornament where two notes a step apart are played repeatedly, often at the door of a phrase

145
Q

Trombone

A

A brass instrument that has a slide instead of valves

146
Q

Trumpet

A

A brass instrument which can play high pitched noises

147
Q

Tuba

A

The largest and lowest pitched brass instrument

148
Q

Timpani

A

A large drum with skin stretched across a large bowl. Timpani are usually made of copper and played in sets, with each drum being tuned to a different note.

149
Q

Tone

A

A distance of two semitone, e.g. from B-A or E-F#

150
Q

Unison

A

When a group of singers or instrumentalists play at the same, tempo and pitch

151
Q

Vamp

A

A rhythmic accompaniment where a bass note is played on the beat and a chord is followed off the beat. Often a feature in Scottish music and ragtime music

152
Q

Verse

A

Music is repeated with different words in between a chorus

153
Q

Viola

A

A string instrument which looks similar to a violin but is slightly bigger and lower pitched

154
Q

Violin

A

The smallest and highest pitched string instrument

155
Q

Walking bass

A

A bass line often featured in jazz music. It is regular in rhythm and moves up and down a pattern of notes. Often played on the double bass or bass guitar

156
Q

Waulking Song

A

A traditional rhythmic song sung in Gaelic by women in the western isles of Scotland while they waulked woollen cloth to soften and shrink it

157
Q

Whole tone scale

A

A scale that only uses whole tones e.g. C, D, E, F#, G#, A#, C

158
Q

Wind Band

A

Sometimes know as a concert band, featuring woodwind, brass and percussion instruments

159
Q

Xylophone

A

A tuned percussion instrument with wooden bars, set out like a piano

160
Q

Recitative

A

Kind of like a soliloquy

Can be in a musical
A type of vocal writing where the music follows the rhythm of speech, used in operas and oratorios. A recitative is usually a short section for solo voice with sparse accompaniment. Its purpose is to move the story along. Recitatives are most often sung immediately before an Aria (Italian word for song).

Nat 5 Music (3 decks)

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