Elements of music + medieval Flashcards
Disjunct Motion
Melodic Motion of pitches by leap
Soprano, Bass
highest voice and lowest voice of the range
Variation
An altered restatement of musical idea; also used to designate a form consisting of multiple variations in succession.
word-music relationships
The way a text influences our hearing of the music, and the way music affects our perception of the words.
Measure
A rhythmic unit, indicated by bar lines in notated music, that presents one complete statement of the meter.
- durations of notes (long versus short) can vary within an underlying meter.
Downbeat
The first note of a measure, which is usually emphasized in relation to the notes on other beats of the measure.
Register
The range of a pitch or series of pitches, usually described as high, middle, or low.
Key
The central note and mode on which a melody or piece is based.
Major mode
A type of scale produced by singing ”do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do,” or by playing the white keys of the piano between C and C, in which half steps occur between notes 3 and 4 and notes 7 and 8. The sound of the major mode is often described as ”bright” or ”happy,” in contrast to the minor mode.
Tonic
The note that establishes a key, based on its distinctive relationship with a particular set of harmonies or other notes in the underlying scale. Also, the chord based on the first scale degree.
- primary key area of a piece
Phrase
A brief musical statement
Orchestra
A large ensemble that consists of several different kinds of instruments, usually of different families (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion).
Tenor
A voice range between base and alto, the higher range of the male voice
Octave
The interval between two pitches of the same name (C to C, G to G, etc.). The frequency of the higher pitch is twice that of the lower pitch.
Rhythm
The ordering of music through time.
Meter (of music)
An underlying pattern of beats that maintains itself consistently throughout a work. See also ”duple meter”; ”triple meter.”
Polyphony
A musical texture consisting of multiple lines of equal importance.
Melody
A single line of notes heard in succession as a coherent unit.
- constructed from subphrases and phrases, which form complete statements ending with a cadence.
- notes form into phrases separated by breaths or pauses
Chord
Three or more notes played or sung at the same moment.
Mezzo-soprano
A voice range between soprano (the highest) and alto.
Baritone
A voice range between bass (the lowest) and tenor.
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Duple meter
An underlying pattern of rhythm in which each unit (measure) consists of one accented (strong) beat followed by one unaccented (weak) beat (1 2 I 1 2 I 1 2 I etc.) or some multiple of two (such as four or eight). A unit of four beats per measure, for example, in which the first is the strongest and the third is the next-strongest (1-2-3-4 I 1-2-3-4 I 1-2-3-4 I etc.), is a type of duple meter.
Note
The smallest unit of musical notation, indicating a specific pitch and duration, or the sounded pitch itself.
Triple Meter
An underlying pattern of rhythm in which each unit (measure) consists of one accented (strong) beat followed by two unaccented (weak) beats (1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, etc.).
Homophony
A musical texture in which a melody is performed with a supporting accompaniment.
Cadence
A point of arrival signaling the end of a musical unit.
Unison
More than one performer playing or singing the same pitch or pitches at the same time.
Timbre
The character or quality of a sound.
Minor Mode
A type of scale produced by playing the white keys on the piano between A and A, in which half steps occur between notes 2 and 3 and notes 5 and 6, but often with the seventh note raised so that a half step also occurs between notes 7 and 8. The sound of the minor mode is often described as ”dark” or ”sad,” in contrast to the major mode.
Alto
A voice range between soprano (the highest) and tenor; the lower range of the female voice.
Scale
A series of notes that provide the essential pitch building blocks of a melody.
Dynamics
The volume of sound, determined by the size (amplitude) of each sound wave.
- term used to indicate relative volume, ranges from very soft to very loud.
Interval
The distance between two pitches.
Monophony
A musical texture consisting of a single melodic line.
- most Native American music is monophonic
Melodic Motion
The movement of pitches within a melody up or down, either by step (conjunct motion) or by leap (disjunct motion).
Tempo
The speed at which a piece of music is performed.
Harmony
The sound created by multiple voices playing or singing together.
- uses different chords to create variety
Form
The structure of a musical work; the way in which its individual units are put together.
ABBA …
based on 3 categories: repetition, variation, contrast
Pitch
The position of a sound on a range from very low to very high, determined by the frequency of its sound waves.
Genre
The category of a work, determined by a combination of its performance medium and its social function.
Conjunct motion
Melodic motion of pitches by step
Texture
The number and general relationship of musical lines or voices to one another.
Middle ages
The historical period in music extending from ~500 to 1420.
- between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance
- churches were monuments to God
- inspired by Gothic architecture
- Different instruments than we have today
- music transmitted orally until the 10th century, then it had to be written and copied by hand
- Notes are called neumes
- texture: monophonic and polyphonic
- Melody: flowing, largely conjunct, , - they use modes unlike the major and minor
- rhythm= free, plainchant
Gregorian Chant
Monophonic vocal music in the medieval church, designed to project religious textx. So called because it was alleged to have been written mostly by Pope Gregory I, in the late sixth century. Also known as Plainchant
Melisma
A syllable of text sung to many notes.
- highlight the beauty of the music over the intelligibility of the text
- to add variety and emphasize an important word or phrase
Melismatic
A style of setting a text to music so that there is more than one note per syllable.
Mode
A type of scale on which a melody is based. Since the Baroque era (1600 onward), the term is used to distinguish between major and minor modes.
Plainchant
monophonic vocal music in the medieval church designed to project religious texts.
- In general, the two differing approaches performers today can take to the rhythm of plainchant are free and measured
Syllabic
A style of setting a text to music so that there is one note per syllable
Powwow
An intertribal gathering where Native Americans of mixed tribes express their mutual bond and identity,
- flag processions, various dances, and performance contests are likely to occur
Terraced Contour
The motion of a melody that moves up or down through a series of stages, remaining in one general area a while before moving up or down to the next.
Vocables
Meaningless sung syllables that take the place of song lyrics.
Courtly love
A code of behavior in medieval courts in which the knight worshipped a lady from afar.
Stanza (Strophe)
A verse of poetry, or the music corresponding to that verse (see also “strophe”)
Pianissimo pp
very soft
Piano p
Soft
Mezzo Piano mp
medium soft
Mezzo forte mf
medium loud
forte f
loud
fortissimo ff
very loud
Play of virtues
- medieval time
- By Hildegard von Bingen
- It would be called Gregorian chant
- composed 1150
- written for voices alone
liturgical chant
Jewish Chant
Which of the following best sums up Hildegard’s message to religious authorities who had banned music from her convent?
“The Bible calls on us to praise God with music.”
Hildegard von Bingen
1098-1179
- a woman
- most prolific composer before 1500
- became a Benedictine nun at 16
wrote on theology, medicine, botany, and lives of saints
- music works consisted of chants for religious service, which took place throughout the day in the convent
- Play of vitues.
The Eagle Dance
- portrays the life cycle of the eagle (connects heaven to earth)
3 sections: ABA
-melodic contour of it is terraced. - in duple meter
- Eagle is a symbol of Virility
- The Eagle dance is performed after a long dry period.
they sing in unison
-native American music - Native Americans decided on which vocables to sing, they believe they are transmitted from the spirit world through dream or revelation
Chant
many cultures employ chant in their religious ceremonies
Grand Entry
The opening of a powwow in which all participants enter into the arena
Behold Spring
- by Francesco Landini
- 2 voices singing independent and equally important lines (polyphony)
-triple meter
ABAA - melismatic
-based on love poetry - Courtly love: stylized interactions between knight and lady
- 2-voice Ballata- genre of secular song based in dance
-largely syllabic
Fransesco Landini
Most famous and prolific Italian composer of the fourteenth century Blinded at young age by smallpox Also known as organist and poet Poet–composers common during Middle Ages Wrote more than 150 secular songs Lavishly praised by contemporaries
Heterophony
Two voices singing the same melody simultaneously but with different establishments.
Metered Rhythm
Rhythm structured around a fixed metrical pattern, allowing polyphonic voice to coordinate
instrumental music
Medieval performers could and did play vocal music on a variety of different instruments, such as the shawm
