ethnomusicology_vocab Flashcards
Term
Definition
Music
A form of art that uses sound as its medium, varying greatly across different cultures.
Subjectivity
The idea that what is considered music can differ from person to person and culture to culture.
Conceptual Phenomenon
Music exists in our minds and is given meaning based on cultural conditioning and personal experience.
Real-Time Experience
Music must be experienced over time, unlike visual arts which can be taken in all at once.
Universal vs. Language
While music is universal across cultures, it is not a universal language as its interpretation depends on cultural context.
Cultural Encoding
The idea that music carries specific meanings within a culture through its sounds, rhythms, and structures.
Semiotics
The study of signs and symbols, explaining how sounds in music are interpreted differently by listeners based on cultural backgrounds.
Ethnocentrism
Viewing other cultures through the lens of one’s own, which can lead to misunderstandings.
Folk Music
Music associated with the common people, often passed down orally and reflecting the daily lives of a community.
Classical Music
A genre of music that requires formal training, often considered high art and usually notated.
Popular Music
Music created for mass appeal, often distributed widely through various media.
Ethnomusicology
The study of music in its cultural context, looking at how and why people make music within their culture.
Fieldwork
The practice of living within a culture to understand music from an insider’s perspective, often used in ethnomusicology.
Timbre
The quality or color of a musical sound, which is closely tied to the medium producing the sound.
Pitch
The frequency of a sound, typically denoted with letter names in musical terms.
Rhythm
The pattern of durations of sounds over time in music.
Dynamics
The volume or intensity of a sound in music.
Organology
The study of musical instruments and their classification.
Aerophones
Instruments that produce sound through the vibration of air.
Chordophones
Instruments that produce sound through the vibration of strings.
Idiophones
Instruments that produce sound through the vibration of the instrument itself.
Membranophones
Instruments that produce sound through the vibration of a stretched membrane, such as drums.
Melody
A sequence of pitches perceived as a single entity.
