Exam 1

Question 0

What is a tempo?

Answer 0

(It. “in time.”) A tempo mark indicating an immediate return to the original tempo, following a change in tempo.

Question 1

What is dolce

Answer 1

(It. “sweet.”) A score direction indicating a sweet or soft tone and smooth, soft playing.

Question 2

What is accelerando ?

Answer 2

A gradual quickening of tempo.

Question 3

What is accidental?

Answer 3

A symbol placed before a note on the staff, which temporarily raises or lowers it by either a half step or a whole step. Half step accidentals are the sharp and the flat, while whole step accidentals are the double sharp (which looks most like a square “x”) and the double flat (which appears as two flat symbols).

Question 4

What is allegro?

Answer 4

(It. “cheerful”), A tempo mark indicating a fast tempo.

Question 5

What is chromatic?

Answer 5

1. A scale comprised of the twelve consecutive half steps contained within an octave. 2. The compositional use of notes and/or chords which lie outside the major or minor key of a given piece.

Question 6

What is a coda?

Answer 6

(It. “tail.”) A section of music which is added at the end of a piece, usually using material taken from the composition itself. It is not part of the form of the piece, but rather provides a sense of closure to the work by restating previous material.

Question 7

What is crescendo ?

Answer 7

(It. “growing”), A dynamic mark indicating a gradual increase in loudness, or dynamics.

Question 8

What is decrescendo ?

Answer 8

(It. “decreasing”), A dynamic mark indicating a gradual decrease in loudness or dynamics.

Question 9

What is dynamics?

Answer 9

The relative levels of loudness and softness in music. Dynamic markings indicate the varying dynamics in which a piece is to be performed.

Question 10

What is flat?

Answer 10

A symbol which lowers a given note by one half step.

Question 11

What is forte?

Answer 11

(It. “loud”, Fr. “strong.”) A dynamic mark indicating a loud dynamic.

Question 12

What is a half step?

Answer 12

The smallest interval in the chromatic scale. It can be heard by playing any key on the piano, and playing the next adjacent key, regardless of color.

Question 13

What is legato?

Answer 13

(It. “tied.”) A music term designating a sustained, smooth, connected playing of a passage of notes.

Question 14

What is ostinato?

Answer 14

(It. “tied.”) A music term designating a sustained, smooth, connected playing of a passage of notes.

Question 15

What is sharp?

Answer 15

A symbol which raises a given pitch by one half step.

Question 16

What is staccato?

Answer 16

(It. “detached.”) A score mark indicating notes should be played short and detached from one other. A dot above a note usually indicates it is to be played staccato. …… Separated

Question 17

What is a whole step?

Answer 17

The intervallic distance equivalent to a major second, or two half steps.