Fine Arts: Music Flashcards
What is the role of music and art in relation to the environment?
Music and art help us enjoy our planet and warn us of the need to protect the biosphere.
Many modern and historical pieces draw attention to ecological surroundings.
What has visual art represented over thousands of years?
Visual art has been a means for humans to interpret their natural environment.
Examples include prehistoric cave paintings, Roman mural paintings, and Chinese ink paintings.
What does contemporary eco art aim to achieve?
Contemporary eco art aims to make positive change by actively addressing issues of climate and ecology.
How is music defined in its broadest sense?
Music is defined as ‘sound organized in time.’
What are the two kinds of musical sounds?
Pitched and non-pitched sounds.
What are the four categories of instruments as defined by Sachs and Hornbostel?
- Chordophones
- Aerophones
- Membranophones
- Idiophones
- Electrophones (added later)
What is the role of amplitude in sound waves?
Amplitude affects the decibel level, determining how loud or soft the tone is.
What does the frequency of a sound wave affect?
Frequency affects the pitch, which is the highness or lowness of the sound.
What is the standard tuning pitch for orchestral musicians in the United States?
A-440, meaning 440 Hz.
What are the properties of a single, isolated musical sound?
- Pitch
- Duration
- Volume
- Timbre
What is an octave in music?
The term for the distance between A and the next higher or next lower A.
How is pitch represented on a piano keyboard?
High-sounding pitches are to the right, low-sounding pitches are to the left.
What is a half step in music?
The distance between any two adjacent keys on the keyboard.
What is the difference between relative and parallel scales?
Relative scales share the same collection of pitches but start on different tonics; parallel scales start and end on the same tonic.
What are the types of minor scales?
- Natural minor
- Harmonic minor
- Melodic minor
What is a melody?
A series of successive pitches perceived by the ear to form a coherent whole.
What is the significance of the blues scale?
It combines elements of both major and minor scales, allowing for flexible pitch inflections.
What does the term ‘musique concrète’ refer to?
A type of composition that involves recording and manipulating sounds produced by live instruments and electronic means.
What are the basic techniques of tape music?
- Looping
- Splicing
What occurs when two pitches sound together?
Harmony or counterpoint.
How many notes does most melodies use?
Seven notes of a single scale.
What is the significance of the song ‘Happy Birthday’ in relation to scales?
‘Happy Birthday’ follows the same scale degrees in any major key.
What is rhythm in music?
The way music is organized in time.
Define ‘beat’ in music.
The steady pulse that underlies most music.
