Glossary Flashcards
Instrumentation
The instruments and voices employed in a piece of music
Voice types
Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass
Homophony
A texture in which one part has the melody and the others accompany, all playing the same rhythm
Melody Dominated Homophony
A texture in which the melody is rhythmically independent of the accompaniment
Polyphony
A texture in which two or more musical ideas occur simultaneously
Contrapuntal
Music in which two or more melodic lines occur simultaneously
Monophony
A texture consisting of one musical idea
Heterophony
The simultaneous performance of different versions of the same melody by different voices or instruments.
Antiphony
A texture in which two or more spatially separated soloists or groups perform alternately and in combination
Imitation
A texture in which a melody in one part is copied in a different part a few notes later while the other continues
Drone
A continuous pedal note (Long, low, held note)
Pedal
A sustained or repeated note, often tonic or dominant and most commonly in the bass, sounded against changing harmonies. (Can be a textural or harmonic device)
Unison
Two or more parts playing the same notes at the same time
Modulation
A change of key
Functional Harmony
Using chords within the key, with the function of creating regular cadences
Perfect Cadence
Moving from chord V to I at the end of a phrase
Imperfect Cadence
Ending a phrase on chord V
Extended chords
Chords in which further notes a 3rd apart are added to 7th chords to produce chords of the 9th, 11th, and 13th above the root
Suspension
A note that doesn’t fit the chord is played (dissonant) and then resolves by step
Dissonance
Notes that clash harshly when sounded together
Conjunct
A melody that moves mainly by steps
Disjunct
A melody that moves mainly in leaps
Sequence
The immediate repetition of a melody at a pitch higher (ascending) or lower (descending)
Melisma
One syllable sung to lots of notes
Syllabic
One note per syllable
Ornaments
Notes, often indicated by different signs that embellish the melody
Arpeggio
The notes of a chord sounded separately
Phrase
A section of melody that makes a statement, although not necessarily complete, that often ends with a cadence
Syncopated
Strongly accented notes played off or against the beat
Dotted Rhythms
Successive pairs of notes in which the first is a dotted note and the second is a short note, the two together making a complete beat or complete division of a beat.
Triplets
Three notes played in the time taken by two of the same value
Homorhythmic
All parts have the same rhythm, pure homophony is homorhythmic
Anacrusis
One or more notes that occur before the first strong beat of a phrase (before the first bar line of a phrase). Often called an ‘upbeat’ or ‘pickup’.
Free Time
Music in which the rhythm does not fit a regular pulse
Rubato
Tiny fluctuations in tempo for expressive effect
Dynamics
The level of loudness or softness in music and the symbols used to indicate those levels, such as: f (loud), p (soft).
Timbre
Tone colour, or quality of the sound. Timbre can be vary within the range of the instrument, or be changed by using a mute or plucking a string. Sonority means the same thing.
