Glossary

Question 1

Instrumentation

Answer 1

The instruments and voices employed in a piece of music

Question 2

Voice types

Answer 2

Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass

Question 3

Homophony

Answer 3

A texture in which one part has the melody and the others accompany, all playing the same rhythm

Question 4

Melody Dominated Homophony

Answer 4

A texture in which the melody is rhythmically independent of the accompaniment

Question 5

Polyphony

Answer 5

A texture in which two or more musical ideas occur simultaneously

Question 6

Contrapuntal

Answer 6

Music in which two or more melodic lines occur simultaneously

Question 7

Monophony

Answer 7

A texture consisting of one musical idea

Question 8

Heterophony

Answer 8

The simultaneous performance of different versions of the same melody by different voices or instruments.

Question 9

Antiphony

Answer 9

A texture in which two or more spatially separated soloists or groups perform alternately and in combination

Question 10

Imitation

Answer 10

A texture in which a melody in one part is copied a few in a different part a few notes later while the other continues

Question 11

Drone

Answer 11

A continuous pedal note (Long, low, held note)

Question 12

Pedal

Answer 12

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)

Question 13

Modulation

Answer 13

A change of key

Question 14

Functional Harmony

Answer 14

Using chords within the key, with the function of creating regular cadences

Question 15

Perfect Cadence

Answer 15

Moving from chord V to I at the end of a phrase

Question 16

Imperfect Cadence

Answer 16

Ending a phrase on chord V

Question 17

Extended chords

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Suspension

Answer 18

A note that doesn’t fit the chord is played (dissonant) and then resolves by step

Question 19

Dissonance

Answer 19

Notes that clash harshly when sounded together

Question 20

Conjunct

Answer 20

A melody that moves mainly by steps

Question 21

Disjunct

Answer 21

A melody that moves mainly in leaps

Question 22

Sequence

Answer 22

The immediate repetition of a melody at a pitch higher (ascending) or lower (descending)

Question 23

Melisma

Answer 23

One syllable sung to lots of notes

Question 24

Syllabic

Answer 24

One note per syllable

Question 25

Ornaments

Answer 25

Notes, often indicated by different signs that embellish the melody

Question 26

Arpeggio

Answer 26

The notes of a chord sounded separately

Question 27

Phrase

Answer 27

A section of melody that makes a statement, although not necessarily complete, that often ends with a cadence

Question 28

Syncopated

Answer 28

Strongly accented notes played off or against the beat

Question 29

Triplets

Answer 29

Three notes played in the time taken by two of the same value

Question 30

Homorhythmic

Answer 30

All parts have the same rhythm, pure homophony is homorhythmic

Question 31

Anacrusis

Answer 31

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’.

Question 32

Free Time

Answer 32

Music in which the rhythm does not fit a regular pulse

Question 33

Rubato

Answer 33

Tiny fluctuations in tempo for expressive effect

Question 34

Dynamics

Answer 34

The level of loudness or softness in music and the symbols used to indicate those levels, such as: f (loud), p (soft).

Question 35

Timbre

Answer 35

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.