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Key Terms Flashcards

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1
Q

Alap

A

The opening, unmetered and improvised section of a raga

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2
Q

Anacrusis

A

A note or sequence of notes prior to the first strong beat

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3
Q

Arpeggio

A

A type of broken chord, usually played in a rising/falling movement

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4
Q

Atonal

A

Not in a key, or having any kind of tonal centre

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5
Q

Binary form

A

A musical form consisting of two units (A and B)

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6
Q

Cadence

A

A sequence of chords that ends a piece of music

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7
Q

Cadenza

A

The virtuosic solo section of a concerto

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8
Q

Chaal

A

The fundamental rhythm in bhangra music, often played on the dhol

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9
Q

Chromatic

A

Using notes from outside the relevant chord or key as well as from inside

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10
Q

Concertino

A

The group of soloists in a concerto grosso

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11
Q

Concerto

A

A three movement work written for the soloist and orchestra

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12
Q

Concerto grosso

A

An early form of the concerto which involved a group of soloists

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13
Q

Consonance

A

Sounding good together - opposite of dissonance

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14
Q

Countermelody

A

A second melody that supports the main melody

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15
Q

Counterpoint/contrapuntal

A

Same as polyphonic

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16
Q

Cross rhythms

A

A complex type of polyrhythm

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17
Q

Dhol

A

A double headed barrel drum used in Bhangra

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18
Q

Diatonic

A

Using notes from within the key

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19
Q

Diminished chords

A

A chord made entirely of minor 3rd intervals

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20
Q

Dissonance

A

Notes that clash - opposite of consonance

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21
Q

Dominant

A

The 5th degree of a scale

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22
Q

Drone

A

A note of chord that is continuously played throughout a section of music

Often used in folk and Indian classical music

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23
Q

Ensemble

A

Group of performers

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24
Q

Feedback

A

When an instruments out[it is fed into its input, creating a drone (common effect in electric guitars)

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25
Q

Fill

A

A short passage that helps link two sections together

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26
Q

Glissando

A

A slide up or down in pitch

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27
Q

Gat

A

The main, middle section of a piece of Indian classical music. It is a fixed composition

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28
Q

Harmonium

A

Portable pump organ. Smaller hand pump organs are used in Indian classical music

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29
Q

Hetrophony

A

A texture that includes multiple variations of the same melody simultaneously

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30
Q

Homophonic/chordal

A

Instruments moving together in rhythm

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31
Q

Hook

A

A short, catchy melody or riff

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32
Q

Imitation

A

A melody or phrase copied from one instrument to another

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33
Q

Improvisation

A

Making up music during the performance

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34
Q

Jhala

A

The fast climax piece of Indian classical music

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35
Q

Legato

A

Smooth playing

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36
Q

Leitmotif

A

A recurring musical phrase that refers to a specific character or emotion

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37
Q

Lick

A

A short melody, often played on guitar

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38
Q

Microtones

A

Intervals smaller than ha;f steps, created with bends

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39
Q

Modulation

A

A key change

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40
Q

Monophonic

A

Single line texture, or melody without accompaniment

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41
Q

Mordents

A

A type of ornamentation, like a short trill

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42
Q

Ornamentation

A

An embellishment of a melody or musical sound

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43
Q

Ostinato

A

A musical phrase repeated over and over during a composition

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44
Q

Overdrive

A

Turning the input so high on a guitar amplifier that it distorts the sound

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45
Q

Pan

A

The use of stereo space in recording

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46
Q

Passing note

A

A note placed between two chords which results in a stepwise movement

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47
Q

Pedal note

A

A sustained note, held whilst the harmony changes

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48
Q

Pentatonic scale

A

A five note scale found often in folk music

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49
Q

Phrase

A

A section of a melody often marked with a slur

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50
Q

Pizzicato

A

Plucked

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51
Q

Polyphonic

A

Multi melodic, fits together harmonically

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52
Q

Primary chords

A

Chords I, IV and V

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53
Q

Raga

A

a musical scale that forms the basis of a composition in Indian classical

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54
Q

Rallentado

A

Same as rit

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55
Q

Ripieno

A

The accompanying (not solo) instruments in a concerto grosso

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56
Q

Rit

A

A direction to slow down a piece of music

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57
Q

Ritornello

A

A recurring passage in a piece of baroque music

58
Q

Rondo

A

Main theme alternates with one or more contrasting theme - a development on ritornello

59
Q

Rubato

A

A fluid approach to tempo in response to how the performer feels

60
Q

Sarod

A

A lute used in Indian classical music

61
Q

Sequence

A

A melody or phrase repeated at a different pitch

62
Q

Sitar

A

An Indian stringed instrument, used in Indian classical music

63
Q

Stab

A

An accented staccato chord

64
Q

Staccato

A

Detached notes

65
Q

Stepwise

A

Movement in short steps (up or down a scale)

66
Q

Strophic

A

The fancy way of saying verse-chorus structure, same music for different lyrics

67
Q

Subdominant

A

The 4th note of a scale

68
Q

Syncopation

A

When a rhythm emphasises the off-betas

69
Q

Swing rhythm

A

The first quaver in a pair is lengthened and the second shortened

70
Q

Tabla

A

A pair of Indian drums, capable of creating a wide variety of sounds and pitches

71
Q

Tala

A

A rhythm cycle in a piece of Indian classical music with a set number of beats

72
Q

Tempura

A

A stringed instrument, used to create the drone in Indian classical

73
Q

Tempo

A

Speed of music

74
Q

Ternary form

A

A three part form that’s runs A BA

75
Q

Terraced dynamics

A

Sudden shifts in dynamics

76
Q

Timbre

A

The specific quality of an instrument

77
Q

Tonic

A

The 1st degree of a scale, home note/chord

78
Q

Tremolo

A

The rapid playing of a single repeated note. Usually on stringed instruments

79
Q

Triad

A

3 note pattern/chord

80
Q

Trill

A

A melodic ornamentation consisting of the rapid alternation of two notes

81
Q

Punjab

A

A high pitched, single instrument form Punjab

82
Q

Tutti

A

An instruction for the whole ensemble to play

83
Q

12 bar blues

A

12 bar sequence based on the chords I-IV-V

84
Q

Virtuoso

A

Highly skilled artist

85
Q

Walking bass

A

A bass line where a note is played on every crotchet beat and the pitches regularly ascend and descend

86
Q

Turn

A

Playing of the note above the note on the score, the note itself, the note below the not on the score and the note itself again

87
Q

Chaal

A

8 note, repeated rhythmic pattern with swung quavers

88
Q

Imperfect cadence

A

I to V (or any other chord than V)

89
Q

Plagal cadence

A

IV - I, used in churches

90
Q

Interrupted cadence

A

V - VI - surprise cadence

91
Q

Comping

A

Playing the chord sequence to an interesting rhythm

92
Q

Primary triad

A

3 most important chords in a key, I, IV, V

93
Q

Simple harmony

A

Harmony using only basic chords

94
Q

Harmonic progression

A

The sequence of chords in a piece

95
Q

Harmonic rhythm

A

The speed of the chord changes

96
Q

Largo

A

Very slow

97
Q

Andante

A

Walking pace

98
Q

Moderato

A

Moderately fast

99
Q

Allegro

A

Fast

100
Q

Vivace

A

Lively

101
Q

Presto

A

Very fast

102
Q

Accelerando

A

Getting faster

103
Q

Allargando

A

Getting slower and playing more broadly

104
Q

Pianissimo (pp)

A

Very quiet

105
Q

Piano (p)

A

Quiet

106
Q

Mezzo piano (mp)

A

Quite quiet

107
Q

Mezzo forte (mf)

A

Quite loud

108
Q

Forte (f)

A

Loud

109
Q

Fortissimo (ff)

A

Very loud

110
Q

Crescendo

A

Gradually getting louder

111
Q

Diminuendo

A

Gradually getting quieter

112
Q

Tongued

A

The way in which wind instrumentalists sound a note

113
Q

Arco

A

Playing string instruments with a bow

114
Q

Sforzando

A

Suddenly getting louder

115
Q

Continuo

A

Provide rhythmic or harmonic backing and don’t have melodic function

116
Q

Sitar

A

Indian music
Plays melody on 7 strings
Remaining 13 create drone

117
Q

Tanpura

A

Indian music
Smaller than sitar
Used for backing

118
Q

Tabla

A

Pair of drums

119
Q

Sarod

A

Indian music, small fret-less sitar

120
Q

Sarangi

A

Small bowed string instrument with no frets

121
Q

Bansuri

A

Bamboo flute

122
Q

Sheena I

A

Double receded instrument like an oboe

123
Q

Harmonium

A

Keyboard instrument powered by air pumped by hand

124
Q

Female voices

A

Soprano, mezzo soprano, alto

125
Q

Make voices

A

Treble, counter tenor,tenor, baritone, bass

126
Q

Syllabic

A

Every syllable of text is sung to a single note

127
Q

Melisa tic

A

A single syllable sung over a series of different notes

128
Q

Scat

A

Jazz nonsense to give the voice more of an instrumental quality

129
Q

Inversion

A

A melodic phrase is turned ‘upside down’

130
Q

Retrograde

A

Where a musical piece is played backwards to vary and contrast the original phrase

131
Q

Descant

A

A harmonising tune sung at the same time as the melody but at a higher pitch

132
Q

Round

A

Same tune played by two or more parts, each starting before the previous part has finished

133
Q

Fugue

A

Where 2 or more parts develop the same main theme

134
Q

Coda

A

Ending that’s different to the rest

135
Q

Symphony

A

A large scale work for the orchestra usually in 4 movements sometimes feature a choir

136
Q

Baroque

A

1600-1750
Lot of imitation, ornaments and dynamic contrast
Bach and Vivaldi

137
Q

Romantic

A

1820-1900
Wider range of instruments and orchestral expansion
Used to tell stories and express emotions
Wider range of harmony
Mahler + Tchaikovsky

138
Q

Classical

A

1750-1820
Fewer ornaments and explores more regular and balanced phrases
Beethoven and Mozart

139
Q

Conjunct

A

The difference in pitch between two consecutive notes of a scale

140
Q

Disjunct

A

A melodic line that moves by leaps and skips rather than in steps

Music (6 decks)

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