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AQA GCSE Music > key vocab > Flashcards

key vocab Flashcards

1
Q

accent

A

a type of articulation in which a particular note is accented

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2
Q

acciaccatura

A

a note of decoration played in as short a time as possible

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3
Q

added seventh

A

adding a further note to a triad (the 7th note from the root)

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4
Q

Alberti Bass

A

an accompaniment (normally played in the left handoff a keyboard part) using broken chords to produce a regular rhythmic pattern

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5
Q

appoggiatura

A

a note of decoration which is written in small type but given its full noted value being taken from the flowing note. (leaning note)

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6
Q

arch form

A

A B C B A (at least 5 sections)

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7
Q

arpeggio

A

playing the notes of a chord by spreading them out

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8
Q

articulation

A

the addition of specific instructions for performance (e.g. accents, staccato’s)

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9
Q

augmentation

A

the doubling of note values or the widening of intervals

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10
Q

bar

A

a unit of music, where the number of beats is shown by the time signiture

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11
Q

binary form

A

A B (two sections in a similar style)

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12
Q

bi-rhythm

A

the use of two different rhythms together

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13
Q

blue note

A

a note which has be altered/flattened in blues music

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14
Q

bpm

A

beats per minute

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15
Q

broken chords

A

normally referring to a type of accompaniment figure derived from spreading the notes of the chords

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16
Q

cadence

A

a progression of two chords which end a musical phrase

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17
Q

cadenza

A

a solo vocal or instrumental passage improvised using the music heard before

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18
Q

call and response

A

the opening phrase is answered or completed by other performers (they take turns)

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19
Q

canon/canonic

A

imitation where performers enter with the same tune before the previous has finished (like a round e.g. London burning)

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20
Q

chamber group

A

small group of players or singers (e.g. a string quartet)

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21
Q

chamber music

A

music written for small groups of performers

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22
Q

chromatic

A

music written using both white and black notes of the piano (a scale which moves in semi tones)

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23
Q

coda

A

a rounding off section

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24
Q

con arco

A

with bow

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25
Q

con sordino

A

with mute

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26
Q

concerto

A

solo and orchestra

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27
Q

conjunct

A

melodic movement in steps

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28
Q

consonnant

A

sounds well/nice together (no clashing)

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29
Q

continuo

A

a bass line written in the baroque period

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30
Q

contrapuntal / polyphonic

A

a type a texture where parts rhythmically move separately

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31
Q

crescendo (cresc.)

A

gradually getting louder

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32
Q

cyclic

A

theme that reoccurs throughout the piece

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33
Q

da capo aria

A

a solo song in ternary form

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34
Q

diatonic

A

music written using the notes of a scale

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35
Q

diminuendo (dim.)

A

gradually getting quieter

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36
Q

diminution

A

shortening the value of a melody or reducing intervals

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37
Q

disjunct

A

melodic movement in leaps

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38
Q

dissonant

A

sounds clashy when played together

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39
Q

back beat

A

when notes 2 and 4 have the emphasis

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40
Q

double-stopping

A

the playing of adjacent strings simultaneously

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41
Q

drone

A

sustained notes (normally 2 but can be more) in a rhythmic pattern

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42
Q

drum fill

A

usually heard at the end of a phrase, when the drummer plays a free rhythmic pattern alone

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43
Q

forte (f)

A

loud

44
Q

fortissimo (ff)

A

very loud

45
Q

falsetto

A

a high male adult voice

46
Q

free rhythm

A

where the music is not set by regular bar lines but decided by the performer

47
Q

glissando

A

sliding from one note to another

48
Q

portamento

A

sliding from ne note to another (another word for glissando)

49
Q

ground bass

A

music where a bass pattern is repeated a number of times while parts above vary

50
Q

homophonic

A

a music texture when parts rhythmically move together

51
Q

hemiola

A

where 2 bars of 3/4 are played as 3 bars of 2/4

52
Q

imitation

A

coping what has just been heard

53
Q

improvisation

A

when a performer makes up the music around a chord sequence

54
Q

interval

A

the distance between 2 notes

55
Q

inervsion

A

turning a melody upside down but keeping the intervals the same

56
Q

irregular rhythms

A

music where the time signature chances a lot

57
Q

key signiture

A

tells the performer how many sharps or flats in a piece of music

58
Q

layered

A

music built up over several strands

59
Q

major

A

happy sounding tonality

60
Q

metre

A

refers to the number of beats per bar (time signature)

61
Q

mezzo forte (mf)

A

fairly loud

62
Q

minor

A

sad sounding tonality

63
Q

minuet and trio

A

a dance written in 3/4, there are 2 sections in binary form, with a trio in contrast to/and an orchestral minuet

64
Q

modal

A

a major and minor sounding tonality

65
Q

modulation

A

moving from 1 key to another

66
Q

mordent

A

the insertion of a note above (upper mordent) or note below (lower mordent) before the written note

67
Q

mezzo piano (mp)

A

fairly quiet

68
Q

octaves

A

playing the same tune but at an 8th interval apart

69
Q

ornamentation

A

decorating with written pitch

70
Q

ostinato

A

a repeated musical phrase or rhythm

71
Q

piano (p)

A

quiet

72
Q

pianissimo (pp)

A

very quiet

73
Q

passing note

A

a melodic note placed between 2 harmony notes which results in stepwise movement

74
Q

pentatonic

A

a scale based on 5 notes

75
Q

phrasing

A

dividing a melody into phrases or short units

76
Q

pitch bend

A

technique associated with guitars, the player frets a string and then pushes it sideways to raise the pitch, (the pitch is altered slightly)

77
Q

pizzicato

A

plucking of strings instead of using a bow

78
Q

polyrhythm

A

where several different rhythms are played/sung together

79
Q

portamento

A

sliding/ glissando

80
Q

primary chords

A

based on notes 1,4&5 of a scale

81
Q

rapping

A

speaking rhythmically using a pattern of rhyming phrases over a musical backing

82
Q

regular rhythm

A

music which keeps a single time signiture

83
Q

rondo form

A

music in at least 5 section where the first section is repeated after each new section A B A C A

84
Q

rubato

A

‘robbed time’ where a player uses a certain amount of freedom with the tempo to add expression to the music

85
Q

scalic

A

melodic movement using a scale moving up or down in steps

86
Q

scherzo

A

Italian term for joke

87
Q

secondary chords

A

chords based on 2nd, 3rd & 6th notes of a scale

88
Q

semitone

A

the smallest difference in pitch

89
Q

sequence

A

the repetition of a phrase at a higher or lower pitch

90
Q

sforzando (sfz)

A

an accent, a note to be emphasized

91
Q

simple time

A

time signature where the beat is divided by 2

92
Q

single melody line

A

music with neither a countermelody or descant or other supporting lines

93
Q

sonata

A

a composition, usually 4 movements, for 1 or 2 instruments

94
Q

staccato

A

play notes crisply and detached

95
Q

tempo

A

the speed of music

96
Q

texture

A

the number and type of sounds heard together

97
Q

theme and variations

A

a form in which an opening theme is subject to variations upon each successive repetition

98
Q

through composed

A

a song in which the music changes continually

99
Q

timbre

A

the characteristic sounds of different instruments and voices, including techniques heard

100
Q

tonal

A

a sense of belonging to the key

101
Q

tone

A

the difference between 2 semi tones

102
Q

triadic

A

a type of melodic movement through the triad

103
Q

trill

A

the rapid repetition of 2 adjacent notes

104
Q

turn

A

a decoration of a written note adding the pitch above and the pitch below

105
Q

unison

A

playing/singing thee same tune together without harmony at the same pitch at the same time

106
Q

vibrato

A

a rapid and regular fluctuation in pitch used to produce a richer tone

107
Q

antiphonal

A

melody passed between parts (like semi interlinked choirs)

AQA GCSE Music (4 decks)

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