keywords Flashcards
what is a melisma?
more than 1 note per syllable
What does syllabic mean?
1 note per syllable
What is a modulation?
change of key
What is an inversion chord?
the chord not in root position
what is a phrase?
the end of a phrase is where a wind instrument player needs to breathe- normally 4 bars long
What is an interval?
the distance between 2 notes?
what is programme music?
music that tells a story or represents a person/place/object (leitmotif)
what is an anacrusis?
an upbeat
what does conjunct mean?
stepwise movement in a melodic line
what is a leitmotif?
a musical idea associated with a person.place. object, feeling or idea
what is a modulation?
is the change from one key to another
what is middle 8?
8 bars in the middle of a song that provides contrast
What is a fill?
a short musical idea that filled the ‘gap’ in the music at the end of each phrase
What does rubato mean?
a flexible tempo marking which is open to interpretation
what is reverb?
An effect that makes it sounds like you are in a much larger room
what is a drone?
2 long held notes a 5th apart in the bass
What does diatonic mean?
a diatonic harmony only contains notes found in the scale
What is the pedal?
a harmonic device where the same note is sustained or repeated in the bass
what is an ostinato?
a continuously repeated figure or phrase
what is double stopping?
when a string instrument plays 2 notes at the same time
what is a sequence?
the repetition of a melodic or harmonic phrase in the same part but at a higher or lower pitch
what is homophonic texture?
a texture where many different parts move at the same time
what does Scherzando mean?
to be played in a playful manner
what does chromatic mean?
where notes are played that aren’t part of the scale
What does diminution mean?
shortening the note- values of a melody
what is augmentation?
the doubling of note values, the widening of an interval
what is a lead sheet?
the manuscript of a song consisting of the melody, words and indication of the basic harmony written in simple form
what is a power chord?
a combination of two tones consisting of a root and its fifth that is often used in rock music
what is a vocoder?
a synthesiser that produces sounds from an analysis of speech input
what is an A/E chord?
an A chord with an E in the bass
what is verse chorus structure?
is a songwriting structure built around 2 repeating sections: the verse and the chorus
what is falsetto?
a method of voice production used by male singer, especially tenor, to sing notes higher than their normal range
what is vocalisation?
singing without words
what is a melisma?
what is a cadenza?
solo passage where the soloist plays and the orchestra pauses and remains silent
what does Atonal mean?
not written in any key or mode
what does virtuosic mean?
playing music with exceptional technical skill
