Materials of Music Flashcards
Melody
a line, or the tune, in music
Contour
how the melody moves up and down
Range
the span from the highest pitch to the lowest pitch
Interval
the distance between any two pitches
Conjunct
a melody that moves in small, connected intervals
Disjunct
a melody that moves by leaps
Phrases
the units that make up a melody
Cadences
the resting place at the end of a phrase
Countermelody
the secondary melody that accompanies the melody
Rhythm
what moves music forward in time
Meter
marked off in measures, organizes the beats in music
What kind of beat do measures often begin with?
measures often begin with a strong downbeat
Simple Meters
duple, triple, & quadruple are the most common; each beat is divided into two
Compound Meters
divide each beat into three rather than two
Syncopation
a deliberate upsetting of the normal pattern of accents
Offbeat
the beat in-between two stronger beats
Polyrhythm
many rhythms
Harmony
the vertical aspects of music: how notes (pitches) sound together
Chord
the simultaneous sounding of three or more pitches
Tonic
the central pitch around which a melody and its harmonies are built
Tonality
the principle of organization around a central note, the tonic
Dissonance
a combination of notes that sounds unstable, sometimes harsh, and in need of resolution. introduces conflict and suspense
Consonance
an agreeable-sounding combination of notes that provides a sense of relaxation and fulfillment
Octave
the interval spanning eight notes of the scale
Chromatic Scale
made up of all twelve half steps
Diatonic Scale
consists of seven whole and half steps whose patterns form major and minor scales
Pentatonic
a five-note scale
Texture
the interweaving of the melodic lines with harmony
Monophony
a single voice or line without accompaniment
Polyphony
a many-voiced texture with different melodic lines
Homophony
one melodic voice is prominent over the accompanying lines or voices
Imitation
when a melodic idea is presented in one voice, then restated in another
Form
the organizing principle in music, its basic elements are repetition, contrast, and variation
Strophic Form
repeated music for each stanza of text
Through-Composed Form
no large repeated sections
Binary Form
A - B
Ternary Form
A - B - A
Theme
a melodic idea in a large-scale work
Sequence
results when a motive is repeated at a different pitch
Motives
small, component fragments broken from a theme
Ostinato
the repetition of a short melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic pattern
Movement
a divided section from large-scale compositions, such as symphonies and sonatas
Variation
some aspects of the music are altered but the original is still recognizable
Tempo
the rate of speed, or pace, of the music
Dynamics
the volume, or how loud or soft the music is played
grave
solemn (very, very slow)
largo
broad (very slow)
adagio
quite slow
andante
a walking pace
moderato
moderate
allegro
fast (cheerful)
vivace
lively
presto
very fast
pianissimo (pp)
very soft
piano (p)
soft
mezzo piano (mp)
moderately soft
mezzo forte (mf)
moderately loud
forte (f)
loud
fortissimo (ff)
very loud
crescendo
growing louder
decrescendo / diminuendo
growing softer
Secular
nonreligious; music is generally sung in the language of the people (the vernacular)
Sacred
religious, music is in Latin
Syllabic
each syllable of a song text may get one note
Neumatic
one syllable may get a few notes
Melisma
one syllable may get many notes
Nonlexical
singing without words
What are properties of sound?
- pitch
- duration
- volume
- timbre/tone color
What are the different classifications of instruments?
- aerophones
- chordophones
- idiophones
- membranophones
What are the vocal ranges, from highest to lowest
- soprano
- mezzo-soprano
- alto
- tenor
- baritone
- bass
Vibrato
a throbbing effect
What are the four families of Western instruments?
- strings
- woodwinds
- brass
- percussion
a cappella
singing without accompaniment
Chamber Music
ensemble music for small groups, with one player per part
Style
the characteristic way an artwork is presented
