Melodic

Question 1

Accidental

Answer 1

A sharp, flat, natural, double sharp ot double flat sign, placed before a note to alter its pitch up or down.

Question 2

Answer

Answer 2

i. A answering phrase - melodies are often built on a “question and answer” principle.

ii. The repetition of a subject in a fugue.

Question 3

Ascending

Answer 3

Notes or chords which rise successively in pitch

Question 4

Atonal

Answer 4

A modern style of composition where each and every note is used equally. There is no key, no possibility for modulation and no tonic.

Question 5

Blues Scale

Answer 5

A scale with added notes used in Blues music and for improvising. The added notes are a flattened 3rd, 5th and 7th. So, in C major: C/D/Eb/F/Gb/G/A/Bb/B

Question 6

Broken chord

Answer 6

Where the notes of a chord are played separately.

Question 7

Chromatic Scale

Answer 7

A scale in which the interval between every note is a semitone. i.e. a scale in which all notes are played.

Question 8

Countermelody

Answer 8

This is when a second melody is present in addition to the main melody. It can be above and/or below the main melody in pitch.

Question 9

Descending

Answer 9

Notes or chords which fall successively in pitch.

Question 10

Flat Sign - ♭

Answer 10

When placed before a note this sign lowers the note by one semitone.

Question 11

Grace Note

Answer 11

The generic name for any note which is part of an ornament, and carries no rhythmic value of its own, but decorates the melody.

Question 12

Imitation

Answer 12

When a melody or melodic motif or fragment is immediately copied by other parts. It need not be an exact copy to count as imitation.

Question 13

Leaping

Answer 13

When the notes of a melody are a distance apart.

Question 14

Legato

Answer 14

To play or sing smoothly, or to join notes together without gaps.

Question 15

Major Scale

Answer 15

A scale where there are semitones between the 3rd and 4th notes and 7th and 8th notes, all other intervals being tones.

Question 16

Melisma

Answer 16

This occurs in vocal music when one syllable is set to several notes. Music like this can be described as Melismatic.

Question 17

Natural Sign - ♮

Answer 17

When placed before a note this sign cancels an earlier flat or sharp and restores the note to its true pitch.

Question 18

Ornament

Answer 18

A notated decoration of the melody. There are 5 main ornaments: mordent, turn, trill, acciaccatura, appoggiatura.

Question 19

Passing Note

Answer 19

A note in a melody which moves on a weak beat between two main notes which are a third apart.

Question 20

Pentatonic Scale

Answer 20

A scale of only 5 notes - like a major scale but without the 4th and 7th degrees. A pentatonic scale can be played using only the black notes on a piano keyboard. Much folk music uses only notes from the pentatonic scale - e.g. Auld Lang Syne, Skye boat Song, Amazing Grace.

Question 21

Phrase

Answer 21

A musical sentence or part of a melody. Many phrases make up a whole piece.

Question 22

Question

Answer 22

The first part of a musical phrase or sentence, which requires an answer to complete it. Question and Answer phrases tend to be of equal length and similar style.

Question 23

Repetition

Answer 23

The repetition of a musical pattern - properly called Ostinato. Most music has repeating patterns in some shape or form.

Question 24

Repeat Sign

Answer 24

Double bar lines with two dots arranged horizontally to indicate a repeat in the music.

Question 25

Scale

Answer 25

A sequence of seven adjacent notes which belong to a single major or minor key.

Question 26

Scat Singing / Scatting

Answer 26

A style of singing found in jazz and linked to improvisation where a singer sings nonsense words to an existing or improvised melody.

Question 27

Semitone

Answer 27

Two notes which are chromatically next to each other with no other fixed pitch in between. Two semitones equal a tone.

Question 28

Sharp Sign - ♯

Answer 28

When placed before a note this sign raises the note by one semitone.

Question 29

Stepwise

Answer 29

When the notes of a melody move in step - i.e. in tones or semitones, or notes next to each other in pitch.

Question 30

Syllabic Word Setting

Answer 30

This is where words are set with one word or syllable to a note, as is usual in hymns.

Question 31

Theme

Answer 31

A clearly recognisable tune or melody in a piece. It can be the basis for the development of a longer piece, or can simply be stated once.

Question 32

Tone

Answer 32

The distance of two semitones. e.g. C - D without playing C♯

Question 33

Trill ???

Answer 33

The rapid alternation of notes more than a third apart on an instrument, or semitone apart. Trills are noted with a sign not as a rhythmic pattern.

Question 34

Whole Tone Scale

Answer 34

A scale with no semitones. E.g. C - D - E - F♯ - G♯ - A♯ - C. Has a certain “mystical/magical” feel to it. Often used in music to represent this type of feeling. It was also used by French Impressionist composers.

Question 35

Acciaccatura

Answer 35

An ornament; written as a small note with a strike through the tail, to be played before a note to alter its pitch up or down.

Question 36

Harmonic Minor

Answer 36

A scale which shares the same signature as its relative major, but the seventh note is raised ascending and descending.

Question 37

Interval

Answer 37

The distance between two notes when related to a scale. i.e. G os the fifth note in a scale of C major, so the interval C - G is a fifth. E - E is a third, C - F is a fourth, etc.

Question 38

Melodic Minor

Answer 38

This is a minor scale in which the 6th and 7th degrees are raised on
the way up and lowered on the way down.

Question 39

Minor Scale

Answer 39

A scale which shares the same key signature as its relative major,
There are two types of minor scale. Harmonic minor is where the
7th is raised, ascending and descending. Melodic is where the 6th
and 7th are raised when ascending and lowered when descending.

Question 40

Mordent

Answer 40

An ornament which is: note / note above / note again – played as
quickly as possible. A lower mordent is note / note below / note
again.

Question 41

Relative Major / Relative Minor

Answer 41

Keys with the same key signature. e.g. G Major and E Minor both
have one sharp in their key signatures, and so are relatives of each
other.