Melody Flashcards
Diatonic
Based entirely on notes of the current key
Intervals
An interval is the distance between two different notes.
Chromatic
The music contains notes that don’t belong to the current key of the music
Pentatonic
A scale made up of only five notes (e.g. C-D-E-G-A)
Whole tone
A six-note scale in which there is an interval of a tone between each note (e.g C-D-E-F#-G#-A#)
Blues scale
A major scale with attended third, fifth and seventh degrees (e.g. C-Eb-F-Gb-G-Bb) the flattened notes are called blues notes
Modal
Based on a type of seven-note scale (which isn’t major or minor) called a ‘mode’
Melodic contour
To describe the shape or contour of a melody
Conjunct
Movement mostly by step
Disjunct
Movement in larger intervals (by leap)
Ascending
The melody rises
Descending
The melody descends
Triadic
Centred around notes of one or more triads
Scalic
Uses scale patterns
Ornamentation
Are extra notes that are added to decorate a melody
Passing note
A note that isn’t part of the current chord and that comes between two notes a 3rd apart
Appoggiatura
A dissonant note that is usually approached by a leap, and then moves by step to resolve on to a harmony note.
Acciaccatura
A quick note that precedes the main note
Glissando/ portamento/ slide
A smooth slide between two notes, usually more than a semitone apart
Pitch bend
A short slide up or down to a main note
Ostinato
A short melody idea that is repeated continually (called a riff in popular music)
Sequence
A melodic idea (usually of one or two bars) that is immediately repeated at a different pitch
Inversion
A melodic idea that has been turned upside-down. Every upwards step or leap is changed to a downwards one, and vice versa.
