Melody and Harmony Flashcards
Ascending
means when the music is getting louder
Descending
when the music is getting lower
Brocken chord/Arpeggio
when the notes of a chord are played one after the other instead of being played at the same time.
Glissando
Glissando describes an instrument sliding from one note to another, taking in all the other notes in between.
Countermelody
An additional melody played above the main melody.
Pitchbend
This is when a note is bent away from it’s natural pitch. Keyboards and synthesisers often have a lever to adjust the pitch. You can perform this on a string instrument such as a guitar, by moving the string.
Cluster
A group of notes which clash when they are being played together.
Tonality
Tonality describes what key the music is written in. Music can be in major or minor key or atonal.
Major:
Music sounds bright
Minor:
Music sounds duller
Atonal
Atonal music is not tonal. Therefore it is not written in a major or minor key, it is dissonant sounding and does not sound like a ‘normal’ melody and accompaniment.
Modulation
when music goes from duller (minor) to bright (major)
Scale
A series of notes moving by step in an ascending or descending direction.
Tone
A musical interval made up by two semitones.
Semitone
The smallest musical interval in tonal music.
Interval
An interval describes the distance in pitch bend between 2 notes.
Chromatic
A series of notes which only move by semitone.
