Melody/ Harmony Flashcards
What is atonal music?
Atonal music has no feeling of key, major or minor. It is very dissonant, and it will lack a ‘nice’ melody and accompaniment. Atonal music is a feature of some 20th-century music.
What is a cluster?
A term used to describe a group of notes, which clash, played together.
What is a chord progression?
Chords are built on the first, fourth, fifth and sixth notes of a major or minor scale.
What is an imperfect cadence?
A cadence consists of two chords at the end of a phrase. In an imperfect cadence the last chord is chord V (the dominant) creating an unfinished effect.
What is a perfect cadence?
A cadence consists of two chords at the end of a phrase. A perfect cadence is the dominant to tonic chords (V-I).
What is an inverted pedal?
A note which is held on or repeated continuously at a high pitch. Opposite in pitch to pedal.
What does chromatic mean?
Notes which move by the interval of a semitone.
What is a whole-tone scale?
A scale containing no semitones but built entirely on whole tones. Debussy used the whole-tone scale in some of his pieces which were influenced by Impressionism.
What is meant by a grace note?
A type of ornament played as a quick, crushed note before the main note of a melody.
What is meant by a glissando?
Sliding from one note to another, taking in all the notes in between where possible
What does the term modulation mean?
A change of key.
What is meant by contrary motion?
Two parts move in opposite directions, e.g. as one part ascends the other part descends.
What is a trill?
Moving quickly and repeatedly between two notes which are a step apart.
What does the term syllabic mean?
Vocal music where each syllable is given one note only.
What does the term melismatic mean?
Several notes sung to one syllable.
What is a countermelody?
A melody played against the main melody.
What is a descant (voice)?
A counter melody which accompanies and is sung above the main melody.
What is meant by a pitch bend?
Changing the pitch of a note, for example by pushing a guitar string upwards.
What is meant by tone?
The distance between two notes, equivalent to two semitones.
What is meant by a semi tone?
Half a tone, e.g. G to Ab on a keyboard.
