Melody/Harmony Concepts

Question 1

What is meant by Atonal?

Answer 1

No feeling of key.

Question 2

What is meant by Chromatic?

Answer 2

Notes which move by the interval of a semitone.

Question 3

What is meant by a Cluster?

Answer 3

A chord made of consecutive notes which clash.

Question 4

What is meant by Contrary Motion?

Answer 4

Two parts which move in opposite directions.

Question 5

What is meant by a Countermelody?

Answer 5

A melody played against the main melody.

Question 6

What is meant by Descant (Voice)?

Answer 6

A melody which is sung above the main melody.

Question 7

What is meant by a Glissando?

Answer 7

Sliding from one note to another.

Question 8

What is meant by a Grace Note?

Answer 8

A type of ornament played as a quick, crushed note before the main note of a melody

Question 9

What is meant by an Imperfect Cadence?

Answer 9

The last chord at the end of a phrase sounds unfinished.

Question 10

What is meant by an Inverted Pedal.

Answer 10

A note held or repeated in an upper part.

Question 11

What is meant by the term Melismatic.

Answer 11

Vocal music where several notes are sung to each syllable.

Question 12

What is meant by Modulation?

Answer 12

A change of key.

Question 13

What is meant by a Perfect Cadence?

Answer 13

Chords at the end of a phrase sounds finished.

Question 14

What is meant by a Pitch Bend?

Answer 14

Changing the pitch of a note, for example, by pushing a guitar string upwards.

Question 15

What is meant by a Semitone?

Answer 15

The smallest distance between two notes.

Question 16

What is meant by Syllabic?

Answer 16

Vocal music where each note is given one syllable.

Question 17

What is a Tone?

Answer 17

Two semitones.

Question 18

What is meant by a Trill?

Answer 18

Moving quickly and repeatedly between adjacent notes.

Question 19

What is meant by a Whole Tone Scale?

Answer 19

A scale where every interval is a tone. it sounds vague and dreamy.

Question 20

What is meant by an Arpeggio?

Answer 20

The notes of a chord are played separately.

Question 21

What is meant by a Broken Chord?

Answer 21

The notes of a chord are played separately.

Question 22

What is meant by a Drone?

Answer 22

A note held on or repeated in the bass?

Question 23

What is meant by a Major Tonality?

Answer 23

The music sounds in a major key, often described as having a happy feel to it.

Question 24

What is meant by an Octave?

Answer 24

The distance of 8 notes.

Question 25

What is meant by an Ornament?

Answer 25

Decorating a melody by adding short notes.

Question 26

What is meant by a Pedal?

Answer 26

A held note or repeated notes in the bass beneath upper changing parts.

Question 27

What is meant by Pentatonic?

Answer 27

A five note scale that consists of the black notes on a keyboard.

Question 28

What is meant by a Scale?

Answer 28

A set of notes moving by step.

Question 29

What is meant by Scat Singing.

Answer 29

Nonsense words and sounds are made up by the singer. used mainly in Jazz.

Question 30

What is meant by a Vamp?

Answer 30

A rhythmic accompaniment with a bass note on the beat and a chord off the beat. Usually played on piano or guitar.

Question 31

What is meant by Ascending?

Answer 31

Notes which rise in pitch.

Question 32

What is meant by a Chord?

Answer 32

Two or more notes sounding together.

Question 33

What is meant by Descending?

Answer 33

Notes which fall in pitch.

Question 34

What is meant by Discord?

Answer 34

A chord in which certain notes clash.

Question 35

What is meant by Improvisation?

Answer 35

Making it up during a performance.

Question 36

What is meant by a Leap?

Answer 36

The notes are not next to each other.

Question 37

What is meant by Question and Answer?

Answer 37

A musical phrase which is followed by another. The phrases usually balance each other.

Question 38

What is meant by a Sequence?

Answer 38

A melodic phrase which is repeated at a higher or lower pitch.