Midterms Flashcards
Voice
A series of sounds from a single source
Onset and release
onset: change to a new sound, or from no sound
release: end of a sound
Interonset duration
duration between two onsets
Durational accent
stress at the onset of a sound that is clearly longer than the preceding sound
Segment
A duration composed of shorter durations that has continuity
Durational motive
Repetition of the same duration
Pulse and beat
Pulse: a beat that you can feel (can be fastest or slowest)
Beat: determined by meter signature
Pitch class
A family of octave related pitches
Register
Which octave a note is in
Syncopation
When more accent is presented on a weaker beat than on the next strong beat
Metric accent
The emphasis of the instant when a strong beat is anticipated
Rhythmic cadence formula
Pattern that involves meter and rhythm that creates closure for a segment
I.e.: Durationally accented event begins on a strong beat and no new event begins until after the next strong beat
Anacrusis
The part of a segment that precedes the first strong beat in the segment
Melodic Framework
A series of events that present the focal pitches in a segment (HAS TO BE STEPWISE MOTION)
Melodic interval
One note then the other (not blocked)
Simultaneity interval
The two pitches at the same time
Four common types of scale
WT, chromatic, octatonic, diatonic
Pitch motive
A distinctive series of things that are repeated
Interval motive
A distinctive repeated series of pitches
Transposition
A pitch series that reproduces the interval series but starts on a different pitch
Pitch inversion
A pitch series that reproduces the interval series but reverses the direction of every interval
Leap accent
The stress heard at the onset of a pitch to which there is a leap, especially large and upward
Focal pitch
A pitch that is more important than others in the same segment (i.e. is heard at the beginning or ending, repeated, consonant with other pitches)
Passing tone
Connects two other notes that are more focal
Neighbour tone
Step away from focal pitch and return to it
Tonic
The most focal pitch in a segment
Mode
A distinctive series of intervals of the scale that is used in a segment, starting from the tonic
Scale degree
Member of the diatonic scale, named by its relation to the tonic
Contour
How pitch intensifies and diminishes during a segment
Range
The lowest and highest pitches in a segment, ir the interval spanning them
Climax
The most intense sound in a segment
Melodic cadence formula
RCF + steps to the tonic
Phrase
A substantial segment that has closure
Sentence
A phrase with at least 8 strong beats organized into three segments with the proportion 2+2+4
Tactus
The fastest beat that can be comfortably counted and indicated physically
