Miscellaneous Flashcards
key signature
found at the beginning of the music between the clef and time signature, indicating the key or tonality of the music and which notes receives sharps or flats
interval
distance between two notes; named with qualities and numbers
harmonic interval
the notes of the interval are played simultaneously
melodic interval
the notes are played separately
diatonic
when the music is based on the major scale or any form of minor scale
chromatic
when the music is based on the chromatic scale
chromatic half-step
any half step that is formed by two notes with the same letter; a half step that does not occur naturally in the scale
triad
a three-note chord based on the interval of a third
diatonic half-step
a half step that occurs naturally in the scale; any half-step which is formed by notes with two different letter names
first inversion triad
occurs when the third is the lowest note; figured bass is symbol 6 or 63 written to the right of the name
second inversion triad
occurs when the fifth is the lowest note; figured bass is 64
primary triads
I, IV, V; labelled with upper case Roman numerals
secondary triads
ii, iii, vi, and viio are the secondary triads
tonic
I, i
supertonic
ii, iio
mediant
iii, III+
subdominant
IV, iv
dominant
V, V
submediant
vi, VI
leading tone
viio
dominant seventh chord
a fourth note is added to the V chord with the fourth note as a seventh above the root of the chord
diminshed seventh chord
diminshed triad with an added note that is a diminished seventh above the root
secondary dominant
dominant (V) or dominant seventh (V7) of a chord other than the tonic (I); usually resolves to the chord which would be the tonic of the key to which it belongs; includes accidentals that are not in the key signature
modulation
when a musical composition changes from the original key to another key, and remains in the new key for a reasonable amount of time (frequently either the Dominant (V) key or the relative Major/minor is used
figured bass
numbers used to indicate the inversion of a chord
chord progression
combining certain chords from a given key, using various positions for the chords to make a smooth progression
pivot chord
a chord that precedes a chord change, and is common to both the original key and the key to which the music modulates
root position
a triad written in a position so that the note which names it is the lowest
time signature
found at the beginning of music, to the right of the key signature made up of two numbers:
- top number of the time signature tells how many beats each measure contains
- bottom numbers tells which type of note receives one beat
meter
determined by the time signature, referring to the division of beats into equal groups
upbeat
when an incomplete measure begins the piece
syncopation
when there is a strong note on a weak beat
motive
short group of notes that may be used as the basis of a composition
theme
entire phrase of music, which may also be used as a basis of the composition
repetition
when the motive is repeated immediately, exactly the way it was the first time it occurred, on the same note
sequence
when the motive is repeated immediately but on a different note, usually a 2nd or 3rd higher or lower
imitation
when the motive is repeated immediately in another voice, siuch as the bass clef following a statement of the motive in the treble clef
canon
when the entire theme is repeated in another voice; difference between imitation is that canon is a strict copy of the entire theme whereas the imitation uses only a motive
pedal point or organ point
when there is a sustained or repeated note, usually in the bass, which stays for some time while the other voices continue to change harmonies
augmentation
exact doubling of the rhythmic values of a motive or theme (for example, quarter notes become half notes)
diminution
when the rhythmic values of a motive or theme are divided in half (for example, quarter notes become eighth notes)
texture
the manner in which the various voices or parts of music are put together through the vertical elements (harmony) and horizontal elements (melody)
polyphonic texture
when there are two or more voices which are of equal importance with the melodies being passed between the voices; may have a separate melody and accompaniment or be chordal
homophonic texture
when there is one voice which dominates the music while the other voice or voices serve as an accompaniment
transposition
when music is played or written in a key that is different from the original
