Music Analysis

Question 1

Melody

Answer 1

Pattern and series of notes that form a musical phrase. Melodies use tempo, rhythm, dynamics and phrasing. Pitch and contour and intervallic integrity provides interest in music.

Question 2

Melody describing words

Answer 2

Pitch, contour, scale forms, tonality, diatonic, singable, shape, flowing, dancelike, stepwise, jagged, dissonant, pretty, calming, staccato, detached, agitated, predicable, arpeggiated, sustained, playful, mournful, major, minor, ascending and descending

Question 3

Rhythm

Answer 3

The subdivision of beats in time. Time in music is defined by a time signature

Question 4

Rhythm describing words

Answer 4

Fast pace, even, uneven, steady, slow, swing, cluttered, irregular, scattered, triplet, short notes, march-like

Question 5

Articulation

Answer 5

How the individual notes are played to create expression

Question 6

Articulation describing words

Answer 6

Glissando, pizzicato, staccato, legato, plucked, crisp attack, long decay, trills, vibrato, non-vibrato and sforzando

Question 7

Tone colour

Answer 7

The quality of sound made by an instrument and how it affects the overall piece

Question 8

Tone colour describing words

Answer 8

Rich, powerful, dulce, sweet, penetrating, harsh, sparkling, piercing, bright, dull, mellow, sharp, distorted , twinkling

Question 9

Dynamic range

Answer 9

The volume in a piece of music, issues of loudness and softness, and the changes in volume that occur

Question 10

Dynamic range describing words

Answer 10

Loud, gradual, crescendo, contrasting, soft, fading away, thunderous, heavy, forte, piano, light, diminuendo, harsh. fragile

Question 11

Blend of instruments

Answer 11

How the instruments work and blend together to create fluency and interest in the piece

Question 12

Blend of instruments describing words

Answer 12

Contrasting, light, booming, dark, tonal, contrast, colours, complexities of instrumental parts, clashing, timbre, imitation, harmonies, dissonant

Question 13

Balance of musical lines

Answer 13

The different instrumental parts in a particular piece of music. It also describes the relationship between the varied instrumental parts within the piece

Question 14

Balance of musical lines describing words

Answer 14

Dominant, suppressed, focus, balanced, predictable, dynamic, solo, overpowering, crescendo, complimentary, tight, loose, call and response, accompaniment, harmony

Question 15

Ornamentation

Answer 15

Note or notes added to the original melodic line for embellishment and added interest

Question 16

Ornamentation describing words

Answer 16

Trills, vibrato, stylistic, dynamic, dramatic, swing, appoggiatura, accents, glissandi, slide, bend, sudden stops

Question 17

Tempo choice

Answer 17

Speed of which the melody is played at

Question 18

Tempo choice describing words

Answer 18

Slow, fast, upbeat, regular, irregular, moderato, lento, vivace, consistent, accelerando, syncopated, even, common, steady, repetitive, predictable, relaxed, double. triple, pull, drive

Question 19

Phrasing

Answer 19

The performance of each melodic sentence. It determines or provides opportunity for emphasis in the phrase

Question 20

Phrasing describing words

Answer 20

Slurred, accented, flowing, disjointed, dynamics, random, clashing, legato, joined, connected, short, long, repeated, imitation, sequence