music concepts

Question 1

Acciaccatura

Answer 1

An ornament which sounds like a crushed note played very quickly on the beat or just before it.

Question 2

Basso continuo

Answer 2

Accompaniment in almost baroque music. Normally played on a keyboard instruments (e.g. harpsichord) and a bass instrument (e.g. a cello or a basson)

Question 3

Concertino

Answer 3

A group of soloists in a concerto grosso

Question 4

Concerto grosso

Answer 4

Concerto but it’s a group of soloists instead of one only written in the baroque period

Question 5

De capo aria

Answer 5

Aria in ternary form when soloists repeat section A it is more ornamented but with the same melody. Found in operas and oratorios from the 1600’s and 1700’s.

Question 6

Mass

Answer 6

Latin, polyphonic, originally acapella. Sacred choral work using the main section of Roman church. (Kyrie, Gloria, credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, Angus dei)

Question 7

Mode/modal

Answer 7

Early form of scale, neither major nor minor. Based on a system of 12 modes

Question 8

Mordent

Answer 8

An Ornament which sounds the main note, the note above, then the main note again. A lower mordent is main below then main.

Question 9

Obbligato

Answer 9

Prominent solo instrument part in a piece of vocal music e.g. an aria

Question 10

Oratorio

Answer 10

Large scale sacred vocal work. Usually a story form the bible sung in English always, set to music for soloists, chorus and orchestra can include recitatives, arias, duets and chorus performed in a concert setting so theses no acting or stage design.
Listen for words such as; Gloria, hallelujah, Emmanuel, lord our god.

Question 11

Passacaglia

Answer 11

It’s a set of usually 3 beats ins bar and is slow. popular in baroque era. Has repeated themes

Question 12

Plainchant

Answer 12

Unaccompanied, set to catholic liturgy , modal with no key of time signature, acapella, male voices only as sung by monks or priests, usually in unison.

Question 13

Recitative

Answer 13

Vocal writing where music follows the rhythm of speech. Typically sung before an aria. Spare accompaniment with solo voice,

Question 14

Ripieno

Answer 14

The orchestra in a concerto grosso

Question 15

Ritornello

Answer 15

Means “little return” is the main theme in a concerto grosso returns frequently through mordent. Alternatives in episodes.
A: rittornello ( Tutti (all) (ripieno and concertino.
B: episode 1 (soloists) (concertino)
A
C: usually in a different key
A

Question 16

Tierce de Picardie

Answer 16

Major chord at end of a minor piece. (Helps to lift the mood)

Question 17

Trill

Answer 17

Moving quickly and repeatedly between

Question 18

Ground base

Answer 18

Theme in the bass rat us repeated while the upper parts are varied

Question 19

Cannon

Answer 19

After one part starts to play or sing a melody another part enters shortly afterwards with exactly the same melody. A con on uses strict imitation. The mist basic form of cannon is the round where all parts sing identical repeated music.

Question 20

chamber music

Answer 20

composed for small group, generally intended to be performed in a palace chamber or large room rather then a concert hall

Question 21

coloratura

Answer 21

from the classical period thought to the 19th century It was common for sopranos in operas to sing arias full of elaborate scale, arpeggios and ornaments. allowed singers to show off their technique and range.

Question 22

interrupted cadence

Answer 22

formed by chords V-VI.
‘surprise cadence’ as you might expect V-I.
different to imperfect as you cannot tell where it is going as you can sing he rest of an imperfect.

Question 23

plagal cadence

Answer 23

famed by chords IV-I.
sounds finished.
‘AMEN’ cadence.

Question 24

sonata

Answer 24

written for solo piano or piano and another instrument - its a duet rather than a piano accompaniment.
often in 3 movements and he first movement usually has a strict structure known as sonata form.

Question 25

string quartet

Answer 25

typical example of chamber music established in the classical period and was popular into the romantic too.
very specific interments; 2 violins, 1 viola and 1 cello.

Question 26

3 against 2

Answer 26

when groups of three notes are played at the same time as groups of 2.
its common in the romantic period and it is sued to create a slightly disjointed or floaty sound.

Question 27

through composed

Answer 27

composed through changes throughout.
it is the opposite of strophic.
it is very unusual for a song to be through composed but a popular example is Bohemian Rhapsody.

Question 28

lied

Answer 28

a German song from the romantic period. lied is the German word for a song.
it is almost always accompanied by the piano which is treated equal to the voice.
the piano sets the mood and fits the theme.

Question 29

sonata form

Question 30

exposition

Question 31

subject

Question 32

tremolando

Question 33

harmonics

Question 34

concertino

Question 35

string quartet

Question 36

impressionist

Answer 36

a term borrowed from painting in which musical ideas merge to create a rather blurred and vague outline. Debussy was an important composer of this style.

Question 37

musique concrete

Answer 37

recorded natural sounds which ae transformed using simple editing techniques such as saying backwards, slowing or speeding up.

Question 38

jazz funk

Answer 38

a combination of jazz improv and the amplified instruments and character of rock.

Question 39

soul music

Answer 39

afro-american popular music including the elements of blues, gospel and the conveying of song emotions.

Question 40

interval

Question 41

relative major/minor

Answer 41

relative major is a key change from the minor to the major with the same key signature, same for relative minor.

Question 42

dominant 7th

Answer 42

goodie chord, happy and upbeat - used in blues

Question 43

diminished 7th

Answer 43

its the baddie chord

Question 44

added 6th

Answer 44

gives a jazzy effect. made up of the a major chord with the 6th note added to the top.

Question 45

harmonic minor scale

Answer 45

scale sharing the sam key sig as its relative major but raises the 7th note by one semititone.

Question 46

melodic minor scale

Answer 46

scale sharing the same key sig as its relative major but raises the 6th and the 7th notes by one semitone ascending and descending and similarly lowers them when descending.

Question 47

time changes

Answer 47

changes in time signature

Question 48

irregular time signatures

Question 49

augmentation

Answer 49

the note values are increased affecting the length of the notes. the music sounds slower when repeated.

Question 50

diminution

Answer 50

the note values decrease. the music sounds faster when repeated.

Question 51

what is melody and harmony?

Answer 51

words in this section describe what is happening in the melody or tune and the different ways that notes are formed together to make harmony. eg cadences, chords, patterns ornaments and scales.