Music Concepts Flashcards
What is strophic?
Each verse has the same tune, it has verses and choruses
(A-B-A-B-A)
What is through composed?
Each verse has a different tune, no specific chorus
(A-B-C-D-E)
What are harmonics?
High eerie sounds on string instruments
What are tonalities?
Minor: dark, creepy
Major: bright, colourful
Atonal: sounds random
What’s a relative major/minor?
Share same key signature, like cousins, less noticeable change
What is pedal?
Low instrument plays notes repeatedly or for a long time
What is inverted pedal?
High instruments plays note repeatedly or for a long time
What is staccato?
Short and detached notes
What is legato?
Long and smooth notes
What is the difference between tones and semitones?
Semitones: no space between two notes, goes up all the notes on the “piano”
Tones: two steps, 1 whole notes between the two notes
What is a whole tone scale?
Scale only uses tones, sounds dreamy
What is a pentatonic scale?
5 note scales, sound Scottish
What is a chromatic scale?
Half note/semitone scale
What is a chord inversion?
Same notes of a chord but it’s rearranged, still sounds similar to original
What are the two textures?
Homophonic: Parts move together (one melody)
Polyphonic: Parts weave in and out of eachother (multiple melodies)
What are clusters?
Combination of 3 or more notes, close together, dissonant
What are irregular time signatures?
Any time signature with an odd numerator (e.g. 5/4) which cannot be split into equal beat groups (this does does not include 3/4)
What are time changes?
Grouping of notes change but underlying pulse stays the same, beats per bar changes
What are accents?
Notes that sound louder than others.
Symbol is >
What are phrase marks?
Makes transition between notes smooth
What are the different types of voice?
Soprano = high female voice
Alto = low female voice
Tenor = high male voice
Bass = low male voice
