Music Section 1 Flashcards
Musicians in the US typically tune to
440 Hz
According to the Sachs-Hornbostel classification system, the trumptet is an
aerophone
On what topic is an ethnomusicologist MOST likely to write?
A comparison between Indian and European musical styles
Which instruments are members of the brass family?
Bugle, Baritone, Tuba
Timpani belong to the same instrument family as the
snare drum
A song in the “musique concrete” style will MOST likely include
tape recordings
What is the frequency of A2 on the piano?
110 Hz
On a piano, a whole step is the distance between
every other key
assume an alto clef. Which pitch does the center line represent?
D
Which line represents the G pitch in an alto clef?
second line from the bottom
“Clef” comes from the French word for?
Key
Which term describes the lowest pitch of an overtone series?
Fundamental
The white keys on a piano are usually called?
Natural keys
How does a musician play a theremin?
disturbing an electrical field
Which of the following instruments is NOT an idiophone?
Maracas, Xylophone, Tambourine, The Cowbell, and Wood block, Triangle
Maracas are classified as shaken instruments (classified as membranophones or more generally as rattles), where sound is produced by the rattling of objects inside a hollow container.
What is the dominant tuning system in Western music?
equal temperament
Which scale includes all pitches in an octave sorted in ascending order?
Chromatic
What is the relationship between A-sharp and B-flat?
Enharmonic
Which of the following intervals is a perfect fifth?
C to G
B to F
D to A
F to B
C to E
C to G and D to A
Which scale degree is known as the leading tone?
7
Which of the following intervals is the largest?
TT (Tritone interval consists of 6 half steps - the perfect fourth interval P4 only has 5 half steps)
How many half steps does an M6 interval contain?
9
Which term describes the fifth scale degree of a major scale?
dominant
How is a melodic interval structured?
One pitch occurs before another
Assume a major scale. What is the interval pattern between scale degrees 1-4?
M2-M2-m2
What is the second pitch in an A major scale?
B
Which of the following statements MUST be true if a scale is major?
^7-^8 is a half-step interval
Which scale is MOST common in Western music?
C major
Which of the following intervals is the Smallest?
G-flat to B-flat
How many half steps does an aug4 interval contain?
6
All minor scales will include
lowered third scale degree
What is a key difference between the natural minor and major scales?
The natural minor scale does not include a leading tone
Which keys are relative to each other?
C minor and E-flat major
Two keys are parallel if they
begin on the same tonic pitch
Which scale degrees can be lowered in a blues scale?
3
A scale with blues inflection will combine elements from
major and minor scales
If a composer wants to transpose a melody, they will
change the key
A true statement regarding contour
“The melody moves pretty smoothly”
Disjunct melodies will usually include intervals larger than a(n)
major second
Which vocal part performs MOST comfortably at a high range?
Soprano
The term tessitura is MOST often applied to
Vocal music
What part has the Lowest range (soprano, alto, tenor, bass, countertenor)?
Bass
A natural minor scale will include a half step between scale degrees
5 and 6
What interval is a half step in a harmonic minor scale?
^6-^7 ; ^5-^6 ; ^1-^2 ; ^3-^4 ; ^7-^1
^7-^1 - harmonic minor scale will include a half step interval between 7-1 but not between 1-7
If a musician says that a song is “in the key of E” , they mean
the tonic pitch is E
What scale degree helps determine if a scale is major or minor? (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)
3
How many key signatures are possible in common practice tonality?
15
How many key signatures are possible in common practice tonality?
2 sharps
What is the relative minor key of G-flat major?
E-flat minor
Assume a key signature has two sharps. What is the resulting major key if two sharps are added to it?
E major
What is the relative major key of C minor?
E-flat major
Assume an E-flat major key signature. What is the resulting key signature if one flat is added to it?
A-flat major
Major scale patterns are based on
whole and half steps
Which pitch or pitches are raised in a G major scale?
a) F, C b) F, C, G, D, A
c) F, C, G d) F
e) F, C, G, D
F
An A-flat major key signature includes
Four flats
What pitch or pitches are lowered in a D-flat major scale?
B, E, A, D, G
What key is the relative minor of C major?
A minor
How many major and minor scales exist in common practice tonality?
30
What keys have the same key signature?
a) C major; G-sharp minor
b) A major; A-flat minor
c) B major; G-sharp minor
d) E-flat major; E-flat minor
e) D-flat major; A minor
c) B major; G-sharp minor
The dominant seventh chord includes a fourth pitch to
intesify its pull to the tonic
What is the composition of the dominant seventh chord?
5-7-2-4
What interval is between the second note from the bottom and the top note of the dominant seventh chord?
tritone
How can a composer increase the complexity of a work’s harmony?
modulating the key
Who stated that music needed to “free” dissonance?
Arnold Schoenberg
What composer specialized in twelve-tone techniques?
Anton Webern
If a composer uses a non-functional harmony, the the song will specifically NOT
resolve chromatic chords
What technique produces polytonality?
Two different keys are performed simultaneously
