Music Terminology - Melody Flashcards
Conjunct Melody
A melody that moves by STEP (stepwise)
Disjunct Melody
A melody that moves by LEAP
Sequence
Where a passage of music is repeated at a higher or lower pitch
Repetition
When a melody, or part of a melody is repeated again in succession.
Imitation
Immediate (or shortly after) repetition of a melody or motif, in a different voice or instrument. This can be exact, transposed or some variation (inversion).
Contrast
When a melody is presented in a way that differs from previous versions. This keeps the listeners interest.
Intervals
Refers to the distance between notes of a melody. If it leaps by a Perfect 4th or tritone etc.
Melodic Fragment
A smaller chunk of a larger melody. In some instances this fragment may be developed further.
Portamento
A slide between two pitches. Slightly different from Glissando as the slide happens as close to the second note as possible. Glissando is a more noticeable slide.
Ornamentation
When a melody features decorations and embellishments such as trills, turns, mordents and grace notes.
Phrasing
Describes the way a musician shapes a melody line, to reflect the intentions of the music.
Passing Notes
Non-harmony note. A passing note will not belong to the chord but links together the 2 that are.
Auxiliary Notes (Neighbour Notes)
Non-harmony note. The melody will move to a note that’s a step away from the harmony tone and then move back again.
Augmentation
When the rhythm(s) of a melody are increased (in most cases, doubled) in length.
Diminution
When the rhythm(s) of a melody are decreased (often halved) in length.
Episode
An element found in music that is a digression from the main structure of the composition. It is a passage that is not a part of the main theme groups of a composition, but is an ornamental or constructive section added to the main elements of the composition
Idée Fixe
A term referring to a recurring theme that appears in many movements of the same composition.
Leitmotif
A recurring motif in a composition (usually an opera) which represents a specific person, idea, or emotion.
Thematic Transformation/Development
Musical expansion of a theme achieved by varying its melodic outline, its harmony, or its rhythm.
Diatonic
Where the notes of the melody belong to the key of the music.
Chromatic
Where the notes of the melody exist outside of the key of the music.
Arpeggio/Broken Chord
Playing the notes of a chord consecutively. The individual notes are sounded one after the other instead of simultaneously (at the same time)
Scalic
In the manner of a scale; notes in succession that move stepwise.
Pentatonic
Melody that uses the notes of the Pentatonic scale.
Blue Notes
A slight drop of pitch on the third, seventh, and sometimes the fifth tone of the scale, common in blues and jazz.
Guide Tones
The Guide Tones are the 3rd and 7th of a chord. They are the most harmonically important notes of the chord. This is because they determine the quality of the chord – whether it’s Major, minor, minor-Major or Dominant.
Chromatic Scale
Where a melody moves up/down by semitones
Whole Tone
A melody that moves only in whole tones (no semitones)
Modal
Having to do with modes; this term is applied most particularly to music that is based upon the Gregorian modes, rather than to music based upon the major, minor, or any other scale.
12-Tone
A melody that uses all 12 notes of the Chromatic scale. This is commonly associated with 20th Century Music, particularly Dodecaphony.
Klangfarbenmelodie
A term coined by composer Arnold Schoenberg to describe a style of composition that employs several different kinds of tone colors to a single pitch or to multiple pitches. This is achieved by distributing the pitch or melody among several different instruments.
Octatonic
A melody that uses the Octatonic scale
Range
Refers to the distance that a melody covers, in terms of pitch. A narrow range melody will use notes that are close to one another, a wide range melody with cover a larger distance.
Syllabic
A word is attached to every note of the melody. There is no melisma.
Melismatic
A group of many notes (usually at least 3 or 4) sung melodically to a single syllable.
Riff
In Pop and Jazz compositions, a short ostinato, two to four bars long.
Lick
In popular music genres such as Country, Blues, Jazz or Rock music, a lick is “a stock pattern or phrase” consisting of a short series of notes used in solos and melodic lines and accompaniment.
