Music Terms

Question 1

Adagio

Answer 1

performed in slow tempo.

Question 2

Allegro

Answer 2

performed at a brisk tempo.

Question 3

Andante

Answer 3

performed at a moderately slow tempo

Question 4

Blues scale

Answer 4

A blues scale is often formed by the addition of an out-of-key “blue note” to an existing scale, notably the flat fifth addition to the minor pentatonic scale.

The major blues scale formula is 1 – 2 – ♭3 – ♮3 – 5 – 6. Which means the C major blues scale consists of the notes C – D – E♭ – E♮ – G – A. The minor blues scale formula is 1 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – 5 – ♭7, so the C minor blues scale has the notes C – E♭ – F – G♭ – G – B♭.

Question 5

Cha-cha rhythm

Answer 5

Cha-cha-cha music is a form of Latin American music that originated in Cuba. It fits into a broad category of Latin music often described as salsa. The cha-cha-cha (sometimes shortened to cha-cha) derives from the Cuban danzón-mambo tradition, and its invention is often credited to violinist Enrique Jorrín of Orquesta América.

The original Cuban and the ballroom cha-cha-cha count is “one, two, three, cha-cha”, or “one, two, three, four-and.” A “street version” comes about because many social dancers count “one, two, cha-cha-cha” and thus shift the timing of the dance by a full beat of music.

Question 6

Clave rhythm

Answer 6

The clave is a rhythmic pattern used as a tool for temporal organization in Cuban music. In Spanish, clave literally means key, clef, code, or keystone.

A clave is a set of repeating rhythmic accents that are emphasized on top of the groove of a song. This means that while the band grooves like it would on any other song, they continually accent certain beats above all others.

https://pulse.berklee.edu/?id=4&lesson=14

Question 7

moderato

Answer 7

moderate in pace

Question 8

Ostinato

Answer 8

a continually repeated musical phrase or rhythm

Question 9

Ritenuto

Answer 9

performed with an immediate reduction of speed

Question 10

Rubato

Answer 10

the temporary disregarding of strict tempo to allow an expressive quickening or slackening, usually without altering the overall pace

Question 11

staccato

Answer 11

performed with each note sharply detached or separated from the others

Question 12

Tango rhythm

Answer 12

A 2/4 or 4/4 time signature. Strong influence of European classical dance music, including minuet, flamenco, polka, mazurka, and contradanza. Additional influence from Argentine folk music, including the payada and milonga styles, and Uruguayan folk music such as pampas.
Tango music is usually played at a tempo of 30-33 measures per minute.

https://composerfocus.com/how-to-write-a-tango/

Question 13

Tessitura

Answer 13

tessitura, (Italian: “texture”), in music, the general range of pitches found in a melody or vocal part. It differs from the compass of a piece to the extent that it does not take into account the extremes of the piece’s range but is concerned with the way in which the vocal line is arranged or situated.

(comfortable range, no extremes written to voice parts)

Question 14

Twelve-bar blues

Answer 14

A 12-bar blues is divided into three four-bar segments. A standard blues progression, or sequence of notes, typically features three chords based on the first (written as I), fourth (IV), and fifth (V) notes of an eight-note scale.
1411
4411
541 5OR1

Question 15

Waltz rhythm (jazz vs. traditional)

Answer 15

Jazz music is traditionally played in 4/4 time with four beats per measure. A jazz waltz is written in 3/4 time and has three beats per measure.
GENRALLY REFERES TO ANY JAZZ MUSIC IN 3/4