Music Terms: Elements of (film) music Flashcards
a regularly recurring sound that divides the passing to time into equal units; the basic pulse of music. The dialogue/action often has a ____ of its own, often synchronized with the music
what is it an element of?
Beat, element of rythm
Perceived rate (beat or pulse) of sound or musical events allegro, presto: accelerando: ritardando
Tempo
- allegro presto; lento, grave
- accelerando; speeding up (gradually)
- ritardando; slowing down (gradually)
The organization of the beat into groups of two (duple _____) or three (triple _____)
Give examples
Meter
- duple: imperial march
- triple: waltz
The organization of time in music
- gives shape or profile to the melody
- provides vitality and definition to a melody
- divides long spans of time into smaller, more easily comprehendible units
rhythm
What is the most fundamental element of music? and why
Rhythm
- links music to the images: it will reflect the rate of change or pace of the action/images.
- linked to the action: the music will accentuate a fight sequence or other movements.
Repeating rhythmic figures with a repeating melodic pattern that create a sense of time passing, urgency, or to provide a constant beat
Ostinatos
what influences our reaction to music and to a scene?
dynamics- how loud or soft the music is
very loud
fortissimo-ff
loud
forte-f
moderately loud
Mezzo forte-mf
moderately soft
Mezzo piano- mp
Soft
piano-p
very soft
pianissimo-pp
sound that usually have a low volume level can be mixed at a high level. what does it mean to be high level?
example?
loud dynamics
whispering
loud combination of sounds. can be mixed to a low volume level. what does it mean to have a low volume level?
example?
soft dynamics
full orchestra
Gradual increase in volume
crescendo
Gradual decrease in volume
decrescendo/diminuendo
what is a post recording way of playing with the dynamic levels?
“Fading” up or down
gives the illusion of a sound entering and exiting our range of hearing
particularly associated with pre-existing music (songs) rather than original scores
Fading in or out.
The unique character or quality a musical (or non-musical) tone; also called timbre
Colour
What are some timbre effects in film and give examples
- timbre of a particular instrument/sound element can be manipulated or accentuated, giving it less or more importance in a scene.
- > elements like reverberation can play an important role in the storu music is telling us
- Using one kind of timbre can have special meaning, either culturally derived or derived from the context of the film itself
- > solo trumpet call - military charge
- > star wars imperial march - played on the solo harp instead of brass as the timbre in a full orchestra
What elements change the timbre and what effects does it have? Give an example
range of an instrument or voice
- make the sound more harsh or mellow, and influences emotional effect on people
- Timbre of scream is diff from that of a yell or murmur.
Musical measure of frequency; indvidual music notes
-organized into collection or sequences (6,8 or more per sequence). Each ___ having a particular role within the sequence
pitch
The high or low range of an instrument or voice
- affects timbre
- used to create specific effects in the score
Tessitura
how high or low an instrument can play
range
how high or low the instrument sounds within their own range
tessitura
A sequential arrangement of pitches
ascend and descend in an unvarying pattern
scale
term describing a general type of scale: major, minor, etc. and often affects the mood of music
mode
A seven note scale
usually associated with joy, confidence, tranquility
major scale
A seven note scale
usually associated with fear, anxiety, sorrow, despair, longing, etc.
minor scale
uses all twelve pitches equally divided within the octave
usually associated with extreme minor mode feelings/situations or with exotic images.
chromatic scale
Span between the first note and the eighth note of a scale
octave
the distance between any two pitches. an octave is a large ______
Interval
A series of notes (pitches) arranged in order to form a distinctive, recognizable musical unit; the “tune”
Melody
Composers use this to connote specific meaning- to represent objects or characters
motives
Short-memorable fragment of music that can acquire specific meaning, but is not whole on its own (not a complete melody).
Give example
motive
The shark motive from Jaws.
melodies are composed on smaller segments called? function the same way as a question and answer dialogue with each contributing to the overall discussion--> give examples
phrases
-mozart, Beethoven, X-files theme
chords that conclude phrase, either leaving it open-ended or closed.
cadences
Accompanying sounds of one or more pitches that provide the support and enrichment for melody
- _______: a group of two or more pitches that sound at the same time
- the basic chord in western music?
harmony
built on chords
triad
complex of three or more notes that sound simultaneously
- used to add drama or emphasis
- described in terms of colour or timbre, harsh or sweet, hollow or full, consonant or dissonant
chord
pitches sounding agreeable and stable
- joyful, lively and triumphant
- creates a sense of calm
- musical or sweet sounding
consonance
- convey wide range of emotion
pitches sounding momentarily disagreeable; unstable
- sense of tension and anxiety
- unmusical or harsh
- exotic and mysterious
Dissonance
- convey wide range of emotion
Classified by range into 4 parts (according to range or tessitura)
-soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass
Voice
each individual voice has a distinct ____ due to our uniquely constructed _____ _____
timbre, vocal chords
many voices join together form a ______
chorus
5 instrument families:
strings woodwinds brasses percussion keyboard (piano and organ)
Violin, viola, cello, bass, harp
-core of the western symphony orchestra
strings
- a controlled wobble in pitch
- plucking the strings rather than bowing
- rapidly repeating the same pitch to create a musical tremor
- rapidly alternating between two neighbouring pitches
- rapid run up and down the strings
- playing the notes of a triad in quick succession
- vibrato
- pizzicato
- Tremolo
- Trill
- Glissando
- Arpeggio
Lovely, silvery tone
Single reed instrument, open, hollow sound
double reed; nasal, slightly exotic sound
Double reed; has similar role as the cello
Single reed; featured in jazz groups
Flute (woodwind) Clarinet (woodwind) Oboe (woodwind) bassoon (woodwind) saxophone
use a cup shaped mouthpiece
brasses
1.High, bright sound
trumpet
a plug places in the bell of the instrument to lessen the sound
mute
- Uses a slide to change pitch
- Mellow sound; comes from hunting horns
- Largest and lowest brass instrument
- trombone
- french horn
- tuba
Resonating objects that sound when hit or scraped
Percussion
percussion instrument most often heard in classical music
Timpani
Non pitched percussion instruments
Snare drum, bass drum, cymbals
combining instruments from different________ produces different ______ effects and tone _______ that can create _______ _______
families, timbral, colours, different moods
