Music Theory

Question 1

Give the definition of the stave

Answer 1

The five lines which musical notes are written on

Question 2

The treble clef is for higher pitched melody instruments. Name some (bonus points for vocal range(s) too)

Answer 2

Flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, trumpet, horn

Soprano and Alto voices

Question 3

The bass clef is for low pitch instruments. Name some (bonus points for vocal range(s) too)

Answer 3

Tuba, trombone, bassoon, cello, double bass

Bass voices

Question 4

Give the term for this description:
These indicate the length of a phrase, and look like a bracket on its side over the top of the stave. They help the performer know where to breathn

Answer 4

Phrase marks

Question 5

What does a tie look like, and what does it mean?

Answer 5

A tie is a curved line that joins two notes together of the same pitch, and they’re played so it sounds like one note

Question 6

A trill is when you rapidly play the note given and the:
a) note above it
b) note below it
for the duration of the note

Answer 6

a) note above it

The symbol is either the letters -tr- above it, or a zigzag line

Question 7

What is the difference between a turn and a mordent?

Answer 7

A turn is written with a sideways S/ an incomplete infinity sign, and it means you play the note above the one on the score, the note on the score, the note below then the note itself again (4 semiquavers).
A mordent is written as a small zigzag line a single rapid alteration with the note above (upper mordent) or the note below (lower mordent - with a line vertical through the zigzag line)

Question 8

The lower mordent is written as a short zigzag line with a vertical line going through it, above the affected note
The higher mordent is written as a short zigzag line, above the affected note
True or false?

Answer 8

True

Question 9

What is the difference between acciaccatura and appogiatura? (both of these are ornamantations/ decorations)

Answer 9

Acciaccatura (sometimes called a crushed note, as it is played very quickly) is a tone or a semitone above or below the melody note. Written as a small note(s - as sometimes there’s 2) before a melody note)
Appogiatura is similar, only the small note written before the melody note is played for half of the melody note. Then, the remainder of the melody note is played.
For example, if there was a small F note then an E minim as the melody note, the F would be played as a crotchet, then the E would be played as a crochet too

Question 10

“To lean upon” is the English translation of what Latin term?

Answer 10

Appogiatura

Question 11

p. p p What is this dotted rhythm like?

L_=l l

Answer 11

Co - co - nut

Question 12

p. p p. p What is this dotted rhythm like?

L_=L_L_=l

Answer 12

av - o - ca - do

Question 13

What is the fancy words for “off beat”?

Answer 13

Syncapation

Question 14

What is a hook?

Answer 14

A catchy part of a song (normally a chorus). Can be a melodic hook or a rhythmic hook

Question 15

Name the 5 textures you have to know

Answer 15

Monophonic
Homophonic
Polyphonic
Heterophonic

Question 16

Name the 4 structures you have to know

Answer 16

Binary
Ternary
Rondo form
Theme & variations

Question 17

What pattern is rondo form?

Answer 17

ABACA - The Indiana Jones Theme shows this

Question 18

Give the pattern of ternary form and an example of this

Answer 18

ABA - Star Wars Theme tune

Question 19

What does monophonic mean?

Answer 19

There is only one melody (or one layer).

Question 20

In an intro with just two singers (one singing an octave above), a guitarist playing the same melody as the singers and a drummer, what texture is this?

Answer 20

Monophonic - the drums DO NOT count as a melody, and all the melodies are the same (octaves & instruments make no difference)

Question 21

What is the difference between homophonic and heterophonic?

Answer 21

Homophonic has a harmony in the background with the main tune along with chords - Tune & Chords
Heterophonic has 2 or more variations of the same melody at the same time (one line often has more notes)

Question 22

Theme and variations means what?

Answer 22

Having a tune, then repeating it with a variation as many times as you want

Question 23

What types of alteration can you have with theme and variations?

Answer 23

You can alter - the key, the timing, the rhythm, the dynamics, the instruments

Question 24

What is a pedal point?

Answer 24

An ongoing note (normally a bass note) that stays the same, even with chord changes

Question 25

Give the definition of polyphonic texture

Answer 25

When there are 2 or more different melodies at the same time (a round is an example). There are many layers here

Question 26

What is a fancy word for a round?

Answer 26

Cannon

Question 27

Give the binary form and its structure, with an example

Answer 27

ABAB - Greensleeves

Question 28

What is rhondo form?

Answer 28

ABACA

Question 29

ABA refers to what type of structure?

Answer 29

Ternary

Question 30

What happens in the structure theme and variations?

Answer 30

There’s a tune, and it repeats with an alteration (this can happen a lot).
Also, it can repeat the original

Question 31

What can be altered to the tune in the theme and variations structure?

Answer 31

Key
Rhythm
Genre
Timing
Instrumentation

Question 32

What do these words mean (Game music):

a) Inversion (chord)
b) Retrograde
c) Augmentation
d) Diminution

Answer 32

a) Inversion (chord) - Using a chord in a position other than its root position
b) Retrograde - Version of a tune where the composer takes all the notes and puts them in reverse order
NOTE - Retrograde inversion is a thing too, which is just both of them
c) Augmentation - Increasing the length of notes to make the music sound slower
d) Diminution - Shortening the length of the notes to make it sound quicker

Question 33

What chords does a plagal cadence go to? What does it sound like?

Answer 33

IV - I (4 to 1) - full stop (not a strong as perfect)

Sounds like “Amen”

Question 34

What chords does an imperfect cadence go to?

Answer 34

Any chord (normally I, II or IV) to I - comma

Question 35

What chords does an interrupted cadence go to?

Answer 35

V - VI (Dominant to subdominant, 5 to 6) - A surprise cadence, and a comma.
It is a cadence of opposites - if it is in a major key it goes to a minor chord and vice versa.

Question 36

What chords does a perfect cadence go to?

Answer 36

V - I - full stop, as it goes from dominant to the tonic

Question 37

What is the tonic?

Answer 37

The root note of the key you’re in

Question 38

What is the opposite of playing a chord in an arpeggio?

Answer 38

Chordal (or chord blocks) - holding the chord down until the next one

Question 39

“Playing a chord sequence to an interesting rhythm on the piano” - what is this the definition for?

Answer 39

Comping (i think it’s normally jazz)

Question 40

What are these chords?

a) Tonic
b) Sub-dominant
c) Dominant

Answer 40

a) Chord I - the home chord
b) Chord IV - a primary chord
c) Chord V - a primary chord

Question 41

Give the opposite of diatonic, and what they mean

Answer 41

Diatonic - harmony using normal notes from the scale

Atonal - harmony using notes outside the key, creating clashes (often for suspense or tension)

Question 42

Talk about the following scales:

a) Major
b) Minor
c) Chromatic
d) Blue

Answer 42

a) Happy sounding - tone, tone, semi, tone, tone, tone, semi,
b) Sad sounding - tone, semi, tone, tone, semi, tone, tone
c) 13 note scale where every note is a semitone (every note until octave above starting note)
d) Major scale but with a flattened third and seventh note replacing the second and sixth notes