Music Theory and Composition

Question 1

Affrentando

Answer 1

To hurry

Question 2

Simple Musical Form

Answer 2

A complete and self contained work that is not divisible into other, smaller self-contained works. Example: Binary, Ternary forms. Neither A nor B may divide in to smaller forms.

Question 3

Compound Musical Form

Answer 3

A composite form made up of smaller simple forms such as binary and ternary forms. Example: Minuetto and Trio, in which the simple Munuetto form surrounds the simple binary Trio form to create an overall ternary compound form. Other examples: Sonata movements, symphony movements, string quartets, and suites.

Question 4

Tertian harmony

Answer 4

Principally uses chords played in thirds.

Question 5

Antiphonal voicing

Answer 5

alternating sections or parts.

Question 6

Anacrusis

Answer 6

An Upbeat or a pickup note(s); a term used for unstressed notes at the beginning of a phrase of music.

Question 7

Hemiola

Answer 7

3:2 (could be three in one part while two in the bottom, or a melodic sequence of 3 and then 2 in a single line)

Question 8

Diminution

Answer 8

A Renaissance and Baroque ornamentation which consists of the restatement of a melody in which the note values are shortened, usually by half.

Question 9

Sequence

Answer 9

A progression of chords which ends in a cadence.

Question 10

Heterophonic

Answer 10

The practice of two or more musicians simultaneously performing slightly different versions of the same melody. Each version would be characterised as improvised or ornamented versions of the melody as opposed to harmonized versions of a melody as in polyphonic music.

Question 11

Rubato

Answer 11

A practice common in Romantic compositions of taking part of the duration from one note and giving it to another. It involves the performer tastefully stretching, slowing, or hurrying the tempo as she/he sees fit, thus imparting flexibility and emotion to the performance.