Musical Concepts - National 4

Question 0

Anacrusis

Answer 0

The notes which appear before the first strong beat of a musical phrase.

It sounds as an upbeat.

Question 1

Accelerando

Answer 1

Getting gradually faster.

Question 2

Andante

Answer 2

Moving Along. Moderate Pace. Not too slow.

Question 3

A tempo

Answer 3

Back to the previous tempo.

Question 4

Baroque

Answer 4

Music written between 1600 - 1750. The harpsichord is prominent in Baroque music.

Question 5

Backing vocals

Answer 5

Singers who support lead singer(s), usually by singing in harmony in the background.

Question 7

Bass (voice)

Answer 7

The lowest male voice.

Question 7

Bass Drum

Answer 7

The largest drum on the drum-kit player with a foot pedal.

Question 8

Bass Guitar

Answer 8

Usually a 4 string guitar that produces deep sounds.

Question 10

Brass Band

Answer 10

A band comprising of Brass and Percussion.

Question 11

Brass instruments

Answer 11

A family of instruments made from metal with a mouthpiece. (Trumpet, Trombone)

Question 11

Cadenza

Answer 11

A passage of music which allows soloists to display their technical ability in singing or playing an instrument.

A cadenza is usually found in the first movement of a concerto.

Question 12

Broken chord

Answer 12

The notes of a chord are player separately.

Question 13

Canon

Answer 13

Strict imitation. After one part starts to play or sing a melody, another part enters shortly afterwards with exactly the same melody.

Question 14

Change of key

Answer 14

A move from one key to another key.

Question 15

Compound time

Answer 15

The beat subdivides into groups of three.

Question 16

Concerto

Answer 16

Work for solo instrument and orchestra.

e.g. A flute concerto is written for solo flute and orchestra.

Question 17

Drone

Answer 17

1. One note held on or repeated in the bass.

2. The low-pitched pipes of a bagpipe which accompany a melody.

Question 18

Distortion

Answer 18

An electronic effect used in rock music to colour the sound of an electric guitar.

Question 19

Dotted rhythm

Answer 19

A short note followed by a longer one.

Question 20

Imitation

Answer 20

When the melody is immediately copied into another part. It does not need to be an exact copy.

Question 21

Jig

Answer 21

A fast dance in compound time usually with two or four beats in a bar. (Nellie the Elephant)

Question 22

Major

Answer 22

The music sounds in a major, happy sounding key.

Question 23

Mouth music

Answer 23

Gaelic nonsense words sung in imitation of the sound of bagpipes as an accompaniment to dancing.

Question 24

Muted

Answer 24

Using a device that reduced the volume or alters the sound of an instrument.

Question 25

Octave

Answer 25

The distance between a note and the nearest note with the same name. e.g. (C-C)

Question 26

Opera

Answer 26

A drama set to music with soloists, chorus, acting and orchestral accompaniment.

Question 27

Ornament

Answer 27

An ornament decorates a melody by adding short, extra notes.

Question 28

Pan Pipes

Answer 28

Pipes which are graded in size and are bound together.

Question 29

Pedal

Answer 29

Short for pedal point. A note which is held on or is repeated continuously in the bass beneath changing harmonies.

Question 30

Pentatonic scale

Answer 30

Any five note scale. Particularly used in Scottish and Celtic folk music.

Question 31

Percussion

Answer 31

The orchestral family where instruments are played by striking, hitting or shaking.

Question 32

Ragtime

Answer 32

It features a strongly syncopated melody against a steady vamped accompaniment. Often played on a piano.

Question 33

Rallentando

Answer 33

Getting gradually slower.

Question 34

Rapping

Answer 34

Spoken or chanted, rhyming lyrics.

Question 35

Reggae

Answer 35

A style of music from Jamaica in the 1960s.

e.g. Bob Marley

Question 36

Romantic

Answer 36

Music written between 1810-1900.

Question 37

Scale

Answer 37

A series of notes played ascending or descending by step.

Question 38

Scots ballad

Answer 38

A slow Scottish song which tells a story.

Question 39

Scat singing

Answer 39

Nonsense words and sounds are improvised by the singer. Used mainly in Jazz singing.

Question 40

Scotch snap

Answer 40

A very short accented note before a longer note.

Question 41

Simple time

Answer 41

The beat subdivides into groups of 2 or 4.

Question 42

Strathspey

Answer 42

A Scottish dance with four beats in a bar and usually featuring the Scotch snap.

Question 43

Strings

Answer 43

The orchestral family of instruments which has strings.

Question 44

Swing

Answer 44

A Jazz style which started in the 1930s.

Question 45

Syncopation

Answer 45

Strongly accented notes playing off or against the beat.

Question 46

Ternary

Answer 46

A B A. A form where the first section is repeated at the end.

Question 47

Theme and Variation

Answer 47

A popular structure of writing music where the composer writed a main theme and then uses this to create variations.

They may change the rhythm, harmony or decorate the original melody.

Question 48

Tonality

Answer 48

The key. (Major, Minor)

Question 49

Woodwind

Answer 49

Instruments which produce sounds by blowing across a hole against an edge or through a single or double reed.

Question 50

Verse and Chorus

Answer 50

Popular structure used for writing songs.

Question 51

Vamp

Answer 51

A rhythmic accompaniment with a bass note played on the beat and a chord off the beat creating an oom pah effect. Usually played on a piano or guitar.

(Also a member of an insanely awesome boy band! :P )