N5 Music Terms

Question 1

Arco

Answer 1

Using the bow whilst playing a stringed instrument

Question 2

Pizzicato

Answer 2

Using your fingers to pluck a stringed instrument

Question 3

Col legno

Answer 3

Using the back of the bow to play

Question 4

Order of string instruments highest to lowest

Answer 4

Violin, biola, cello, double bass

Question 5

Order of woodwind instruments highest to lowest

Answer 5

Piccolo, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon

Question 6

Flutter tonguing

Answer 6

A method of tonguing in which the player rolls the letter ‘r’

Question 7

Order of brass instruments highest to lowest

Answer 7

Trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba

Question 8

Muted

/ von sordino

Answer 8

Using a device which reduces the volume or alters the sound of an instrument

Question 9

Brass band

Answer 9

Brass instruments and percussion

Question 10

Wind band

Answer 10

Brass, woodwind and percussion instruments

Question 11

Rolls

Answer 11

A very fast repetition of a note on a percussion instrument

Question 12

Drum fill

Answer 12

A rhythmic decoration played on a drum kit

Question 13

Glissando

Answer 13

Sliding from one note to another, taking in all the notes in between where possible (trombone, piano/keyboard, harp)

Question 14

Ornaments

Answer 14

We can use ornaments to decorated the music and make it sound more exciting and pretty

Question 15

Trills

Answer 15

Fast repetition between two notes, usually a tone or semitone apart

Question 16

Canon (round)

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Ground bass

Answer 17

A theme on the bass which is repeated many times while the upper parts are varied

Question 18

Polyphonic (contrapuntal)(texture)

Answer 18

Two or more melodies playing together at the same time

Question 19

Homophonic (texture)

Answer 19

Two or more musical lines which move together

Question 20

Baritone

Answer 20

Male voice, pitched between a tenor and bass

Question 21

Concerto

Answer 21

A soloist accompanied by an orchestra

Question 22

Cadences

Answer 22

Final two Child’s at the end of a phrase or piece to signal pause or ending in music. Perfect or imperfect

Question 23

Symphony

Answer 23

The whole orchestra playing together

Question 24

Cadenza

Answer 24

Performers most often given the chance to improvise and make up the cadenza themselves

Question 25

Coda

Answer 25

Little short section played by the orchestra after a cadenza

Question 26

Alberti bass

Answer 26

Broken chords played by the left hand outlining harmonies whilst the right hand plays the melody

Question 27

Binary form

Answer 27

Music is made up of two different sections A and B

Question 28

Ternary form

Answer 28

Music is made up of three sections A B A

Question 29

Rondo form

Answer 29

A form where the first section (A) comes back between contrasting sections (A-B-A-C-A)

Question 30

Strophic form

Answer 30

A theme/melody is repeated in each section set to different words e.g pop song, traditional song (A-A-A-A)

Question 31

Atonal

Answer 31

Neither major nor minor

Question 32

Nothing in key signature

Answer 32

C major or A minir

Question 33

B flat in key signature

Answer 33

F major

Question 34

F sharp in key signature

Answer 34

G major