Organization of Musical Sounds Flashcards
Octave
Interval between two tones seven diatonic pitches apart; the lower note vibrates half as fast as the upper and sounds an octave lower.
Half Step
Smallest interval used in the Western system; the octave divides into twelve such intervals; on the piano, the distance between any two adjacent keys, whether black or white. Also semitone.
Chromatic Scale
Melody or harmony built from many if not all twelve semitones of the octave. A chromatic scale consists of an ascending or descending sequence of semitones.
Sharp sign
Musical symbol (#) that indicates raising a pitch by a semitone.
Flat sign
Musical symbol (♭) that indicates lowering a pitch by a semitone.
Whole Step
Interval consisting of two half steps, or semitones.
Tonic
The first note of the scale or key, do. Also keynote.
Tonality
Principle of organization around a tonic, or home, pitch, based on a major or minor scale.
Key
Defines the relationship of tones with a common center or tonic. Also a lever on a keyboard or woodwind instrument.
Diatonic
Melody or harmony built from the seven tones of a major or minor scale. A diatonic scale encompasses patterns of seven whole tones and semitones.
Chromatic
Melody or harmony built from many if not all twelve semitones of the octave. A chromatic scale consists of an ascending or descending sequence of semitones.
Pentatonic Scale
Five-note pattern used in some African, Far Eastern, and Native American musics; can also be found in Western music as an example of exoticism.
Tritonic Scale
Three-note scale pattern, used in the music of some sub-Saharan African cultures.
Microtone
Musical interval smaller than a semitone, prevalent in some non-Western musics and in some twentieth-century art music.
Inflection
Small alteration of the pitch by a microtonal interval. See also blue note.
Active Chord
In the diatonic system, chords which need to resolve to the tonic chord. These include the dominant chord and the subdominant chord.
Resting Chord
A chord that achieves a sense of resolution or completion, normally the tonic.
Dominant
The fifth scale step, sol.
Subdominant
Fourth scale step, fa.
Modulation
The process of changing from one key to another.
Transposition
Shifting a piece of music to a different pitch level.
Major Scale
Scale consisting of seven different tones that comprise a specific pattern of whole and half steps. It differs from a minor scale primarily in that its third degree is raised half a step.
Minor Scale
Scale consisting of seven different tones that comprise a specific pattern of whole and half steps. It differs from the major scale primarily in that its third degree is lowered half a step.
