Structural

Question 1

AB

Answer 1

A piece with two sections - Binary

Question 2

ABA

Answer 2

A piece with three sections - Ternary

Question 3

Alberti Bass

Answer 3

Broken chords played as the accompaniment to a melody. Bottom, top, middle, top. This was a very common device in the Classical period used by composers such as Haydn, Beethoven and Mozart.

Question 4

Arpeggio

Answer 4

Notes of a chord played one after each other in an ascending or descending order.

Question 5

Binary

Answer 5

A piece of music with two distinct sections. AB. Double binary AABB or ABAB.

Question 6

Cluster

Answer 6

A chord or series of chords where the notes are very close together. Sometimes in modern music, clusters are played on the piano using the whole arm on the keyboard.

Question 7

Coda

Answer 7

A section added to the end of a movement or piece to bring it to a satisfactory and definite close. The opposite of an introduction.

Question 8

Descant

Answer 8

A counter melody which is continually above the main melody in a vocal piece. Often used in the last verses of hymns.

Question 9

Ensemble

Answer 9

A group of musicians playing and/or singing together.

Question 10

Ground Bass

Answer 10

A bass line where the same few lines are repeated numerous times with different music over the top. Passacaglia and Chaconne which are exactly the same thing.

Question 11

Harmony

Answer 11

The sound of two or more notes made at the same time. When chords, or a second line, are placed below a melody it is “harmonised”.

Question 12

Homophony

Answer 12

Where numerous parts all have the same rhythm and move at the same time. The opposite of polyphony.

Question 13

Inverted Pedal

Answer 13

A pedal point which is above the texture. i.e. a high note or repeated high note which is held whilst other music moves below.

Question 14

Middle 8

Answer 14

An 8 bar section between the verse and chorus of a pop song which only comes once. It acts as a bridge passage , and sometimes includes modulation. Songs by the Beatles, Abba, Bee Gees etc. usually have a middle 8.

Question 15

Minuet and Trio

Answer 15

A dance form, often used as the third movement of a classical symphony. Has the structure AABBCCDDAB. Always in triple time. A graceful and elegant dance.

Question 16

Octave

Answer 16

The distance between a note and another note with the same letter name. A distance of 8 notes - starting and ending point in a scale.

Question 17

Cadenza

Answer 17

A passage at the end of a concerto movement where the orchestra stops and the soloist plays a virtuoso passage alone. These are usually very difficult and demonstrate the technical skill of the player. They usually last for a few minutes.

Question 18

Ostinato

Answer 18

When a musical pattern is repeated several times. There are three main types of ostinato;
rhythmic ostinato - a repeated rhythmic pattern
melodic ostinato - a repeated fragment of melody
harmonic ostinato - a repeated chord sequence

Question 19

Pedal

Answer 19

Short for pedal point. A note which is held, or repeated, beneath other harmony and melody which move above it. Very often the note in question will be the tonic or dominant.

Question 20

Polyphony

Answer 20

This is when the texture of a piece consists of several parts which are moving at different times and with different rhythms. The opposite of homophony. Pieces like this are described as polyphonic.

Question 21

Polyphonic instrument

Answer 21

An instrument which can play more than one lie / pitch simultaneously. E.g. piano, guitar, harp, banjo, sitar.

Question 22

Riff

Answer 22

A short, catchy repeated phrase (ostinato) in popular music, or jazz funk, or show songs. Often found in the bass part.

Question 23

Rondo

Answer 23

A piece where the opening theme continually returns between contrasting material creating ABACADA structure.

Question 24

Round

Answer 24

A piece where several parts have the same melody but start separately at a fixed distance. The correct word for this is Canon.

Question 25

Canon

Answer 25

A piece in strict imitation, where the parts, or voices, enter one at a time, at a fixed distance, each playing/singing exactly the same as the previous one.

Question 26

Strophic

Answer 26

When the structure of the music is organised into verses with music which repeats but the words are different, such as a hymn or folk song. Many pop songs and someLieder are strophic.

Question 27

Ternary

Answer 27

A piece in ABA form.

Question 28

Theme and Variations

Answer 28

A piece which is divided into sections, whereby a theme is heard at the beginning and each section of the piece varies, or develops the theme in a different way.

Question 29

Unaccompanied

Answer 29

One instrument or voice only - no other accompanying instruments.

Question 30

Unison

Answer 30

Two or more parts sounding at the same pitch, or at the distance of an octave.

Question 31

Variation

Answer 31

Where a melody is developed in some way from its original, but is recognisable.

Question 32

Verse and Chorus

Answer 32

A structure whereby the music and the words of the chorus repeat in between verses where the music is the same but the words change. A form very common in popular music of the late 20th century.

Question 33

Walking Bass

Answer 33

A bass line which is constantly and regularly moving, both on and between the beats. It often moves by step, or up and down arpeggios. A feature of jazz music.

Question 34

Basso Continuo

Answer 34

A keyboard instrument and a bass instrument played together as an accompaniment to a singer or solo instrument. Basso Continuo were only used in the Baroque period, where they were nearly always present in the orchestra.

Question 35

Exposition

Answer 35

The opening section of a fugue, or a movement in sonata form, in which we hear the main themes for the first time. i.e. where the themes are ‘exposed’.

Question 36

Obbligato

Answer 36

A prominent instrumental solo in a vocal or choral piece.

Question 37

Ritornello

Answer 37

The name for a repeating motif / main theme in a Concerto Grosso. Also the 17th century name for an instrumental introduction / interlude in a vocal composition.

Question 38

Through Composed

Answer 38

A piece of music which has no discernible repetition, or does not
fall into different recognisable sections, but just keeps going from
start to finish.