Style Flashcards
Anthem (AH)
A piece of choral religious music sung in English
Used in the Protestant church during the Renaissance period
It may be accompanied, but it is usually a cappella
Ayre/Air (AH)
Ayre is the Renaissance word for song
Sung in English with a secular (non-religious) text
Song for a solo singer
Likely to be modal
Usually strophic in form
Normally accompanied by Renaissance instruments such as lute
Ballett (AH)
Sung in English with a secular (non-religious) text
It is sung a cappella and is strophic in form
It goes “Fa la la”
Chorale (AH)
A hymn tune sung in German
Written in four parts (SATB)
Mainly syllabic and homophonic
Galliard (AH)
Lively dance with three beats in a bar
Usually follows a pavan
Madrigal (AH)
Sung in English with a secular (non-religious) text Song in four part harmony (SATB) Traditionally polyphonic and a cappella Feature lots of imitation Normally through-composed Often uses word painting
Motet (AH)
Essentially the Catholic equivalent to an Anthem
Sung in Latin
Sung in four part harmony (SATB)
Sung a cappella and is polyphonic in texture
Nationalist (AH)
Expression of strong feelings for the composers country in their music
Music with a distinct flavour by which the composers nationality may be easily recognised
Pavan (AH)
Slow, stately dance with two beats in a bar
Usually followed by a galliard
Renaissance (AH)
Renaissance means ‘rebirth’ and marks a period in history where there was a resurgence of interest in music based on the ideas of the ancient Greeks and Romans
From approximately 1450 - 1600
Chamber music (H)
Music performed by a small group
One player to a part
Examples are string quartet, piano trio or wind quintet
Impressionist (H)
20th century style
Brief musical ideas merge and change, creating a blurred and vague outline
Tuneful but with unusual harmonies and dissonance
Jazz funk (H)
Combination of jazz and rock
Uses both popular and jazz instruments
May contain improvisation
Commonly uses the added 6th
Lied (H)
A German song from the romantic period for voice and piano
Either strophic or through-composed in form
Mass (H)
Religious music sung in Latin Usually sung a cappella with a very polyphonic texture Often features passages of melisma It has six main sections: Kyrie Eleison Gloria in excelsis Deo Credo in Unum Deum Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Benedictus Agnus Dei
Musique concrete (H)
20th century style of composition
Uses acoustic sounds which are manipulated by technology
Oratorio (H)
Large scale work without acting or stage design
Sung in English
Contains songs for solo voice and/or choirs
Often includes recitatives, arias and choruses
Plainchant (H)
Sung in Latin with no regular metre
Tonality is described as modal
Word setting can be both melismatic and/or syllabic
Recitative (H)
Performed by a solo voice
Mainly syllabic with simple accompaniment
Music follows the rhythm of speech
Often followed by an aria
Sonata (H)
Work for solo piano or solo instrument and piano
Often in three or four movements
Soul (H)
Style of Afro-American popular music
Elements of gospel and blues
Solo voice with backing vocals
Likely to feature a horn section
Aria (N5)
Solo sung in an operatic style
May contain passages of melisma
Bothy ballad (N5)
Unaccompanied folk song with many verses
Sung by a solo male
From the North-East of Scotland
Tells a story of rural or farming life
Celtic rock (N5)
Mixes Celtic folk music and rock
Uses both traditional and popular instruments
Chorus (N5)
A group of singers or the music written for these singers
Classical (N5)
From approximately 1750-1810
Famous composers include Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn
Features larger orchestras than in the Baroque period
Gaelic psalm (N5)
Slow, unaccompanied Gaelic church tunes
Gospel (N5)
Development of the spirituals sung by slaves
Songs written with religious lyrics in a popular style
Performed by choirs/congregations
Accompanied by electric organ/piano and other popular instruments
Indian (N5)
Music from India
Uses instruments such as sitar and tabla
Minimalist (N5)
20th century style
Simple rhythmic and melodic figures are constantly repeated with slight changes
Pibroch (N5)
The classical music of the bagpipes
Usually a slow theme and variations
Symphony (N5)
Large work for orchestra
Usually in four movements
Waulking song (N5)
Gaelic work song
Sung when beating tweed
Sung in call and response
African music (N4)
Features voices and/or African drums
Baroque (N4)
From approximately 1600-1750
Famous composers include Bach, Vivaldi and Handel
Extensive use of ornamentation and sequence
Concerto (N4)
Work for solo instrument and orchestra
Mouth music (N4)
Unaccompanied songs with Gaelic or nonsense words
Performed by a solo voice or voices in unison
Normally sung for ceilidh dances
Opera (N4)
Drama set to music
Features soloists, chorus, orchestra and acting
Ragtime (N4)
Played on piano
Syncopated rhythm against a steady vamped accompaniment
Rapping (N4)
Rhyming lyrics that are spoken and performed in time to a beat
Popular in hip-hop music
Reggae (N4)
Developed in Jamaica in the 1960s
Strong accents on the 2nd and 4th beats of the bar
Romantic (N4)
From approximately 1810-1900
Famous composers include Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Chopin and Liszt
Larger orchestras than ever before and use of rubato
Scots ballad (N4)
Slow Scottish song that tells a story
Swing (N4)
Jazz style that started in the 1930s
Performed by a big band
In 4/4 time
Features a ‘cheese, mouldy cheese’ rhythm
Blues (N3)
Often in 4/4 and based on a 12 bar blues structure
Melody uses notes from the blues scale
Jazz (N3)
Often uses saxophone
Usually features syncopation and improvisation
Use of chords such as the added 6th
Latin American (N3)
Dance music from South America
Use of percussion instruments
Lively off-beat rhythms
Musical (N3)
A play which has speaking, singing and dancing and is performed on a stage
Pop (N3)
A style of popular music
Played by a group of musicians or a solo artist
Rock (N3)
Heavy, driving beat
Use of distortion
Usually features electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit
Rock ‘n’ roll (N3)
1950s American music
Grew from jazz, blues, gospel and country
Often uses a riff
