Terms - Chapter 1 Flashcards
How is frequency calculated?
In cycles per second, or hertz (hz).
All music consists of what?
Sound that occurs over a period of time
Define “pitch”
The relative highness or lowness of a musical sound, based on the speed of the vibrations in the sound.
Define “register”.
A set of pitches in the octave of one C to the next.
Define “texture”.
The the overall sound and feel of music or tone.
Define “melody”.
The movement from pitch to pitch within a line.
Define “polyphonic” or “contrapuntal” textures.
Several strands of melody being played at the same time.
Define “counterpoint”.
The technique of combining melodic lines.
Define “harmonies” and also “chord structures”.
A number of pitches occurring at the same time, blocks of sound with comparative densities.
Define “partial”
A step within the overtone series.
Define “fundamental”
The lowest partial in the overtone series; what determines the pitch or key of it.
Define “amplitude”
Strength, volume
Define “harmonics” and “overtones”
The higher partials in the harmonic series.
Define “tone”
A sound whose harmonics are related by whole-number ratios, and with regular vibrations.
Define “noise”
A sound with irregular vibrations.
