Test 1 Definitions

Question 1

Cutting contests

Answer 1

competitions for piano players to try to outplay each other. (focused on speed)

Question 2

Creoles of Color

Answer 2

New Orlean’s large mixed race population

Question 3

Spiritual

Answer 3

songs sung by black slaves with Christian themes

Question 4

Blues Notes

Answer 4

note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard

Question 5

Minstrelsy

Answer 5

featured men in blackface who mostly derogatorily portrayed caricatures of African Americans.

Question 6

Vibrato

Answer 6

slight wavering of pitch that goes a little above and below the actual desired pitch to give warmth to the tone.

Question 7

Mutes

Answer 7

change the sound of a brass instrument, can give a vocal like effect

Question 8

Lick

Answer 8

a stock pattern or phrase

Question 9

Break

Answer 9

rhythm section (piano, bass, drums) stops playing behind a soloist for a brief period

Question 10

Hot band

Answer 10

blend of ragtime, blues, and brass band marches

Question 11

Sweet band

Answer 11

A group that plays music that avoids jazz style (swing era) and plays it straight.

Question 12

Polyphony

Answer 12

musical texture of two or more simultaneous melodies.

Question 13

Transcription

Answer 13

process of listening to a line or a lick from a record and then working out the notes and the rhythm using your ears.

Question 14

Rent party

Answer 14

Persons who needed money to pay their rent held rent parties

Question 15

Harlem Renaissance

Answer 15

ntellectual and cultural revival of African American music centered in Harlem in 1920s-30s

Question 16

Scat singing

Answer 16

the singing of nonsense syllables in an instrument-like manner,

Question 17

Song plugger

Answer 17

musical matchmakers who pitch compositions to recording artists and record label teams in the hopes of making a hit.

Question 18

Tin Pan Alley

Answer 18

(the name given at the time to the Pop song business) New York City music publishers