WEEK 3

Question 1

How are meter and grouping different?

Answer 1

1) There are two different ways of organizing time.
a) Meter does this by regular accent. It consists of pulse streams not actual events.
b) Grouping does this by repetition, change, and formulas. It consists of actual events.

Question 2

What is a rhythmic cadence?

Answer 2

A rythmic cadence is a pattern involving meter and rhythm that creates closure for a segment.
(REFER TO notes for an example.)

Question 3

What is syncopation?

Answer 3

When a duration begins just before the next beat and ends after it.

Question 4

When identifying syncopation, one must always specify…

Answer 4

It is attacked on a stronger beat than the beat is held through.

Question 5

When is music continuity sustained?

Answer 5

1) A pitch sustains, or repeats with legato articulation.
2) A series of events is directed in pitch or loudness.
3) Regular attacks or accents maintain an existing pulse, especially the tactus.

Question 6

What is simple meter?

Answer 6

Meter involving just two pulse streams, in which the tactus divides a slower pulse stream by two (in duple meter) by three (triple meter).

Question 7

What is compound meter?

Answer 7

Meter involves three or more pulse streams, such as 4/4, 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8.

Question 8

What is common time?

Answer 8

4/4 meter.

Question 9

What is complex meter?

Answer 9

A slow pulse stream is divided both,

by a regular (fast) pulse stream and by a repeated but irregular pattern of accent.

Question 10

What is an anacrusis?

Answer 10

The part of a segment (if any) before the first strong beat in the segment.

Question 11

What is metric accent when there is no other accent?

Answer 11

(Only possible after meter has been established for the listener - at least two measures after beginning).

Question 12

What is a pitch interval?

Answer 12

Difference in pitch from one sound to another

Question 13

What do melodic pitch intervals have that simultaneity pitch intervals do not?

Answer 13

Direction (up and down)

Question 14

What are the three most important pitch intervals?

Answer 14

Whole Tone (T) 
Semi Tone (S) = Half of a tone 
Octave = 6T = 12S

Question 15

What is a pitch class?

Answer 15

A family of octave related pitches

Question 16

What are some advantages of using a limited number of pitches?

Answer 16

1) Makes change clear - Accent, Pulse, Meter, Duration motives and their repetition.
2) Recognize pitch repetition.

Question 17

Define scale

Answer 17

A distinctive way of dividing an octave into a series of smaller intervals.

Question 18

How are scales distinguished?

Answer 18

By the way they divide the octave

Question 19

What is a step?

Answer 19

-Interval between adjacent pitches

Question 20

What is a leap?

Answer 20

-Interval between non-adjacent pitches

Question 21

What is a “gapped” scale?

Answer 21

Scale with a step that is greater than a tone.

Question 22

What two things are neccesary to name a pitch precisely?

Answer 22

Class and Register

Question 23

What are the four common types of scales?

Answer 23

Whole-tone scale (TTTTTT)
Chromatic Scale (SSSSSSSSSSS)
Octatonic scale (TsTsTsTs)
Diatonic scale(TsTTsTT)

Question 24

What is a “correct” way to name a pitch?

Answer 24

The way that most clearly shows how all the pitches in the segment are organized into scales.

Question 25

What makes two pitches enharmonically equivalent?

Answer 25

If they are played on the same piano key but have different letter names.