Fundamentals of Western Music Quiz 2

Dot

Adds half of the note value's duration.

Perfect Unison

An interval that has no difference between two notes

Blues Scale

Minor pentatonic scale plus 5th tritone.

Tuning system

Selection, organization, and control of pitches in a musical tradition.

Time signatures (compound meter)

top number indicates the number of subdivisions in a measure (usually 6,9, 12, 15, in compound meter). divide this number by 3 for the number of beats in a measure. In compound meter the beat values are dotted notes. Bottom number usually indicates the subdivision note value (usually 8 or 16).

Whole-tone

using only whole steps.

Articulation

"How the sound begins" goes on, and dies away.

Octave

1. An interval between 2 pitches when the higher is 2/1 (2x) the lower frequency. 2. a stanza of eight lines. 3. a musical interval embracing eight diatonic degrees. 4. the interval between two frequencies (as in an electromagnetic spectrum) having a ratio of 2 to 1. 5. a group of eight. 6. the whole series of notes, tones, or digitals comprised within this interval and forming the unit of the modern scale.

Octatonic

8 notes examples include Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka chord from ballet petruska and John coltrane "Straight no Chaser" on milestones Miles Davis Sexter.

Consonance

A "pleasing"-sounding interval that conveys a sense of stability and does not require resolution according to certain historical and cultural conventions in Western music. Perfect intervals = unison (1:1), Octave (2:1) Perfect fifth (3:2) perfect fourth.

Slur

A curved line linking two or more notes to be played smoothly (legato) not detached.

Groove

A distinctive persistently repeated pattern that compels the body to move.

Glissando

A fast swooping slide up or down across a few pitches.

Fermata

A long-held note or rest.

Minor Sixth

A musical interval of the Western twelve-semitone system consisting of eight semitones and spanning six degrees of the diatonic scale. It is one semitone narrower than a major sixth and enharmonically equivalent to an augmented fifth. 6 letters 8 half steps. Example for ascending includes The Entertainer. Example for descending includes the Theme from Love Story.

Major seventh

A musical interval of the Western twelve-semitone system consisting of eleven semitones and spanning seven degrees of the diatonic scale. It is one semitone wider than a minor seventh and enharmonically equivalent to a diminished octave. 7 letters 11 half steps. Example for ascending includes Take on me. No example for descending.

Perfect Fourth

A musical interval of the Western twelve-semitone system consisting of five semitones and spanning four degrees of the diatonic scale. It is enharmonically equivalent to an augmented third. 4-5 letters 6 half steps. Example for ascending includes Here comes the bride. Example for descending includes adeste fideles.

Major Third

A musical interval of the Western twelve-semitone system consisting of four semitones and spanning three degrees of the diatonic scale. Major scales are so named because of the major third interval between the tonic and mediant of a major tonic triad. It is enharmonically equivalent to a diminished fourth. 3 letters 4 half steps. Example of ascending includes Kumbaya. Example for descending includes Summertime.

Major Sixth

A musical interval of the Western twelve-semitone system consisting of nine semitones and spanning six degrees of the diatonic scale. It is one semitone wider than a minor sixth and enharmonically equivalent to a diminished seventh. 6 letters 9 half steps. Example for ascending includes NBC Theme. Example for descending includes Over There.

Minor Seventh

A musical interval of the Western twelve-semitone system consisting of ten semitones and spanning seven degrees of the diatonic scale. It is one semitone narrower than a major seventh and enharmonically equivalent to an augmented sixth. 7 letters 10 half steps Example for ascending includes Somewhere. No example for descending

Minor Third

A musical interval that spans two degrees of diatonic scale. 3 letters 3 half steps. Example for ascending includes O' Canada. Example of descending includes Hey Jude.

Staccato

A note played very shortly and crisply, detached from the next note.

Trill

A rapid alternation of two adjacent pitches.

Swing

A rhythmic style in which the first of a pair of written eighth notes is played longer than the second, even twice as long, the second might also be slightly accented.

Riff

A short repeated phrase in popular music and jazz.

Ostinato

A short repeating melodic, rhythmic and/or harmonic pattern.

Scale

A stepwise series of pitches ascending or descending within the span of one octave providing the template of pitches to be used for composing music in a certain key.

Integer

A whole number.

Perfect Fifth

An interval equal to that of between the second and third harmonics of the harmonic series; in equal temperament, an interval of seven semitones spanning five degrees of the diatonic scale. It is enharmonically equivalent to a diminished sixth. 5 letters 7 half steps. Example for ascending includes the Theme from Star Wars. Example for descending includes Theme from Superman.

Minor Second

An interval that is equivalent to one half step 2 letters 1 half step example of ascending includes theme song from jaws. Example of descending includes Joy to the world.

Major Second

An interval that is equivalent to two half steps 2 letter 2 half steps. Example for ascending includes Happy Birthday. Example of descending includes Three Blind Mice.

Monochord

Ancient single string instrument with a moveable bridge. Useful for demonstrating musical pitches with different lengths of string (Ratio). Musical sound waves have regular rational waveforms.

Mixed meter

Combinations of different alternating meters (usually mixing 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4).

Musical Space

Conceptual ways to represent the range and placement of musical tones. Acoustically (as pitches, Intervals, Chords, etc.) and physically (With instruments, the body.

Beam

Connected flags for subdivisions that occur within a single beat "beam the beat" = beam together all the rhythmic values that comprise of one beat.

Tie

Connects two notes of the same pitch to combine their durations and extend their length.

Pentatonic

Five tones.

Tritone

Intervals of three whole tones (6 half steps). The pitches directly across from each other on the circle 1: square root of 2. in geometry the length of a diagonal across a square with sides of one unit of length.

Neumes

Markings above text syllables indicating approximate movement of pitches for singing.

Frequency

Measured in Vibrations/beats/cycles per second. Hertz=hz. Range of human hearing 20 Hz-20,000 Hz. 1 Hz= 1 cycle per second. Wave length of 1 second. 2Hz= 2 cycles per second. Wave length of 1/2 second (wave twice as fast, pitch twice as high).

Asymmetric meter

Meter with beats of unequal length (combines simple and compound meter patterns).

Legato (Italian bound)

Notes are linked smoothly and flowingly together, as in singing.

A440 (A=440 Hz)

Now standard tuning for orchestras.

Pizzicato

On bowed string instruments, plucking the strings with the fingers.

Hemiola

Rhythmic pattern in which three duple values occur in place of two triple values. Some examples include America from West Side Story and Fandango from north by Northwest.

Polyrhythm

Rhythms with two different subdivisions (like duple vs triple) played simultaneously with synchronized down beats.

The Guardian hand

Six voices ascending and descending in natural (c-a) soft (f-d) and hard (g-e) Learn your hand well if you want to learn how to sing. Without the hand you learn in vain through many years.

Solmization

Solfege- Developed by Guido Arezzo 1026. Mnemonic aid for placement of pitches. (pattern of whole steps and half steps). System based on plainchant hymn. The first six syllable of each phrase is the name of the pitch. 6 syllables Do Re Mi Fa So La...

Staff

Standard grid of lines and spaces representing musical space for placement of pitches.

Clef

Symbol indicating specific pitch line on the staff. Examples include treble clef and bass clef.

Fifth

The interval between 2 pitches when the higher is 3/2 (1.5x) the lower frequency.

Time signature

The numerical indication of meter and beat structure. In simple meter, top number indicates the number of beats in a measure. The bottom number indicates which note value (2,4,8,16) gets one beat.

Interval

The ratio and/or distance between two successive or simultaneous pitches. Harmonic interval = two pitches sounding at once. Melodic interval = two pitches sounding one after the other.

Pitch

The relative highness or lowness of a tone (A musical Sound). Determined by frequency of vibration of sound waves.

Plainchant

The sacred repertoire of unaccompanied melodies setting the words of Biblical and Roman Catholic liturgical texts.

Measure (Bar)

Vertical lines on the staff that partition the number of beats in a meter

Exotic

intervals and scales that a considered exotic. Minor second major second augmented second Hava nagila is an example of one of these.

Hexatonic

six tones examples include Stevie Wonder You are the sunshine of my life. and Franz Liszt concert etude no. 3 in D flat major "un Sospiro".