MUS 101 CH. 1- 12

Cadence

A cadence, or resting place, punctuates or ends a phrase in music much like a comma or period would in a sentence. The cadence is not necessarily conclusive, as it can give you the impression that there is more to come, but can also give a sense of finality to show that the melody has reached its end. A cadence is where a singer or instrumentalist pauses to take a breath.

Conjunct melody

A conjunct melody is one that moves principally through small, interconnected intervals. A popular example of a conjunct melody is "Joy to the World".

Disjunct melody

A disjunct melody is one that moves principally through larger, more disconnected intervals. A popular example of a disjunct melody is "Star Spangled Banner".

Melisma

A drawn-out word over many notes that emphasizes both the word and the meaning behind the music.

Melody

A melody is a succession of single pitches that we hear as a recognizable whole. Pitches are to words as melodies are to sentences. Every melody is unique in contour (how it moves up and down) and range (the span of pitches).

Pitch

A perceivable and measurable quality of any musical sound that depends on its frequency (number of vibrations per second) and the size/length of the vibrating object (ex: violin is higher pitched than cello because of shorter string length). Pitches are represented on staffs as notes, which have durations, volume, and tone colors, or timbre.

Phrase

A phrase in music is a unit of meaning within a larger structure. If one considers music to be a language, a phrase is a small unit of meaning in that language that ends on a cadence, or resting place.

Round

A popular form of canon in which each voice enters in succession with the same melody that can be repeated endlessly (think "Row Row Row Your Boat").

Sequence

A sequence is when a musical idea is restated, but at a lower or higher pitch level.

Ostinato

A short, repetitive musical pattern that can be either melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic. It is repeated throughout a work or major section of a piece.

Drone

A single sustained note, against which melodic and rhythmic complexities unfold.

Canon

A strictly imitative work.

Motive

A theme can be broken into smaller sections, called a motive. These are small melodic-rhythmic units, and are like building blocks that can be varied, repeated, or expanded.

Theme

A theme is a melodic idea in a large-scale work, used like a building block in the construction of the larger overall piece. The introduction of a theme and its elaboration are the essence of musical thinking. The expansion of a theme by means of varying its melody, rhythm, or harmony, is known as thematic development.

Timbre

Also known as tone color, timbre distinguishes instruments from each other. This is why one is able to tell a clarinet and a trumpet apart from one another.

Nonlexical

Although a piece of music may have text, it may have nonlexical syllables, or nonsense words. An example is "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah". Forms of nonlexical vocals include scat-singing and a using a technique called vocalise.

Accent

An accent is a stronger pronunciation on a beat or note. In Western music, accented beats repeat themselves at regular intervals, most commonly every other beat, every third beat, or every fourth.

Additive rhythm

An additive rhythm is when a larger pattern is built from simpler metric patterns, such as 2+3+3 = 8.

Interval

An interval is the distance between any two pitches. Melodies can move in small intervals, in a joined or connected manner, or in larger, disconnected intervals. Note: a tune may have both small and large intervals.

Octave

An octave is an interval spanning eight notes of the scale. In Western music, the octave is divided into twelve half steps (a.k.a. semitones), two of which make a whole step (tone).

Triple meter

Another basic pattern, in which there are three beats to one measure, with one strong downbeat and two weak beats. ONE two three ONE two three ONE two three.

Heterophony

Another common texture is heterophony, in which several musicians sing or play the same musical line, but with slightly varying elements in each part. They are usually subtle, nuanced variations in pitch or rhythm so that they are "out of sync" with each other.

Polyrhythm

Another technique to disrupt the monotony of regular patterns is polyrhythm, the simultaneous usage of rhythmic patterns that conflict with the underlying beat. An example of this is "two against three", or "three against four"; for example, in a piano piece the right hand might play two notes to a beat, while the left might play three to the same beat.

Dissonance

As music moves in time, we feel moments of tension and release. These moments of tension result from dissonance, a combination of notes that sounds unstable or sometimes harsh and is in need of resolution.

Idiophones

Bells or cymbals

Binary form

Binary form, or two-part form, is based on a statement and a departure, without a return to the opening section. (A-B)

Brass Instruments

Brass instruments are aerophones, and make noise by blowing air through tightly stretched lips and into and through a length of metal tubing, causing it to vibrate. Brass instruments include trumpet, French horn, trombone, and tuba.

Modulation

Changing to a different key, creating tension that must be resolved by returning to the home chord.

Countermelody

Complex music often features simultaneous melodies, though one is often more important than the others. The less important melody is called a countermelody (literally "against a melody").

Word-painting

Composers use word-painting to emphasize the text, perhaps with a drawn-out word over many notes (melisma) or with a melody that pictorializes a word.

Consonace

Consonance is an agreeable sounding combination of notes that provides a sense of relaxation and fulfillment. Consonance and dissonance complement each other and are both necessary parts of a larger musical whole.

Quadruple meter

Contains four beats to each measure, with a strong downbeat on the first and third beat. ONE two THREE four. It is sometime hard to distinguish between duple and quadruple meter, though the latter usually has a broader feeling.

Contrast

Contrast stimulates our interest and feeds our desire for change.

Counterpoint

Counterpoint, an essential part of polyphony, is the setting of one musical line against another to distribute equal melodic interest among all parts.

Membranophones

Drums (membrano because skin is drawn over them).

Dynamics

Dynamics denote the volume (degree of loudness or softness) at which music is played. Italian terms are also used to denote dynamics.

Flat

Flatting a note lowers the note by one half step.

Aerophones

Flutes or horns.

Human Voice Ranges

From highest to lowest: Soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass. The first three are generally female, while the latter three are generally male.

Musical Tempos

Grave: very, very slow Largo: very slow Adagio: quite slow Andante: a walking pace Moderato: moderate Allegro: fast (cheerful) Vivace: lively Presto: very fast

Chordophones

Guitars or stringed instruments.

Homorhythm

Homorhythm is a kind of homophony where all of the voices move together in the same rhythm. When there is text, all of the words are clearly sounded together.

Rhyme schemes

If a melody has words, the text and the musical phrases will often coincide, sometimes through the use of a rhyme scheme. Using "Amazing Grace" as an example, the text and music are of equal length and the text follows an A-B-A-B scheme.

Harmony

If melody is how music moves horizontally, then harmony describes the vertical aspects of music, and how notes sound together. Harmony is the simultaneous combination of sounds, and determines the relationships of intervals and chords, and how chords progress through music, creating a sense of harmony and unity.

Staff

In Western music, a staff is five parallel lines with symbols on it that denotes the pitches and duration of notes, length of rests, etc.

Compound meters

In compound meters the beat is divided into three, the most common of which being sextuple meter (compound duple). This goes ONE-and-a two-and-a.

Tonic

In most Western music, the first note of the scale (do) is considered the tonic, and serves as a home base around which the others revolve and ultimately return to.

Climax

In order to maintain the listener's interest, a melody is often carefully shaped, either by the composer of the music or the instrumentalist who is composing on the spot. A climax is the high point in a melodic line, often creating a striking effect, representing a peak in intensity and/or range. Using "The Star Spangled Banner" as an example once more, the climax is when the music builds in the last phrase "O'er the land of the free".

Through-composed form

In through-composed form, there is no main section of the music or text that is repeated; in this way, it is the exact opposite of strophic form.

Microtones

Intervals smaller than half steps, from which other scales used in music around the world are made up of.

Movement

Large-scale compositions, such as symphonies and sonatas, are divided into sections, or movements.

Call-and-response

Many cultures use call-and-response (a.k.a. responsorial) music, a repetitive style involving a soloist and a group.

Melismatic setting

Melismatic setting is when each syllable of a song text gets many notes.

Meter

Meters organize the beats into perceivable patterns, are denoted on the staff by measures, or bars. Each measure contains a fixed number of beats that are separated on the staff by regular vertical lines known as measure (bar) lines. Meter is essential because it organizes the flow of rhythm in music.

Sacred music

Music for worship has existed for centuries in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Latin was the language of the Roman Empire and Catholic Church and many learning institutes sponsored by the church until 1962, when the use of the vernacular was approved.

Rhythm

Music is propelled forward by rhythm, or the movement of music in time. Each individual note has a length or duration, either long or short. One might argue that rhythm is one of the single most important components of music, lest the piece fall apart if not strictly followed.

Form

Musical form is the organizing principle in music; its basic elements are repetition, contrast, and variation.

Neumatic setting

Neumatic setting is when each syllable of a song text gets a few notes.

Imitation

One technique that composers used to give music unity and shape in polyphony is imitation, in which a melodic idea is presented in one voice and then restated in another. While the first imitating voice restates the melody, the original voice continues with new material. If melody is horizontal and harmony vertical, a diagonal line is created with imitation.

Musical Dynamics

Pianissimo (pp): very soft Piano (p): soft Mezzo piano (mp): moderately soft Mezzo forte (mf): moderately loud Forte (f): loud Fortissimo (ff): very loud Crescendo (<): growing louder Decrescendo or diminuendo (>): growing softer

Improvisation

Pieces or sections of music that are composed spontaneously during the performance, in which repetition, contrast, and variation all play a role.

Polyphony

Polyphony describes a many-voiced texture with different melodic lines. Polyphony is based on counterpoint.

Repetition

Repetition fixes the material in our mind and satisfies our need for the familiar.

Scat-singing

Scat-singing is a vocal improvisation that uses wordless vocables. In these cases, the sounds and rhythms of the "text' contribute to the music and its broad meaning.

Secular music

Secular music is nonreligious music that is traditionally sung in the vernacular.

Sharp

Sharping a note raises a note by one half step.

Simple meters

Simple meters (simple duple, simple triple, and simple quadruple) divide the beat into two (ONE-and two-and, ONE-and two-and three-and, etc.)

Vocalise

Singers may use the technique of vocalise to make use of a singer's timbral characteristics, singing a wordless melody (like "ah").

Nonmetric

Some music moves without any strong sense of rhythm or meter, and is known as nonmetric.

String Instruments

String instruments are chordophones and are played with a bow or plucked with fingers, generally. Stringed instruments include the violin, the viola (often used to double another part), the violoncello or cello, and the double bass. Guitars include guitar and bass and banjo and mandolin.

Strophic form

Strophic form is one of the most common vocal musical forms, in both classical and popular music. The same melody is repeated with each stanza of the text; while the music within in a stanza offers some contrast, it is ultimately the repetition of the song that binds it together..

Syllabic setting

Syllabic setting is when each syllable of a song text gets one note.

Tempo

Tempo is the rate of speed, or pace, of the music. The flow of time in music involves meter patterns and tempo. Tempo can also carry emotional implications, as slower music often provokes despair, while fast music provokes excitement or agitation. We use Italian terms to designate tempo.

Ternary form

Ternary form extends the idea of a statement and departure by bringing it back to the first section. (A-B-A)

Texture

Texture refers to the interweaving of the melodic lines with harmony. Melodic lines are to threads as the entire piece is to fabric.

Beat

The beat is the basic unit of rhythm, a regular pulse that divides time into equal segments. Some beats are stronger than others, which we called accented beats.

Chromatic scale

The chromatic scale is made up of all twelve half steps, from which all Western music is comprised.

Contour

The contour of the melody is the overall shape the melody follows, going either upward, downward, or remaining static. This gives it a recognizable shape that is usually an ascending or descending line, arch, or wave.

Diatonic Scale

The diatonic scale is made up of seven whole and half steps whose patterns form major and minor scales.

Downbeat

The first accented beat of every metrical pattern is known as the downbeat, and refers to the downward stroke of the conductor's hand. Not all music begins on a downbeat.

Vibrato

The human voice is able to produce vibrato, a slight throbbing effect.

Scale

The intervals from which chords and melodies are made up are built from a collection of pitches arranged in a ascending or descending order, known as a scale. The pitches of a scale are assigned numbers (1-8) or syllables (Do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do). An interval spanning eight notes is known as an octave, and is the same pitch as the first but raised.

Key

The key denotes the tonic that the piece is built upon. For example, a piece in the key of C is built around the central tone of C.

Major Scale

The major scale is the most familiar sequence of pitches (DO-RE-MI-FA-SOL-LA-TI-DO)

Duple meter

The most basic metrical pattern, which alternates a strong downbeat with a weaker one, called an upbeat. ONE two ONE two ONE two ONE two.

Triad

The most common chord in Western music, a triad is a particular combination of three pitches.

Syncopation

The most common technique to keep the recurring accent from becoming monotonous is syncopation, in which the normal pattern of accents is deliberately upset and the accent is shifted to a weaker beat, known as an offbeat.

Homophony

The most commonly heard texture, homophony is when a single voice takes over the melodic interest, while the accompanying lines are subordinate. Normally, the accompanying lines become blocks of harmony to support and/or enhance the line.

Pentatonic Scale

The pentatonic scale is formed around five notes.

Tonality

The principle of harmonic organization around a central note is known as tonality.

Range

The range of a melody is the distance between the lowest and highest note of a melody. This span can be very small or very wide, and as such the range is often described in approximate terms - narrow, medium, or wide.

Monophony

The simplest texture is monophony, a single voice without any accompaniment.

Tonic Chord

The tonic chord, built on the first scale note, is the home base to which active chords (dominant (V) and subdominant (IV)) need to resolve.

Vernacular

The vernacular is the language of the people, which secular music is generally sung in.

Transposition

Transposing is taking a composition and changing it an entire different key.

Variation

Variation falls between repetition and contrast, as some aspects of the music are altered but the original form is still recognizable.

Voice

Voice refers to an individual part or line, even in instrumental music. A voice can be a vocal line; however, it is important to recognize what we are talking about when referring to "voice".

Chord

When three or more notes are sounded together, a chord is produced.

Woodwind instruments

Woodwinds are aerophones, and produce sound with a column of air vibrating within a pipe that has fingerholes along its length. Woodwinds include flute, oboe, clarinet, English horn, bassoon, and saxophone, all with complementary instruments with some variation (ex: bass clarinet).