Music Appreciation Test 1

Theme

A melody that serves as a basis for a composition or a section of a composition

Theme

A melody that serves as a basis for composition or a section of a composition.

Fugue

A musical work that relies on imitative polyphony with a main theme called the subject.

Diatonic Scale

A set of pitches which exist within a given key or tonal center. It includes five whole steps and two half steps for each octave (C major scale)

Cadence

A short series of chords that provide a musical point of rest.

Monophonic Texture

A single melodic line without any accompaniment.

Plectrum

A small piece of quill, wood, ivory, metal, plastic, or other material that is used to pluck the strings of an instrument.

Vibrato

A small pitch fluctuation used to create a richer or more intense sound.

Register

A specific section of the range of a voice or instrument

Modal scales

Having to do with the modes in which Gregorian chants were sung or music based on those Gregorian modes.

Key

Is defined by the tonic and the scale (ex. major or minor) from which its pitches are drawn

Homophonic Texture

Music with one clearly dominant melody line accompanied by subordinate music that supports the melody.

Polyphonic Texture

Music with two or more melodic lines of relatively equal interest and importance that occur at the same time and move with their own distinct rhythms and contours

Dampers

Pieces of felt that are pressed onto the strings, bars, or tubes to stop the sound.

Resonate

Producing a loud, clear, rich sound for an extended time

Pitch

Refers to the relative highness or lowness of a sound and is the result of the number of vibrations per second made by the sounding instrument or voice

Timbre

Refers to tone color or tone quality. The character of a sound that distinguishes one instrument or voice from another.

Textures

refers to how many layers or lines of sound are heard, what kinds of layers they are, and how they are related to each other.

Transcription

(Also called arrangement) it involves reworking of adapting a musical composition written for a particular instrument, voice, or group so that it may be played by another instrument, voice, or group.

Block chord

A chord in which all of the notes are sounded together simultaneously.

Rondo Form

A form based in the repeated return of the same theme or section in the tonic key that alternates with contrasting themes or sections (ABABA, ABACA)

Resonator

A hollow, open cavity which allows the sound to resonate

Luthier

A maker of stringed instruments

Pentatonic

A scale containing 5 notes

Chromatic Scale

A scale that uses all 12 pitches within the octave by having a pattern comprised of only half step intervals.

Whole Tone Scale

A scale that uses only whole step intervals, resulting in a scale of 6 notes between octaves

Binary Form

A two-part form made of 2 contrasting sections in which both the first and second parts are often repeated.

Motive

A very short melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic pattern that is easily remembered and unifies a composition.

Strophic Form

A vocal form in which each verse of lyrics is sung to same melody

Idiomatic

A work that exploits the particular capabilities of the instrument(s) or voice(s) for which it was created.

Pizzicato

An indication that the player is to pluck the strings with the fingers instead of using the bow

Melody

An organized succession of pitches that seem to belong together.

Sympathetic Vibrations

Caused when an object vibrates as a reaction to sound waves that match its resonating frequency

Ternary Form

Consists of 3 major sections, it features an opening section (A), a contrasting middle section (B), and then a repeat of the opening section (A).

Sampling

Digitally recording an external sound that can then be manipulated by a synthesizer

Mute

For brass instruments, a device inserted in or held against the bell to alter the timbre

Tonic Chord

The chord based on the tonic pitch of a scale or key

Style

The features that characterize musical works or performances and make them unique

Form

The general plan or structure of a piece of music.

Meter

The organization of beats, and also rhythm, into regularly recurring patterns

Tonic pitch

The primary pitch of a scale or key

Unison

The same pitch, no interval.

Contour

The visual and auditory "shape" of the melodic line