Enjoyment of Music (Module 1)
imitative counterpoint
A particular type of counterpoint in which one voice introduces a new theme and is answered ("imitated") by other voices that enter in succession shortly afterward, even as the first voice continues to sing or play.
Octave
8 line stanza
Treble Clef
Used for the higher sounding pitches. Also known as the G clef.
Bass Clef
Used for the lower sounding pitches. Also called F clef.
scale
a group pf consecutive pitches filling out an octave
cleft
a musical symbol placed at the beginning of the staff to indicate which pitches are represented on the staff
half note
a note half the value of a whole note, twice the value of a quater note, etc
eight notes
a note one half the value of a quarter note
dotted note
a note with a dot placed after it to increase its rhythmic vale by one half
phrase
a self-contained portion of a melody
staff (stave)
a series of five lines and four spaces used to notate music
accidental
a sharp, flat or natural written before a note
middle c
fortieth of the 88 keys on the piano and is notated on the first ledger line below the tree staff or on the first above the bass staff
gapped scale
found in folk music of various cultures; similar to a major scale, one of the most common is the pentatonic scale
repeat marks
a sign (11: :11) indicating that a passage is to be repeated
crescendo
growing louder
natural sign
a sign used to cancel a previous sharp or flat
semitone
half step
melody
a succession of pitches with a memorable shape
soprano
highest female voice
Harmony
agreement, often of sound
flat
an accidental sign before a note, indicating that the note should be lowered by one half step
sharp
an accidental sign before a note, indicating that the note should be raised by one half step
Consonace
an interval or chord that sounds stable and pleasant, as opposed to dissonance
dissoance
an interval or chord that sounds unstable and harsh, as opposed to consonance
tonic
central or basic pitch
canon
composition in which the pitches of one part are strictly imitated by one or more other parts; counterpoint that makes extensive use of imitation
vivace
lively
alto (female)
middle female voice
Moderato
moderately
Allegretto
moderately fast
Andante
moderately slow, but moving
Overtones
High frequency sound waves
tenor
Highest male voice
intervals
distance between two pitches
Membranophones
drums
chamber music
ensemble music for up to about ten players, with one player to a part
Allegro
fast tempo
polyphonic texture
performance of two or more melodic lines of relatively equal interest at the same time
whole tone scale
scale in which the octave is divided equally into six whole steps
downbeat
the accented beat tat the beginning of the measure
counter point
the art of setting musical lines against one another
key
the basic pitches and scale around which is a melody is based
beat
the basic pulse of a composition
key signature
the collection of sharps or flats at the beginning of a staff to indicate which pitches should be raised or lowered
non imitative counter point
the different parts are relatively independent
interval
the distance between two pitches
note
the notational symbol for a pitch
Frequrncy
the rate of vibration produced in sound
pitch
the relative height or depth of a musical sound
notation
the system of symbols used in writing down music
chromatic scale
the western scale in which the octave is divided into twelve half steps
triple meter
three beats per measure (the star bangled banner)
ternary form
three part musical form
duple meter
two beats per measure (marches)
chord
two or more notes sounded simultaneously
Phrases
units that make up a melody
harmonic
used to describe the various "partial" sounds generated by a vibrating medium in addition to the fundamental pitch
Presto
very fast
largo (tempo)
very slow
grave
very slow, solemn
Partials
All frequency components that make up the total waveform, including the fundamental and the overtones
orchestra
Circular dancing place where actors and chorus performed
Texture (music)
In music, it refers to the way multiple voices (or instruments) interact in a composition. One may also think of texture as a description of musical hierarchy: which voice is most prominent? Are all the voices equal?
Idiophones
Instruments that produce sound by being struck. ( cumbal, gong, xylophone)
compound meter
Meter in which each beat is subdivided into three rather than two (beautiful dreamer- stephen foster)
cadence
Rhythmic rise and fall- ex: "at the twilights last gleaming" *pause*; a series of notes or chords that suggest a musical pause or ending
Disjucnt
melodic motion by skip, as opposed to conjunct
Areophones
Wind instruments such as flutes, horns, etc.
fundamental pitch
a basic pitch that generates a series of harmonics
cut time
a meter used in marches indicated as 2/2
common time
a meter with four quarter- beats per measure, indicated by C or 4/4
binary form
a musical form consisting of two units (A and B) constructed to balance and complement each other
major scale
a scale of seven different pitches using a succession of a whole and half steps, with the eighth duplicating the first one octave above; a marker of the major scale is the whole step between the second and third pitches
minor scale
a scale of seven different pitches using a succession of a whole and half steps, with the eighth duplicating the first one octave above; a marker of the minor scale is the half step between the second and third pitches
pentatonic scale
a scale that features only five pitches per octave instead of seven
decrescendo
becoming softer
Electrophones
instruments that produce sound using electricity
Chodophones
instruments with strings
forte
loud
contralto
lowest female voice
bass
lowest male voice
fundamental pitch
lowest partial of the harmonic series; the pitch that is perceived as the sounding pitch
baritone
male voice between bass and tenor
conjunct
melodic motion by half step or whole step
twelve-tone music
music where the 12 pitches of the chromatic scale were used in various configurations before any were repeated
pure tone
musical tone without a partial
timbre
quality of sound that differentiates one instrument from another; Examples of timbre are the ways used to describe the sound, so words such as Light, Flat, Smooth, Smoky, Breathy, Rough, and so on are what you use to distinguish one sound from another. How you recognize the different sounds or voices you hear is attributed to the timbre.
beat (music)
regular pulse of music
homophonic texture
single line of melody supported by a harmonic accompaniment
monophonic texture
single melodic line without accompaniment
Adagio
slow
adagio
slow, a movement in a slow tempo
chamber orchestra
small orchestra
ledger line
small parts of imaginary lines above and below the staff to accommodate extra pitches
half step
the interval before successive pitches of the chromatic scale; the smallest interval in most western music
ocatave
the interval between the first and last pitches of a scale, as in c-c. D-D, etc
whole step (whole tone)
the interval consisting of two half steps
unison
the interval formed when two voices or instruments perform the same pitch
dynamics
the levels of loudness and softness in music