Music Appreciation: Melody, Harmony, Music Texture
Quarter Note
1 beat
Texture in Hallelujah
1. Monophonic: "For the Lord..." 2. Homophonic: "Hallelujah" 3. Polyphonic: "He shall reign..."
Harmony in Yesterday
1. Strings make it sound fuller 2. Harmony creates a sad mood 3. Arpeggio at the beginning of the song
Eighth Note
1/2 beat
Half Note
2 beats
Polyphonic Texture
2 or more melodies at the same time. Ex. Dixieland Jazz, The Tonight Ensemble, The Hallelujah chorus.
Whole Note
4 beats
Progression
A series of chords that follow a set order
Scale
A succession of 8 notes ascending order that is used as the basis of different melodies
Melody
A succession of tones each with their own duration and pitch that add up to a recognizable whole
C Major Scale
An order of 8 ascending tones that are C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C
Musical Texture
Different layers of sound
Leap
Far interval
Tonic Chord
First and Last chord in a piece of music.
Dominant Chord
Known as the five chord
Duration
Length of time a tone is held out
Staccato
Melody played in a short and detached style
Legato
Melody played in a smooth and connected style
Melody by Leap
Melody that uses LARGE intervals
Melody by Step
Melody that uses SMALL intervals
Dissonance
Music that gives a feeling of instability and tension. EX. Jaws theme song, Twilight Zone theme song
Consonance
Music that gives a feeling of stability and rest. EX. Church Music, Marches
Staff
Name for the five lines and four spaces. Each line has a different letter to designate pitch
Round
One melody is repeated over and over again, but at a different time in the song Ex. Row, Row, Row, Your Boat
Counterpoint and Imitation
Other types of musical techniques that describe polyphonic texture
Harmony
Set of tones that create the background of a piece of music. A. It helps to give the song a fuller sound B. It helps to create the mood the song is trying to give C. It blends with the melody so as to add more musical ideas to it.
Homophonic Texture
Single Melody with a simple accompaniment of just chords. Ex. Folk Music, Rock and Roll
Monophonic Texture
Single melody with no accompaniment Ex. The Star Spangled Banner, Nursery Rhymes, Christmas Carols, Gregorian Chant
Step
Small interval
Treble Clef
Symbolizes high pitches
Interval
The distance in vibrations between any two pitches
Resolution
The final resting place in a song.
Time Signature
The top number designates each measure will have 4 beats. The bottom designates that each eat will be a quarter note.
Chord
Three or more tones sounding at the same time
Arpeggio (Broken Chord)
type of chord where each pitch is sounded individually
