Enjoyment of Music Montana State University Test 1 2021
Scale
a group of consecutive pitches filling out an octave
Orchestra
a larger ensembles
Chamber Orchestra
for smaller ensembles with ten or more instruments
Cantus Firmus
a secular melody from a love song by the same name
Block Chords
four parts aligned vertically in homophony
Cadence
gives a sense of momentary rest or conclusion at the end of a melody
Decrescendo
gradually getting softer
Triplet
group of three notes marked by the numeral 3, indicating that they have the same duration as two notes of the same value
Ensembles
groups of musicians
Melody
a succession of pitches in a particular shape
Woodwinds
aerophones
Brass
aerophones made of metal
Imitative Counterpoint
after one line begins, it is imitated by other lines of music, typically one at a time
Dynamics
how loud or soft a pitch is
Texture
how melodic lines blend in a composition
Dissonance
an interval or chord that sounds harsh and unstable
Consonance
an interval or chord that sounds stable and pleasant
Disjunct Melody
by leap
Conjunct Melody
by step
Natural Sign
cancels a preceding flat or sharp
Tonic
central or basic pitch around which a melody develops
Key Signature
immediately after the clef sign, identifies which sharp and flat notes remain valid throughout a composition
Strings
chordophones
Octave
complete series of eight pitches
Canon
counterpoint that makes extensive use of imitation
Chorus
large group of singers, consisting of female and male musicians divided according to their range into parts
Percussion
membranophones and idiophones
Melody
memorable succession of pitches
Polyphony
multiple sounds lines
Neumes
dashes, dots, curved, hook-like figures that could be used to represent musical tones
Conductor
directs a large ensemble with a baton, making beats of the music
Dotted Note
dot placed after a not extends the note by half its value
Allegro
fast
Pentatonic Scale
features only five pitches per octave instead of seven
Downbeat
first beat of each measure where the natural accent falls
Eighth Note
flags attached to stems or beamed together, equal to half of a quarter note
Half Note
oval with stem attached, equal to half of a whole note
Partials or Overtones
partial sounds generated by a vibrating medium in addition to the fundamental pitch
Whole Tone Scale
scale in which the octave is divided equally into six whole steps
Measures or Bars
segments divided by a measure line
Staff
series of five lines and four spaces used to notate music
Choir
smaller vocal ensemble
Quarter Note
solid note head with stem attached, equal to half of a half note
Women
soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto
Time Signature
specifies meter
Crescendo
steadily increasing in volume or force
Syncopation
stress falls on the second and fourth beat of each measure
Men
tenor, baritone, alto
Homophony
texture with a single melodic line accompanied by block-like chords
Harmony
the combination of simultaneously sounded pitches to produce a pleasing effect
Non-Imitative Counterpoint
the different parts are relatively independent; the second part shares no material with the first
Interval
the distance between any two pitches
Beat
the fundamental pulse in a musical composition
Rhythm
the organization of sounds into time-related relationships
Form
the overarching plan that holds a piece together
Rhythm 2
the pattern of sound durations
Timbre
the quality of sound of a musical instrument or voice
Frequencies
the rates of vibrations produced
Half Steps
the smallest interval used in western music
Form
the structural organization of a composition
Texture
the type of fabric of sound that the composer chooses to use
Chromatic Scale
the western scale where the octave is divided into twelve half steps
Triple Meter
three beats per measure
Triad
three-note chord, constructed by stacking two thirds
Duple Meter
two beats per measure
Harmony 2
vertical combination of pitches to produce chords
Whole Note
oval shaped note, typically the longest value note
Phrases
melodic portions that are self-contained
Fundamental Pitch
a basic pitch that generates a series of harmonics
Minor Scale
a scale of seven different pitches using a succession of whole and half steps, with the eighth pitch duplicating the first one octave above: half step between the second and third pitches
Major Scale
a scale of seven different pitches using a succession of whole and half steps, with the eighth pitch duplicating the first one octave above: whole step between the second and third pitches
Upbeat
a weak beat that precedes a downbeat and prepares us for the next measure
Counterpoint
art of fitting one line of music against another different line
Tempo
basic pace of the music
Key
basic pitch and scale around which a melody is based
Beat 2
basic pulse of he music
Compound Meter
beats subdivided into smaller groupings of three
Electrophones
instruments that generate sound electronically
Aerophones
instruments that use columns of air to produce sounds
Chordophones
instruments with strings
Membranophones
instruments with tautly stretched membranes that produce sounds when played
Tie
joins two or more notes together to produce a rhythmic value equal to the sum of the individual notes
Idiophones
made of solid materials that produce sound when struck, rubbed or shaken
Chamber Music
music intended to be performed in small, intimate setting by nine or fewer musicians
Accents
naturally felt stresses that greater divisions of beats and establish sense of meter
Fantasia
polyphonic composition built around consecutive points of imitation
Timbre
quality of sound that differentiates one instrument from another
Meter
regular arrangement of stressed and unstressed beats
Pitch
relative height of a musical sound
Accidental
sharp, flat, or natural that indicates a momentary departure from the key signature by raising or lowering a note
Ledger Lines
short horizontal lines extending the staff to accommodate pitches outside the range of the staff
Clef
sign that appears at the beginning of the staff to help identify pitches
Rests
silence in measured quantities
Monophony
simple texture; one musician performs a single line of music, or several musicians perform a single line of music in unison
Sharp
slightly higher than a basic pitch
Flat
slightly lower than a basic pitch
Adagio
slow
Tonality
system of musical organization that depends on a network of harmonic relationships, all centered on consonant triads
Whole Step
the interval consisting of two half steps
Dynamics
the levels of loudness and softness in music