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