Music Appreciation Unit One Quizzes
In what century did the Renaissance begin?
15th century
Ensembles grew during the _____ century.
19th
Which is a true statement?
A chord may be built on any note of the scale.
The stressing of a note so that it is louder. "The first beat is accented and sounds louder than the second beat."
Accent
The basic unit for measuring time. The term is also used to refer to the pulse of music. "This piece has a great beat." "How many beats are in the fourth measure?"
Beat
The basic unit of rhythm is the.....
Beat
Two parts A-B, statement-departure
Binary
trumpet (also coronet), French horn, trombone (also bass trombone), euphonium/baritone, tuba
Brass
The end of a phrase. Can be conclusive or inconclusive, just as in sentence structure.
Cadence
Chorus, choir. SATB vocal designations (soprano, alto, tenor, bass/baritone).
Choral ensembles
Three or more simultaneously sounding notes
Chord
Music that uses many, or all, of the 12 semitones of an octave. Or, any note in a piece of music that is not found in the employed scale. "This piece of music is in C Major, but there is an E-flat in the third measure. Since C Major doesn't contain an E-flat, that note is considered to be a chromatic note."
Chromatic
Noting style traits helps define.
Composer, era and type of work.
Which of the following is NOT a simple meter?
Compound
First violin player, historically head musician of orchestra.
Concert master
The __________ is an online resource to consult before attending a live performance.
Concertgoer's Guide
Person who leads rehearsals and performances of musical ensembles.
Conductor
_______ refers to an agreeable-sounding combination of notes that provides a sense of relaxation and fulfillment.
Consonance
Which of the following is an important skill?
Developing musical memory.
Music that uses only the seven tones of a major or minor scale. "This piece is diatonic because it starts in F Major and doesn't contain any notes outside of F Major."
Diatonic
A combination of tones that sounds unstable and needs resolution.
Dissonance
The first accented beat of each metric pattern is known as the
Downbeat
2/4, 4/4 (quadruple meter) - one accented beat alternates with one unaccented beat.
Duple meter
Crescendo is to get louder. Decrescendo (diminuendo) is to get softer.
Dynamic Relationship
The degree of loudness of softness of a note. Often used Italian terms: pianissimo (really soft), piano (soft), mezzo-piano (somewhat soft), mezzo-forte (medium loud), forte (loud), fortissimo (really loud). "The clarinet can play much more piano than the tuba." Just like tempo, dynamics can change abruptly or gradually, depending on the desired effect or meaning.
Dynamics
A generic term used to refer to any performance group.
Ensemble
A melodic line that moves by small intervals is called consonant.
False
All music has a strong, discernable beat.
False
Composers have indicated specific instruments since early times.
False
Composers indicate tempo and mood to the performers so that there is no leeway for interpretation.
False
Listening to music while exercising is an example of active listening.
False
Polyphony occurs when several meters are played simultaneously.
False
Simple meters are meters in which the beats are divided into three.
False
Taking notes while listening to music is a bad idea.
False
The downbeat coincides with the upward stroke of a conductor's hand.
False
In duple meter, the accent is typically on which beat?
First
In triple meter, the strongest accent is typically on which beat?
First
Structure and design in music, based on repetition, contrast and variation.
Form
the rate of vibration (usually measured per second) The primary determinant of the listener's perception of pitch
Frequency
A composition in the key of G major uses harmonies formed from which scale?
G Major
The simultaneous combination of notes and the ensuing relationships of intervals and chords. Refers to the vertical aspect of music. Gives depth to the melody. Major harmonies sound happy, minor harmonies sound sad.
Harmony
Principal melodic material with subordinate harmonic accompaniment. For example, a singer with guitar accompaniment.
Homophonic
Melodic idea presented in one voice and then restated in another, each part continuing as others enter. Polyphonic.
Imitation
Which of the following is a true statement?
In diatonic music, both the melody and the harmony are firmly rooted in the key.
Refers to a mechanism that produces musical vibrations and propels them into the air. Instruments divided into families: strings, winds (woodwinds), brass, percussion, keyboard by how the sound is created, not by the material of the instrument. For example, the sax is typically made of brass but is a wind instrument because the sound is created by a vibrating air column
Instrument
Chamber ensembles (smaller groups performing in smaller spaces, such as string quartet), Orchestras (large group performing in large space, such as symphony orchestra), Bands (such as marching band). Know various examples of each.
Instrumental ensembles
: In harmonic terms, the distance between two simultaneously sounding notes.
Interval
The distance between any two notes (in melodic terms refers to two sequential notes, usually adjacent). "The interval of the first and second note is a fifth."
Interval
Tempo and dynamic markings are usually given in
Italian
Piano (percussive action), Organ (for pipe organ, air passes through pipes), Harpsichord (plucking action)
Keyboard
_________ was the language of learning at medieval and Renaissance universities.
Latin
Active listening does NOT mean.
Letting the music be teh background activity.
A unit of musical time consisting of a fixed number of note-values of a given type, as determined by the meter, and is visually defined by the vertical lines along the staff. "Let's start in the tenth measure." Also referred to as the 'bar.' "This melody has eight bars."
Measure
An organized (and usually coherent) succession of pitches. The linear (or horizontal) aspect of music. "That melody is very catchy." This is the element that most engages your musical memory.
Melody
Which is NOT a true statement?
Melody and harmony are not related.
The number of beats in a measure determines the....
Meter
The pattern into which beats are organized, created by a recurring pattern of strong and weak beats. "4/4 meter has four beats per measure, and the quarter note gets the beat." "2/4 meter has two beats per measure and the quarter note gets the beat." "3/8 meter has three beats per measure and the eighth note gets the beat."
Meter
Single-line texture. Melody without accompaniment. One musical voice, no matter how many performers (if they are singing the same thing at the same time).
Monophonic
The basic building blocks, or cells, of a melody. A short melodic or rhythmic idea.
Motive
Music that moves without a strong sense of beat is....
Nonmetric
The climax of The Star-Spangled Banner falls on what text?
O'er the land of the free...
Listening to music as a background to another activity is.
Passive listening
Pitched (timpani, xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, chimes) and unpitched (cymbals, bass drum, snare drum). Know two pitched and two unpitched.
Percussion
A musical unit of a melody. "The first phrase leads to the second."
Phrase
Two or more melodic lines of equal importance combined into a multi-voiced texture.
Polyphonic
First chair player of each section, head of the section
Principal
Tunes the orchestra to an A=440 (or 441, or 442)
Principal Oboe
Benjamin Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra is a work based on a dance tune by which composer?
Purcell
In melodic terms, the distance between the lowest and highest notes of a melody. "This piece has a wide range and is hard to sing." The term is also used to refer to a particular instrument's pitch capability (it's lowest and highest possible notes).
Range
Specific area in the range of an instrument or voice. "The flute sounds so beautiful in it's lowest register."
Register
The controlled movement of music in time. Arrangement of durations in music. "The rhythm of this measure is quite complex." "The rhythm of this phrase is a half note followed by two quarter notes." The beat. With harmony, gives movement to music.
Rhythm
The element that propels music forward in time is.....
Rhythm
A collection of pitches arranged in order that follows a standardized pattern and centers around a central tone called the 'tonic.' Two common types of scales are major and minor which are used to create harmony.
Scale
Repetition at a higher or lower pitch level
Sequence
Through repeated listening we gain...
Skills to transfer to new repertories, musical memory, familiarity and understanding.
Which of the following is NOT a true statement?
Songs in English translation fit the musical line as well as the original words.
Vibration perceived by the human ear
Sound
Bowed - Violin, viola, cello, bass (though, you can also pluck the strings) Strings: Plucked - Harp, guitar
Strings
_________ is created when the regualr accent is shifted to a weak beat or an offbeat.
Syncopation
The rate of speed or pace of music. The speed in which beats follow one another. Examples include: largo (quite slow), adagio (slow), andante (moderately slow), moderato (moderate), allegretto (slightly less fast than allegro), allegro (fast), presto (very fast), prestissimo (as fast as possible). "The tempo of this piece is allegro." Italian words are often used. Tempos can change abruptly or gradually.
Tempo
Accelerando is to get faster. Ritardando is to get slower. Rubato is to temporarily change the tempo and return back to the predominant tempo.
Tempo Relationship
Music is a _______ art.
Temporal
Three parts A-B-A, statement-departure and then return of previous material
Ternary
The interweaving of melodic and harmonic elements in the musical fabric.
Texture
Which is true of strophic form?
The same melody is repeated with each stanza of text.
Which of the following defines the characteristics of style?
The total language of artists from a style period. The creator's personal manner of expression. The individualized treatment of the elements of music.
Musical expansion of a theme by varying its melodic outline, harmony, or rhythm.
Thematic Development
Melodic idea used as a basic building block in the construction of a composition.
Theme
In quadruple mater, the second-strongest accent is typically on which beat?
Third
In a compound meter, the beat divides into groups of...
Three
This is very important. The quality of sound that distinguishes one instrument or voice from another. Your voice has a distinct timbre that makes it distinct from any other voice. The timbre of the violin is quite different from that of the cello, and this helps us to aurally recognize the difference between the two instruments. Likewise, two voices or instruments that are similar (for example, two flutes) have different timbres, but these differences are far less obvious to the untrained listener. You will of course only be responsible for recognizing timbral differences between different instruments and/or voices (for example, flute and clarinet). Timbre figures prominently in most compositional practices.
Timbre
_______ is the principle of organization around a central tone.
Tonality
A musical sound, notated by a symbol called a "note" on the musical staff
Tone
An accented beat followed by two weak beats would indicate a ____________ meter.
Triple
3/4, one accented beat alternates with two unaccented beats.
Triple meter
A second melody played against the first is called a countermelody.
True
A symphony can last more than an hour.
True
Accents between the beats are called offbeats.
True
Becoming an informed listener takes practice.
True
Criteria that shape a performer's interpretation include variation in tempo and dynamics.
True
In Western music, two scales have been predominant: major and minor.
True
In notation, regular grouping of beats are marked off in measures.
True
Interpretation is at the root of musical expressiveness.
True
Music can hold our attention over long spans of time.
True
Musical sound is characterized by perceivable and measureable pitch.
True
Musical works studied in the textbooks are accompanied by Listening Guides that Outline "What to Listen For" at the top.
True
Playing music in two simultaneous rhythms is known as polyrhythm.
True
The development of harmony is central to Western music.
True
Triads in Western music are made up of a combination of alternating notes from a scale.
True
When a melody begins before a downbeat, it is said to begin on a(n)...
Upbeat
The most beautiful and delicate instruments of all. High to low are soprano, mezzo soprano (alto), tenor, baritone, bass.
Voices
Flute (also piccolo), oboe (also English horn), clarinet (also Eb, bass), bassoon (also contra bassoon), saxophone (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone). Know which has no reed, which have a single reed, which have double reeds.
Woodwinds
Melody
a musical line, or the tune
Jazz bands usually include
a reed section, a brass section, and a rhythm section.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat is an example of
a round
When a melodic idea is immediately restated at a lower or higher pitch level, this is known as
a sequence
Homophony is best described as
a single melody accompaniment
Regarding a symphony, which is NOT a true statement?
a symphony is a song written for an orchestra
Returning to the original tempo after a change in the music is indicated by the marking _________ in the score.
a tempo
If the music is gradually speeding up, the term used to describe this is
accelerando
In Western music, the dominant and subdominant are called _______ chords.
active
Flutes, whistles, and bagpipes fall into what instrument classification?
aerophones
Benjamin Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra was written specifically to demonstrate
all timbres in the orchestra
The distance between two pitches is called
an interval
Returning patterns or memorable moments in music is...
at the root of Western musical practice.
Which of the following ensembles relies mainly on winds and percussion?
band
J. S. Bach's Minuet in D Minor is from what historical period? Correct!
baroque
If a composer wants to indicate tempo precisely, a ________ indication is given in the score.
beats per minute (bpm)
The conductor
beats time in metrical patterns. rehearses the ensemble. interprets the music.
In an orchestra, brass instruments are placed near the back of the group
because they are loud
How many instrumentalists would you expect to find in a chamber group?
between 2 and 12
Which form features a statement followed by a departure that ends the piece?
binary
The string family includes which types of instruments?
bowed and plucked
The key of a piece is determined
by the composer
How do specialists classify instruments?
by the way they generate their sound
A place in a melody where a musician will most likely pause for a breath is at the
cadence
A performance practice based on the concept of a singing leader imitated by a chorus of followers is called
call and response
A work that is comprised of a strictly imitative musical texture is called a
canon
All of the following are indefinite pitch percussion instruments EXCEPT the
chimes
A small vocal ensemble is known as a(n)
choir
Which is NOT a true statement?
choral groups are heterogenuous
Three or more tones sounded together produce a(n)
chord
An instrument that produces sound from a vibrating string is called a(n)
chordophone
The Indian sitar is considered a(n)
chordophone
What is another word for "refrain"?
chorus
A scale comprised entirely of half steps is called a _________ scale.
chromatic
We often label art music as
classical
The high point of a melodic line is considered its
climax
A melodic line that moves by small intervals is called
conjunct
Dissonance resolves in
consonance
A chord that sounds stable or restful is called
consonant
The term referring to the overall shape of a melody is
contour
Wavelike describes melodic
contour
Which of the following terms is used to describe melody?
contour
In musical forms ________ stimulates our interest and feeds our desire for change.
contrast
Which dynamic marking indicates to the performer to play gradually louder?
crescendo
Which of the following does not indicate a change of tempo?
crescendo
The contour of the opening phrase of Joy to the World is
descending
Music of the Baroque and Classical eras is mostly
diatonic
Gradually getting softer in music is indicated by which term in the score?
dimuendo
The type of melodic movement in The Star-Spangled Banner is
disjunct
A combination of tones that sounds discordant or in need of resolution is called
dissonant
The fifth scale step (sol) forms the chief active chord (V), which is called the
dominant
Simple harmony can be created when a melody is accompanied by a long, sustained tone called a
drone
The length of vibration. The amount of time a sound is heard. Deals with rhythm (a quarter note lasts one beat, a half note lasts two beats, and eighth note lasts for one-half beat, etc.) but is also essential when discussing melody.
duration
Musical sound is performed at varying volumes, also known as the music's
dynamics
How many notes are in an octave?
eight
Listening to recorded music...
facilitates repeated listening.
A composition must use one texture throughout.
false
A symphony orchestra is an example of a chamber ensemble.
false
Composers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries used even fewer expression marks than their predecessors.
false
Genre describes a musical form.
false
If a major or minor scale is transposed to a different starting pitch, the pattern of half steps and whole steps changes.
false
In through-composed songs, music from previous stanzas is repeated.
false
Most musical cultures in the world use written notation to preserve and transmit their music.
false
The category "chordophones" applies only to Western instruments.
false
The lines that distinguish art music from other kinds are clearly delineated
false
The octave is divided the same way in the musical systems of all cultures.
false
The word "song" refers to any piece of music.
false
Vocal music with instrumental accompaniment is called a cappella.
false
The tonic is a three-note chord, or triad, built on the ________ scale step.
first
The concertmaster is the
first-chair violinist
Which instruments are members of the woodwind family?
flute, oboe, bassoon, English horn, saxophone
Which term indicates that a work should be performed very loudly?
fortissmo
Which brass instrument descended from the ancient hunting horn?
french horn
Scientifically, pitch is determined by its
frequency
Which term refers to a category of music?
genre
Which is NOT a true statement?
genres are the same in every culture
On bowed string instruments, sliding the hand along the string while bowing it produces a ________ effect.
glissando
If a composer wants to indicate despair or sadness in a piece of music, which of the following tempos would be appropriate?
grave
Which of the following does NOT indicate a fast tempo?
grave
In Western music, the octave is divided into twelve equal
half steps
The progression of ________ creates a feeling of order and unity in music.
harmony
The term arpeggio, meaning "broken chord," is derived from the name of what instrument?
harp
Which of the following is an example of a chordophone?
harp
Which keyboard instrument produces sound with quills that pluck metal strings?
harpsichord
When several musicians sing or play the same musical line, each varying some element (like pitch or rhythm), they are creating a ______ texture.
heterophonic
A knowledge of _______ styles helps put a musical work in the context of its creation.
historical
A pianist playing a melody in the right hand while the left sounds chords produces a _____ texture.
homophonic
One person singing "Happy Birthday" with simple chords accompanying the melody produces a(n) _________ texture.
homophonic
A type of homophony in which all voices move together in the same rhythm is called
homorhythm
A round is based on the principle of _______ where each voice enters in succession with the same melody.
imitation
The best description of a melodic idea that is presented in one voice and then restated in another is
imitation
A woodwind quintet is unusual in that
it includes a brass instrument
Scat-singing is usually found in what style of music?
jazz
Playing a series of notes smoothly and with connection is called
legato
Sometimes a composer will collaborate with a ________ who writes the words of the song.
lyricist
Which of the following describes the setting of many notes to a syllable?
melismatic
Which of the following terms describes instruments made with stretched skins?
membranoophone
Which of the following abbreviations indicates a moderate dynamic level?
mf
Intervals even smaller than half steps, commonly used in some non-Western music are called
microtones
Moving from one key center to another within a composition is called
modulation
If you are singing alone in the shower, you are creating a ______ texture.
monophonic
A single-line texture is known as
monophony
_________ describes a melody without any harmonic accompaniment or other melodic lines.
monophony
A fragment of a theme that forms a melodic-rhythmic unit is called a
motive
Independent parts of a large-scale work (a symphony, for example) are called
movements
Most children's songs have a _________ range.
narrow
_______ means a few notes set to each syllable of text.
neumatic
Western art music refers to
notated and cultivated music of European and Euro-American society
Which of the following is a double-reed instrument?
oboe
Musical compositions are often identified through a cataloguing system described by
opus numbers
Which keyboard instrument is also a wind instrument?
orphan
A short, repeated musical pattern used as a structural device is known as a(n)
ostinato
Common scales used in African, Far Eastern, and Native American music are the _____ scales.
pentatonic and tritonic
Which instrument derives its name from the Italian word meaning "loud-soft"?
piano
The quality of highness or lowness of sound. Generally, the greater the frequency (that is, the more vibrations per second) the higher the pitch. The terms 'pitch,' 'tone' and 'note' are often interchanged in language as they have the same fundamental meaning, as in the following sentence: "What pitch do you have on the first beat of the second measure?"
pitch
Which of the following is NOT a musical modifier?
poco
A texture in which two or more different melodic lines are combined is called
polyphonic
The texture of a round is
polyphonic
Imitation is a type of
polyphony
Which of the following textures is based on counterpoint?
polyphony
Pianissimo is indicated by the abbreviation _____.
pp
The distance between the highest and lowest pitches in a melodic line is its
range
Which of the following describes words and music that recur after every stanza?
refrain
Which of the following does NOT describe words without specific meanings in songs?
refrain
The word _________ describes a specific area in the range of an instrument or voice, such as low, middle, or high.
register
In musical forms ________ fixes the material in the listener's mind and satisfies the need for the familiar.
repetition
The basic elements of form are
repition, contrast, and variation
The _______ chord is counterposed against active chords.
rest
Which of the following terms means "getting slower"?
ritardando
Which historical style period lasted less than 100 years?
romatic
Music composed for religious purposes is called
sacred
Which of the following terms describes religious or spiritual music?
sacred
A collection of pitches arranged sequentially in ascending and descending order constitutes a
scale
The tonality of a piece is determined by the ________ chosen by the composer.
scale
Much of Western sacred music is in Latin, while ________ music is often in the vernacular.
secular
What is another name for a half step?
semitone
A phrase and cadence in music can be likened to a
sentence and period
Which of the following shows the correct order of vocal ranges from highest to lowest?
soprano, alto, tenor, bass
Which of the following shows the correct order of vocal ranges from highest to lowest for female voices?
soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto
Which describes instruments classified as idiophones?
sound produced by the substance itself
Which describes instruments classified as aerophones?
sound produced by using air
The opposite of legato is
staccato
The "heart" of the orchestra is the _____ section.
string
The largest section of the Western orchestra is the _______ section.
string
The instruments of the Western orchestra are categorized into which groups?
strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion
What is another word for "stanza"?
strophe
Which of the following terms does NOT describe the number of notes given to each syllable of text?
strophic
"Happy Birthday" is an example of a _______ text setting.
syllabic
A song in which each syllable receives one note is called
syllabic
In the West, an ensemble of strings coupled with an assortment of woodwinds, brass, and percussion instruments is known as a
symphony orchestra
The disruption of a steady pattern of accentuation. The accenting of certain beats in a meter not normally accented.
syncopation
Which of the following shows the correct order of vocal ranges from highest to lowest for male voices?
tenor, baritone, bass
Which form features a statement of an idea, a contrasting idea, then a repetition of the first idea?
ternary
The interweaving of melody and harmony produces ________ in music.
texture
Who is responsible for systematizing bowing strokes for the string section in an orchestra?
the concertmaster
0 / 1 pts In Benjamin Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, the theme is first stated by
the entire orchestra
Considering The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, which statement is NOT true?
the entire orchestra never plays together
The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra closes with a(n) _______, a polyphonic form popular in the Baroque era (1600-1750).
the fugue
Pitch is determined by
the length or size of a vibrating object
Which of the following factors influence timbre?
the material from which the instrument is made instrument shape instrumental size
Tempo refers to
the rate of speed
A pizzicato effect is created on a string instrument when
the strings are plucked
Considering the title of Symphony No. 94 in G Major by Joseph Haydn, which is a TRUE statement?
the title indicates the genre and key
Varying the pitches, harmony, or rhythm of a theme is known as
thematic development
A _____ can be a building block in the construction of a musical work.
theme
The property of sound that gives instruments and voices their unique tone color is
timbre
Harmonies built on the dominant (fifth scale degree) gravitate toward the
tonic
The _____ serves as home base in most Western music.
tonic
The first and last note in a major or minor scale is called the
tonic
Which of the following is NOT an active chord?
tonic
Shifting an entire work so that it begins on a different pitch but retains the same pattern of intervals is called
transposition
The most common type of chord in Western music is the
triad
Black keys on the piano can be either "flats" or "sharps" depending on the context of the music.
true
Composers use tempo and dynamic markings to communicate to the performer the music's intended expressive quality.
true
Even when a performer improvises, the basic elements of repetition, contrast, and variation can be heard.
true
Heterophony is common in non-Western music.
true
In earlier eras, young boys and occasionally men with voices in the soprano or alto range sang female parts in church music and on the stage.
true
Instrument builders have often sought to emulate the human voice.
true
Most cultures employ sacred music for religious functions.
true
Movements in a large-scale musical work can be compared to chapters in a novel.
true
Music that is made up spontaneously in performance is called improvised.
true
Oral transmission is the process of preserving music without written notation.
true
Ostinato is particularly prevalent in blues, rock, and rap.
true
Percussion instruments are divided into two categories: definite or indefinite pitch.
true
Themes are comprised of smaller units known as motives
true
Which brass instrument dates back to ancient times and was used for religious ceremonies and military signals?
trumpet
The sousaphone is the marching-band adaptation of which instrument?
tuba
The makeup of a string quartet is
two violins, viola, and cello
A principle of form that is based on repeated alterations of a given melody (which is still recognizable) is called
variation
The word ________ means the language of the people.
vernacular
Harmony describes the _____ aspect of music.
vertical
Instrument builders have sought to replicate the sound of the voice, including its characteristic throbbing called
vibrato
The bowed string instrument with the highest range is the
violin
Which of the following indicates a fast tempo?
vivace
A wordless melody on the vowel "ah" is an example of a technique called
vocalise
An individual part or line, even in instrumental music, is often referred to as a(n)
voice
Dynamics determine the ________ at which music is played.
volume
The contour of Beethoven's Ode to Joy is
wavelike
Listening Guides in this textbook focus primarily on
western art music
In the sixteenth century, which musicians became more prominent performers of secular music?
women singers
Setting the word "falling" to a descending scale is an example of
word painting
When a melody pictorializes a word it is called
word painting
Opus is Latin for
work
Which instrument is NOT an example of a chordophone?
xylophone
Which is an example of pitched percussion?
xylophone