Music Humanities Midterm

a number of vibrations a sound produces in a given period

part of the melody

group of pitches that form the musical composition in Western music

distance between two pitches (notes)

chord made up of the root note, major third, and fifth intervals

chord made up of the root note, minor third, and fifth intervals

smallest interval

two half steps

grouping of beats

number of beats per minute

small melodic unit that is repeated, melodic theme

allegro, presto

andante, largo,

getting faster

getting slower

yellow light, before slowing down

arched bow in strings instruments

plucked bow in strings instruments

bass notes under the melody that gives a sense of required harmony, player of the instrument build chords on top of this

sustained note under the melody

sacred choral music with a religious theme, uses imitative polyphony, in latin

no set number of parts

a musical style like motet, non-religious theme, usually in vernacular language

has word painting

passage that comes back (returns), usually performed by strings instruments

features in recitative, for example

concert music, like an opera but unstaged, biblical

musical style composed of an exposition (with all four voices/instruments introducing the subject and playing usually 2 counter-subjects) and an episode (experimentation period)

imitative polyphonic composition based on a single subject (statement of a single line of melody), introduced by 4 voices

compact musical line

art of creating simultaneous melodies

playing a major chord at the end of an otherwise minor piece

singing style, smooth tone regardless of low or high, want to seem like its easy

associated with Italian style

composing music that reflects the literal meaning of a song's lyrics or story elements in program music

exposition (A, transition, B, closing) x2 + development + recapitulation (ends with a coda)

usually played in four movements:

• 1st: sonata form, fast and furious

• 2nd: duller, slow in contrast

• 3rd: minute + trio or scherzo

• 4th: fast, return to the original (sometimes also in sonata form)

German art form, music + lyrics are intrinsically connected (like word painting and mimesis)

often based in a poem

generally for a solo voice

solo instrument playing in front of the orchestra (orchestra also plays)

usually higher instruments perform the concerto

typically also divided into 3 movements, including a cadenza

for a virtuoso performer

improvisation in concerto by the virtuoso, usually in the middle

can also have cadenza improvization in operas

individual performer with lots of technical talent, more emphasized on the performer than the composer/arranger

usually a dance-able melody written in triple meter

loudness of the notes (forte - mezzo forte - mezzo piano - piano)

biblical songs in Latin, usually monophonic and non-metrical

unaccompanied choir or a soloist

lacks harmony

one syllable is sung along lots of notes

drone under music with someone singing over it (polyphonic music)

polyphonic, parallel motion for plural voices

simultaneous combination of two or more tones or melodic lines

sustained, imitative, or discant (three types)

one melodic line

multiple voices harmonically moving together at the same pace

musical theme, can have numerous in a piece

melody is the same, different harmonies, dynamics, speeds, etc.

sung theatre, typically includes an orchestra, a chorus, solo singers

includes arias and recitatives

style of singing with instrumental accompaniment that imitates the natural inflection of speech

can be dry or accompanied

dramatic song in an opera, solo voice, homophonic, reflective moments of the characters (more sustained, melodic and virtuoso sections)

combination of melodic lines where the theme is passed through different voices