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29 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Pitch
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Pitch: the relative “high- ness” or “low-ness” of a sound
• More frequent soundwaves results in higher pitch • Less frequent results in lower pitch |
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Dynamics/ Volume
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The amplitude of a sound wave determines its volume (the relative loudness or softness of the sound)
• Wide amplitude (air particle moves very far) means loud volume • Narrow amplitude means soft |
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Sharp
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1/2 Step Higher in Pitch
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Flat
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1/2 Step Lower in Pitch
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Notated Pitches
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Western music utilizes letters A-G
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Intervals (of pitch)
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Interval: the distance between two pitches
– Intervals are named according to numbers – Ex.: a 2nd, a 4th, a minor 3rd, a major 7th, etc. – The two smallest intervals are the half-step (minor 2nd) and the whole-step (major 2nd) |
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Octave
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Octave: a particular interval that has a frequency ratio of 2:1
• The letter-names of the two pitches in this interval are identical – Purest, simplest, “nicest sounding” interval |
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Scale
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cale: an ascending or descending pattern of intervals that divides the octave
– Often made up of combinations of “half-steps” and “whole-steps” – Different scales give melodies their particular flavor • Some types of scales: major, minor, chromatic, whole-tone, pentatonic |
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Tonic
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Tonic: the first and last note of a major scale or minor scale (think of it as “home base”)
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Rhythm
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Rhythm: the organization of sound in time
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Beat
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Beat: the constant, basic unit of measuring time’s passing
– Psychological phenomenon (not necessarily physical or audible) – The beat is usually implied by the sounding rhythm |
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Tempo
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The Speed of the Beat
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Meter
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Meter: the grouping of beats into a regularly recurring arrangement of strong and weak beats (see p. 13)
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Three ways to imply stress on a beat
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Three ways to imply stress on a beat: – Louder volume (or stronger attack)
– Longer duration – Pitch relationships |
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Measure/Bar
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a single unit of meter grouping
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Duple Meter
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Two beats per measure
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Triple Meter
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3 beats per measure
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Quadruple Meter
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4 beats per measure
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Syncopation
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occurs when the stressed sound occurs at a time that does not coincide with the beat (“off the beat”)
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Backbeat
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present in much popular music... usually a sharp, percussive sound on beats 2 and 4 of a measure of quadruple meter
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Melody
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a succession of pitches that create a complete musical thought
– The pitches must sound one at a time (“succession”) – They should imply some degree of logical totality (for example, complete phrase or phrase fragments) |
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Conjunct Melodic Contour
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Changes in melodic contour in mostly small intervals
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Disjunct Melodic Contour
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Changes in melodic contour in mostly large intervals
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Range
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The interval between a melody’s highest and lowest pitches
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Phrase
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a complete statement of a melody, often divided into segments that have different levels of finality
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Cadence
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– The punctuation ending phrases and/or phrase
fragments – The resolution of melodic and/or harmonic tensions, often (but not always) highlighted by the use of long notes or of silence |
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Theme
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Melody that recurs throughout a longer piece, often undergoing some sort of change in later incarnations
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Motive
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very short melodic phrase, suitable for variation and development
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Lyrical Melody
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suitable for singing, or similar to melodies for the human voice
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