AO3 - Film Music Flashcards
(30 cards)
Pizzicato
Plucking the strings
Divisi
Two parts sharing the same musical line
Double stopping
Playing two strings at the same time
Arco
Using a bow to play a stringed instrument
Tremolo
A ‘trembling’ effect, moving rapidly on the same note or between two chords
e.g. using the bow rapidly back and forth
Tongued
A technique to make the notes sound separated
woodwind/brass
Slur
Notes are played smoothly
Muted
Using a mute to change/dampen the sound
brass/strings
Drum Roll
Notes/beats in rapid succession
Glissando
A rapid glide over the notes
Trill
A rapid glide over the notes
Vibrato
Making the notes ‘wobble’ up and down for expression
Theme
The main tune/melody
Motif
A short musical idea
melodic or rhythmic
Leitmotif
A recurring musical idea linked to a character/object or place
e.g. Darth Vader’s motif in Star Wars
Underscoring
Music playing underneath the dialogue
Scalic
Melody follows the notes of a scale
Triadic
Melody moves around the notes of a triad
Fanfare
Short tune often played by brass instruments, to announce someone/something important; based on the pitches of a chord
Pedal note
A long, sustained note, usually in the bass/lower notes
Ostinato/riff
A short, repeated pattern
Ostinato - Classical
Riff - Pop/Rock etc.
Conjunct
The melody moves by step
Disjunct
The melody moves with leaps/intervals
Consonant harmony
Sounds ‘good’ together
