Baroque Music Concepts

Question 1

What is a scale?

Answer 1

It moves up the notes by steps

Question 2

What is an arpeggio?

Answer 2

An arpeggio moves in leaps ascending or descending patterns

Question 3

What’s an ornament?

Answer 3

It decorates the main melody

Question 4

What is a trill?

Answer 4

Quick and continuous alternation between two notes most often the main note and note above. Often used at the ends of phrases or at cadence points.

Question 5

What is repetition?

Answer 5

When a pattern of notes are repeated at exactly the same pitch

Question 6

What is a sequence?

Answer 6

When a pattern of notes are repeated at a higher or lower pitch with each repetition

Question 7

What is perfect cadence?

Answer 7

When the section of music that finishes the music which sounds finished as it ends on chord 1 and is preceded by chord 5

Question 8

What is an imperfect cadence?

Answer 8

When the end of the piece finishes on chord 5

Question 9

What is syllabic word setting?

Answer 9

When each syllable is set to only one note

Question 10

What is melismatic word setting?

Answer 10

When a syllable can be set to more then one note

Question 11

What is a descant?

Answer 11

This is when a higher part is sung above the main melody

Question 12

What is adagio?

Answer 12

Slow

Question 13

What is andante?

Answer 13

Walking pace

Question 14

What is moderato?

Answer 14

Moderate speed

Question 15

What is allegro?

Answer 15

Fast

Question 16

What is accelerando?

Answer 16

To speed up

Question 17

What is ritardando?

Answer 17

To slow down

Question 18

What is an anacrusis?

Answer 18

When one or more notes are played/sung before the first beat of the bar

Question 19

What is simple time?

Answer 19

When each beat can be divided into quavers (think cof-fee).
It contains the following time signatures 2/4, 3/4, 4/4

Question 20

What is compound time?

Answer 20

When each beat can be divided into triplets (think straw-bed-ry) and can use the following time signatures 6/8, 9/8, 12/8

Question 21

What is a dotted rhythm?

Answer 21

When a dot is added is added after a note which increases its value by half

Question 22

What is arco?

Answer 22

Playing with the bow

Question 23

What is pizzicato?

Answer 23

Plucking the stings

Question 24

What is a roll?

Answer 24

When the player plays quick, repeated notes on one pitch.

Question 25

What is cannon?

Answer 25

When instruments or voices play/sing the EXACT SAME material in turn, overlapping.

Question 26

What is imitation?

Answer 26

When SIMILAR material is played/sung, possibly at different pitches, or with slight differences.

Question 27

What is homophonic?

Answer 27

Homophonic music is when all instruments/ voices move at the same time with the same rhythms, though possibly in harmony, i.e same rhythms at different pitches.

Question 28

What is polyphonic music?

Answer 28

Polyphonic music has independent parts, using different rhythms and pitches, ‘weaving’ in and out of one another. It can also be described as contrapuntal.

Question 29

What is a ground bass?

Answer 29

A base line which is repeated all the way through a piece of music while the parts above it change.

Question 30

What is binary form?

Answer 30

Binary form is for music written in two sections, which can be labelled ‘A’ and ‘B’. Each A and B section is normally repeated, so it actually sounds like AABB

Question 31

What is Ternary form?

Answer 31

Music written for two sections ‘A’ and ‘B’ with section A being played again, giving a structure of ABA

Question 32

What is rondo?

Answer 32

Rondo form has a recurring section ‘A’ with a different section in between each labelled ‘B, ‘C’, ‘D’, etc. this gives a structure of ABACADA

Question 33

What is a chorus?

Answer 33

A chorus features a choir sining together. The word chorus can also be used for the name of the group singers, so chorus and choir are interchangeable.

Question 34

What is an aria?

Answer 34

An aria is for a solo singer (or very occasionally, a duet) and is expressive in nature.

Question 35

What is a concerto?

Answer 35

A piece written for an instrument accompanied by orchestra and is intended to show off what an instrument or a player can do