GCSE Facts Flashcards
Some facts you will be asked in your exam (164 cards)
1
Q
Name a Romantic period composer.
A
Frédéric Chopin
2
Q
Name a classical composer famous for symphonies.
A
Joseph Haydn
3
Q
Name a common instrument in Samba.
A
Surdo drum
4
Q
Name a common structure in Classical music.
A
Sonata form
5
Q
Name a country where Samba originates.
A
Brazil
6
Q
Name a key rhythmic feature of African drumming.
A
Polyrhythm
7
Q
Name a traditional Irish instrument.
A
Bodhrán
8
Q
Name a typical instrument used in Bhangra music.
A
Dhol drum
9
Q
What are dynamics?
A
The volume of music
10
Q
What are examples of digital effects?
A
Reverb, delay, distortion
11
Q
What are the 3 primary chords in a major key?
A
I, IV, V
12
Q
What are the 4 main voice types?
A
Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass
13
Q
What cadence creates a finished sound?
A
Perfect cadence (V–I)
14
Q
What cadence sounds unfinished?
A
Imperfect cadence
15
Q
What does ‘a tempo’ mean?
A
Return to the original speed
16
Q
What does ‘andante’ mean?
A
At a walking pace
17
Q
What does ‘con moto’ mean?
A
With movement
18
Q
What does ‘con sordino’ mean?
A
With a mute
19
Q
What does ‘legato’ mean?
A
Smooth and connected notes
20
Q
What does ‘mezzo forte’ mean?
A
Moderately loud
21
Q
What does ‘pianissimo’ mean?
A
Very quiet
22
Q
What does ‘pizzicato’ mean?
A
To pluck the strings
23
Q
What does ‘sforzando’ mean?
A
A sudden strong accent
24
Q
What does ‘terraced dynamics’ refer to?
A
Sudden shifts in loudness used in Baroque music
25
What does 'tutti' mean?
All instruments/voices play together
26
What does D.C. al Fine mean?
Go back to the beginning and finish at Fine
27
What does DAW stand for?
Digital Audio Workstation
28
What does MIDI stand for?
Musical Instrument Digital Interface
29
What does a 'break' mean in pop music?
A section with instruments dropping out briefly
30
What does the musical term ‘rubato’ mean?
Flexible tempo, expressive timing
31
What does the term 'dolce' mean?
To play sweetly
32
What does ‘a cappella’ mean?
Singing without instrumental accompaniment
33
What does ‘fortissimo’ (ff) mean?
Very loud
34
What genre of music originated in Jamaica and uses offbeat rhythms?
Reggae
35
What instrument family does the oboe belong to?
Woodwind
36
What instrument family is the marimba in?
Percussion
37
What instrument is used to create a drone in Indian music?
Tambura
38
What instrument plays the ground bass in Pachelbel’s Canon?
Cello
39
What instrument plays the tala in Indian music?
Tabla
40
What instrument uses a bow and belongs to the string family?
Violin
41
What is 'backbeat'?
Strong beats on 2 and 4 in a 4/4 bar
42
What is 'scat singing'?
Improvised vocalisation with nonsense syllables in jazz
43
What is a 'drop' in EDM?
A sudden, powerful section following a build-up
44
What is a 'hook' in pop music?
A catchy musical idea designed to grab attention
45
What is a 'power chord'?
A chord with just the root and fifth, common in rock music
46
What is a Plagal cadence?
IV–I, also known as the 'Amen' cadence
47
What is a Scotch snap?
A short-long dotted rhythm (semiquaver–dotted quaver)
48
What is a Tierce de Picardie?
A major chord ending a piece in a minor key
49
What is a blues scale?
A scale with flattened 3rd, 5th, and 7th
50
What is a cadenza?
A solo passage often improvised or virtuosic
51
What is a characteristic of Baroque music?
Use of harpsichord and ornamentation
52
What is a characteristic of pop punk?
Fast tempo and catchy choruses
53
What is a chorus effect?
An effect that thickens a sound by duplicating it
54
What is a countermelody?
A secondary melody played alongside the main one
55
What is a da capo aria?
A ternary (ABA) vocal form in Baroque opera
56
What is a drone?
A long, sustained note, often in folk music
57
What is a drum fill?
A short improvised passage to fill gaps
58
What is a feature of 1960s pop harmony?
Use of primary triads and simple progressions
59
What is a feature of Romantic music?
Expressive dynamics and expanded harmonies
60
What is a feature of musical theatre songs?
Character-driven lyrics and dramatic dynamics
61
What is a feature of punk rock?
Fast tempo, power chords, political lyrics
62
What is a feature of surf rock?
Reverb-heavy electric guitars
63
What is a fermata?
A pause on a note or rest
64
What is a fugal exposition?
The initial section of a fugue where subjects are introduced
65
What is a glissando?
A slide between two pitches
66
What is a ground bass?
A repeated bassline over which harmonies and melodies change
67
What is a hemiola?
A rhythm that shifts between 3/4 and 2/4 feeling
68
What is a key feature of EDM (electronic dance music)?
Synthesised sounds and strong beat drops
69
What is a key feature of Minimalist music?
Repetition of motifs
70
What is a modulation?
A change of key
71
What is a motif?
A short recurring musical idea
72
What is a music genre?
A style or category of music
73
What is a pedal note?
A sustained or repeated note under changing harmonies
74
What is a ritardando?
Gradually slowing down
75
What is a ritornello?
A recurring passage in Baroque concertos
76
What is a sequence in music?
Repetition of a musical idea at a different pitch
77
What is a son clave rhythm?
A key rhythmic pattern in Latin music
78
What is a texture change called?
A contrast or layering
79
What is a vamp?
A short, repeated chord progression
80
What is a walking bass line?
A steady bass line that moves mostly in steps
81
What is aleatoric music?
Music with elements left to chance
82
What is arch shape form?
A B C B A
83
What is binary form?
A structure with two contrasting sections: A B
84
What is heterophonic texture?
Multiple variations of a melody played at once
85
What is heterophony?
Two or more versions of a melody played simultaneously
86
What is homophonic texture?
Melody with accompaniment
87
What is melismatic word setting?
Multiple notes per syllable
88
What is monophonic texture?
Single melodic line with no accompaniment
89
What is overdubbing used for?
Layering multiple performances
90
What is overdubbing?
Recording additional parts over a previous take
91
What is panning?
Distributing sound between left and right speakers
92
What is polyphonic texture?
Two or more independent melodies
93
What is programmatic music?
Instrumental music that tells a story or paints a picture
94
What is quantisation?
Adjusting note timing to fit a grid
95
What is reverb?
An effect that simulates room echo
96
What is sampling?
Using a snippet of recorded audio in a new track
97
What is syllabic word setting?
One note per syllable
98
What is syncopation?
Placing accents on weak or off-beats
99
What is ternary form?
Three sections: A B A
100
What is the function of a bridge in pop music?
A contrasting section linking verses and choruses
101
What is the interval between C and G?
Perfect 5th
102
What is the job of a conductor?
To direct the performance and keep time
103
What is the name of the scale with only semitones?
Chromatic scale
104
What is the pitch range of a soprano?
C4 to A5 (approx.)
105
What is the purpose of a coda?
To end a piece of music
106
What is the purpose of dynamics in music?
To show how loud or quiet the music is
107
What is the role of EQ in mixing?
To adjust frequencies
108
What is the role of a bassline in pop music?
To provide harmonic foundation and rhythm
109
What is the role of the basso continuo in Baroque music?
Provides harmonic support with a bass line and chords
110
What is the role of the harpsichord in Baroque ensembles?
Plays the continuo part with chords and bassline
111
What is the structure of Rondo form?
ABACA
112
What is the structure of a typical Classical minuet and trio?
Ternary (ABA)
113
What is the tempo marking 'Allegro' mean?
Fast and lively
114
What is the term for gradually getting louder?
Crescendo
115
What is the term for music with one melody and accompaniment?
Homophonic
116
What is the term for repeating a rhythm or melody over and over?
Ostinato
117
What is the term for the main tune in a piece of music?
Melody
118
What is the time signature of 'Music for a While' by Purcell?
4/4 (common time)
119
What is the typical instrumentation of a string quartet?
2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello
120
What is the typical time signature of a Waltz?
36954
121
What is word setting?
How syllables fit to notes (melismatic or syllabic)
122
What kind of voice is the highest in standard SATB?
Soprano
123
What period of music used basso continuo?
Baroque
124
What technology was used in early hip hop?
Sampling
125
What texture is most commonly used in Baroque music?
Polyphonic
126
What type of microphone is best for vocals in a studio?
Condenser microphone
127
What type of scale is used in Indian classical music?
Raga
128
What’s a key feature of West African drumming?
Call and response
129
What’s a key feature of pop ballads?
Emotional lyrics and slow tempo
130
Which century did Beethoven compose in?
18th and 19th centuries
131
Which composer is associated with Minimalism?
Steve Reich
132
Which composer is associated with the 'Raindrop Prelude'?
Frédéric Chopin
133
Which composer is known for developing the leitmotif?
Richard Wagner
134
Which composer pioneered minimalism?
Steve Reich
135
Which composer wrote 'Defying Gravity'?
Stephen Schwartz
136
Which country does Gamelan music come from?
Indonesia
137
Which feature is typical of film music?
Leitmotifs
138
Which genre does the sitar belong to?
Indian classical music
139
Which genre features syncopation and improvisation?
Jazz
140
Which genre includes DJs and MCs?
Hip hop
141
Which genre uses call and response as a feature?
African, Gospel
142
Which genre uses slap bass?
Funk
143
Which instrument commonly plays the melody in jazz?
Saxophone
144
Which instrument is prominent in Blues music?
Electric guitar
145
Which instrument uses double reeds?
Oboe, bassoon
146
Which instrument uses slides and valves?
Trombone (slide), Trumpet (valves)
147
Which key is Eine Kleine Nachtmusik in?
G major
148
Which musical era followed the Classical period?
Romantic
149
Which musical feature is used in 'Defying Gravity' to convey drama?
Frequent key changes and dissonance
150
Which musical period is Chopin associated with?
Romantic
151
Which musical technique creates mood in film music?
Leitmotif and use of dissonance
152
Which period is Purcell associated with?
Baroque
153
Which scale is often used in Reggae music?
Pentatonic or blues scale
154
Which structure does a 12-bar blues follow?
A repeating 12-bar chord pattern
155
Which style of music uses improvisation as a key feature?
Jazz
156
Which texture is used in fugal writing?
Polyphonic
157
Which time signature suggests simple quadruple time?
36985
158
Which two musical elements form the basis of Indian classical music?
Raga and Tala
159
Which type of cadence sounds finished?
Perfect cadence (V–I)
160
Which type of ensemble plays jazz?
Big band
161
Which vocal technique is common in Gospel music?
Melisma
162
Which world music features tala and raga?
Indian classical music
163
Who composed 'Music for a While'?
Henry Purcell
164
Who composed the 'Pathetique' Sonata?
Ludwig van Beethoven
