glossary notes

Question 1

12 bar blues

Answer 1

one of the most prominent chord progressions in popular music, starting in blues music and spreading to jazz, rock, R&N. Its predominantly based on I, IV and V chords.

Question 2

32 bar song form

Answer 2

a song written in four 8 bar phrases, also known as popular song form

Question 3

acciaccatura

Answer 3

a melodic ornament, a note played as quickly as possible before the main note that follows it

Question 4

anacrusis

Answer 4

one or more weak-beat notes before the first strong beat of a phrase, which is often called a ‘pickup’ in pop music

Question 5

antiphony, antiphonal

Answer 5

a musical texture where two groups of musicians take turns to play or sing

Question 6

appoggiatura

Answer 6

a melodic ornament where a neighboring note( that sound dissonant) is sounded before the main note of the melody

Question 7

argeggio

Answer 7

the notes of a standard chord played one after the other in an ascending or descending order

Question 8

atonal

Answer 8

music without an obvious key

Question 9

backbeat

Answer 9

accented off-beats, emphasizing the second and fourth beats of a bar, giving a syncopated effect

Question 10

basso continuo

Answer 10

see continuo

Question 11

blues notes

Answer 11

in blues music, notes added to a scale which are usually a flattened 3rd or flattened 7th

Question 12

bossa nova rhythm

Answer 12

a syncopated rhythm found in Brazilian genre which is a fusion of jazz and samba style

Question 13

broken or spread notes

Answer 13

a chord in which the notes are sounded one after the other, rather than being played exactly together

Question 14

argeggio

Answer 14

another word for broken chord

Question 15

cadence

Answer 15

a pair of chords which mark the end of a musical statement

Question 16

cadenza

Answer 16

an extended passage for the soloist in a concerto, usually unaccompanied and requiring virtuoso playing, it is intended to show off instrument’s capabilities and the players skills

Question 17

call and response

Answer 17

vocal musician which a soloist sings a phrase to which a group of singing a respond. mostly found in African music, but also found in jazz and pop

Question 18

changing notes

Answer 18

two non- harmony notes in succession, similar to a suspension

Question 19

chordal

Answer 19

a form of homophony in which all the parts move together in the same or very similar rhythm.

Question 20

chorus

Answer 20

in classical music it refers to a large group of singers in a choral work or opera, or the music that they sing

Question 21

semi-chours

Answer 21

it is similar to a chorus. it is a smaller group of singers.

Question 22

chromatic

Answer 22

notes that don’t belong to the current key; the opposite of diatonic.

Question 23

coda

Answer 23

the final part of a composition made up of repeated sections, where the coda is different from the earlier seactions

Question 24

colla voce

Answer 24

not following a strict beat, the tempo is left to the interpretation of the performer, or follows speech rhythm.

Question 25

concerto

Answer 25

a work for a soloist or soloists accompanied by an orchestra, usually in three movement

Question 26

conjunct

Answer 26

a style of melodic writing in which each note is a step away from the previous one; opposite of disjunct.

Question 27

consonant harmony

Answer 27

a combination of notes providing a pleasing sound when played together; opposite if dissonant.

Question 28

continuo

Answer 28

accompanying part in the instrumental music of the baroque period. played by a bass instrument ( such as cello) and a harmony instrument ( such as a harpsichord)

Question 29

contrapuntal

Answer 29

music that uses counterpoint, a texture where 2 or more melodic lines are played together at he same time.

Question 30

counterpoint

Answer 30

a texture where 2 or more melodic lines are played together / at the same time.

Question 31

dal segno

Answer 31

( a sign that looks like a fancy S ) is a form of repeat just like the D.S sign.

Question 32

delay

Answer 32

guitar device which records a sound and repeats it at a given time, or multiple times, often with a diminuendo. NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH ECHO.

Question 33

diatonic

Answer 33

music using just the notes of the home key; opposite of chromatic

Question 34

disjunct

Answer 34

a style of melodic writing including many leaps between one note and the next; opposite of conjunct

Question 35

dissonant

Answer 35

a combination of notes producing a clashing sound when played together; opposite of consonant.

Question 36

distortion

Answer 36

a technology effect used to alter the sound of an amplified instrument, usually creating a 'dirty' or 'clipped' version of the same sound.

Question 37

double dotted

Answer 37

when the shorter of a pair of dotted notes is halved in length again, making it extremely short, and accentuating the dotted rhythm.

Question 38

double stopping

Answer 38

2 notes played at the same time on a stringed instrument, on 2 adjacent( other) strings

Question 39

doubling

Answer 39

more than one part playing the same line , either in unison or an octave apart,

Question 40

drone

Answer 40

one or more notes held or repeated throughput an extended passage of music, common in folk music style.

Question 41

enharmonic

Answer 41

2 notes or keys which sound the same but are written differently, such as C# and Db (flat)

Question 42

falsetto

Answer 42

male singing in a high treble or unbroken voice, in the same range as a soprano or alto.

Question 43

fill

Answer 43

in pop music or jazz, a brief improvised flourish to fill the gap between the end of one phrase and the beginning of another.

Question 44

four-on-the-floor

Answer 44

Bass drum of a drum kit, playing on every crotchet in a 4/4 bar , common in disco music

Question 45

glissando

Answer 45

a slide from one pitch to another.

Question 46

homophonic

Answer 46

a musical texture in which all parts( melody accompaniment) move in similar rhythm creating a chordal effect.

Question 47

hook

Answer 47

a repeated, catchy motif in jazz and pop music.