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AQA GCSE Music > key vocab > Flashcards

key vocab Flashcards

(107 cards)

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1
Q

accent

A

a type of articulation in which a particular note is accented

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2
Q

acciaccatura

A

a note of decoration played in as short a time as possible

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3
Q

added seventh

A

adding a further note to a triad (the 7th note from the root)

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4
Q

Alberti Bass

A

an accompaniment (normally played in the left handoff a keyboard part) using broken chords to produce a regular rhythmic pattern

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5
Q

appoggiatura

A

a note of decoration which is written in small type but given its full noted value being taken from the flowing note. (leaning note)

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6
Q

arch form

A

A B C B A (at least 5 sections)

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7
Q

arpeggio

A

playing the notes of a chord by spreading them out

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8
Q

articulation

A

the addition of specific instructions for performance (e.g. accents, staccato’s)

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9
Q

augmentation

A

the doubling of note values or the widening of intervals

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10
Q

bar

A

a unit of music, where the number of beats is shown by the time signiture

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11
Q

binary form

A

A B (two sections in a similar style)

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12
Q

bi-rhythm

A

the use of two different rhythms together

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13
Q

blue note

A

a note which has be altered/flattened in blues music

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14
Q

bpm

A

beats per minute

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15
Q

broken chords

A

normally referring to a type of accompaniment figure derived from spreading the notes of the chords

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16
Q

cadence

A

a progression of two chords which end a musical phrase

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17
Q

cadenza

A

a solo vocal or instrumental passage improvised using the music heard before

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18
Q

call and response

A

the opening phrase is answered or completed by other performers (they take turns)

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19
Q

canon/canonic

A

imitation where performers enter with the same tune before the previous has finished (like a round e.g. London burning)

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20
Q

chamber group

A

small group of players or singers (e.g. a string quartet)

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21
Q

chamber music

A

music written for small groups of performers

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22
Q

chromatic

A

music written using both white and black notes of the piano (a scale which moves in semi tones)

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23
Q

coda

A

a rounding off section

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24
Q

con arco

A

with bow

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25
con sordino
with mute
26
concerto
solo and orchestra
27
conjunct
melodic movement in steps
28
consonnant
sounds well/nice together (no clashing)
29
continuo
a bass line written in the baroque period
30
contrapuntal / polyphonic
a type a texture where parts rhythmically move separately
31
crescendo (cresc.)
gradually getting louder
32
cyclic
theme that reoccurs throughout the piece
33
da capo aria
a solo song in ternary form
34
diatonic
music written using the notes of a scale
35
diminuendo (dim.)
gradually getting quieter
36
diminution
shortening the value of a melody or reducing intervals
37
disjunct
melodic movement in leaps
38
dissonant
sounds clashy when played together
39
back beat
when notes 2 and 4 have the emphasis
40
double-stopping
the playing of adjacent strings simultaneously
41
drone
sustained notes (normally 2 but can be more) in a rhythmic pattern
42
drum fill
usually heard at the end of a phrase, when the drummer plays a free rhythmic pattern alone
43
forte (f)
loud
44
fortissimo (ff)
very loud
45
falsetto
a high male adult voice
46
free rhythm
where the music is not set by regular bar lines but decided by the performer
47
glissando
sliding from one note to another
48
portamento
sliding from ne note to another (another word for glissando)
49
ground bass
music where a bass pattern is repeated a number of times while parts above vary
50
homophonic
a music texture when parts rhythmically move together
51
hemiola
where 2 bars of 3/4 are played as 3 bars of 2/4
52
imitation
coping what has just been heard
53
improvisation
when a performer makes up the music around a chord sequence
54
interval
the distance between 2 notes
55
inervsion
turning a melody upside down but keeping the intervals the same
56
irregular rhythms
music where the time signature chances a lot
57
key signiture
tells the performer how many sharps or flats in a piece of music
58
layered
music built up over several strands
59
major
happy sounding tonality
60
metre
refers to the number of beats per bar (time signature)
61
mezzo forte (mf)
fairly loud
62
minor
sad sounding tonality
63
minuet and trio
a dance written in 3/4, there are 2 sections in binary form, with a trio in contrast to/and an orchestral minuet
64
modal
a major and minor sounding tonality
65
modulation
moving from 1 key to another
66
mordent
the insertion of a note above (upper mordent) or note below (lower mordent) before the written note
67
mezzo piano (mp)
fairly quiet
68
octaves
playing the same tune but at an 8th interval apart
69
ornamentation
decorating with written pitch
70
ostinato
a repeated musical phrase or rhythm
71
piano (p)
quiet
72
pianissimo (pp)
very quiet
73
passing note
a melodic note placed between 2 harmony notes which results in stepwise movement
74
pentatonic
a scale based on 5 notes
75
phrasing
dividing a melody into phrases or short units
76
pitch bend
technique associated with guitars, the player frets a string and then pushes it sideways to raise the pitch, (the pitch is altered slightly)
77
pizzicato
plucking of strings instead of using a bow
78
polyrhythm
where several different rhythms are played/sung together
79
portamento
sliding/ glissando
80
primary chords
based on notes 1,4&5 of a scale
81
rapping
speaking rhythmically using a pattern of rhyming phrases over a musical backing
82
regular rhythm
music which keeps a single time signiture
83
rondo form
music in at least 5 section where the first section is repeated after each new section A B A C A
84
rubato
'robbed time' where a player uses a certain amount of freedom with the tempo to add expression to the music
85
scalic
melodic movement using a scale moving up or down in steps
86
scherzo
Italian term for joke
87
secondary chords
chords based on 2nd, 3rd & 6th notes of a scale
88
semitone
the smallest difference in pitch
89
sequence
the repetition of a phrase at a higher or lower pitch
90
sforzando (sfz)
an accent, a note to be emphasized
91
simple time
time signature where the beat is divided by 2
92
single melody line
music with neither a countermelody or descant or other supporting lines
93
sonata
a composition, usually 4 movements, for 1 or 2 instruments
94
staccato
play notes crisply and detached
95
tempo
the speed of music
96
texture
the number and type of sounds heard together
97
theme and variations
a form in which an opening theme is subject to variations upon each successive repetition
98
through composed
a song in which the music changes continually
99
timbre
the characteristic sounds of different instruments and voices, including techniques heard
100
tonal
a sense of belonging to the key
101
tone
the difference between 2 semi tones
102
triadic
a type of melodic movement through the triad
103
trill
the rapid repetition of 2 adjacent notes
104
turn
a decoration of a written note adding the pitch above and the pitch below
105
unison
playing/singing thee same tune together without harmony at the same pitch at the same time
106
vibrato
a rapid and regular fluctuation in pitch used to produce a richer tone
107
antiphonal
melody passed between parts (like semi interlinked choirs)

AQA GCSE Music (4 decks)

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