Melodic Concepts

Question 1

stepwise

Answer 1

moving by step to the note directly above or below

Question 2

leaping

Answer 2

moving between high and low notes

Question 3

sequence

Answer 3

a pattern of notes repeated higher or lower

Question 4

phrase theme

Answer 4

a clear recognisable melody which is the main idea of a composition

Question 5

microtone

Answer 5

an interval smaller than a semitone

Question 6

tritone

Answer 6

an interval made from three whole tones

Question 7

variation

Answer 7

when the main theme is developed by adding extra notes of changing the speed or tonality

Question 8

ornament

Answer 8

a decoration added to the melody using different or additional notes

Question 9

turn

Answer 9

four notes turn around the main note

Question 10

mordent

Answer 10

main note is played then the note above/below and back to the main

Question 11

acciaccatura

Answer 11

grace note - short note played before the main note

Question 12

appoggiatura

Answer 12

an ornament which sounds like a ‘leaning note’. takes half the volume of the main note that follows it

Question 13

mode

Answer 13

key

Question 14

harmonic minor

Answer 14

a scale sharing the same key signature at its relative major but raises the 7th note by one semitone (snake charmer)

Question 15

melodic minor

Answer 15

a scale sharing the smae key signature at its relative major but raises the 6th and 7th note by one semitone when ascending and lowers them when descending (sounds like mayor scale but slightly off)

Question 16

chromatic scale

Answer 16

a scale built entirely on semitones

Question 17

pentatonic

Answer 17

a scale based on 5 notes (popular in folk and oriental music)

Question 18

whole tone scale

Answer 18

a scale built entirely on tones (flashback)

Question 19

relative major

Answer 19

a change from minor key to the major key with the same key signature. the major key is found 3 semitones higher (e.g. D minor to F major)

Question 20

relative minor

Answer 20

a change from major key to the minor key with the same key signature. the minor key is found 3 semitones lower (e.g. C major to A minor)

Question 21

tone row

Answer 21

the 12 notes found in a chromatic octave arranged in a particular order - appearing only once in each row. found in serialism

Question 22

word painting

Answer 22

when music illustrates the sung phrase