the steady pulse that underlies most music
beat
the speed of the beat
tempo
the tempo of a piece slowing down
ritardondo
the tempo of a piece speeding up
accelerando
a piece f music with no beat
unmetered music
a piece of music iwth a beat that speeds up or slows down for expressive purposes
rubato
which beat of a musical measure is strongest?
the first, also called the downbeat
the pattern of emphasis superimposed on groups of beats
meter
a group of beats
a measure, or bar
music with groups of 2 or 4 beats
duple meter
a note that falls before the downbeat of the first measure
pickup, or anacrusis
What THREE elements of notation indicate the duration of a note?
the note head, the flags on the stem, and dots
How many numbers do time signatures contain?
2
what does the top number of a time signature represent
the number of beats in a measure
what does the bottom number of a time signiture represent?
how long one beat is
a beat with a triple subdivision
compound meter
measures with different meters occurring in succession
mixed meter
two or more meters occurring simultaneously
polymeter
emphasizing notes that fall on weak beats or in between beats
syncopation
two or more conflicting rhythmic patterns occurring simultaneously
polyrhythm
two or more tones sounding simultaneously
harmony
the system used in western cultures to organize pitch and harmony
common practice tonality
3 or more
how many notes must there be in a chord
a three note chord up of two intervals of a third
triad
what are the FOUR types of triad
major, minor, diminished, and augmented
in ascending order, what intervals make up a major triad?
a major third and a minor third
in ascending order, what intervals make up a minor triad?
a minor third and a major third
in ascending order, what intervals make up a diminished triad?
a major third and a major third
what is the lowest note of a triad known as?
the root
WHAT IS THE HIGHEST NOTE OF A TIRAD KNOWN AS??????????????????????????
the fifth
Under what circumstance can the human ear not hear beats?
Beats cannot be detected by the human ear if they become too fast. If two interfering pitches are far apart in frequency, there will be too many beats per second for the ear to perceive them.
What scientist extensively studied the frequencies of interfering waves and the beats they produce?
Hermann von Helmholtz
According to Helmholtz, which three ratios between frequencies and corresponding intervals create the “smoothest” sounds?
1:1 (two notes of the same pitch), 1:2 (an octave(, 2:3 (a fifth)
What is the difference between consonance and dissonance?
Consonance occurs when interacting pitches and their overtones are complementary so do not produce audible beats; dissonance is when overtones clash with one another and create beats.
In addition to harmonics and beats, what quality of a n instrument affects its timbre?
The material of which the instrument is constructed affects its timbre.
When a material is forced into vibrating at one of its naturally occurring frequencies, what do we call this response?
resonance
what is polyphone
polyphonic music inclues two or more separate melodies occurring simultaneously
what term is used to describe the texture of music that has a single melody accompanied by music hat is written in the same key as the primary melody
homophony
what is heterophony
heterophopnic music features a single meoldy that is played in slightly different forms by multiple voices or instruments at the same time
describe homorhythmic texture
homorhythmic texture occurs when the accompanying parts have the same rhythm as the primary melody
what is polyrhythmic teutre
occurs when two or more lines of music with differen meters are played simultaneously
what is form
the term used to refer to the overall framework or organization of a piece of music
what is the form of a piece of music that has two or more distinct sections
compound form
name the musical form that consists of ovements inspired by dances
a suite
what is an open form
in which a sectionor piece ends unresolved or in a key other than the ones in which it behan
what is close form
a piece written in closed form features a definite resolution and a sense of closure; it ends o nthe tonic of the key in which it began
wehat textural and melodic similarities exist between a fugue and a motet
both feauture extensive polyphony and melodic repetition
ethnomusicology
the study or comparitive study of the music of other cultures
why does an arbitary dropped object not produce a pitch?
its sound wave is short and irregular
what THREE techniques are used to make the strings of chordophones vibrate?
plucking, bowing or striking the strings