Unit One: The Materials of Music Flashcards
(49 cards)
measure
a metrical unit containing a fixed number of beats; separated on the staff by bar lines.
meter
fixed patterns of strong and weak betas
simple time
time signatures in which each beat contains two subdivisions
compound time
time signatures in which each beat contains three (rather than two) subdivisions
syncopation
a deliberate shifting of the musical accent to a weak beat
anacrusis
an upbeat, or the last beat of a measure anticipating the downbeat
pitch
the highness or lowness of a particular sound
range
the distance between the highest and lowest notes of a melody
interval
the distance between any two pitches
conjunct
melodies that move mostly in a stepwise direction
disjunct
melodies that contain many leaps and changes of direction
phrase
a series of consecutive pitches that form a musical unit, much like a sentence
motive
a short melodic or rhythmic fragment used to build a melody
chord
a combination of three or more pitches that create a unit of harmony
triad
a three note chord that consists of a root, third, and fifth
diatonic
melodies/harmonies built from the notes of a +/- scale
chromatic
melodies/harmonies that include all the notes available within the octave, from the Greek word for “colour”
consonance
an agreeable combination of tones that provides a sense of relaxation and stability
dissonance
a combination of tones that sounds discordant, thus creating restlessness and a sense of instability
harmonic rhythm
the rate (frequency) of chord changes per measure
cadence
a specific combination of two chords that provide moments of rest at the ends of phrases, much like punctuation
counterpoint
combination of two or more melodic lines (ex. Hallelujah chorus from Handel’s messiah (“…and he shall reign forever and ever…”)
monophonic texture
a single line of unaccompanied melody
homophonic texture
a single line of melody supported by a harmonic accompaniment (ex. Section A of Overture (Sinfony) Messiah)
