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pitch
frequency of vibration, the relative highness or lowness of sound
Pitch
The position of a sound on a range from very low to very high, determined by the frequency of its sound waves.
register
range- high, medium, low
Register
The range of a pitch or series of pitches, usually described as high, middle, or low.
register
range
interval
distance in pitch between two notes (unison same pitch, octave eight notes difference)
scale
a system of pitch organization - a series of whole and half steps
Scale
A series of notes that provide the essential pitch building blocks of a melody.
scale
system of pitch organization
melody
horizontal organization of pitches - notes sound one after the other
Melody
A single line of notes heard in succession as a coherent unit.
harmony
vertical organization of pitch - 2 or more notes sound at the same time
Harmony
The sound created by multiple voices playing or singing together.
tonic (I)
1st scale degree
Tonic
The note that establishes a key, based on its distinctive relationship with a particular set of harmonies or other notes in the underlying scale. Also, the chord based on the first scale degree.
dominant (V)
5th scale degree
subdominant (IV)
4th scale degree
cadences
ending patterns/end of the piece
Cadence
A point of arrival signaling the end of a musical unit.
cadence
brief stopping point at which music pauses
duration
(time) the length of notes and rests (can be silences too)
duration
length of notes and rests (time)
tempo
rate of speed of music
changes in tempo
accelerando, ritardando, rubato
largo-adagio
slow
andante - moderato
moderate
allegro, vivace, presto
fast
meter
organization of the beat into groups - patterns of strong and weak beats
Meter
An underlying pattern of beats.
meter
organization of the beat into groups
dynamics
level of loudness (piano to forte)
Dynamics
Th volume of sound, determined by the size (amplitude) of each sound wave.
dynamics
level of loudness
dynamics
indicates volume of sound
timbre
(quality of sound) tone color, can tell the difference in voices
Timbre
The character or quality of a sound.
timbre
quality of sound
form
shape, structure of piece of music
genre
type or category of music
Genre
The category of a work, determined by a combination of its performance medium and its social function.
notation
the use of written or printed symbols to indicate musical sound
treble staff
(g-clef) starts on the G line, the right hand, high pitch
bass staff
(f clef) starts on the f line, left hand (low pitch)
A capella
Sung without instrumental accompaniment of any kind.
Acoustics
The science of sound: how it is produced, transmitted and received.
Amplitude
The size of a sound wave; determines volume.
Ballad
A poem or a song that tells a story.
Chord
Three or more notes played or sung at the same time.
Conjunct motion
Melodic motion of pitches by step.
Consonance
The sound of notes together that our ear finds naturally right. Like dissonance, consonance is a relative concept that can change over long periods of time.
Cornetto
A wind instrument of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, a forerunner of the trumpet.
Courtly love
A code of behavior in medieval courts in which the knight worshipped the lady from afar.
courtly love
highly stylized form of love where knight declares himself a servant of the woman he's wooing
Dissonance
The sound of notes that clash, either harmonically or melodically.
Drone bass
A single long note held underneath the melodic line.
Duple meter
An underlying pattern of rhythm in which each unit (measure) consists of one accented (strong) beat followed by a weak beat.
Frequency
The number of sound- wavelengths in one second.
Gospel music
Religious-themed music that borrows from R&B, blues, and other popular styles in its vocal and instrumental styles.
gospel music
religious themed music that borrows from other styles in its vocal/instrument styles
Gregorian Chant
Monophonic vocal music in the Medieval church, designed to project religious texts. So called because it was alleged to have been written by Pope Gregory I, in the late 16th century.
Gregorian chant
oldest continuously performed music in western tradition
Half step
The smallest distance between two adjacent notes on a piano. (White to Black key)
Whole step
Two half steps.
Homophonic Texture (homophony)
A musical texture in which a melody is performed with a supporting accompaniment.
Humanism
An early- Renaissance intellectual and cultural movement that explored human interest and values through the pursuit of science, philosophy, literature, painting, sculpture, and music, particularly vocal music.
humanism
emphasizes human values through pursuit of science, philosophy, lit, painting, music...
Imitation
A shortened form of the term "imitative counterpoint": the same theme introduced by different instruments or voices in succession.
Imitative
A particular type of counterpoint in which one voice introduces a new them and is answered by other voices that enter in succession shortly afterwards, even as the first voice continues to sing or play.
Counterpoint
A style of writing in which every voice is a melody and all voices work together.
Interval key
The distance between two pitches.
Madrigal
A musical setting of a text in a single stripe (stanza).
madrigal
musical setting of a text in a single strophe
Major mode
A type of scale produced by singing "do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do" often described as bright or happy.
Measure
A rhythmic unit, indicated by bar lines in notated music, that presents one complete statement of the meter.
Melisma
A syllable of text sung to many notes.
melismas
more than one note per syllable
Melismatic
A style of setting a text to music so that there is more than one note per syllable.
Minor mode
Scale from A to A on piano. sound is described as "dark" or "sad".
Monophonic
A single texture consisting of a single melodic line.
Motet
In the Renaissance, a sacred choral work for the Roman Catholic Church.
Octave
The interval between two pitches of the same name. The frequency of the higher pitch is 2X that of the lower pitch.
Oral tradition
One passed down without the aid of written words or notated music.
Oral tradition
music is learned and transmitted by memory rather than by notated, printed music
Pentatonic
A scale consisting of 5 tones.
Percussion instrument
An instrument that produces sound when it is struck.
Phrase
A brief musical statement.
Plainchant
Monophonic vocal music in the medieval church designed to project religious texts.
plainchant
way to sing sacred texts with great clarity- daily church services
Polyphonic
A musical texture consisting of multiple lines of equal performance.
Recorder
A wind instrument widely used until ca. 1750, similar to a flute but blown into one end rather from the side.
Refrain
The same words with same basic melody recurring at regular intervals over the course of a work.
refrain
bringing back the same words with basic melody at regular intervals over the course of a work
Responsorial chant
A type of plainchant in which a soloist's passage is followed by a response from the chorus.
responsorial chant
plainchant in which a soloist's passage is followed by response from chorus
Sackbut
A wind instrument of the Renaissance, a forerunner of the modern trombone.
Sound
The vibration through the air that produces sound
Wave
The distance between peaks of sound waves.
Stanza
A verse of poetry, or the music corresponding to that verse.
Strophe
A verse of poetry, or the music corresponding to that verse.
Syallabic
A style of setting a text to music so that there is one note per accented syllable.
Texture
The number and vernal relationship of musical lines or voices to one another.
Triple Meter
1-2-3, 1-2-3.
triple meter
1 strong beat, 2 weak ones ONE-two-three
Unison
More than one performer playing or singing the same pitch at the same time.
Heterophonic texture (heterophony)
The simultaneous playing or singing of two or more versions of a melody.
pitch (frequency)
relative highness or lowness of a sound
rhythm
combinations of patterns of duration
organum
when see this, means music is from the middle ages
organums
plainchant melodies in long note values in the lowest voice with faster moving voices layered above plainchant
medieval secular music
latin and vernacular languages
carmina burana
Music containing large collection of Latin and German secular songs assembled at the Benedictine Monastery
Medieval devotional music
2 important manuscripts - 1. Catalonia 2. Cantigas de Santa Maria
Guillaume de Machaut
administrator, poet, and composer, court musician famous for his secular song
The Renaissance
Copying what Greeks and Romans did
Renaissance
rebirth
Liber Usualis
book of most common chants from both the office and the mass composers
folk music
traditional music that grows out of the folk culture of a nation, region, or ethnic group
folk music
a body of repertoire comprised of traditional songs and dances, derived from an oral tradition
field recording
recorded traditional folk songs away from studio
psalm singing
brought by English Pilgrim and Puritan colonists in New England
Psalters
books containing the psalms, sometimes with musical settings
psalter
plucked string instrument
Lining out
method of singing psalms for people who cannot read music
singing schools
way to help people learn to read music, learn hymn tunes, and thus be able to sing from notated music books
William Billings
5 collections of hymns, anthems, fuguing tunes
Isaac Watts
"Hymns and Spiritual Songs"
Charles Wesley
6500 hymns
Gospel
hymns and songs relating to the gospels rather than the psalms
Spirituals
religious songs created by slaves
black gospel
grows out of tradition of spirituals
minstrel shows
white actors in burnt cork or black face
burlesque
originally spoof of a story you already knew - supposed to be funny
variety shows
dirty shows with "waiter girls" became vaudeville
Ned Harrigan and Tony Hart
employed black performers
the Little Tycoon
first American operetta
Building of the Hippodrome
largest playhouse in the world
Palace Theater on Broadway
apex of Vaudeville
Show Boat
musical which tackled racial prejudice
Quadruple meter
common time, 4 beats- primary accent on first beat, secondary on third ONE-two-THREE-four
time signature
two numerals stacked. Top- how many beats in the bar, bottom- note value rep 1 beat
pianissimo
very soft
piano
soft
mezzopiano
medium soft
mezzo forte
medium loud
forte
loud
fortissimo
very loud
crescendo
louder
descendo
softer
sacred spaces
music played in churches, cathedrals
sacred music
enhanced texts to inspire worshippers
minstrels
poets, singers, jesters passing town to town
Poet composers who sang songs about love, heroism, pastoral life
troubadours (Fr), trouveres (North), minnesingers (Germ)
manuscripts
handwritten, time consuming, not always accurate
manuscript
handwritten music, very unique
neumes
early forms of notes
Hildegard
-had visions for music/lyrics -channel for HS through prose, poetry, music
Hildegard
Play of virtues
monophony
single/multiple voices singing same line of music in unison
morality plays
dramatized allegory of good and evil struggling
syllabic
one note per syllable
Perotin
Middle Ages wrote long, intricate organums
parchment
animal skin, cleaned, dried, stretched to form smooth writing surface
gold leaf
actual pieces of gold beaten very thin; decorates manuscripts
Machaut
Middle Ages poet/composer secular courtly love songs
pygmalion myth
statue so beautiful, artist fell in love. Aphrodite brought to life, have kids
3 voice texture
3 voices present each diff from the others
AAB form
First 2 lines have same music, diff for 3rd line
Mass
ritual reenactment of Christ's last supper (communion)
Kyrie
prayer for mercy to God and Christ
Gloria
declaration of praise
credo
declaration of articles of faith
sanctus
blessing of bread and wine
agnus dei
prayer of redemption from Lamb of God
Alfonso el Sabio
Songs of Virgin Mary (Cantigas de Santa Maria)
Shwam
double reed instrument like oboe
heterophony
2 voices singing same melody simultaneously but with different embellishments
drone
long note held underneath melodic line
bagpipe
animal bladder (air) squeezed through pipes
vielle
like violin, wider/flatter
lute
used pick to pluck strings
castanets
percussion, sharp sound
Protestant reformation
Martin Luther, splits Christianity: Catholic, Protestan
Renaissance man
cultivated in knowledge/expertise in full range of arts and language
Josquin des Prez
considered greatest composer Ren
word painting
technique where composers illustrate word/phrase through music that reflects its meaning
word painting
music that illustrates a word/phrase
William Byrd
-Greatest Eng. composer of Ren -Most imp publisher at his time -Catholic
anthem (Eng)/motet (Rom. Cath)
sacred choral work

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