Music Terms + Concepts
What is the main tune in a piece of music, usually what you sing along with?
Melody
How can we describe happier sounding or sadder sounding music?
Major or Minor
What time period does Bach represent?
Baroque
What is the name of the YouTube concert series Hozier performed in?
Tiny Desk Concert
What is the main tune in a piece of music, usually what you sing along with?
Dynamics
True or False: Fast tempo is usually associated with calm, sadness, or reflection.
False -- it's usually associated with slower tempo
Name one characteristic of Modern music
Atonality, exploration
Name one type of performance space discussed in class.
Cathedral, coffeehouse, stadium, etc.
What is the term for the characteristic sound quality of an instrument or voice?
Timbre
What causes emotional response in music: familiarity or surprise?
Both – the brain loves patterns, but surprise intensifies emotion
Name a composer from the Romantic period.
Chopin, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Satie, etc.
What makes a performance feel “intimate” vs. “grand”?
Size, acoustics, lighting, performer-audience distance, etc
What is the difference between homophonic and polyphonic texture?
Homophonic = same rhythm + melody, Polyphonic = multiple independent melodies
Which part of the brain helps us form memories of music?
Hippocampus
Russian composer Stravinsky wrote the music for this ballet that caused a riot at its premiere in France.
Rite of Spring
Why was John Cage’s 4′33″ considered revolutionary?
It invited listeners to hear silence and ambient sound as music.
Name all 8 building blocks of music introduced on Lesson 2.
Pitch, Rhythm, Meter, Melody, Harmony, Timbre, Texture, Form
Describe an example where different music can change the meaning of context.
Star Wars, Happy Birthday
What period featured the different types of orchestras such as chamber orchestra and string quartet?
Classical
In what ways has streaming changed the relationship between performer and audience?
In what ways has streaming changed the relationship between performer and audience?