The Basics
A succession of single pitches that can be perceived as a united whole.
What is a melody?
Two-part form
Binary form
This keyboard instrument originally used air to create sound but it now has versions that are also electronic.
What is an organ?
Fast
What is Allegro?
A choir singing without accompaniment would be singing like this, a term meaning “in the style of the chapel.”
What is a cappella?
The distance between two pitches.
What is an interval?
A poetic style where the music stays the same as the stanzas change.
What is strophic form?
A set of drums with a definite pitch typically played in a group of four.
What are timpani?
Loud
What is forte?
Some music is not written down but rather shared through this method.
What is oral tradition?
The practice of writing down music.
What is notation?
Sections contained within a larger work that act like chapters in a book.
What are movements?
The smallest member of the woodwind family.
What is a piccolo?
Walking pace
What is andante?
This person is the individual to the left of the director and is the first chair violinist in an orchestra, in charge of leading the section as well as tuning the ensemble.
Who is the concertmaster?
A combination of notes which sounds discordant and unstable, in need of resolution.
What is dissonance?
The theme can be broken into these short rhythmic or melodic ideas.
What is a motive?
Bassoon, oboe, and English horn are examples of this type of instrument?
What is a double reed?
Moderately soft
What is mezzo-piano?
This musical ensemble includes up to ten players and only one player per part.
What is a chamber ensemble?
The meter where the beat is divided into three as opposed to two.
What is compound meter?
The restatement of a motive at a different pitch.
What is a sequence?
For wind instruments this is the important placement of the lips, jaw, and lower muscles needed to properly play.
What is an embouchure?
A repetition of a short, melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic pattern that is often repeated throughout an entire section.
An older version of the piano which has a plucky sound and is smaller in size.
What is a harpsichord?