Musical Notes
Music Production Vocabulary
Combo Category
Graphic Design Vocabulary
(Middle School Only)
Design Principles & image types
100

This musical note lasts three beats has a small dot next to a half note that increases its value.

What is a dotted half note

100

This is the large drum at the bottom of a drum set that a drummer plays with their foot.

What is a kick drum?

100

Companies like Atlantic, Motown, and Def Jam that release and promote music are called this.

What is a record label?

100

Nike’s swoosh or Apple’s apple are examples of this type of graphic used to represent a brand.

What is a logo?

100

Designers use this principle when they place very different elements together, like light and dark colors or big and small text, to make something stand out.

What is contrast?

200

This musical symbol tells a musician to stay silent for one beat instead of playing a note.

What is a quarter rest?

200

In modern music production, beats, vocals, and instruments are often created and put together inside this digital production software.

What is a DAW?

200

Jazz, Blues, Reggae, and R&B are all examples of musical _______?

What is genre?

200

These are the 4 elements used in creating design compositions.

What is line, shape, color and type.

200

This design principle helps guide viewers to the most important element in a composition.
 

What is emphasis?

300

This musical note lasts two beats

What is a half note?

300

This is the main tune of a song that people often hum or sing along to.

What is a melody?

300

Designers use lines to give their designs ______ and help people know where to look first.

What is structure?

300

In art and design, this is the space taken up by the main objects, shapes, or subjects in an image.

What is positive space?

300

Unlike pixels, this type of digital graphic uses mathematical paths so it can scale to any size without becoming blurry.

What is a vector?

400

This note lasts half of one beat and is often connected with a flag or beam.

What is an eighth note?

400

If a drummer practices at 120 beats per minute, they might use this device to keep time.

What is a metronome?

400

Color in a design can communicate _______ to the viewer or listener.
 

What is emotion?

400

In design, this is the empty area around and between objects that helps the main subject stand out.

What is negative space?

400

This design principle guides the viewer’s eye across a page or image so they notice elements in a certain order.

What is movement?

500

This rest symbol tells musicians to stay silent for two beats 

What is a half rest?

500

A dance song might have a BPM around 120–130, which describes the song’s ______.

What is tempo?

500

In many songs, the drummer plays the kick on beat 1 and this drum on beat 2.

What is a snare drum?

500

this is the overall arrangement of elements in a piece of artwork or a design.

What is a composition?

500

When a designer arranges images and text so the cover doesn’t feel too heavy on one side, what principle are they using?

What is balance?

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