Musical Elements
Music Genres & Styles
Instrument Families
Musical Time Periods
Listening Terms
100

This musical element refers to how fast or slow music is. 

What is tempo?

100

This genre is known for strong beats and rapping.

What is hip-hop?

100

This family of instruments contains the viola. 

What is the string family?

100

This musical era intentionally broke traditional rules of tonality and form in search of new sounds.

What is the 20th century?

100

This musical term describes a short musical idea that is repeated and developed throughout a piece.

What is a motif?

200

This element describes how loud or soft music is played. 

What are dynamics?

200

This style of music originated in African American communities and emphasizes rhythm and improvisation.

What is jazz?

200

Flute, clarinet, and saxophone belong to this instrument family.

What is the woodwind family?
200

This musical period placed the greatest emphasis on emotional expression, individualism, and storytelling through music.

What is the Romantic era?

200

When listening to music, this element helps you identify whether sounds are produced by strings, voices, or electronics.

What is timbre?

300

This musical element refers to the thickness or number of layers in music.

What is texture?

300

This genre often features orchestras, operas, or symphonies.

What is classical music?

300

This instrument family produces sound by vibrating air through buzzing lips.

What is the brass family?

300

This musical period emphasized balance, clarity, and well-defined melodies as a reaction against the complexity of the era which came before.

What is the Classical era?

300

This term describes the overall plan or structure of a piece of music.

What is form?

400

This element describes how high or low a sound is.

What is pitch?

400

This genre blends singing with acting and dancing on stage?

What is musical theater?

400

Timpani, snare drum, and xylophone belong to this instrument family.

What is the percussion family?
400

This musical era is generally considered the foundation of Western art music notation and theory.

What is the Medieval era?

400

This sound design technique uses everyday noises (like breathing or footsteps) to increase realism and fear.

What are diegetic sounds?

500

This element is created by long and short sounds in music.

What is rhythm?

500

This style of music is passed down orally and reflects cultural traditions.

What is folk music?

500

This instrument uses a keyboard and hammers to strike strings.

What is the piano?

500

This era is well known for it's use of the Fugue form which uses imitation between voices, allowing a single theme to be developed throughout a piece. 

What is the Baroque era?
500

This musical term describes combinations of notes that sound tense or unstable.

What is dissonance?

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