Counterpoint
It is good practice to avoid parrallel 5ths and octaves.
What is the Rule of Motion (Rule #3)?
The German theologian and composer attributed with initiating the Protestant Reformation in 1517.
Who is Martin Luther?
The musical time period ranging from 1450-1600 AD, characterized by a "rebirth" in art, science, literature, and an emphasis on human attributes and virtue.
What is the Renaissance?
The distance between any two given notes.
What is an interval?
Music that was performed in aristocratic courts, homes, ballrooms, and in noble houses.
What is secular music?
The Soprano almost always gets the melody, while the Bass creates the foundation and describes the position of the chord being sung. The other two voices fill in the chord.
What is the Rule of Voicing (Rule #2)?
The "Father of Humanism," taking inspiration from Greek and Roman authors such as Cicero, Seneca, Virgil, Plato, Aristotle, and Homer. He lived from 1304-1374.
Who is Francesco Petrarch?
A worldview that emphasizes the intelligence, virtue, and creativity of humans through the arts, sciences, and humanities, calling upon the classical Greek and Roman literature of the Medieval period.
What is Humanism?
Three or more notes played at the same time, creating distinct sounds: Major, Minor, Diminished, etc.
What is a chord?
A style of music characterized by a connection between the text of the music and the notes themselves.
What is text painting?
Each voice on the staff must remain in the proper order and not cross one another. This happens most often between Tenor and Alto.
What is the Rule of Voice Crossing (Rule #4)?
Who is Josquin Des Prez?
The improved invention that assisted musicians in spreading their musical compositions faster and farther than before.
A letter that represents the placement of a chord in a scale and whether it is major, minor, diminished, or aumented.
What is a Roman Numeral?
A sacred polyphonic composition based on a Latin text, using imitative counterpoint, which was later expanded to secular music, and originally began as an application of new text to older music.
What is a Motet?
All musical phrases must resolve to the "I," and must follow a map of chords for best sound quality and least likelihood of consonance.
What is the Rule of Resolutions (Rule #7)?
An Italian composer (1525-1594) who served as the music director of the choir at St. Peter's Basilica, wrote many Masses, and is most famous for "saving" polyphonic music from the condemnation of the church although there is no historical evidence to support it. He also influenced the work of J.S. Bach.
Who is Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina?
The council called by the Catholic Church in response to the Protestant Reformation, lasting from 1545-1563.
What is the Council of Trent?
The building blocks of a three-note chord.
What are the root, third, and fifth?
A French polyphonic secular song characterized by "courtly love" themes, freer text-driven composition, and emotional text expression using text painting.
What is a Chanson?
Each chord of the scale has three notes, while choral compositions typically have four or more voices. When duplicating one of the notes in the chord so that each voice sings, it is good practice to avoid duplicating the third of the chord and the 7th scale degree. Instead duplicate the root and the fifth of the chord.
What is the Rule of Doubling (Rule #6)?
A Flemish composer (1532-1594) known as a "master of counterpoint," who composed many sacred and secular works using unique styles such as chromaticism.
Who is Orlando Di Lasso?
The invention of Johannes Gutenberg in 1454 that revolutionized the spread of literature, thus contributing to the popularization of Humanism.
What is the Printing Press?
When a note other than the root is in the bass.
What is an inversion?
A lively upper voice placed above a pre-existing chant, featuring distinct rhythmic sections separating it from traditional organum.
What is Descant Clausulae?