Ap Music Theory Flashcards

Front 1

Pitch

Back 1

The highness or lowness of sound.

Front 2

Octave

Back 2

From one letter up or down to its next occurrence. (CDEFGABC)

Front 3

Octave Register

Back 3

The space from any C up to the next B.

Front 4

Staff

Back 4

Indicates the precise pitch desired. An arrangement of five lines and four spaces that can be extended through the use of ledger lines.

Front 5

Ledger Lines

Back 5

Used to extend the staff.

Front 6

Clef

Back 6

Must appear at the beginning of the staff in order to indicate which pitches are to be associated with which lines and spaces.

Front 7

Grand Staff

Back 7

A combination of two staves joined by a brace, with the top and bottom staves using treble and bass clefs, respectively.

Front 8

Major scale

Back 8

A specific pattern of small steps (called half steps) and larger ones (called whole steps) encompassing an octave.

Front 9

Half Step

Back 9

The distance from a key on the piano to the very next key, white or black.

Front 10

Whole Step

Back 10

Skips the very next key on the piano keyboard and goes instead to the following one.

Front 11

Tetrachord

Back 11

A four-note scalar pattern.

Front 12

Accidental

Back 12

A symbol that raises or lowers a pitch by a half or whole step.

Front 13

Key

Back 13

Identifies the first degree of a scale.

Front 14

Key of G Major

Back 14

Refers to the major sclae that begins on G.

Front 15

Key Signature

Back 15

A pattern of sharps or flats that appears at the beginning of a staff and indicates that certain noatre are to consistently raised or lowered.

Front 16

Enharmonic

Back 16

Notes that are spelled differently but sound the same.

Front 17

Transpose

Back 17

To write or play music in some key other than the original.

Front 18

Circles of Fifths

Back 18

A diagram like the face of a clock that aids in the memorization of key signatures.

Front 19

Natural Minor Scale

Back 19

A minor scale formation, similar to a major scale with lowered 3, 6, and 7.

Front 20

Harmonic Minor Scale

Back 20

A minor scale type which can be thought of as a major with lowered 3 and 6.

Front 21

Melodic Minor

Back 21

A minor scale type which has an ascending form and a descending form. It lowers scale degree 3 when ascending and scale degrees 3, 6, and 7 while descending.

Front 22

Relatives

Back 22

Major and minor keys that share the same key signature.

Front 23

Parallels

Back 23

Major and minor keys that share the same starting note.

Front 24

Interval

Back 24

The measurement of the distance in pitch between two notes.

Front 25

Harmonic Interval

Back 25

Separates pitches that are sounded simultaneously.

Front 26

Melodic Interval

Back 26

Separates pitches that are sounded in succession.

Front 27

Unison

Back 27

In discussing intervals, the term used instead of 1.

Front 28

Octave

Back 28

In discussing intervals, the term used instead of 8.

Front 29

Simple Intervals

Back 29

Intervals smaller than an octave.

Front 30

Compund Intervals

Back 30

Intervals larger than and including octaves.

Front 31

Perfect

Back 31

A modifier used only in connection with unisons, 4ths, 5ths, octaves, and their compounds.

Front 32

Augmented

Back 32

When a perfect or a major interval is made a half step larger without changing the numerical name.

Front 33

Diminished

Back 33

When a perfect or minor interval is made a half step smaller without changing its numerical name

Front 34

Tritone

Back 34

The term used for the +4 or its enharmonic equivalent, the *5.

Front 35

Interval Inversion

Back 35

When one puts the lower note above the upper one (or the reverse).

Front 36

Consonant

Back 36

Pleasing to the ear.

Front 37

Dissonant

Back 37

Not pleasing to the ear.

Front 38

Bass

Back 38

The lowest voice.