Music: The Art Of Listening

Front 1

Pitch

Back 1

Pitch: the relative “high- ness” or “low-ness” of a sound
• More frequent soundwaves results in higher pitch
• Less frequent results in lower pitch

Front 2

Dynamics/ Volume

Back 2

The amplitude of a sound wave determines its volume (the relative loudness or softness of the sound)
• Wide amplitude (air particle moves very far) means loud volume
• Narrow amplitude means soft

Front 3

Sharp

Back 3

1/2 Step Higher in Pitch

Front 4

Flat

Back 4

1/2 Step Lower in Pitch

Front 5

Notated Pitches

Back 5

Western music utilizes letters A-G

Front 6

Intervals (of pitch)

Back 6

Interval: the distance between two pitches
– Intervals are named according to numbers
– Ex.: a 2nd, a 4th, a minor 3rd, a major 7th, etc.
– The two smallest intervals are the half-step (minor 2nd) and the whole-step (major 2nd)

Front 7

Octave

Back 7

Octave: a particular interval that has a frequency ratio of 2:1
• The letter-names of the two pitches in this interval are identical
– Purest, simplest, “nicest sounding” interval

Front 8

Scale

Back 8

cale: an ascending or descending pattern of intervals that divides the octave
– Often made up of combinations of “half-steps” and “whole-steps”
– Different scales give melodies their particular flavor • Some types of scales: major, minor, chromatic,
whole-tone, pentatonic

Front 9

Tonic

Back 9

Tonic: the first and last note of a major scale or minor scale (think of it as “home base”)

Front 10

Rhythm

Back 10

Rhythm: the organization of sound in time

Front 11

Beat

Back 11

Beat: the constant, basic unit of measuring time’s passing
– Psychological phenomenon (not necessarily physical or audible)
– The beat is usually implied by the sounding rhythm

Front 12

Tempo

Back 12

The Speed of the Beat

Front 13

Meter

Back 13

Meter: the grouping of beats into a regularly recurring arrangement of strong and weak beats (see p. 13)

Front 14

Three ways to imply stress on a beat

Back 14

Three ways to imply stress on a beat: – Louder volume (or stronger attack)
– Longer duration
– Pitch relationships

Front 15

Measure/Bar

Back 15

a single unit of meter grouping

Front 16

Duple Meter

Back 16

Two beats per measure

Front 17

Triple Meter

Back 17

3 beats per measure

Front 18

Quadruple Meter

Back 18

4 beats per measure

Front 19

Syncopation

Back 19

occurs when the stressed sound occurs at a time that does not coincide with the beat (“off the beat”)

Front 20

Backbeat

Back 20

present in much popular music... usually a sharp, percussive sound on beats 2 and 4 of a measure of quadruple meter

Front 21

Melody

Back 21

a succession of pitches that create a complete musical thought
– The pitches must sound one at a time (“succession”)
– They should imply some degree of logical totality (for example, complete phrase or phrase fragments)

Front 22

Conjunct Melodic Contour

Back 22

Changes in melodic contour in mostly small intervals

Front 23

Disjunct Melodic Contour

Back 23

Changes in melodic contour in mostly large intervals

Front 24

Range

Back 24

The interval between a melody’s highest and lowest pitches

Front 25

Phrase

Back 25

a complete statement of a melody, often divided into segments that have different levels of finality

Front 26

Cadence

Back 26

– The punctuation ending phrases and/or phrase
fragments
– The resolution of melodic and/or harmonic tensions, often (but not always) highlighted by the use of long notes or of silence

Front 27

Theme

Back 27

Melody that recurs throughout a longer piece, often undergoing some sort of change in later incarnations

Front 28

Motive

Back 28

very short melodic phrase, suitable for variation and development

Front 29

Lyrical Melody

Back 29

suitable for singing, or similar to melodies for the human voice