Download National 4 Concepts

National 4 Concepts
INSTRUMENTS
Guiro - This instrument belongs to the percussion
SCOTTISH
Bass Drum - This instrument belongs to
and has ridges cut into the outer surface. A wooden stick
the percussion family. It is large, low in pitch and played
is scraped along the ridges to produce the sound.
Jig - A fast dance in compound time. Usually 2 beats in
with a large-headed beater. A bass drum is also part of
a bar, with each beat dividing into 3 quavers.
a drum kit.
Mouth Music - Unaccompanied songs with Gaelic
or nonsense words, normally sung for ceilidh dances.
Harp - This instrument belongs to the string family. It
is usually about 1.8 metres high, weighs 36kg and has 47
Bass Guitar - The bass guitar is pitched lower than a
Pentatonic – Any 5 note Scale
longer note. A feature of Strathspeys.
Strathspey - A Scottish dance with four beats in a
Harpsichord - A keyboard instrument which looks
like a small grand piano. When a key is pressed, it causes
Cello - This instrument belongs to the string family
a string to be plucked, which gives the harpsichord a
and is slightly smaller and slightly higher in pitch than a
'twangy' sound.
double bass. It can be played with a bow (arco) or
pizzicato.
Scots Ballad - A Scottish song which tells a story.
strings.
guitar. It is an electric string instrument and has
only four strings, two fewer than an electric guitar.
Scotch Snap - A very short accented note before a
family. It is made of wood that has been hollowed out
Pan Pipes - Traditional pan pipes are hollow tubes
made from bamboo or wood, and bound together. The
Clarinet - This instrument belongs to the woodwind
tubes are of varying length which gives different pitches
family. It uses a single reed, which is attached to a plastic
of notes, and the sound is produced by blowing air
mouthpiece.
across the top of the tubes.
Double Bass - This instrument belongs to the string
Recorder - There are four main types of recorder:
family and is the largest and lowest instrument of the
descant, treble, tenor and bass.
bar, with dotted rhythms, and usually featuring the
Scotch snap.
Vamp - A rhythmic accompaniment with a bass note
strings. It can be played with a bow (arco) or pizzicato.
played on the beat and a chord off the beat. Usually
played on piano or guitar.
Drone – 1; One note held on (or repeated in) the bass.
Often called a drone bass. Sometimes there is more than
one note.
2;
The low-pitched pipes of a bagpipe which
accompany a melody.
Saxophone - This instrument belongs to the
Flute - This instrument belongs to the woodwind
woodwind family. It uses a single reed which is attached
family, although it is made of metal. It does not have a
to a plastic mouthpiece.
reed. The sound is produced by blowing across the top of
a hole – a bit like blowing across the open top of a glass
bottle.
Glockenspiel - This instrument belongs to
the percussion family. The metal bars are laid out in a
similar pattern to the piano and are played with beaters.
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Tambourine - This instrument belongs to the
percussion family. It has a wooden or plastic frame, pairs
of metal jingles attached, and is mostly played by the
hand striking or shaking the instrument.
INSTRUMENTS (CONT.)
STYLES
VOCAL
Snare Drum - This instrument belongs to the
Baroque - Baroque is the name given to a style of
Backing Vocals - Singers who support the lead
music composed during a particular period, 1600-1750
singer(s), usually by singing in harmony in the
approximately.
background.
Romantic - In music, the period 1810-1900
Opera - A drama set to music with soloists, chorus,
approximately, which followed the Classical era. The
acting, and orchestral accompaniment. It is normally
Triangle - This instrument belongs to the percussion
Romantic orchestra grew in size and added piccolo,
performed in a theatre.
family. A piece of metal in the shape of a triangle, open
trombone and more varied percussion.
percussion family and is played with sticks or brushes.
Timpani - This instrument belongs to the percussion
family. A drum with skin stretched across a large bowl
which was traditionally made of copper, but is more
commonly now made of fibreglass.
at one corner, and struck with a metal beater.
Rapping - Rhyming lyrics that are spoken and
Concerto - A work for solo instrument and orchestra,
Trombone - This instrument belongs to the brass
eg a flute concerto is written for flute and orchestra. It is
family. Air vibrates through a player's lips, into a
normally in three movements.
performed in time to a beat. Rapping is popular in hiphop music.
mouthpiece which is connected to the instrument. It is
the only brass instrument that has a slide instead of
valves.
METHODS/EFFECTS
Trumpet - This instrument belongs to the brass
Verse and Chorus - A structure/form popular in
many songs. The music of the verse is repeated, often
with different words, and (between verses) the chorus is
family. Air vibrates through a player's lips, into a
Muted - Using a device which reduces the volume or
mouthpiece which is connected to the instrument. The
alters the sound of an instrument.
normally repeated, featuring different music to the verse.
trumpet is the smallest and highest instrument in the
brass family.
Distortion – An electronic effect used in rock music to
colour the sound of an electric guitar. It gives a fuzzy
Violin - This instrument belongs to the string family.
pizzicato.
Xylophone - This instrument belongs to the
Types of voice.
GROUPS
Soprano – The highest female voice
Brass Band - A band of brass instruments and
Tenor – The highest male voice
percussion.
Bass - The lowest male voice.
.Alto - The lowest female voice.
percussion family. The wooden bars are laid out in a
similar pattern to the piano and are played with beaters.
are improvised (made up) by the singer.
sound.
It is the smallest and highest pitched instrument in the
string family. It can be played with a bow (arco) or
Scat singing - Nonsense words, syllables and sounds
Wind Band - A band with woodwind, brass and
percussion instruments.
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WORLD MUSIC
African –
Reggae
STRUCTURE/FORM
sing a melody, another part enters shortly afterwards
Music from Africa
- Reggae music was developed in the late
Canon - Strict imitation. Once one part starts to play or
A B A/ TERNARY - Three-part form – Music
with exactly the same melody. Frere Jacques is often
in three sections: section A, then B, then back to A.
sung this way. See round.
Chord Progression
Imitation - Where the melody is immediately copied
1960s in Jamaica.
20th CENTURY (JAZZ)
A series of related chords
built on the first, fourth and fifth notes of a major or
in another part. It need not be an exact copy.
minor scale.
Theme and Variation - The structure of a piece
Ragtime
A style of dance music which became
Change of Key - A move from one key to another.
several times with variations.
popular at the end of the 19th century and which helped
to influence jazz.
Middle Eight - In popular music, a section which
provides a contrast to the opening section. It is often
Scat singing - Nonsense words, syllables and sounds
are improvised (made up) by the singer.
Swing
- A jazz style which started in the 1930s and
was performed by a big band.
Pedal - Short for pedal point. A note which
eight bars long.
is sustained, or repeated continuously, in the bass
Vamp - A rhythmic accompaniment with a bass note
played on the beat and a chord off the beat. Usually
played on piano or guitar.
Syncopation - Strongly accented notes playing off or
against the beat.
where the melody is heard (the theme), then returns
beneath changing harmonies.
Cadenza - A passage of music which allows soloists to
display their technical ability in singing or playing an
instrument.
Arpeggio - Notes of a chord played one after the
other.
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Tempo, Dynamics, Rhythm
and Note groupings
Repeat Sign - A sign (indicated by a double barline
Mezzo forte (or mf) stands for fairly loud volume.
and two dots) which indicates that a section of music
should be repeated.
A tempo - An instruction to return to the speed that
was played before the tempo changed.
Accelerando - The tempo (speed) of the music
gradually becomes faster.
Mezzo piano (or mp) means fairly quiet volume.
Scale - A sequence of notes moving by step in an
Dotted Rhythm - A long note followed by a shorter
ascending or descending order.
one or a short note followed by a longer one, as in a
Semiquaver - A note that lasts for a quarter (1/4) of a
Scotch snap.
beat.
Andante - A tempo at a walking
speed, approximately 76-108 beats per minute.
Rallentando - The tempo (speed) of the music
gradually slows down.
Anacrusis - The notes which appear before the first
strong beat of a musical phrase, particularly at the start
of a piece.
Compound Time - The beat is divided into groups
of three.
Simple time - The music has two, three or four beats
in each bar, and each beat is a crotchet (1 beat note) and
each beat can be divided into 2.
Grouped Semiquavers - A group of semiquavers
which are joined together.
Major - The music sounds in a major key (tonality) –
often described as having a cheery, happy feel to it.
Minor - The music sounds in a minor key (tonality),
often described as having a sadder feel than major.
Ornament - An ornament decorates a melody by
adding extra notes. Ornaments are often short and add
melodic and rhythmic interest.
Paired Quavers - Two quavers (½ beat notes) joined
together.
Quaver - A note that lasts half a beat.
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