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Clyde Valley High School
Performing Arts Faculty
Standard Grade Music Concepts
Foundation / General / Credit
Foundation Concepts
Concept
Ascending
Definition
notes which rise in pitch
Descending
notes which fall in pitch
Stepwise
moving between notes which are next to
each other
Leaping
moving between notes which are not next to
each other
Broken chord
the notes of a chord are played separately
Sequence
a melodic phrase which is repeated at a
higher or lower pitch
Phrase
a short musical idea
Question
an opening phrase
Answer
a reply to a musical question
Chord
2 or more notes sounding together
Chord change
a move from one chord to a different chord
Consonance
notes which sound well together
Dissonance
notes which seem to clash
Notes together
notes sounding at the same time
Repetition
a musical idea is heard more than once
Faster
the speed increases
Credit Concepts
Concept
Chorus
Soul
Country
Indian
Definition
1. A group of singers with several people to
each part
2. the music written for these singers
2. the refrain between verses of a song
Foundation Concepts
Concept
Slower
Definition
the speed decreases
Longer
the note value is greater
Shorter
the note value is less
Pause
the musical flow is held up by a long note or
silence
an American style of popular music derived
from rural folk music. Features fiddle, banjo,
piano, guitar and drums
Accented
notes which sound louder than others
Beat
the basic pulse in music
music from India which uses instruments
such as the sitar and tabla
Pulse
the basic beat in music
Simple time
the beat divides into groups of 2
a style of Afro-American popular music
including elements of blues and gospel and
conveying strong emotions
2 beats in a bar
3 beats in a bar
4 beats in a bar
On the beat
the main accent falls on the beat
Off the beat
the main accents are against the beat
Pattern
a melodic or rhythmic grouping of notes
Drum fill
a rhythmic decoration played on Drumkit
Scotch snap
a very short accented note before a longer
note
Single line
a melody with no accompaniment
Foundation Concepts
Concept
Definition
Unison
2 or more parts sounding at the same pitch
Octave
the distance between a note and the nearest
note with the same name e.g. C – C’
Harmony
Credit concepts
Concept
Classical
Definition
1750 – 1810 approx. Includes Haydn,
Mozart, Beethoven
Scherzo
a lively movement with 3 beats per bar,
usually in ternary form. Often the third
movement of a symphony
the sound of 2 or more notes made at the
same time
Cantata
a small oratorio
Solo
one instrument or voice
Oratorio
Ensemble
a group of musicians playing or singing
together
usually a story from the Bible set to music
for solo singers, chorus & orchestra. A large
scale work without acting or stage design
Passion
Ostinato
a short musical pattern repeated many times
Riff
a repeated phrase usually found in jazz &
pop music
a type of oratorio dealing with the story of
Christ’s Crucifixion. Text is in German and
features chorales, recitatives, arias &
choruses
Chorale
a German hymn tune in 4 parts
each part sings or plays the same melody
entering one after the other e.g Frere Jacques
Hymn tune
a simple melody for use in church. Often
sung in unison with organ accompaniment
Other instrument(s) or voice(s) support the
main melody
Pibroch
the classical music of the highland bagpipe,
always in theme & variation form with many
ornaments
Recitative
a type of vocal writing where the music
follows the rhythm of speech
Aria
a song in an opera, oratorio or cantata with
orchestral accompaniment
Round
Accompanied
Unaccompanied
No other instrument(s) or voice(s) sound
Contrast
difference
Section
part of the music
Sound
there is some noise or music
Silence
no sound
Credit Concepts
Foundation Concepts
Concept
Register
Definition
the range of an instrument or voice
Concept
Louder
Definition
the sound level increases
12-string guitar
a guitar which is double strung i.e. two
strings per pitch
Softer
the sound level decreases
Sustained
the sound is held on
Slide guitar
a method of playing the guitar where the
guitarist uses a metal tube or bottleneck
around his finger and slides it across the
frets to change pitch
Staccato
the notes are short and detached
Legato
the notes are played smoothly
Fretless bass guitar
a bass guitar with no frets allowing the
instrument more expression
Striking
the sound is produced by hitting the
instrument
Sitar
a plucked string instrument from India. It
also has a drone and sympathetic strings
Blowing
the sound is produced by blowing into it or
across a wind instrument
Tabla
2 Indian drums tuned to different pitches and
often used to accompany the sitar
Bowing
the sound is produced by drawing the bow
across the strings of a string instrument
Dixieland
New Orleans jazz, popular for ensemble
improvisations and instrumental solos
Strumming
a finger or plectrum is drawn across the
strings of a guitar
Boogie-woogie
blues style for piano, the left hand usually
playing an ostinato while the right hand
improvises freely
Plucking
pluck the strings of a stringed instrument
with a finger
Slapping
a method of playing the bass guitar where
the thumb is used to hit the side of the string
Orchestra
a large group of string, woodwind, brass and
percussion instruments
Woodwind
instruments made from wood or metal which
are blown e.g. flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon
Impressionist
Minimalist
Aleatoric
a style where brief musical ideas merge abd
change to create a rather blurred and vague
outline. 20th century
simple rhythmic and melodic figures are
constantly repeated with very slight changes
each time. 20th century
an element of chance is present. 20th century
Foundation Concepts
Concept
Brass
Concept
Mezzo soprano
Definition
a female singer between a soprano and alto
Countertenor
a male adult voice whose range is higher
than a tenor’s
Baritone
a male voice between a tenor and a bass
instruments which are hit, shaken or scraped
e.g. pitched instruments – glockenspiel,
xylophone, unpitched instruments –
cymbals, snare drum
Muted
using a device which reduces the volume or
alters the sound of an instrument
Glissando
sliding from one note to another
Brass Band
a band with brass and percussion
instruments
Flutter tonguing
a method of tonguing in which the player
rolls the letter r. Used by wind players e.g.
flute
Pipe Band
a band with bagpipes and drums
Double stopping
on a string instrument, playing 2 notes at the
same time
Arco
with the bow
Pizzicato
plucking a string instrument
a band which performs Scottish music.
Instruments may include fiddle, accordion,
piano, drums
Col legno
with the wood of the bow
Tremolando
trembling. See tremolo
Wind Band
a band with woodwind, brass and percussion
Tremolo
1. rapid repetition of a notes
2. rapid alternation of 2 notes
Military Band
a band with woodwind, brass and percussion
Vibrato
Folk Group
a group of singers and instrumentalists who
perform traditional music from a particular
country e.g. Scotland, Ireland
a very slight wavering in pitch which brings
warmth to the tone
A capella
Unaccompanied choral singing
Strings
Percussion
Definition
Instruments made from metal with a
mouthpiece e.g. trumpet, French horn,
trombone, tuba
Credit Concepts
instruments which have strings e.g. violin,
viola, cello, double bass
Rock Band
a group playing a type of pop music with a
heavy driving beat
Steel Band
a West Indian band with instruments made
out of oil drums called pans
Scottish Dance Band
Credit Concepts
Foundation Concepts
Concept
Pedal
Definition
A held note in the bass beneath changing
harmonies
Concept
Pop Group
Definition
a group of musicians who play or sing in the
popular style of the day
Inverted pedal
a pedal note which sounds in an upper part
Jazz Group
Ground bass
a theme in the bass which is repeated many
times while the upper parts are varied
a group which performs jazz. Instruments
could include Drumkit, bass, piano,
saxophone, trumpet
Electric guitar
a guitar which requires an electric amplifier
to produce sound
Alberti bass
broken chord accompaniment in the bass,
often used in classical piano music
Acoustic guitar
Homophony
texture where you hear melody with
accompaniment or where all parts move
together rhythmically
a guitar which does not require an electric
amplifier to produce a sound
Keyboard
instrument whose sounds are made by
pressing down keys
texture which consists of 2 or more
independent melodic lines
Piano
a keyboard instrument which produces
sound by hammers hitting strings
a prominent solo instrument part in a piece
of vocal music
Organ
a keyboard instrument usually found in
churches
Synthesizer
a keyboard instrument which can create new
and unusual electronic sounds
Accordion
an instrument with a keyboard in which
sounds are produced by squeezing bellows
with the arms
Polyphony
Obbligato
Countermelody
a melody played against the main melody
Strophic
each verse of a vocal piece has the same
music
Through-composed
a vocal piece in which there is little or no
repetition of the music
Coda
a passage at the end of a piece of music
which rounds it off
Fiddle
another name for a violin in Scottish folk
music
Cadenza
a showy passage for the soloist alone in a
concerto
Drums
instruments with skins which are usually hit
with sticks
Foundation Concepts
Concept
Pipes
Definition
short for bagpipes
Voice
singing or speaking
Credit Concepts
Concept
Modal
Definition
based on a mode, a type of early scale used
before major & minor keys were developed
a change from minor to major key with the
same key signature
Vocal
Sung
Modulation to
relative major
Choral
music for voices with more than one singer
on each part
Modulation to
relative minor
a change from major to minor with the
same key signature
Lead vocals
the main singers in a group
Perfect cadence
chords V – I at the end of a phrase. Sounds
finished / complete
Backing vocals
singers who support the lead singer(s)
usually by singing in harmony in the
background
Imperfect cadence
the second chord at the cadence is V. Sounds
unfinished
Baroque
1600-1750 approx. Includes Bach & Handel
Tierce de picardie
the final chord of a minor piece is changed
to major
Jazz
at first, this was music created by the black
Americans in the early 20th century
Discord
a chord in which certain notes clash
Suspension
a note from one chord is held over to the
next chord creating a discord, and is then
resolved by moving one step to create
consonance
Passing note
a note which moves between 2 notes of the
same chord
Interval
the distance in pitch between 2 notes
Cross rhythms
1. the effect of 2 notes played against 3
2. when accents are different from those
suggested by the time signature
Rock
a style of popular music with a heavy
driving beat
Pop
a style of popular music played by a group
of musicians
Scottish
coming from Scotland
March
music with a strong steady pulse with 2 or 4
beats in a bar
Reel
a Scottish dance in simple time with 2 or 4
beats in a bar, and which is played quite fast
Credit Concepts
Foundation Concepts
Concept
Modulating
Definition
changing key
Concept
Strathspey
Definition
a Scottish dance with 4 beats in a bar and
usually with a scotch snap
Relative major
a change from minor to major key with the
same key signature
Waltz
a dance with 3 beats in a bar
Latin American
dance music from South America.
Percussion instruments provide lively offbeat rhythms
Relative minor
a change from major to minor key with the
same key signature
Tonal
based on a key
Atonal
no feeling of key. 20th century
Grace note
a type of ornament played as a quick note
before the main melody note
Trill
rapid and repeated movement between 2
adjacent notes
Syllabic
vocal music where each syllable is given one
note only
Melismatic
several notes sung to one syllable
Word setting
the setting of words to a melody
Word painting
in vocal works the music illustrates the word
Blues scale
in the key of C, the notes C Eb F F# G Bb C
Whole-tone scale
a scale where every interval is a tone
Interval
the distance in pitch between 2 notes
Chords
I, IV, V, VI
different progressions using these chords in
a major or minor key
General Concepts
Concept
Theme
Definition
a clear recognisable melody which is the
main idea for a composition
Variation
when the main theme is developed or
changed
General Concepts
Concept
Gaelic psalms
Definition
slow unaccompanied Gaelic church tunes
Scots ballad
a slow Scottish song which tells a story
Bothy ballad
a folk song, usually with many verses from
north-east Scotland. It tells a story of rural or
farming life
Waulking song
Gaelic work song sung when beating tweed.
Sung by women
Mouth music
nonsense words sung for dancing. Scottish
Slow air
a slow traditional Scottish melody in the
style of a song. Usually played on fiddle or
bagpipes
Imitation
the melody is copied higher or lower in
another part. It need not be an exact copy
Ornament
decorating a melody by adding short notes
Pentatonic scale
a 5-note scale e.g. the black notes on a
keyboard. Used in Scottish music
Major scale
“happy” sounding e.g. C D E F G A B C
Minor scale
“sad” sounding e.g. C D Eb F G Ab B C
Ghanaian
a style of music from West Africa
Chromatic scale
a scale built entirely of semitones e.g.
C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B
Indonesian gamelan
see gamelan
Tone
2 semitones e.g. C to D
Improvisation
making it up as you play. Important feature
of jazz
Semitone
the smallest distance between 2 notes e.g. C
to C#
Jig
a fast Scottish dance in compound time
usually with 2 or 4 beats per bar
nonsense words and sounds are made up by
the singer. Used in jazz
Samba
a very lively syncopated dance with 2 beats
in a bar in which a set of percussion
instruments provides the foundation. Started
in Brazil
Salsa
a musical style which originated in Cuba.
Most important element is rhythm provided
by large percussion section
Scat singing
Chord progression
I, IV, V
a series of related chords
Major tonality
the music sounds in a major key
General Concepts
Concept
Latin percussion ensemble
Definition
a set of percussion instruments playing
music from Latin America, especially Brazil
& Cuba. Rhythm is the most important
element.
Blues
often in 4/4 time and is mostly a 12-bar
structure. Based on a scale where some of
the notes are flattened
Ragtime
features a strongly syncopated melody
against a steady vamped accompaniment
often played on piano
Swing
a jazz style which started in the 1930s.
Played by a big band
Romantic
1810-1900 approx
Opera
a drama set to music with soloists, chorus,
acting and orchestral accompaniment
Musical
a musical play which has speaking, singing
and dancing and is performed on stage
General Concepts
Concept
Minor tonality
Definition
the music sounds in a minor key
Modulation
a change of key
Vamp
a rhythmic accompaniment with a bass note
played on the beat and a chord off the beat.
Usually played on piano or guitar
Drone
a note or notes held on or repeated in the
bass. Often associated with bagpipes
Down beat
the first beat of each bar
Up beat
the last beat in the bar
Anacrusis
the note(s) which appear before the first
strong beat. It sounds as an upbeat
Compound time
the beat divides into groups of 3
Accelerando
getting gradually faster
Rallentando
getting gradually slower
Fanfare
a short piece played on trumpets (or other
brass) usually at some important occasion
Rubato
a rhythmic give and take, allowing more
expression
Concerto
a work for solo instrument and orchestra
usually in 3 movements
Syncopation
strongly accented notes are played off or
against the beat
Symphony
a large work for orchestra usually in 4
movement
Cluster
a group of notes played on a keyboard
instrument with the palm of the hand or even
the forearm. Used in 20th century music
notes of a chord played one after the other
Arpeggio
General Concepts
General Concepts
Concept
Walking bass
Definition
a moving bass line with notes usually of the
same value. Often moves by step
Concept
Recorder
Definition
there are 4 main types – descant, treble,
tenor, bass
Descant
another melody above the main tune
Pan pipes
Contrary motion
2 parts which move in opposite directions
pipes which are graded in size and are bound
together. The sound is made by blowing
across the top of the pipes. From South
America
Canon
strict imitation. Same as round
Soprano
high female voice
Binary
the form A B
Alto
low female voice
Ternary
the form A B A
Tenor
high adult male voice
Bass
low male voice
Distortion
an electronic effect used in rock music to
colour the sound of an electric guitar
Reverb
an electronic effect which gives the
impression of different hall acoustics
Delay
an electronic effect which repeats a note or
phrase
Electronic drums
a machine which electronically recreates the
same sounds as a Drumkit
Ghanaian Drum Ensemble
a group of percussion instruments, drums,
shakes and bells. They perform music from
the West African country of Ghana
Gamelan
a type of percussion orchestra found in
Indonesia
AB
ABA
2 part form, binary
3 part form, ternary
AABA
4 sections, binary
Minuet & Trio
a graceful dance with 3 beats in the bar. The
trio is like another minuet. The minuet is
repeated at the end
Rondo
The form A B A C A...... Section A keeps
returning
Theme & Variations
a theme is heard and then repeated with
some kind of change
Programme music
music which tells a story or paints a picture
in sound
Crescendo
getting gradually louder
Diminuendo
getting gradually quieter