Musical Elements Vocabulary Quiz

Musical Elements Vocabulary

• Tempo: Common Italian terms (e.g., allegro, andante), pulse, rubato, beats per minute (bpm), metronome marking (mm), irregular, free

• Metre: Simple and compound time, regular, irregular, free

• Rhythm: Regular, semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver, semiquaver, dotted rhythms, triplets, scotch snap, groove, backbeat, syncopation, off-beat, shuffle, swing, irregular, free, anacrusis, bi-rhythm, cross-rhythm, polyrhythm, augmentation, diminution, hemiola

• Dynamics: pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff, Italian terms, crescendo (cresc.), diminuendo (dim.) including hairpins, sforzando (sfz), common signs, terms, and symbols

Timbre

• Instruments and voices (solo, concertos, chamber groups)
• Instrumental techniques (arco, pizzicato, con sordino)
• Standard contemporary instruments (electric guitar, synthesizers)
• Instrumental techniques (palm mute (pm), pitch bend, hammer-on (ho), pull-off (po), slide guitar/bottleneck)
• Drum kit components and techniques (rim shot)
• Vocal timbres (falsetto, belt, rap, beat-boxing, scat singing)
• Specific instrumental techniques (e.g., slap bass)
• Specific instrumental effects (e.g., amplification, distortion)
• Specific technological recording techniques (e.g., automatic double tracking (ADT), digital input transformer (DIT))
• Generic families of instruments (e.g., sitar)
• Instrumental techniques (e.g., vamping)
• Use of technology (synthesized and computer-generated sounds, sampling, reverb, distortion, chorus)
• Drone
• Vocal techniques (e.g., falsetto, vibrato, rap)
• Specific families of instruments (e.g., gamalan)
• Use of technology (synthesized and computer-generated sounds)

Structure

• Binary
• Ternary
• Rondo
• Arch-shape
• Through-composed
• Theme and variations
• Sonata
• Minuet and trio
• Popular song form
• Scherzo and trio
• Ground bass, continuo
• Cadenza
• Verse/chorus
• Break

Tonality

• Major
• Minor
• Modulation
• Relative major or minor
• Tonic major or minor
• Pentatonic
• Modal
• Blues scale
• Whole tone
• Tonal ambiguity

Harmony

• Diatonic, chromatic
• Consonant, dissonant
• Pedal, drone
• Cadences (perfect, plagal, imperfect, interrupted, tièrce de Picardie)
• Identification of major, minor, and dominant seventh chords (chord symbols/Roman numerals)
• Power chords
• Chord symbols (e.g. C7)
• Stock chord progressions (e.g. I VI IV V)
• Chromatic

Melody

• Conjunct, disjunct, triadic, broken chords, scalic, arpeggio
• Intervals within the octave
• Passing notes
• Diatonic, chromatic
• Ornamentation (acciaccaturas)
• Ostinato/riff
• Phrasing, articulation
• Melisma

Texture

• Harmonic/homophonic/chordal
• Polyphonic/contrapuntal
• Antiphonal
• A cappella
• Monophonic/single melody line
• Melody and accompaniment
• Unison
• Octaves
• Imitative, canonic, layered
• Drones

Other Musical Elements

• Blues
• Strophic
• Cyclic
• Call and response