All Flashcards
Define 'staff' in music.
5 lines and 4 spaces, the foundation of written music.
What is a 'grand staff'?
Combination of treble and bass clefs.
What is an 'accidental'?
Symbol that alters a pitch (sharp, flat, natural).
Define 'measure' (or bar).
Section of music separated by bar lines.
What is 'tempo'?
The speed of the beat.
Define 'dynamics' in music.
Loudness or softness of music.
What is 'articulation'?
How individual notes are played (e.g., staccato, legato).
Define 'meter' in music.
The pattern of strong and weak beats.
What is a 'key signature'?
Sharps or flats at the beginning of a staff, indicating the key.
Define 'diatonic'.
Notes within a given key.
Define 'chromatic'.
Notes outside of a given key.
What does a sharp (♯) do?
Raises a pitch by a half step.
What does a flat (♭) do?
Lowers a pitch by a half step.
What does a natural (♮) do?
Cancels a sharp or flat.
How many beats is a quarter note?
1 beat (in 4/4 time).
How many beats is an eighth note?
1/2 beat.
How many beats is a half note?
2 beats.
How many beats is a whole note?
4 beats.
What does 'p' (piano) mean?
Soft.
What does 'f' (forte) mean?
Loud.
What does staccato mean?
Short and detached.
What does legato mean?
Smooth and connected.
What is a major scale?
W-W-H-W-W-W-H (pattern of whole and half steps).
What is the tonic?
The first note of a scale.
What is the dominant?
The 5th scale degree.
What is the leading tone?
The 7th scale degree.
How many sharps in D major?
Two.
How many flats in F major?
One.
What is a chromatic scale?
A scale made entirely of half steps.
What is a half step?
The smallest interval in Western music.
What is a whole step?
Two half steps.
What are scale degrees?
Each note in a scale has a specific name and function.