SACE Stage 2 Music Studies flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Sonata form sections

Exposition presents two contrasting subjects, development fragments and modulates, recapitulation restates both in the tonic, and an optional coda closes the movement.

Perfect cadence

A V to I progression in root position with the melody ending on the tonic note, producing a decisive close.

Interrupted cadence

A V to vi progression that defers the expected tonic resolution, often used to extend a phrase or create surprise.

Circle of fifths sharps

Sharps appear in the order F, C, G, D, A, E, B; the major key is a semitone above the final sharp.

Harmonic minor scale

A natural minor scale with the seventh degree raised by a semitone, creating a leading tone and a major V chord.

Ternary form

A three-part structure ABA in which the opening section returns after a contrasting middle, common in da capo arias and minuet movements.

Polyphonic texture

Two or more independent melodic lines sounding simultaneously, each with its own contour, as in fugue and imitative counterpoint.

Interval inversion rule

Inverting an interval makes the numbers sum to nine and flips quality: major to minor, augmented to diminished, perfect unchanged.

Dorian mode

A minor-type mode with a raised sixth degree, giving a brighter sound than natural minor; on white notes it starts on D.

Twelve-bar blues

A repeating twelve-bar harmonic pattern on I, IV and V chords, typically I–I–I–I–IV–IV–I–I–V–IV–I–V.

Compound time signature

A metre whose beat divides into three equal parts, such as 6/8, 9/8 or 12/8, counted in dotted-note beats.

Dotted note value

A dot after a note adds half that note's value, so a dotted crotchet lasts one and a half beats in 4/4.

B-flat transposing instrument

An instrument such as clarinet or trumpet whose written C sounds as B-flat, a major second lower than notated.

Horn in F transposition

Written notes sound a perfect fifth lower than notated, so a written C sounds as the F below.

Score order woodwind

In a full orchestral score woodwind sits at the top, usually flute, oboe, clarinet then bassoon, above brass, percussion and strings.

Sequence

A melodic or harmonic motif repeated immediately at a higher or lower pitch level, often used to build momentum during a transition.

Melodic inversion

A transformation in which each interval of a motif is mirrored in the opposite direction, so rising figures become falling ones.

Augmentation

A compositional device that restates a motif with note values lengthened, usually doubling them, making the idea broader and slower.

Swing quavers

A notation convention in which pairs of quavers are performed long-short, roughly in a two-to-one ratio rather than evenly.

Metronome marking

A tempo indication such as crotchet equals 60, meaning sixty beats of that value occur per minute.

Staccato articulation

A dot above or below a notehead indicating the note is played short and detached, separated from its neighbours.

Fermata

A curved symbol over a note or rest indicating an unmeasured pause whose length is decided by the performer or conductor.

Hemiola

A rhythmic device where the grouping shifts from three beats to two, or two to three, within the same metre, creating cross-accent.

Syncopation

Accents placed on weak beats or between beats, displacing the expected metre and giving music a propulsive or off-kilter feel.

Pizzicato

A string technique in which the player plucks the string with the finger instead of bowing, producing a short, dry attack.

Con sordino

An instruction to play with a mute fitted, softening and veiling the instrument's tone colour.

Ostinato

A short rhythmic or melodic pattern repeated persistently underneath changing material, often anchoring texture and pulse.

Rubato

Flexible shaping of tempo in which the performer speeds up or slows down expressively while the underlying pulse remains felt.

Texture as form marker

Changes between monophonic, homophonic and polyphonic writing frequently signal section boundaries such as transitions or development.

Evidence-linked judgement

An evaluative statement that names a specific musical feature and explains the effect it creates, rather than offering unsupported opinion.

Contextual analysis factors

Consideration of date, place, patron, venue and available technology, all of which shape the style and forces of a work.

Timbre description

Vocabulary such as bright, dark, nasal, mellow or strident used to characterise tone colour alongside the instrument producing it.