MATSEC SEC Music flashcards
MATSEC SEC Music · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Perfect cadence
- A cadence moving from chord V to chord I, both in root position, with the melody ending on the tonic note. It sounds final and conclusive.
- Imperfect cadence
- A cadence ending on chord V, often approached from I, ii, or IV. It creates an unfinished, questioning effect and is also called a half cadence.
- Interrupted cadence
- A cadence moving from chord V to chord vi instead of I, producing a surprise or deceptive effect. Often used to extend a phrase.
- Plagal cadence
- A cadence moving from chord IV to chord I. Commonly called the 'amen' cadence because of its use at the end of hymns.
- Sonata form
- A large-scale structure with three main sections: exposition (themes presented), development (themes transformed), and recapitulation (themes return in the tonic key).
- Ternary form
- A three-part structure A-B-A, where the opening section returns after a contrasting middle section. Common in minuets, da capo arias, and short piano pieces.
- Rondo form
- A structure where a main theme (A) alternates with contrasting episodes, typically A-B-A-C-A or A-B-A-B-A. The returning A creates unity.
- Theme and variations
- A form in which a theme is presented and then altered in successive sections through changes of rhythm, harmony, texture, or instrumentation.
- Motif
- A short melodic or rhythmic idea that is repeated, developed, or transformed throughout a piece. It is the smallest building block of a musical theme.
- Sequence
- A melodic pattern repeated at a higher or lower pitch level. It is a common development technique in Baroque and Classical music.
- Inversion
- A transformation where each interval of a melody is mirrored: an upward leap becomes a downward leap of the same size. Used in fugues and motivic development.
- Augmentation
- A compositional device where a melody's note values are lengthened, usually doubled, making the theme move more slowly. Common in fugues and Renaissance polyphony.
- Diminution
- A compositional device where a melody's note values are shortened, making the theme move faster. The opposite of augmentation.
- Ostinato
- A short rhythmic or melodic pattern repeated persistently throughout a section or piece. It provides unity and drive, common in Baroque and minimalist music.
- Syncopation
- Rhythmic accent placed on a weak beat or between beats, disrupting the regular metre. Common in jazz, ragtime, and Latin American music.
- Hemiola
- A rhythmic device where two bars of triple time are felt as three bars of duple time, creating a 3:2 cross-rhythm. Common in Baroque dances and Brahms.
- Basso continuo
- A Baroque accompaniment consisting of a bass line with figures indicating chords, played by a keyboard and a bass instrument such as cello or bassoon.
- Terraced dynamics
- A Baroque practice of changing volume abruptly between fixed levels (soft and loud) rather than gradual crescendo or diminuendo. Typical of harpsichord and organ music.
- Ritornello form
- A Baroque structure in which a recurring orchestral passage (ritornello) alternates with contrasting solo episodes. Common in Vivaldi and Bach concertos.
- Fugue
- A polyphonic composition built on a subject imitated by successive voices in different keys. It typically includes exposition, episodes, and stretto.
- Madrigal
- A Renaissance secular vocal piece for several voices, often setting a short poem with word painting. Composers include Monteverdi, Gesualdo, and Byrd.
- Lied
- A German art song for solo voice and piano, flourishing in the Romantic period. Composers include Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms.
- Programme music
- Instrumental music that tells a story, depicts a scene, or evokes an idea, often described in a title or programme. Common in the Romantic period.
- Gamelan
- An Indonesian ensemble of metallophones, gongs, and drums, characterised by interlocking patterns and a layered texture. Central to Javanese and Balinese culture.
- Raga
- A melodic framework in Indian classical music, with a set of ascending and descending notes and characteristic ornaments. Each raga is associated with a mood or time.
- Order of sharps
- The sequence in which sharps appear in key signatures: F, C, G, D, A, E, B. The last sharp is the leading note of the major key.
- Order of flats
- The sequence in which flats appear in key signatures: B, E, A, D, G, C, F. The second-to-last flat names the major key.
- Harmonic minor scale
- A minor scale with the seventh degree raised by a semitone, creating a leading note and an augmented second between the sixth and seventh degrees.
- Melodic minor scale
- A minor scale with the sixth and seventh degrees raised ascending, and natural (lowered) descending. It avoids the augmented second of the harmonic minor.
- Compound time
- A metre where each beat divides into three equal parts, such as 6/8, 9/8, or 12/8. The top number is a multiple of three.
- Diminished triad
- A chord built from a root, minor third, and diminished fifth. It sounds unstable and often resolves to a major or minor chord.
- Transposition
- The process of rewriting music at a different pitch level while keeping the same intervals. The key signature and each note are adjusted accordingly.