MTEL Music flashcards

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

Order of sharps

The sequence F, C, G, D, A, E, B in which sharps appear in key signatures; each new sharp is a perfect fifth above the previous one.

Order of flats

The sequence B, E, A, D, G, C, F in which flats appear in key signatures; each new flat is a perfect fourth above the previous one.

Harmonic minor scale

A natural minor scale with scale degree 7 raised by a half step, creating a leading tone and an augmented second between degrees 6 and 7.

Deceptive cadence

A cadence in which the dominant chord resolves unexpectedly to a submediant chord (V to vi) instead of to the tonic, delaying final closure.

Half-diminished seventh

A seventh chord built with a minor third, diminished fifth, and minor seventh above the root; it appears as vii in major keys and ii in minor keys.

Suspension

A non-chord tone held over from the previous chord, creating dissonance that resolves downward by step into the next chord tone.

Sonata form

A large-scale form with exposition, development, and recapitulation; the recapitulation restates themes in the tonic, resolving the tonal conflict set up earlier.

Basso continuo

A Baroque practice in which a keyboard or plucked instrument realizes a figured bass line while a bass instrument sustains the harmony.

Ars Nova

A fourteenth-century movement, associated with Philippe de Vitry, that introduced mensural rhythmic notation and greater rhythmic complexity in polyphony.

Ritornello form

A Baroque form in which a recurring orchestral refrain alternates with contrasting solo episodes, common in Vivaldi and Bach concertos.

Twelve-tone method

Arnold Schoenberg's technique of composing with an ordered row containing all twelve pitch classes, used in original, inversion, retrograde, and retrograde-inversion forms.

Lied

A German art song for voice and piano, especially those by Schubert and Schumann, in which the piano contributes expressive meaning to the text.

Bebop

A 1940s jazz style featuring small groups, fast tempos, virtuosic improvisation, and complex chromatic harmony, associated with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.

Program music

Instrumental music that depicts a narrative, scene, or extra-musical idea, often through a written program or descriptive title.

Ictus

The point in a conducting gesture where the beat is actually felt, typically the lowest point of the stroke; it defines the rhythmic pulse.

Preparatory beat

The upbeat gesture given before the ensemble's first sound; it establishes tempo, dynamic, articulation, and the character of the entrance.

Bb instrument transposition

A B-flat instrument such as clarinet or trumpet sounds a major second below its written pitch, so written C sounds as B-flat.

F instrument transposition

An F instrument such as French horn sounds a perfect fifth below written pitch, so written C sounds as the F below.

Eb instrument transposition

An E-flat instrument such as alto saxophone sounds a major sixth below written pitch, so written C sounds as the E-flat below.

Ensemble balance

The adjustment of relative dynamics so the melody is heard clearly, inner voices support without masking, and the bass anchors the texture.

Intonation adjustment

Correction of pitch through embouchure, air support, slide position, or string finger placement, guided by listening across the ensemble rather than only to oneself.

Staggered breathing

A technique in which wind and vocal performers breathe at different moments so the ensemble's sound remains continuous through a sustained phrase.

Kodaly prepare-present-practice

A three-stage sequence in which students experience a musical element aurally first, then learn its label, then reinforce it in new musical contexts.

Orff bordun

A simple accompaniment pattern, usually tonic and dominant, played on barred instruments; it supports melody before students attempt full harmonic progressions.

Dalcroze eurhythmics

An approach that teaches musical concepts through bodily movement, connecting rhythm, tempo, and phrasing to physical sensation and response.

Audiation

Edwin Gordon's term for hearing and comprehending music internally when the sound is not physically present, considered the foundation of music learning.

Formative assessment

Ongoing assessment during instruction that provides feedback to adjust teaching and learning before a final evaluation occurs.

Summative assessment

An evaluation at the end of a unit or course that measures achievement against stated objectives, often through performance or written tasks.

Measurable objective

A learning objective stating an observable action, the conditions of performance, and a criterion for success, such as accuracy or tempo.

National Core Arts Standards

The four artistic processes of creating, performing, responding, and connecting that frame music curriculum design and grade-level expectations.

Vocal tessitura

The range in which a voice or choral part sits most comfortably throughout a piece; it differs from total range and guides repertoire selection.

Movable-do solfege

A system in which do is assigned to the tonic of whatever key is being sung, so syllables represent scale function rather than fixed pitch.