MTLE Vocal and Instrumental Classroom Music (K-12) flashcards

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

Authentic cadence

A cadence moving from V to I with both chords in root position and the tonic in the soprano; it provides the strongest sense of closure in tonal music.

Deceptive cadence

A cadence in which V resolves to vi instead of I; it delays closure and is common at phrase endings that lead into continued material.

Rounded binary form

A binary form in which the second section brings back the opening material before the final cadence, often diagrammed as A B A' or A B A.

Homophonic texture

A texture with one dominant melody supported by chordal accompaniment; the accompaniment moves in the same rhythm or in block chords beneath the tune.

Motive

The shortest recognizable musical idea, typically two to five notes with a distinct rhythm or contour, used as a building block for larger themes.

Melodic dictation

The aural skill of notating a melody after hearing it; the procedure is to fix the beat grid, mark attack points, then add pitches and durations.

Order of sharps

The fixed sequence F, C, G, D, A, E, B in which sharps appear in key signatures; the last sharp is scale degree 7 of the major key.

Order of flats

The fixed sequence B, E, A, D, G, C, F in which flats appear in key signatures; the second-to-last flat names the major key.

Diminished triad

A triad built from a minor third and a diminished fifth above the root, spanning three and three semitones; it occurs on scale degree 7 in major.

Dominant seventh chord

A chord built from a major triad plus a minor seventh above the root; it occurs on scale degree 5 and normally resolves to the tonic.

Second inversion triad

A triad with the fifth in the bass, notated with the figured bass 6/4; it is unstable and usually resolves to a root-position chord.

Compound meter

A meter in which each beat divides into three equal parts, such as 6/8, 9/8, or 12/8; the beat unit is a dotted note.

Relative minor

The minor key sharing a key signature with a major key, located a minor third below the major tonic; for example, A minor is relative to C major.

Voice leading rule

In four-part writing, avoid parallel perfect fifths and octaves between any pair of voices; keep upper adjacent voices within an octave of each other.

Doubling in triads

In root-position major and minor triads, double the root; in first inversion, double the soprano or root; in diminished triads, double the third.

B-flat instrument transposition

A B-flat instrument such as trumpet, clarinet, or tenor sax sounds a major second below the written pitch; written C sounds as B-flat.

E-flat instrument transposition

An E-flat instrument such as alto sax sounds a major sixth below the written pitch; written C sounds as the E-flat a sixth below.

Theme and variations

A form presenting a theme followed by successive variations that alter melody, harmony, rhythm, or texture while retaining the underlying structure.

Motivic inversion

A development technique that reverses the direction of each interval in a motive, so ascending steps become descending steps while the rhythm stays intact.

Ritornello form

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

Basso continuo

A Baroque accompaniment consisting of a bass line plus improvised chords, usually played by a keyboard instrument and a low string or wind instrument.

Sonata form

A Classical form with exposition, development, and recapitulation; the exposition presents two contrasting themes, and the recapitulation restates them in the tonic key.

Second Viennese School

The circle of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern, associated with atonality and twelve-tone serialism in the early twentieth century.

Gamelan

An Indonesian ensemble dominated by metallophones, gongs, and drums; it plays interlocking patterns within cyclical structures and accompanies dance and drama.

Raga and tala

In Indian classical music, raga is the melodic framework of pitches and ornaments, and tala is the repeating rhythmic cycle that organizes the performance.

Lied

A German art song for voice and piano, especially from the Romantic era; Schubert and Schumann set poetry with the piano as an equal partner.

Four-beat conducting pattern

The 4/4 pattern moves down, left, right, then up; the downbeat is the lowest point, and the fourth beat rebounds upward to prepare the next downbeat.

Ictus

The precise point in a conducting gesture where the beat occurs, typically the bottom of the stroke; the rebound is the upward motion that follows it.

Preparatory beat

The gesture given immediately before an entrance; it shows tempo, dynamic, and articulation so the ensemble starts together and with the intended character.

Diaphragmatic breathing

Breathing in which the lower ribs expand laterally and the diaphragm descends; it supports a steady airstream for wind players and singers.

Rehearsal isolation

The technique of reducing a passage to its smallest problematic unit, such as two beats or one interval, and repeating it slowly before restoring context.

Performance assessment rubric

A scoring tool that rates tone, intonation, rhythm, articulation, dynamics, phrasing, and posture separately so feedback is specific and observable.