NYSTCE Music flashcards

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

Circle of fifths

A diagram ordering keys by number of sharps or flats, moving clockwise in perfect fifths; it shows key signatures, relative minors, and closely related keys.

Major scale pattern

The sequence of whole and half steps W-W-H-W-W-W-H that produces a major scale; the half steps fall between scale degrees 3-4 and 7-8.

Harmonic minor scale

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

Authentic cadence

A cadence moving from V to I. A perfect authentic cadence has both chords in root position and the soprano ending on the tonic.

Deceptive cadence

A cadence where V resolves unexpectedly to vi instead of I, delaying closure and often extending a phrase.

Secondary dominant

A chromatic chord that functions as V or V7 of a diatonic degree other than tonic, labeled V/x; it briefly tonicizes that degree without permanent modulation.

Suspension

A non-chord tone prepared as a chord tone, held over into the next chord where it becomes dissonant, then resolved downward by step.

Sonata form

A large-scale form with exposition, development, and recapitulation, often framed by an introduction and coda; it organizes thematic contrast and tonal conflict.

Rounded binary form

A binary form in which the second section returns to the opening material, producing an A-B-A' shape with the return often in the tonic key.

Gregorian chant

Monophonic, unaccompanied sacred vocal music of the medieval Western church, sung in Latin and organized by modal scales rather than major or minor keys.

Ars Nova

A fourteenth-century movement in French and Italian music marked by new rhythmic notation, isorhythm, and increased secular polyphony, associated with Machaut.

Renaissance madrigal

A secular polyphonic vocal genre setting a short poem, often using word painting and expressive chromaticism; it flourished in sixteenth-century Italy and England.

Basso continuo

A Baroque accompaniment practice in which a keyboard or lute and a bass instrument realize a figured bass, providing harmonic support and rhythmic drive.

Ritornello form

A Baroque form built on a recurring orchestral refrain (ritornello) alternating with contrasting solo or episodic passages, common in Vivaldi concertos.

Da capo aria

A Baroque aria in ternary form where the singer returns to the opening section (da capo) and ornaments it, common in Handel and Bach.

Program music

Instrumental music that depicts a story, scene, or idea, often through tone poems or programmatic symphonies; a hallmark of the Romantic era.

Second Viennese School

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

Raga and tala

In Indian classical music, raga is a melodic framework of characteristic pitches and gestures, while tala is the repeating rhythmic cycle that structures performance.

Gamelan

An Indonesian ensemble of tuned percussion instruments such as metallophones and gongs, using slendro and pelog tuning systems and interlocking textures.

Transposing instruments

Instruments whose written pitch differs from sounding pitch, such as Bb clarinet (sounds a major second lower) and F horn (sounds a perfect fifth lower).

Ictus

The point in a conducting gesture where the beat is articulated; it defines rhythmic precision and is often marked by a slight rebound.

String intonation

Pitch adjustment on string instruments by moving fingers toward the bridge to raise pitch or toward the scroll to lower it, guided by the ear.

Ensemble balance

The relative prominence of parts in an ensemble, typically melody dominant, inner voices supportive, and bass anchoring, adjusted through dynamics and articulation.

Score reduction

Condensing a full or large ensemble score onto two staves for piano study, preserving essential harmony, melody, and rhythmic cues.

Preparatory beat

The gesture a conductor gives before the first beat to establish tempo, character, and breathing; it is essential for unified ensemble attacks.

Kodály method

A sequential music pedagogy using movable-do solfège, Curwen hand signs, rhythm syllables, and folk-song repertoire to develop music literacy from an early age.

Orff-Schulwerk

An approach combining speech, movement, singing, and barred instruments, using ostinati, borduns, and improvisation to build ensemble and creative skills.

Dalcroze eurhythmics

A pedagogy that teaches rhythm and expression through body movement, paired with solfège and improvisation to internalize musical concepts.

Audiation

Gordon's term for hearing and comprehending music internally when no sound is present; it underlies music learning theory and sequential skill development.

Formative assessment

Ongoing assessment during instruction that provides feedback to adjust teaching and learning, such as questioning, observation, and rehearsal checks.

Performance rubric

A scoring guide that describes levels of achievement on criteria such as tone, accuracy, expression, and ensemble, used to evaluate performance consistently.

Differentiated instruction

Adapting content, process, or product to meet varied learner needs, using tiered tasks, flexible grouping, and accommodations for students with IEPs or 504 plans.

NAfME standards

National music education standards organized around creating, performing, responding, and connecting, used to design curriculum, instruction, and assessment.