NCEA Level 3 Making Music flashcards

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

Motif

A short, recognisable musical idea, typically a rhythm, contour or interval cell, that is repeated and developed to generate larger structures within a composition.

Sequence (music)

Restatement of a motif at a higher or lower pitch level while keeping its intervallic shape; a descending sequence repeats the idea stepwise downward.

Augmentation

Doubling the durations of a motif so it moves at half its original speed, often used to broaden a climax or slow momentum near a cadence.

Diminution

Halving the note values of a motif so it moves faster, typically creating forward drive before a cadence or intensifying a development section.

Inversion (melody)

Turning a melodic shape upside down so rising intervals fall by the same distance; the inversion may be tonal (diatonic) or exact (real).

Pivot chord modulation

A chord common to both the old and new key that functions as one diatonic degree in the first key and another in the second, smoothing the change.

Secondary dominant

A dominant-type chord resolving to a diatonic chord other than the tonic, labelled V/x; it adds chromatic colour and brief tonicisation of the target chord.

Strophic form

A form in which the same music repeats for every verse with new words, typical of ballads and folk song; contrast comes from the text rather than the music.

Pre-chorus

A short section between verse and chorus that builds harmonic or rhythmic tension, usually ending on a dominant or suspended chord that launches the chorus.

Prosody (songwriting)

The matching of stressed syllables to strong beats and long notes so a lyric sounds natural; poor prosody makes a melody feel awkward to sing.

Quantisation

Snapping recorded MIDI or audio events onto a rhythmic grid in a DAW; it tightens timing but can remove the subtle human feel of a groove.

Deliberate practice

Structured practice that targets a specific weakness with immediate feedback, slow repetition and gradual tempo increases, rather than playing pieces through from start to finish.

Chunking (practice)

Breaking a passage into short sections of a few beats and mastering each before joining them, which improves accuracy and speeds up secure memorisation.

Rubato

Flexible tempo in which the performer borrows time from one beat and gives it back later, shaping expression while the underlying pulse remains perceptible.

Ornament realisation

Deciding how notated ornaments are performed: whether trills begin on the upper or main note, and whether grace notes fall on or before the beat.

Ensemble blend

Adjusting tone, volume and vibrato so individual instruments merge into one sound; the melody projects while accompanying parts recede behind it.

Conductor's beat pattern

The hand shape tracing the metre: 4/4 down–left–right–up, 3/4 down–right–up, 2/4 down–up, with the downward stroke marking beat one.

String intonation

Tuning adjacent strings to perfect fifths and adjusting stopped pitches by ear; left-hand finger placement and elbow position directly affect accuracy.

Embouchure

The lip and facial muscle formation against a mouthpiece; small changes in it control pitch, tone quality and endurance, especially in the upper register.

Performance anxiety routine

Pre-performance habits such as slow breathing, simulated run-throughs in front of listeners, and focusing attention on expressive intent rather than on mistakes.

Sight-reading routine

Scanning key signature, time signature, tempo and the hardest bars before starting, then continuing without stopping so the pulse and ensemble stay intact.

Memorisation cues

Aural, visual and kinaesthetic memory working together: the sound of the music, the look of the score or finger patterns, and the feel of the muscles.

Perfect cadence

A dominant-to-tonic progression (V–I) with both chords in root position and the tonic in the top voice, giving the strongest sense of final closure.

Interrupted cadence

A dominant chord moving to a chord other than the tonic, usually vi (V–vi); it defers resolution and is also called a deceptive cadence.

Figured bass

Numbers written under a bass note showing the intervals to be sounded above it, indicating chord inversion: 6 for first inversion, 6/4 for second.

Sonata form

A large form with exposition (two contrasting keys), development (motif work and modulation) and recapitulation (both themes in the tonic), often plus introduction and coda.

Rondo form

A form where a recurring principal theme alternates with contrasting episodes, typically ABACA or ABACABA; the returning A section supplies stability and closure.

Polyphonic texture

Two or more independent melodic lines sounding together, either imitative (fugue, canon) or non-imitative; each line keeps its own contour and rhythm.

Heterophonic texture

Two or more performers play the same melody at once with slight differences in ornamentation or rhythm; common in many folk and Asian ensemble traditions.

Through-composed

A form of continuously new music with no large repeated sections, often following a narrative text; it contrasts with strophic settings of the same words.

Tessitura

The average pitch region in which a part or voice sits, as distinct from its absolute range; it strongly affects stamina, tone colour and comfort.

Twelve-bar blues

A twelve-bar harmonic frame using I, IV and V: I–I–I–I–IV–IV–I–I–V–IV–I–V, usually with shuffle feel and AAB lyrics.