Unit 2 Vocabulary PDF

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Vocabulary used in Unit 2 of the AP Music Theory curriculum...

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Unit 2 Vocabulary Close Spacing – voices are no more than an octave apart Open Spacing – voices are greater than an octave UNIT 2.8 – TIMBRE: • Timbre refers to the distinctive “coloristic” quality of a musical sound. “Tone color” is another way to say the same thing. • Timbre can describe and individual voice or instrument; for example, violin vs. flute • Even a single specific instrument is capable of producing many timbres • Can describe combinations of voices and/or instruments, for example: Brass Quintet vs. String Orchestra • Within a single work, composers utilize the vast array of timbres available to them UNIT 2.9 – MELODIC FEATURES: • Contour – refers to the basic shape of a melody. Terms we use to describe melodic contour are: o Ascending o Descending o Conjunct (steps) o Disjunct (leaps) • Syllabic – refers to the way text is set to melody; syllabic is when each syllable of text corresponds to a single pitch • Melismatic – when a syllable of text is sung with two or more pitches; each instance of one syllable to multiple pitches is a melisma. UNIT 2.11 - TEXTURE: refers to the number of musical layers present and how they function • Monophony – (Gr., ‘one sound’). Music which has a single melodic line of notes without harmonies or melody in counterpoint, as opposed to polyphony and homophony. • Homophony - (Gr., ‘same sounding’). Parts or voices move ‘in step’ with one another, instead of exhibiting individual rhythmic independence and interest as in polyphony. Many modern hymntunes are homophonic. Also, a featured melody with harmonic support is considered homophonic. • Polyphony – (Gr., ‘many sounds’). Music in which several simultaneous vocal or instrumental parts are combined contrapuntally, as opposed to monophony or homophony. • Heterophony – (Gr., ‘other voice’). Simultaneous variation of one melody. Also applied to vocal music of Near and Far East, when an instrument embellishes the vocal part. UNIT 2.12 - TEXTURE DEVICES: Specific techniques that composers use to build textures in their compositions • Alberti Bass – keyboard accompaniment in which the chord tones are arpeggiated rather than played at the same time, often in the general pitch pattern Low-High-Medium-High. The lowest pitch is usually anchored in a strong metric position • Walking Bass – Bass line consisting primarily of quarter notes that establishes the harmonic AND rhythmic foundation of a jazz ensemble. • Imitation – Repetition of a musical idea that we have very recently heard in a different voice. Imitation can be at the same pitch level or transposed, so long as the melodic character is maintained.

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Canon – A melody layered on itself – think “Frere Jacques” or “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” Countermelody – A secondary melodic line that sounds along with the main melody Doubling – A melody is simultaneously duplicated in another part. Ostinato – A stubbornly repeating melodic or rhythmic pattern Solo – a single performer is featured Soli – a single section of like instruments or voices is featured Tutti – the full ensemble is playing or singing

UNIT 2.13 - RHYTHMIC DEVICES: • Tuplets – rhythmic figures that borrow beat divisions o Simple meter examples: triplets – quarter divided into 3 eighth notes instead 2, half note into 3 quarters instead of 2, eighth divided into 3 sixteenths instead of 2, etc. o Irregular divisions – quintuplet (division of 5), septuplet (division of 7) o Compound meter: duplet – beat note such as dotted quarter equals 2 eighth notes instead of 3; dotted half equals 2 quarters instead of 3, etc. • Anacrucis – also called pick-up, 1 or more notes that occur before the downbeat or 1st beat of the measure • Agogic accent – emphasis of a note through its longer duration • Syncopation – placement of accent on normally weak beats or beat divisions • Cross rhythm (or Polyrhythm) – combination of 2 or more “conflicting” rhythmic patterns • Hemiola – a rhythmic device that uses the rhythmic ratio of 2:3 in a few different ways o A cross rhythm combining groupings of 2 and 3 simultaneously – 8th notes sounding simultaneously with triplets, for example o Simultaneous combination of Compound Duple and Simple Triple meters – for example 6/8 going on at the same time as 3/4 o Two measures of Simple Triple accented as three groups of two rather than two groups of three. A favorite device of Baroque composers (particularly Handel) to create rhythmic drive to the cadence (arrival point)....