Music Appreciation Test
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What music element has the most direct appeal to the audience?
The melody
Define ‘melody’
a succession of single tones or pitches perceived as a unit
Define ‘range’
the distance between the highest and lowest tones of a melody
What is the distance between two pitches called?
an interval
Define ‘conjunct’
a melody that moves in small, connected intervals
What type of symbol are musical sounds represented by?
a note
A term referring to loudness or volume is:
amplitude
How is a melody characterized?
by range, contour, and movement
Why is Beethoven’s Ode to Joy easy to sing?
It is conjunct
A unit of meaning within a larger structure of a melody is called:
a phrase
Define ‘cadence’
the resting place at the end of a phrase, like a period or comma in a sentence
Define ‘climax’
the striking emotional effect created by the high point in a melodic line
Define ‘countermelody’
one melody over the other (added to or played against)
T or F: Most musical cultures share the concept of melody or musical line
True
T or F: A musical note is the symbolic representation of a sound with pitch and duration
True
T or F: The length or size of a vibrating object has no effect on pitch
False
T or F: Melodies that move principally by small, connected intervals are conjunct
True
T or F: The phrases in the tune Amazing Grace are of unequal length
False
How is the melody, The Star-Spangled Banner, best described as?
Disjunct
Music is propelled forward in time by:
Rhythm
Whats the element in music that organizes movement in time?
Rhythm
Define ‘beat’
the basic unit of rhythm that divides time into equal segments
What are accented beats?
beats that are more strongly emphasized than others
Organizing patterns of rhythmic pulses are called:
meters
A meter is marked off in groupings known as:
measures
Define ‘downbeat’
the first accented beat of a measure
What is the metric pattern in which a strong beat alternates with a weak one?
duple meter
Which meter would most likely be associated with a march?
duple
In a triple meter, the strongest pulse occurs on:
the first beat
Meters in which each beat is subdivided into three rather than two are known as:
compound meters
In sextuple meter, the principal accents usually fall on:
beats 1 and 4
What is America (“My country ’tis of thee”) is an example of?
triple meter
Greensleeves is a _______________ meter
compound
When a song begins on the last beat of a measure, it is said to begin with:
an upbeat
Define ‘syncopation’
the deliberate shifting of the accent to a weak beat or an offbeat
Define ‘polyrhythm’
the simultaneous use of two or more rhythmic patterns
Music that moves without a strong sense of beat or meter is called:
nonmetric
T or F: The element that organizes movement in time is called harmony
False
T or F: Measures mark off groupings of beats, each with a fixed number that coincides with the meter
True
T or F: Meter is the measurement of musical time
True
T or F: Meter us an organizing principal shared by music and poetry
True
________ is typical of African-American dance music and spirituals
Syncopation
Does all world music feature a strong regular pulse or beat?
No
Define ‘harmony’
the combination of different musical notes played or sung at the same time to produce a pleasing sound
Harmony is to music as __________ is to painting
perspective
The distance and relationship between two tones is referred to as:
an interval
Define ‘chord’
a combination of three or more tones that make a single block of harmony
What is a collection of pitches arranged in ascending or descending order called?
a scale
What is an interval of 8 notes called?
an octave
Define ‘triad’
most common chord type found in Western music, a three-note chord, built on alternate scale steps
Define ‘tonic’
the first note of the scale
The principle of organization around a central tone is called:
tonality
T or F: Dissonance sustains a sense of stability
False
Define ‘dissonance’
a combination of tones that sounds discordant, unstable, or in need of resolution
What term describes a concordant or agreeable combination of tones?
Consonant
T or F: Harmony is important to most non-western musical cultures
False
T or F: A triad is a chord made up of three tones
True
T or F: Three alternate notes of a scale, sounded simultaneously, form a triad
True
T or F: Melody and harmony function independently of each other
False
T or F: The two scale types commonly found in Western music from about 1650 to 1900 are major and minor
True
Has music grown more consonant through the ages?
No
How many notes in a scale does an octave span?
8
In Western music, the octave is divided into how many equal intervals?
12
What is the smallest interval in our Western musical system called?
a half-step
A twelve-tone scale, including all the semitones of the octave, is called:
chromatic
The musical symbol # represents a:
sharp
On the piano, what is the black key between the white keys C and D called?
C-sharp or D-flat
Tonality means that we hear a piece of music in relation to a central tone, called:
the tonic
Define ‘tonality’
the principle of organization whereby we hear a piece of music in relation to a central tone
Define ‘key’
a group of related tones with a common center
In a major scale, between what pairs of tones do half steps occur?
3, 4 .. 7,8
What characterizes the minor scale?
it has a lowered third degree
Define ‘diatonic’
music based on the seven tones of a major or minor scale
The _________ era is where chromatic music is most frequently associated
Romantic
Pentatonic scale = how many notes?
5
Western art music does not frequently use the what scale?
Pentatonic scales
What is an interval smaller than our semitone, or half step, called?
microtone
The triad built on the first note of the scale is called:
the tonic
What is the tonic chord represented by?
(the roman numeral for 1)
The dominated chord is represented by what symbol?
V (roman numeral) (roman numeral for 5)
In harmony, a place of rest and return is:
the tonic
What are the three basic triads in our musical system?
Tonic, dominant, and subdominant
What remains the same when a melody is transposed to another key?
the shape of the melodic line
T or F: In western music, the octave is divided into seven equal parts, which makes up the chromatic scale
False
T or F: All musical cultures of the world divide the octave into twelve equal half steps
False
T or F: A sharp lowers the tone by a half step
False
T or F: A key refers to a group of related tones with a common center, a tonic, toward which the tone graviate
True
T or F: A major or minor scale can begin on any of the twelve semitones of the octave
True
Define ‘texture’
thickness in music. for example, the more instruments you use, the thicker the texture. also use in range or width
A texture featuring a single, unaccompanied line is called:
monophony
What was the predominant texture used in music up to about one thousand years ago?
Monophonic
What is traditional music of the Far East largely?
monophonic
Define ‘heterophony’
A melody combined with an ornamented version of itself (often heard in jazz) – is a texture
What is the resulting texture called when two or more independent melodic lines are combined?
polyphony
What is the texture that combines two or more simultaneous melodic lines
polyphony
Define ‘homophony’
A texture in which a single voice takes over the melodic interest while the accompanying voices are subordinate
Define ‘homorythm’
the texture in which all the voices move in the same rhythm
Define ‘imitation’
when a melodic idea is presented in one voice and then restated in another
Define ‘canon’
a strict composition with imitation throughout
What is a simple/familiar type of canon called?
a round
T or F: A single-voiced texture is called monophony
True
T or F: Traditional music of the Middle and Far East is typically polyphonic
False
Define ‘counterpoint’
the art of combining two or more simultaneous melodic lines
T or F: The art of counterpoint is most closely associate with monophonic texture
False
T or F: A heterphonic texture frequently occurs in music involving improvisation, such as jazz.
True
T or F: Most compositions use one type of texture exclusively.
False
Define ‘tempo’
the rate of speed at which a piece of music is played
What emotional response would most likely be associated with an accelerating tempo?
agitation
Music that is despairing and sad usually has a ___________ tempo
slow
In what language are tempo markings generally given?
Italian
What is the marking for a slow tempo?
adagio
Accelerando is a term indicating that the tempo is:
getting faster
Define ‘dynamics’
the degree of loudness and softness, or volume, at which music is played
What is the symbol of growing louder
<
Define ‘crescendo’
the gradual swelling of the volume of music
T or F: The tempo indicates the loudness of music
False
T or F: The tempo of a piece affects its mood and character
True
T or F: Allegro is an Italian term for a fast, cheerful tempo
True
T or F: The degree of loudness and softness in music is called dynamics
True
Is texture a property of a musical sound?
no
Define ‘timbre’
the quality of sound that distinguishes one instrument or voice from another
What does the term, timbre, refer to?
the color of a tone
A mechanism that generates musical vibrations and launches them into the air is called:
an instrument
Define ‘register’
a specific area within the range of a voice or instrument, such as high, middle, or low
What are the standard ranges of the human voice from highest to lowest?
SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass)
What is the (generally accepted) term for the high male vocal range?
Tenor
Define ‘chordophones’
instruments that produce sound from a vibrating string
Define ‘aerophones’
instruments that produce sound by using air as the vibrating means
How do idiophones produce sound?
by shaking, scraping, or striking the instrument itself
Drum-type instruments fall into the category of:
membranophones
T or F: In some cultures, women’s voices are preferred for certain styles of music
True
T or F: Flutes and whistles are classified as idiophones
False
T or F: A guitar is an example of a chordophone
True
The instruments of the Western orchestra are categorized in four groups. What are those four groups?
SBPW (strings, brass, percussion, and woodwinds)
Of bowed string instruments, what is the highest to lowest in range?
violin, viola, cello, double bass
Define ‘pizzicato’
the special effect produced on a string instrument by plucking the string with the finger
In string play, the rapid movement of the wrist creates a throbbing effect called:
vibrato
What is double stopping?
playing on two strings at once
What is the device placed on the bridge of string instruments to muffle the sound?
a mute
Harmonics on a string instrument are produced by:
lightly touching the string at certain points while the box is being drawn
Chords whose notes are played in succession, as on the harp, are called:
arpeggios
T or F: Woodwind instruments all have a pipe with holes
True
What is the highest sounding member of the woodwind family?
the piccolo
Is a clarinet a double-reed instrument?
no
Describe all brass instruments
they are made of metal, are blown with a metal mouthpiece, their sound is created by the vibration of the lips
T or F: The trumpet is a soprano brass instrument sometimes described as possessing a brilliant timbre
True
T or F: The English horn is the member of the brass family
False
What is the bass instrument in the brass family?
the double bass
Timpani are members of the _________ family of instruments
percussion
What is an example of a pinched percussion instrument?
xylophone
What is an example of an unpinched percussion instrument?
bass drum
T or F: the piano has a wide dynamic range
True
T or F: String instruments are generally played by either bowing or plucking
True
T or F: The violin was developed by Italian instrument makers around 1600 and 1750
True
T or F: The viola is somewhat smaller and higher pitched than a violin
False
T or F: All woodwind instruments are made of wood
False
T or F: The term pizzicato means to play in a throbbing manner
False
T or F: The pipe organ is a wind instrument, sounded by air
True
T or F: The piano is limited by a narrow range of pitches and dynamics
False
T or F: The two categories of percussion instruments are pitched and unpitched
True
T or F: The trumpet is the lowest pitched instrument of the brass family
False
What is the most recently invented member of the woodwind family?
saxophone
What distinguishes chamber music from orchestral music?
the number of players on each part
What is the name for a Balinese of Javanese orchestra made up largely of gongs, drums, and xylophone-like instruments?
Gamelan
What is the 2/3 of a symphony orchestra?
strings
Which instruments are traditionally seated in front of the orchestra?
strings
Define ‘band’
a rock, jazz, and march ensemble group
John Phillip Sousa was a famous composer of?
marches
What is a jazz band normally made up of?
woodwind instruments, brass instruments, and percussion instruments
T or F: Specialized choirs that perform with organ are called a cappella ensembles
False
T or F: Chamber music is intended for a small group of performers, with one player to a part
True
What is the standard instrument for a string quartet?
two violins, viola and a cello
T or F: A piano trio is an ensemble of three pianos
False
T or F: The modern orchestra is typically made up of thirty or forty players
False
T or F: The upbeat is the strongest in any meter
True
The preservation of music without the help of written notation is called:
oral transmission
Define ‘musical style’
the characteristic manner of presentation of a work
The style of a historical period is defined by:
the total language of all its artists
What is the chronological order of music periods?
Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Twentieth Century
What are the approximate dates for the Renaissance period?
1450-1600’s
The classical period was followed by what period and then preceded by what period?
Baroque, Romantic
Music Appreciation Test. (2017, Dec 13). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/paper-on-music-appreciation-test/
