Ornamentation: Trill
(down-up-down-up-down-up-down), Mordent (down-up-down), Acciaccatura (grace note which doesn’t delay the
next note of the melody), Appoggiatura (a grace note which delays the next note of the melody),
Glissando (continuous slide upwards or downwards between two notes), Turn (down-up-down-moredown-down).
Contrasting textures
Structured forms
Film Score: The complete
set of original music to accompany a film, forming part of the film’s soundtrack.
Cue: Each individual piece
in the score, very precise with the film’s timings.
Main Title: Heard during
the opening credits, sets the mood for the film.
Diegetic Music: Music that
forms part of the onscreen action (e.g. character turns on the radio).
Non-diegetic Music:
Background music/underscoring. Heard only by the audience, used to set a scene, establish mood or
underline drama of a situation.
Concerto: A soloist (or
multiple) accompanied by an orchestra.
Concertino: Small group
of solo instruments.
Ripieno: Larger (usually
string) ensemble.
Basso Continuo: A group
of instruments playing the lower part (bassline).
Ground Bass: Repeating
bassline. Used a lot in the baroque era.
Figured Bass: Harmonic
instrumentation written under the basso continuo.
Polyphony: Multiple lines
with different rhythms happening simultaneously.
Contrapuntal: Multiple
lines that interact with each other.
Fugal style: Where you
combine a melody with itself.
Incidental Music: Music
that is intended to be performed as part of a play.
Lament: Songs displaying
sorrowful feelings.
Ternary Form da Capo
Aria: Ternary form but the second A section is extended.
Bass Viol: A bowed,
fretted, stringed instrument used during the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
Melody-dominated
Homophony: Melody and accompaniment but the accompaniment very much follows the melody.
Tierce de Picardie: A
popular Baroque device where the last chord of the piece would be the tonic major.
Diatonic: Every note used
comes from the key signature (mostly).
Functional Harmony: Using
chords for a purpose.
Suspension: Preparation →
Dissonance → Resolution. e.g. F maj 2nd inversion (FCA) → CFG → C maj (CEG). There for tension and
release.
EQ (Equaliser): The
process of adjusting the level or amplitude of specific frequencies to achieve a clean and balanced mix.
Distortion: Forms of
audio signal processing used to alter the sound of amplified electric musical instruments, usually by
increasing their gain, producing a “fuzzy”, “growling” or “gritty” tone.
Flanger: A type of audio
effect that creates a distinctive “swooshing” or “jet plane” sound. It is created by combining a source
audio signal with a slightly delayed, modulated version of itself.
Overdubbing: Audio tracks
that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new,
doubled or augmented tracks onto one or more available tracks of a digital audio workstation.
Panning: The act of
placing or moving a sound anywhere in the stereo field of a stereo playback system. With panning, sound
sources can be placed in a way that they are perceived as coming from the left speaker, the right
speaker, or from anywhere in between.
Reverb: Dictating the
space of a room in which the audio was recorded.
Wah-Wah: On electric
guitar by controlling the output from the amplifier with a pedal.
Low-Pass Filter: A filter
that passes signals with a frequency lower than a selected cutoff frequency and attenuates signals with
frequencies higher than the cutoff frequency.
Honky-tonk: A type of
modified or deliberately detuned piano often associated with the lively, slightly raw sound of old
saloons, bars, and dance halls.
Vibrato: A musical
technique involving the slight, rapid variation of pitch in a sound. This oscillation creates a richer,
more dynamic tone, making the music feel more emotive and alive.
