MUS 121 - EXAM 4 STUDY GUIDE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 100% PASS
2026/2027
Blues - ANS An early source of jazz, characterized by flattened, or "blue" notes in the scale;
vocal blues consist of 3-line stanzas in the form a a ' b
Ragtime - ANS Composed of piano music, generally in duple meter with a moderate march
tempo, in which the pianist's right hand plays a highly syncopated melody while the left hand
maintains the beat with an "oom-pah" accompaniment. Ragtime was developed primarily by
African American pianists and flourished from the 1890s to about 1915.
New Orleans Style - ANS Dixieland. Jazz style in which the front line, or melodic instruments,
improvise several contrasting melodic lines at once, supported by a rhythm section that clearly
marks the beat and provides a background of chords; usually based on a march or church
melody, a ragtime piece, a popular song, or twelve-bar blues
Swing - ANS Jazz style that was developed in the 1920s and flourished between 1935 and
1945, played mainly by "big bands." Also, verb for what jazz performers do when they combine
a steady beat and precision with a lilt, a sense of relaxation, and vitality.
Bebop - ANS Complex jazz style, usually for small groups, developed in the 1940s and meant
for attentive listening rather than dancing
2026/2027 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
1
, Jazz - ANS Music rooted in improvisation and characterized by syncopated rhythm, a steady
beat, and distinctive tone colors and performance techniques. Jazz was developed in the United
States predominantly by African American musicians and gained popularity in the early 20th
century.
Call and Response - ANS - In jazz, a pattern in which one voice or instruments is answered by
another voice, instrument, or group of instruments
- Performance style in which the phrases of a soloist are repeatedly answered by those of a
chorus, often found in African and other non western music.
Chorus - ANS - A group of singers performing together, generally with more than one to a
part
- In jazz, a statement of the basic harmonic pattern or melody
Breaks - ANS Brief unaccompanied solo in jazz
Riff - ANS A short repeated phrase that may be an accompaniment or a melody
Rhythm Section - ANS Instruments in a jazz ensemble that maintain the beat, add rhythmic
interest, and provide supporting harmonies. The rhythm section is usually made up of piano,
plucked double bass, percussion, and sometimes banjo or guitar
Front Line - ANS In New Orleans or Dixieland jazz, the group of melodic instruments that
improvise on a melody, supported by the rhythm section
Scott Joplin - ANS "King of Ragtime"
Bessie Smith - ANS "Empress of the Blues"; singer
Louis Armstrong - ANS Trumpeter and a singer.
2026/2027 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
2
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 100% PASS
2026/2027
Blues - ANS An early source of jazz, characterized by flattened, or "blue" notes in the scale;
vocal blues consist of 3-line stanzas in the form a a ' b
Ragtime - ANS Composed of piano music, generally in duple meter with a moderate march
tempo, in which the pianist's right hand plays a highly syncopated melody while the left hand
maintains the beat with an "oom-pah" accompaniment. Ragtime was developed primarily by
African American pianists and flourished from the 1890s to about 1915.
New Orleans Style - ANS Dixieland. Jazz style in which the front line, or melodic instruments,
improvise several contrasting melodic lines at once, supported by a rhythm section that clearly
marks the beat and provides a background of chords; usually based on a march or church
melody, a ragtime piece, a popular song, or twelve-bar blues
Swing - ANS Jazz style that was developed in the 1920s and flourished between 1935 and
1945, played mainly by "big bands." Also, verb for what jazz performers do when they combine
a steady beat and precision with a lilt, a sense of relaxation, and vitality.
Bebop - ANS Complex jazz style, usually for small groups, developed in the 1940s and meant
for attentive listening rather than dancing
2026/2027 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
1
, Jazz - ANS Music rooted in improvisation and characterized by syncopated rhythm, a steady
beat, and distinctive tone colors and performance techniques. Jazz was developed in the United
States predominantly by African American musicians and gained popularity in the early 20th
century.
Call and Response - ANS - In jazz, a pattern in which one voice or instruments is answered by
another voice, instrument, or group of instruments
- Performance style in which the phrases of a soloist are repeatedly answered by those of a
chorus, often found in African and other non western music.
Chorus - ANS - A group of singers performing together, generally with more than one to a
part
- In jazz, a statement of the basic harmonic pattern or melody
Breaks - ANS Brief unaccompanied solo in jazz
Riff - ANS A short repeated phrase that may be an accompaniment or a melody
Rhythm Section - ANS Instruments in a jazz ensemble that maintain the beat, add rhythmic
interest, and provide supporting harmonies. The rhythm section is usually made up of piano,
plucked double bass, percussion, and sometimes banjo or guitar
Front Line - ANS In New Orleans or Dixieland jazz, the group of melodic instruments that
improvise on a melody, supported by the rhythm section
Scott Joplin - ANS "King of Ragtime"
Bessie Smith - ANS "Empress of the Blues"; singer
Louis Armstrong - ANS Trumpeter and a singer.
2026/2027 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
2
