Music 101 Exam Questions and Answers
A cappella - Answer-"To the chapel," singing not accompanied by musical instruments
Drone - Answer-Sustained, continuous pitch
Plainchant - Answer-Gregorian chant, plainsong or chant. Main type of music in catholic
church for first half of middle ages.
Non-metrical - Answer-No regular sense of pulse
Modal - Answer-Composed using church modes
The Kyrie - Answer-Plainchant in Greek used in mass (only one not in Latin)
Syllabic text setting - Answer-One note per syllable
Pneumatic text setting - Answer-Few notes per syllable
Melismatuc text setting - Answer-A lot of notes per syllable
Recitation - Answer-Chant in which one pitch is dominant throughout
Responsory - Answer-Chant in which there is a "call and response"
Non-responsory - Answer-Chant in which there is no "call and response"
Pitch - Answer-Sound created by vibrations
Note - Answer-A single pitch
Interval - Answer-Distance between any two pitches
Scale - Answer-Succession of whole-step and half-step intervals
Major scale - Answer-Succession of whole steps
Minor scale - Answer-Different succession of whole and half steps
Chromatic scale - Answer-Succession of half steps
Melody - Answer-Catchy part of the song, any succession of notes
Phrase - Answer-Short melody separated by natural places to take a breath
, Motive - Answer-Short succession of notes used throughout piece to create a sense of
unity (dun dun dun duuuuun).
Theme - Answer-Similar to motive but longer succession of notes
Sequence - Answer-non-responsorial syllabic plainchants (AA, BB, CC formats)
Hildegard of Bingen - Answer-1098-1179. Country: Germany. Genre: plainchart. Tenth
child given as tithing who became a nun. Made a saint officially in 2012.
Form - Answer-Roadmap that composer can follow as he composes music. Forms are
labeled A, B,C, D with repeating sections sometimes.
Tone color/timbre - Answer-Quality of sound of an instrument or voice. Affected by the
way sound vibrations are made
Middle Ages year range - Answer-450-1450
Organa/Organum - Answer-Started around 900. polyphonic compositions. Composer
takes chant and adds melodic line.
Parallel motion - Answer-follows the motion of notes (ascends and ascends) -refer to
Organa
Contrary motion - Answer-doesn't follow flow the motion of notes (ascends then
descends)- refer to Organa
Chord - Answer-Two or more notes played at the same time.
Texture - Answer-Means by which melody, harmony, and rhythm are combined in a
composition.
Monophonic - Answer-No harmony
Monophony - Answer-Single melody line with no harmony (most basic texture)
Homophony - Answer-Texture in which melody supported or enhanced by other musical
material (i.e. chords).
Polyphony - Answer-Texture in which there are two or more melodic lines that are equal
(or almost equal) in importance.
Imitative polyphony - Answer-Where one melody line begins and then another melody
begins shortly after imitating the first melody line (can be higher or lower in pitch)
A cappella - Answer-"To the chapel," singing not accompanied by musical instruments
Drone - Answer-Sustained, continuous pitch
Plainchant - Answer-Gregorian chant, plainsong or chant. Main type of music in catholic
church for first half of middle ages.
Non-metrical - Answer-No regular sense of pulse
Modal - Answer-Composed using church modes
The Kyrie - Answer-Plainchant in Greek used in mass (only one not in Latin)
Syllabic text setting - Answer-One note per syllable
Pneumatic text setting - Answer-Few notes per syllable
Melismatuc text setting - Answer-A lot of notes per syllable
Recitation - Answer-Chant in which one pitch is dominant throughout
Responsory - Answer-Chant in which there is a "call and response"
Non-responsory - Answer-Chant in which there is no "call and response"
Pitch - Answer-Sound created by vibrations
Note - Answer-A single pitch
Interval - Answer-Distance between any two pitches
Scale - Answer-Succession of whole-step and half-step intervals
Major scale - Answer-Succession of whole steps
Minor scale - Answer-Different succession of whole and half steps
Chromatic scale - Answer-Succession of half steps
Melody - Answer-Catchy part of the song, any succession of notes
Phrase - Answer-Short melody separated by natural places to take a breath
, Motive - Answer-Short succession of notes used throughout piece to create a sense of
unity (dun dun dun duuuuun).
Theme - Answer-Similar to motive but longer succession of notes
Sequence - Answer-non-responsorial syllabic plainchants (AA, BB, CC formats)
Hildegard of Bingen - Answer-1098-1179. Country: Germany. Genre: plainchart. Tenth
child given as tithing who became a nun. Made a saint officially in 2012.
Form - Answer-Roadmap that composer can follow as he composes music. Forms are
labeled A, B,C, D with repeating sections sometimes.
Tone color/timbre - Answer-Quality of sound of an instrument or voice. Affected by the
way sound vibrations are made
Middle Ages year range - Answer-450-1450
Organa/Organum - Answer-Started around 900. polyphonic compositions. Composer
takes chant and adds melodic line.
Parallel motion - Answer-follows the motion of notes (ascends and ascends) -refer to
Organa
Contrary motion - Answer-doesn't follow flow the motion of notes (ascends then
descends)- refer to Organa
Chord - Answer-Two or more notes played at the same time.
Texture - Answer-Means by which melody, harmony, and rhythm are combined in a
composition.
Monophonic - Answer-No harmony
Monophony - Answer-Single melody line with no harmony (most basic texture)
Homophony - Answer-Texture in which melody supported or enhanced by other musical
material (i.e. chords).
Polyphony - Answer-Texture in which there are two or more melodic lines that are equal
(or almost equal) in importance.
Imitative polyphony - Answer-Where one melody line begins and then another melody
begins shortly after imitating the first melody line (can be higher or lower in pitch)
