Higher Listening Concepts

Compositional Techniques
Melodic
Mode Harmonic minor Melodic Minor Acciaccatura
Appoggiatura Turn Mordent Microtone
Tritone Tone row

Harmonic
Plagal Cadence Interrupted cadence Added 6th Dominant 7th
Diminished 7th Diminished chord Augmented chord Polytonality

Rhythmic
Irregular metres Three against two Hemiola Augmentation
Diminution

Structural
Episode Exposition Subject Countersubject
Transition Bridge Basso continuo Sonata form
Antiphonal Inversion Leitmotiv Stretto
Retrograde Retrograde inversion Tonal Answer Real Answer
Ritornello

Contexts
Timbre
Harmonics Coloratura Sprechgesang Consort
Ripieno Concertino

Styles/Forms
Plainchant Renaissance Mass Motet
Anthem Madrigal Ballett Ayre/Air
Pavan Galliard Overture Da Capo Aria
Concerto grosso Chaconne Passacaglia Fugue
Chorale Prelude Suite Sonata form Song cycle
Symphonic/Tone poem Late Romantic Nationalist
Lied Musique concrète Serialism Neo Classical
Jazz Funk
 Melodic
Mode Used up until the start of
the Renaissance period.
The type of scale that
came before major and
minor scales.

Harmonic A version of the minor

scale. Played the same on
Minor the way up as the way
down. Flattened 3rd and
6th notes.

Melodic A version of the melodic

scale. Played differently
Minor on the way up from the
way down.
Flattened 3rd on the way
up.
Flattened 7th, 6th and 3rd
on the way down.

Acciaccatura Sounds crushed. To

(A-kee-ak-a-KAA-tura) be played very
quickly.

Appoggiatura Sounds podgy. Takes up

(Ah-poj-E-A-tura) half the note length.

Turn Four notes to be played

quickly: note above, main
note, note below, main note.
Inverted turn is the
opposite.

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Higher and Advanced Higher
Mordent Three extra notes to be
played quickly.
Upper mordent- main note,
note above, main note.
Lower mordent- main note,
note below, main note.

Microtone Any interval that is smaller than a semitone. Most often found in Eastern
European, Indian or Arabic music.

Tritone Interval of an augmented

4th. Or three tones.
Example F- B or C- F

Tone row Arrangement of the twelve

notes of the octave which
forms the basis of a
composition. There is no
note that is more important
than any other. The tone
row can also be used in
inversion or retrograde

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 Harmonic
A musical full stop. Uses
Plagal chords IV (4) – I (1). Known as
Cadence the “Amen” cadence.

Interrupted A musical punctuation mark, or

a comma. Uses chords V (5)-
Cadence VI (6)

Added 6th Root, 3rd, 5th, of a chord with

added 6th note.
Frequently used in jazz and
popular music.

Dominant Chord that is started on the

dominant or 5th note of the
7th scale i.e. in C major, the
dominant is G (G, B, D, F).
Major chord with a minor 7th
added on.

Diminished Chord made up of two intervals

of a minor 3rd. Sounds very
Chord dissonant. Lead to other
chords quickly and tend not to
stay on them for too long.

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Diminished Chord that is made up of 3
minor 3rds built one on top of
7th the other. Can be useful for
modulating.

Augmented Unstable, tense sounding

chord.
Chord Played as 3 major 3rds on top
of one another.

Use of more than

two key signatures at
Polytonality the same time. Used
in early 20th century
music

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 Rhythmic
Frequent change
Irregular of time signature
Metres and accents in
different places.

Three One line of music may be playing quavers

in groups of 2 whilst at the same time
against Two another line of music will be playing
triplets.

Hemiola Often appears in Classical music. Gives the impression of a piece of

(hee-me-O-lah) music changing from duple (2) to triple (3) time or visa versa.

Augmentation Lengthening the note

(aug-men-TAY- value. The music will
shun) sound slower when
repeated or imitated.

Diminution Shortening the note

(di-mi-NU-shun) value. The music will
sound faster when
repeated or imitated

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 Structural
Subject The main theme of a composition, the main themes in sonata form, or
the main theme on which a fugue is based

Episode Section of music linking two parts together. In a fugue, an episode can
be used as a modulating link between entries of the subject. Frequently
based on fragments from the subject or countersubject

Counter In a fugue, after the subject or answer is played, the continuation on

that same instrument or voice
subject

Real answer In a fugue after the subject is played, the exact same tune appears in
another voice or part in the dominant (a 5th higher or a 4th lower).

Tonal In a fugue after the subject is played, a similar tune appears in another
voice or part
answer

Stretto Where voices or instruments enter very quickly one after the other.
This is usually found in a fugue. As each part enters quickly, creates
excitement and tension.

Transition/ A linking passage. Leads from one well defined section of a piece of
music to another.
Bridge

Basso Bass line that comes from the Baroque period. Played by a cello,
bassoon, or bass. The harpsichord, organ or lute was expected to fill
continuo out the harmonies. Sometimes figures were written under the bass line
(aka figured bass)

Ritornello Means a little return. Used frequently in Baroque vocal and instrumental
(ri-tor-NEL-loe) music. Similar to rondo form. In a concerto grosso, the ritornello is the
main theme played by the ripieno (orchestra) and sometimes by the
concertino (soloists).

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Sonata How many sonatas are structured. Falls into three sections: exposition,
development and recapitulation. The exposition introduces two
form contrasting themes in related keys. These are developed and heard
again in the recapitulation, this time in the same key

Exposition The first section of a movement in sonata form (EXPOSITION-

development- recapitulation) or the first section of a fugue where each
voice has played or sung at least one entry of the subject or answer.

Antiphonal Dialogue between two physical choirs or orchestras - one group of voices
or instrument answers the other.

Inversion 1. When a musical shape is

mirrored

2. An inverted chord is
formed when a note
other than the root is
in the bass

In a serial composition the tone row may be inverted. This appears as contrary motion.
The tone row may also be used in retrograde inversion

Retrograde To go backwards. A melody or section of music can be written or

performed from the end to the beginning. This includes all elements of
music including the harmony, rhythm, etc.

Retrograde Retrograde inversion means the music can be written or performed

backwards and upside down at the same time. This is called a serial
inversion technique

Leitmotiv A theme occurring throughout a work which represents a person, an

(LITE-moe-teef) event or an idea, etc. The first composer to use leitmotiv extensively
was Wagner in his operas.

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 Timbre
Harmonics The high eerie sound produced on a bowed string instrument by lightly
touching the string at certain points. Used to create a different tonal
colour to the music. On a guitar, these will sound bell like.

Coloratura Used most frequently in operas from the Baroque period. Singer would
elaborate the melody by using scales, runs and ornaments. Sometimes
these passages were written down, other times they were made up on
the spot.

Sprechgesang German for “spoken song”. Expressive term for a singer to use their
voice half way between singing and speaking. Came about in the late
Romantic and early Modern period.

Consort A small group of instruments from the same family playing together, e.g.
a consort of viols. Term usually applies to music from the Renaissance
period.

Ripieno In a concerto grosso from the Baroque period, this is the rest of the
(rip-EE-e-no) orchestra that plays with the concertino (see below)

Concertino This is the name give to the small or solo group of instrumentalists from
a concerto grosso from the Baroque period.

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 Styles/Forms
Medieval and Renaissance 1450-1600
Plainchant Also known as Gregorian chant or plainsong. Unaccompanied melody set
to words of the Roman Catholic church. Plainchants are modal and have
no regular metre. Follow the rhythm of the Latin words, and so has no
particular set rhythm

Chant A series of chords which the words of psalms are sung in the Church of
England

Renaissance Means rebirth of interests from the Greek/Roman times. In musical

history, refers to the time period between 1450-1600. Came just
before the Baroque period

Mass Sacred choral work using the five sections of the Roman Catholic
church. Latin text, polyphonic texture, a capella. In the Medieval and
Renaissance periods, were used in church worship, but later, became a
large scale work for chorus, soloists and orchestra

Motet From the Renaissance period, sacred choral work with Latin text and
polyphonic texture. Usually sung a capella.

Anthem Short sacred choral piece sung in English. Sometimes sung by a choir a
capella, and sometimes accompanied by an organ. Features solo parts.
Protestant equivalent of the Motet.

Madrigal From the Renaissance period. Secular piece of music. Polyphonic

texture and used imitation. Sung in English, use of word painting,
through composed music, a capella.

Ayre/Air 1. Type of madrigal that can be performed by a solo voice with lute
accompaniment, other instruments, or a capella with other voices
filling in the harmony

2. English for Aria. Song or simple melody. Sometimes the title of a

movement of a suite.

Ballett Type of madrigal in strophic form. Originally danced to. Features a fa-
la-la-la refrain at the end of each verse.

Pavane Renaissance court dance linked with the Galliard. Pavan is slow and has
2 beats in a bar
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Galliard Renaissance court dance linked with the Pavan. Galliard is fast and lively
with 3 beats in a bar
Baroque 1600-1750
Concerto A type of concerto in which a group of soloists (concertino) is combined
and contrasted with a larger group (ripieno)
grosso

Suite Set of dances or a collection of pieces which are part of a larger scale
work

Chorale Extended composition for organ based on a chorale melody. Typically

polyphonic. Mostly in theme and variation form.
prelude

Chaconne Variations over a repeated progression of chords

Passacaglia Variations over a ground bass

Fugue Complicated version of a question and answer. The tune (subject) is

played by itself, then imitated by other voices quickly

Da capo Aria Aria in ternary form (ABA). Found in operas and oratorios. A- first
section. B- new section. A- first section again (not written out- Da
capo instruction instead) with ornaments and embellishments

Overture A piece of orchestral music which introduces a large scale work such as
an opera, oratorio or musical. Can be used as a solo piece of music
nowadays

Classical 1750-1820
Sonata Work for solo piano, or solo instrument and piano. In three or four
movements.
Romantic 1820-1900
Lied German for song. Solo voice and piano. Text is in German. Structure
can be either strophic or through composed. Both the voice and piano
are equally important. Before, the voice was more important than the
instrument accompanying it.
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Higher and Advanced Higher
Nationalist Music that uses parts of traditional, folk music melodies, rhythms and
harmonies of the composers’ country. Composers include Glinka,
Smetana and Greig.

Song cycle Group of songs linked by a common theme or with a text written by the
same author. Usually accompanied by piano, but sometimes can be
accompanied by small ensembles or full orchestra

Tone poem One movement piece for orchestra which tells a story or maybe relates
to a personal experience from the composer’s life. Also known as
symphonic poems

Late Came in at the end of the Romantic period. Uses a very large amount of
instruments, increased chromaticism and large scale compositions.
Romantic Composers include Wagner, Mahler and Richard Strauss.

20th Century/Modern 1900-present

Neo Composers wanted to return to the structures and styles of earlier
periods. Made it more modern by combining dissonant, tonal and atonal
classical harmonies. Composers started to write for smaller orchestras.
Stravinsky and Prokofiev are two composers of this style.

Serial Invented by Schoenberg. Using the 12 notes of the chromatic scale, the
notes are organised into a series or tone row. This row can be
transposed, inverted or played in retrograde

Jazz funk A combination of jazz improvisation , solos and riffs and funk, soul and R
& B music

Musique Recorded natural sounds which are transformed using simple editing
techniques such as cutting and reassembling, playing backwards, slowing
concreté down, speeding up, etc.

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