MUS 103 Terms for Final Exam

1. pitch - the relative highness or lowness of a sound

2. pitch class – a note without reference to its octave location or spelling

3. enharmonic – same sound, different spelling

4. interval – the distance between two pitches

5. compound interval – an interval wider than an octave

6. perfect consonances – unisons, octaves, and fifths

7. imperfect consonances – thirds and sixths

8. dissonances – seconds, sevenths, and any augmented or diminished interval

9. tritone – interval of an augmented fourth or diminished fifth

10. tonic – scale degree 1

11. dominant – scale degree 5

12. subdominant – scale degree 4

13. mediant – scale degree 3

14. submediant – scale degree 6

15. supertonic – scale degree 2

16. leading tone – scale degree 7 a half step below tonic

17. subtonic – scale degree 7 a whole step below tonic

18. scale degrees – the various steps in a scale

19. rhythm – the temporal aspect of music

20. beat – a regular pulse underlying music

21. downbeat – the first beat of a measure

22. meter – the grouping of beats

23. tempo – the speed of the beat

24. duple meter – two beats per measure

25. triple meter – three beats per measure

26. quadruple meter – four beats per measure

27. simple meter – the beat is divided in two

28. compound meter – the beat is divided in three

29. relative keys – same pitch classes (signature), different tonics

30. parallel keys – same tonics, different pitch classes (signature)

31. motive – a brief musical idea with distinctive character

32. phrase – a complete musical thought

33. period – a group of phrases

34. antecedent – the first phrase in a period

35. consequent – the second phrase in a period

36. cadence – a point of repose

37. parallel period – a period in which the beginning of each phrase is identical

38. contrasting period – a period in which the beginnings of the phrases are different

39. three-phrase period – a period with three phrases

40. double period – a period with four phrases

41. chord – three or more pitches played simultaneously

42. tertian harmony – chords built on consecutive thirds

43. triad – a chord with three different pitches

44. seventh chord – a tertian chord with four different pitches

45. root – the pitch on which a chord is built when stacked in consecutive thirds

46. bass – the lowest sounding note in a chord, regardless of inversion

47. root position – the root of the chord is in the bass

48. first inversion – the third of the chord is in the bass

49. second inversion – the fifth of the chord is in the bass

50. third inversion – the seventh of the chord is in the bass