Helen Standing - Music Tutor (West Wales UK)

GCSE Music Vocab
GCSE Music Vocab
Click on the underlined elements to find out more and see/hear examples.
Devices:
Duration:
straight (equal length quavers)
swing (long-short unequal quavers)
time signatures : simple time = 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4, compound time = 3/8 or 6/8 etc
Music Eras - these dates are approximate as many styles overlapped by a few decades!
[Medieval (500s-1400s) not required for GCSE]
[Renaissance (1400s-1600s) not required for GCSE]
Baroque (1600s approx)
Instrumental Styles: Concerto Grosso / Fugues /
20th Century onwards / Modern (1900 - present day)
Jazz including:
New Orleans / Chicago / Big Bands
Pop (1950s onwards)
Soul (1960s onwards)
Minimalism (1960s onwards)
Hip-Hop (1970 onwards)
1980s R 'n' B (please note: this is not the same as 1940s R&B!)
Forms (structures)
strophic (verses)
binary (AB)
ternary (ABA)
rondo (ABACA etc)
theme & variation (A A1 A2 A3 etc)
through-composed (no repetition)
Texture (number of parts)
monophonic - one part only
a capella - voice(s) with no instruments
unison - all play/sing the same part
homophonic - parts move together in harmony/chords
polyphonic - parts moving differently
Timbre
Voice - Soprano (high female)
- Alto / Contralto) (low female)
- Tenor (high adult male)
- Bass (low adult male)
Instruments - Brass : cornet / trumpet / trombone / tuba
- Keyboard : harpsichord / organ / piano / electric keyboard
- Percussion : drum kit / cybals / bass drum / snare drum / triangle
- Tunes Percussion : glockenspiel / xylophone / marimba / timpani
- Strings (usually bowed) : violin / viola / cello / double bass
- Strings (usually plucked) : harp / guitar / bass guitar
- Woodwind : piccolo / flute / oboe / clarinet / saxophone / bassoon
Ensembles / Groups
rock band
Venue
theatre
military event
jazz club
pub / night club
stadium / arena / festival
concert hall
church / religious setting
wedding
funeral
competition
TV talent show