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Self-test 1

  1. What is SCAT JAZZ.  Explain and give an example

  2. Imagine you are about to start work on a group vocal composition. You have sorted out with whom and where you are working. List three actions you need to take in order to be ORGANISED.

  3.   Describe a method for getting the best IDEAS from group members.

  4. Describe a PLAN FOR REHEARSING.  Use a numbered list.

  5. What is meant by an EVALUATION of a composition.

  6. Explain the difference between a BEAT and a RHYTHM.

  7.  In a group composition what would be the difference between BACKGROUND and FOREGROUND sounds.

  8. What is the meaning for COPYRIGHT.

  9. How would you copyright a composition.

  10. What is an OSTINATO .

  11. What is a MUSICAL ECHO?

  12. Give three varying examples of TONE OF VOICE.

  13. What is the meaning of LEGATO.

  14.  What is meant by STACCATO.


 ANSWERS - Self test 1

  1. Scat is Vocal Jazz e.g. shoo wa bi doo bi doo bi

  2. Group organisation: Make sure the group are facing each other in a circle or semicircle. Choose someone to organise the rehearsal. Make sure everyone is involved in the decision making and that all opinions are heard.

  3. Try out ideas of every group member and discuss all opinions about how the group composition can be modified.

  4. Start with one short section that everyone can remember and repeatedly practice until everyone is happy with the result.

  5. In an evaluation you would discuss a composition's qualities and its weaknesses.  You may even go on to explain how you would improve the composition based on this evaluation.

  6. A beat contains equally spaced sounds like a heart beat. A rhythm contains sounds on and between the beats.

  7. The foreground would contain the main parts and would be louder.  the background would contain the supporting and generally quieter parts.  members of a performing group can change from foreground to background or the reverse during a composition.

  8. Copyright is where a person or organisation owns a song, musical arrangement, or printed music.  Others must seek permission and perhaps pay for the right to use it.

  9. It can be as simple as posting a copy of the music to yourself in a sealed envelope with the date clearly recorded.  This will enable you to prove if necessary that you were the first to create the musical idea.

  10. A repeated tune or rhythm usually to accompany another part.

  11. A musical echo happens when a 2nd player repeats a short musical phrase quieter or another instrument immediately after the first playing

  12. Examples of tone of voice. Angry tone Soft tone Heavy tone Mysterious tone Funny tone (humorous)

  13. Legato means smoothly

  14. Staccato means short and detached.

QUESTIONS 2

Years 7 (Untuned percussion instruments)

 

Describe each instrument you name and explain one unique feature about it.

One mark per instrument a total of 32 marks/minutes.

It could be:

      its individual materials

      way of playing it

     the way its sounds

      the way it looks.

 

1.1.  Name three types of drum which use the word "drum" as the second word.

1.2.  Name four types of drum which do not use the word drum at all in the name.

1.3.  Name three purely wooden instruments.

1.4.  Name three types of cymbal.

1.5.  Name three other purely metal instruments other than cymbals

1.6.  Name two instruments you normally shake to make a sound.

1.7.  Name three instruments you would normally scrape to make the sound.

1.8.  Name the 7 pieces in a 7 piece drum kit.

1.9.  Which instrument do you twist to make the sounds.

1.10 Name three kinds of beater.

ANSWERS

Years 7 (Untuned percussion instruments)


1.1.     Hand Drum: A hand held drum hit by the fingers

           Snare Drum: has an additional rasping sound created by coiled steel wires on the lower drum head.

           Bass Drum: The largest deepest sounding drum; both an orchestral and kit version.

           Kettle Drum: Two to three tuned drums played by soft headed beaters in an orchestra.

           Talking drum: An African drum. Drum heads held on by string pulling on the edges of the drum head.

1.2.     Tabla: An Indian tuned drum. Palm of hand pushing on the drum head while the fingers hit the drum.

           Tambour: A kind of hand drum used in folk music.

           Congas: Two large floor standing hand drums mainly used for South American music.

           Bongos: Two small drums held between the knees producing two pitched sounds.

           Tom Toms: Two tuned drums mounted on the bass drum tuned to two different pitches.

           Timpani: The same as kettle drums. See above.

1.3.     Temple blocks: Hollowed out pieces of wood hit with a beater.

           Claves: Two pieces of hard wood hit together.

           Wood Block: A rectangular block of wood with a slit in one end.

           Agogo: Two hollow wooden shapes on a stick scraped or hit by a beater handle.

           Guiro: A long hollow piece of wood often shaped like a fish with rows of small ridges which are scraped by a beater handle or stick.

           Castanets: Two hollowed out pieces of wood hitting each other on a spring or between fingers.

1.4.     Hand Held Cymbals or orchestral cymbals: Used for dramatic moments in orchestral music.

           Hi-Hat Cymbal: Two fourteen inch cymbals controlled by a foot pedal. A closed or open sound is possible.

           Crash Cymbal: Used for making loud crash-like sound at a dramatic moment in the music.

           Ride Cymbal: A large mounted cymbal for playing beats or half beats during a pop music performance.

1.5.     Triangle: A triangular shaped piece of metal, open at one end and hit with a metal beater.

           Vibra Slap: Metal rivets vibrate inside a wooden or metal cylinder.

           Flexitone: A flat piece of metal vibrates when struck.

           Gong: Various sized rounded pieces of metal suspended from one end and hit by a soft headed beater.

           Antique cymbals: Small hand held cymbals hit lightly together producing a small metallic effect.

1.6.     Maracas: Hollowed out shapes with handles with beads on the inside.

           Tambourine: Jingles in a circle with a drum head centre

           Jingle ring: A circle or half moon set of jingles mounted on a wooden or plastic frame.

1.7.     Guiro: See above

           Agogo: See above

           Torpedoes: Long, hollow metal shapes with beads inside. Scraped or tipped to make the sound.

1.8.     Snare Drum: As above

           Bass Drum: As above

           Mounted tom-toms: See tom-toms

           Floor tom-tom: A large floor mounted drum.

           Hi-Hat Cymbal: As above

           Ride Cymbal: As above

           Crash Cymbal: As above

1.9.     Cabasa:A circular metal necklace of beads sounds against a metal frame.

QUESTIONS

Self test 3

  1. Explain the word LYRICAL.

  2. What is TERNARY FORM?

  3. What is GRAPHIC NOTATION?

  4. What is TRADITIONAL NOTATION?

  5. Explain the word ANALYSIS

  6. Explain the word DYNAMICS as used in music.

  7. What is ARTICULATION when applied to a melody

  8. When was BAROQUE MUSIC most popular.  Give the start and finish dates.

  9. When was CLASSICAL MUSIC most popular.  Give the start and finish dates.

  10. Explain RONDO form.

  11. What is a REFRAIN.

  12. What is the VERSE of a song.

  13. What does the word CONTRAPUNTAL mean.

  14. With which HISTORICAL PERIOD is contrapuntal music most closely associated?

  15. What is a MIRROR tune?

  16. What does the word TIMBRE mean?

 

ANSWERS

Self test 3

  1. Lyrical means song-like with a smooth melodic outline. It is a type of melody which could be sung with no sudden leaps.

  2.  A section returning musical structure with three sections.  Section A, a contrasted section B followed by a repeat of section A.

  3. Graphic notation has signs and symbols representing musical sounds.  It can be used either as a general representation of the sound intended or an original way of using sound which needs a new sign used on staff notation.  Usually a key is required to explain the new sign.

  4. Traditional staff notation is the internationally used form of notating music using a five line stave with signs representing  rhythm, pitch, silence and many other elements in music.

  5. Analysis involves examining basic elements to find out how it was constructed.  When examining a musical composition the person analysing will listen and look for how musical elements are used, such as speed, dynamics and rhythm.

  6. Dynamics involves changes in loudness in a composition both sudden and gradual.  It also includes the difference in loudness between the parts.

  7. Articulation involves the movement from one sound to the next describing whether it was smooth or separate.

  8. The Baroque Period lasted from 1600 to 1750.

  9. The Classical Period lasted from 1750 to 1820.

  10. Rondo form has a developed section returning structure A.B.A.C.A.D

  11. It is often used as the last movement of a Symphony, Concerto or Sonata in the Classical Period

  12. A refrain is the repeated part of a song where both the words and the tune are repeated.  It is often called the chorus as a group of singers or a bigger accompaniment is used.

  13. The verse of a song particularly in a ballad is where the story is moved along.  the tune is almost the same for each verse but changes a little to suit the syllables in the words

  14. Contrapuntal vocal music is associated mainly with the Renaissance period.  Contrapuntal instrumental music is associated mainly with the Baroque period.

  15. A mirror tune is where a second part will have a mirror image of the first part.  Both parts will be played at the same time. This is also called a retrograde canon

  16. Timbre means the tone or particular sound of an instrument or combination of instruments.

SELF TEST 4 Questions

Find the English words for the following Italian words and abbreviations that are often used on musical notation.

SPEED INDICATIONS

allegretto, accelerando, lento, largo, presto, adagio, allegro, vivace, moderato, rall., presto, andante,  

DYNAMICS

forte, f, mf, mp, pp, ff, piano

ANSWERS - Self test 4.

At the moment you will have to ask your teacher or look them up elsewhere. (time for a little extra  effort!)

Copyright © 2002 David Hayes

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