AQA A-Level Music musical elements and theory overview quiz quiz

Imperfect cadence

Plagal cadence

Interrupted cadence

Perfect cadence

Diatonic uses only notes of the key; chromatic adds notes from outside the key

Diatonic uses notes from outside the key, while chromatic uses only notes of the key

They mean exactly the same thing and the two terms can be used interchangeably

Diatonic harmony is only ever used in minor keys and never appears in major keys

A complete self-contained movement within a larger work such as a symphony

A short, distinctive musical idea that is repeated and developed

A key signature placed at the start of a stave to show the prevailing key

A type of cadence that brings a musical phrase to a close on a particular chord

Inversion

Augmentation

Sequence

Retrograde

Each beat divides naturally into two equal halves

There is no regular underlying beat or pulse at all

The tempo of the music keeps changing throughout

Each beat divides into three

Placing accents on weak beats or off-beats, against the metre

Playing the music at a very fast and lively tempo throughout the piece

A gradual slowing down of the tempo towards the end of a musical phrase

Repeating a short bass line over and over again beneath the changing harmony

Monophonic (a single line)

Polyphonic (contrapuntal)

Homophonic (melody and chords)

Unison (all the same line)

Binary

Ternary

Rondo

Theme and variations

The speed or tempo at which the music is performed by the players

The loudness or dynamic level at which the music is being played

The key or tonal centre on which the music of a passage is based

The characteristic tone colour or quality of a sound

B flat

C natural

D natural

E flat

Always take the highest sounding note of the chord as written in the score

Stack the notes into thirds and find the lowest of the stack

Always take the loudest note of the chord, the one marked with an accent

Always take the first note of the chord that happens to be played or sung

Bowing the strings

Playing with a mute

Plucking the strings

Playing very high notes