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ScotlandMusicQuick questions
Understanding Music
Quick questions on Timbre and dynamics: SQA Advanced Higher Music concepts
4short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are hear the playing techniques?Show answer
Playing techniques change the timbre of an instrument. On strings: pizzicato plucks the string for a short detached note; arco returns to bowing; tremolo rapidly repeats a note for a shimmering or tense effect; harmonics touch the string lightly to sound high, pure, glassy notes; double stopping sounds two strings together. Other instruments have their own techniques (flutter-tonguing, glissando). The listening paper rewards naming the exact technique, and distinguishing close ones such as tremolo from a trill or vibrato.
What is q1?Show answer
What is con sordino, and how is it produced? [2 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
How does tremolo differ from a trill? [2 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
What are terraced dynamics? [1 mark]
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