04/11 4. Voices, Instruments, and Ensembles Free Online FlashCards

What is a soprano?

A soprano is the highest standard adult voice, often used for leading melodic lines and roles requiring brilliance.

What is a baritone?

A baritone is a voice between tenor and bass, with a flexible middle-low register often suited to comic, noble, or conflicted characters.

What is vibrato?

Vibrato is a controlled fluctuation of pitch that can enrich a singer’s tone.

How do bowing and plucking differ?

Bowing draws a bow across a string, while plucking sets the string in motion with a finger or plectrum.

What is pizzicato?

Pizzicato is a string technique in which players pluck the strings instead of bowing them, producing a percussive tone.

What defines the clarinet’s sound?

A clarinet is a single-reed woodwind with a wide range and a tone that can be soft and warm or bright and penetrating.

How do brass instruments produce sound?

Brass instruments produce sound when vibrating lips set the air column into motion; valves or slides change the tubing length and available pitches.

What is the musical role of timpani?

Timpani are tuned drums that reinforce bass lines, harmonic changes, and dramatic accents.

What instruments form a string quartet?

A string quartet consists of two violins, one viola, and one cello.

What distinguishes a choir?

A choir is a larger vocal ensemble, often divided into soprano, alto, tenor, and bass parts.

What defines a concert band?

A concert band or wind ensemble centers on woodwinds, brass, and percussion rather than the bowed-string section of an orchestra.

What does legato mean?

Legato means that notes are played or sung in a connected, sustained manner.