HTML Review Tests A Rebirth of Knowledge Renaissance means rebirth. This period saw a rebirth in knowledge. The Renaissance was turning from God to man. Science and the arts were becoming more important. Christopher Columbus discovered America and Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel. William Shakespeare was writing his famous plays. Secular music is non-religious music and it was becoming more popular during this time. There was a rise in instrumental music and dance music, too. William Shakespeare. [Online Image] Available , December 20, 2001. The printing press was invented during the Renaissance. Some people consider the printing press to be the most important contribution to civilization in the last one thousand years! The printing press allowed music to be printed quickly. Before the Renaissance, music had to be copied by hand. One of the most famous persons from the Renaissance was Leonardo da Vinci. He was known as a Renaissance man because he could do many things well. He was a painter, architect, inventor, scientist, poet, musician, and teacher. Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. [Online Image] Available , December 18, 2001.

A Capella: The Golden Age of Singing This was the golden age of the a capella style. That means that choirs sang without instruments. Vocal music was still more important than instrumental music. Madrigals were popular during the Renaissance. These song forms were performed in groups of groups of four, five, or six singers. A madrigal is secular music. This is non-religious music. Madrigals were usually love songs. Listen to Hey Ho, Greenwood , a madrigal by the English composer William Byrd. This is a polyphonic work, which means it has many musical lines of equal importance. This piece is sung with lots of imitation, which means the voices take turns singing the same melody. Religious music was still very important. Choral music of the Renaissance was an extension of the Gregoriuan chant. It was sung a capella and sung in Latin. Motets were popular during this time. A motet is a polyphonic work with four or five voice parts singing one religious text. Josquin Des Pres, 1450-1521. [Online Image] Available , June 13, 2002. Some people consider him the father of modern harmony.

Giovanni Palestrina was one the the Renaissance period's most important composers. He was Italian. He wrote mostly religious works. He is considered one of the great masters of Renaissance music. He wrote motets, madrigals, and masses. To hear some of Palestrina's music, click here . Giovanni Pallestrina. [Online Image] Available , June 13, 2002. The musical mass was an important part of the Catholic Church's religious service. Each part of the celebration would have a different musical number. The mass would be sung in Latin. Here is the order in which the movements would be performed: Kyrie Agnus Dei means Lamb of God. Here are three popular song forms of the Renaissance. Just remember the Three M's: Madrigal, Motet, and Mass: Madrigal This is a polyphonic work, which means it has many musical lines of equal importance. Madrigals were sung with lots of imitation, which means the voices take turns singing the same melody. Madrigals were performed in groups of four, five, or six singers. They sang secular music. This is non-religious music. Madrigals were usually love songs.

Motet A motet is a polyphonic work with four or five voice parts singing one religious text. They are similar to madrigals, but with an important difference: motets are religious works, while motets are usually love songs. Mass A musical mass is like a motet, only longer. It also follows the religious service of the Catholic Church and is sung in a very specific order: Kyrie, Gloaria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei. It is performed in Latin. Most of the music of the Renaissance was polyphonic , but something new was being heard. What was it? Read on. There was a growth in instrumental music, especially the lute and keyboard. The most popular instrument of the Renaissance was the lute . Angel with Lute, c. 1522 [Online Image] Available , December 20, 2001. Listen to a lute duet . It was during this period that families of instruments started to develop. These families were called consorts. This is where we get the word concert. To see and hear a Renaissance consort, click here . Most instrumental music was written to accompany singers or dancers.

Can you identify the instrument in this picture? If you guessed the violin, you'd be right. What was it called during the Renaissance? Can you identify some other instruments of the Renaissance? For some help, click here. Visit The Internet Renaissance Band website to hear more instrumental music of the Renaissance. Dances Dancing was a favorite pastime during the Renaissance. Educated people were expected to know how to dance. There were simple dances that were usually danced in chains or circles. There were also more difficult dances that required lots of practice. Dancing encouraged new forms of instrumental compositions. Many songs were written just for dancing. To learn more about these instruments, click here . Here are some popular Renaissance dances: This is a simple dance in an even meter that can be danced in a group moving forward or backward. Canary This is a complex dance for couples. It comes from Spain the started in the Canary Islands. Here is a couple dancing the pavane . Their bulky clothes made it difficult for them to move quickly. To learn more about Renaissance dances, click here . To hear more Renaissance music, click here . To learn more about Renaissance music, visit the Early Music Glossary. Things to Think About 1. In a canon, all voices repeat the same melody.

Can you name any canons you have sung? What else are canons called? 2. A Renaissance man is someone who is good at everything he tries. What would you need to do today to be a Renaissance person? Is there anyone living today you would consider a Renaissance person? Why would it be harder to be Renaissance person today than during the Renaissance? 3. How did the printing press change music history? 4. Shakespeare invented many words and phrases we use today. Some are bump, eventful, lonely, assassination, fair play, and catch cold. Can you quote any famous lines from a Shakespeare play? 5. Name some important ways that the Renaissance is different from the Medieval period. 6. How do clothes affect the way people dance? Do you think the way we dress changes our behavior? 7. Why do you think the Medieval period lasted 700 years longer than the Renaissance? 8. What is the musical texture of most of today's music? Basic glossary of musical forms Music cataloging resources Basic glossary of musical forms These definitions are taken in part from the glossary of the The Classical Music Navigator by Charles H.

Smith air/ayre: (1) an English song or melody from the 16th to the 19th century; (2) a 16th-century solo song with lute accompanied. aleatory music: music in which chance or indeterminacy are compositional elements. anthem: a choral setting (often with solo voice parts and organ accompaniment) of an English language religious or moral text, usually for performance during Protestant services. antiphon: a liturgical chant sung as the response to the verses of a psalm. arabesque: a short piece of music featuring various melodic, contrapuntal, or harmonic decorations. bagatelle: a short, light instrumental piece of music of no specified form, usually for piano. ballade: (1) a 14th-15th-century French song form which set poetry to music; (2) an instrumental (usually piano) piece with dramatic narrative qualities. barcarolle: song or instrumental piece in a swaying 6/8 time (i.e., suggesting the lilting motion of a Venetian gondola).

berceuse: a soft instrumental piece or lullaby, usually in a moderate 6/8 tempo; a lullaby. canon: a contrapuntal form in two or more (voice or instrumental) parts in which the melody is introduced by one part and then repeated by the next before each previous part has finished (i.e., such that overlapping of parts occurs). cantata: term applied to a 17th-18th- century multi-movement non-theatrical and non-liturgical vocal genre; subsequently used to describe large-scale vocal works in the same spirit, generally for soloists, chorus and orchestra; may also be for solo voice and accompaniment. canzona: (1) 16th-17th-century instrumental genre in the manner of a French polyphonic chanson, characterized by the juxtaposition of short contrasting sections; (2) term applied to any of several types of secular vocal music. caprice/capriccio: term describing a variety of short composition types characterized by lightness, fancy, or improvisational manner.

carol: since the 19th century, generally a song that is in four-part harmony, simple form, and having to do with the Virgin Mary or Christmas. chaconne: a slow, stately instrumental work in duple meter employing variations. chanson: French for song; in particular, a style of 14th- to 16th-century French song for voice or voices, often with instrumental accompaniment. chant/plainchant: monophonic music used in Christian liturgical services sung in unison and in a free rhythm. concertante: (1) a term used to modify another form or genre, suggesting that all parts should be regarded as equal in status (18th century) or indicating a virtuoso first violin part (19th century); (2) a work with solo parts in the nature of, but not the form of, a concerto. concerto: (1) ensemble music for voice(s) and instrument(s) (17th century); (2) extended piece of music in which a solo instrument or instruments is contrasted with an orchestral ensemble (post-17th century).

concerto grosso: orchestral form especially popular in the 17th and 18th centuries in which the contrasting lines of a smaller and a larger group of instruments are featured. credo: third item of the Ordinary of the Mass . divertimento/divertissement: a style of light, often occasion-specific, instrumental music arranged in several movements.. etude/study: especially, a piece written for purposes of practicing or displaying technique. fancy/fantas(-ia)(-ie)(-y)/phantasie: an instrumental piece in which the formal and stylistic characteristics may vary from free, improvisatory types to strictly contrapuntal; form is of secondary importance. fugue: contrapuntal form in which a subject theme ("part" or "voice") is introduced and then extended and developed through some number of successive imitations. galliard: a lively court dance of Italian origin, usually in triple time. gigue (jig): a quick, springy dance often used as the concluding movement to 18th century instrumental suites. Gloria: second item of the Ordinary of the Mass . impromptu: a short instrumental piece of a free, casual nature suggesting improvisation.

incidental music: music composed for atmospheric effect or to accompany the action in a predominantly spoken play; the music is not integral to the work even though it may have dramatic significance. Lied(er): German for song(s); in particular, a style of 19th-century German song distinguished by the setting of texts from the literary tradition and by the elaboration of the instrumental accompaniment. madrigal: (1) a 14th-century Italian style of setting secular verse for two or three unaccompanied voices; (2) a 16th/17th-century contrapuntal setting of verse (usually secular) for several equally important voice parts, usually unaccompanied. magnificat: a setting of the Biblical hymn of the Virgin Mary (as given in St. Luke) for use in Roman Catholic and Anglican services. march: instrumental music in duple meter with a repeated and regular rhythm usually used to accompany military movements and processions. masque: an aristocratic 16th-17th-century English theater form integrating poetry, dance, music, and elaborate sets.

mass : the principal religious service of the Catholic Church, with musical parts that either vary according to Church calendar (the Proper) or do not (the Ordinary). mazurka: a moderately fast Polish country dance in triple meter in which the accent is shifted to the weak beats. microtonal music: music which makes use of intervals smaller than a semitone (a half step). minuet: a graceful French dance of moderate 3/4 tempo often appearing as a section of extended works (especially dance suites). motet: (1) to ca. 1400, a piece with one or more voices, often with different but related sacred or secular texts, singing over a fragment of chant in longer note-values; (2) after 1400, a polyphonic setting of a short sacred text. nocturne: a moderately slow piece, usually for piano, of dreamy, contemplative character and song-like melody. ode: cantata-like musical setting of the lyric poetry form so called. opera: theatrically staged story set to instrumental and vocal music such that most or all of the acted parts are sung.

a drama set to music sung by singers usually in costume, with instrumental accompaninent; the music is integral and is not incidental. operetta: a light opera with spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. oratorio: originally setting of an extended religious narrative (and since ca. 1800, non-religious ones as well) for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra, intended for concert or church performance without costumes or stage settings. ostinato: a short melodic, rhythmic, or chordal phrase repeated continuously throughout a piece or section while other musical elements are generally changing. partita: term initially applied as a synonym for "set of variations" (17th century), then as a synonym for "suite" (ca. 1700 to present). passacaglia: an instrumental dance form usually in triple meter in which there are ground-bass or ostinato variations. pavan(e): a stately court dance in duple meter, from the 16th and 17th centuries, and remaining popular in the 17th century as an instrumental form. polka: an energetic Bohemian dance performed in the round in 2/4 time.

polonaise: a stately Polish processional dance in 3/4 time. prelude: (1) an instrumental section or movement preceding or introducing a larger piece or group of pieces; (2) a self-contained short piece usually for piano. psalm: a vocal work set to text from the Book of Psalms. quadrille: a lively, rhythmic 19th-century French country couple dance that incorporates popular tunes, usually in duple meter. requiem: a musical composition honoring the dead; specially the Roman Catholic Mass for the dead, but also other commemorative pieces of analogous intent. rhapsody: term similar to "fantasia" applied to pieces inspired by extroverted romantic notions. romance: (1) a song with a simple vocal line and a simple accompaniment; especially popular in late 18th-19th-century France and Italy; (2) a short instrumental piece with the lyrical character of a vocal romance. rondo: an instrumental form in which one section intermittently recurs between subsidiary sections and which concludes the piece.

scherzo: term designating lively and usually lighthearted instrumental music; most commonly used to label the fast-tempo movement of a symphony, sonata, etc. serenade: a light and/or intimate piece of no specific form such as might be played in an open-air evening setting. sinfonia: term applied in a variety of contexts in different periods; e.g., as a near synonym for "instrumental canzona," "prelude," "overture," and "symphony." sonata: an extended piece for instrumental soloist with or without instrumental accompaniment), usually in several movements. sonatina: a short sonata, or one of modest intent; especially popular during the Classical Period. song cycle : a group of songs performed in an order establishing a musical continuity related to some underlying (conceptual) theme. Stabat Mater: a sequence in the Roman Catholic liturgy regarding the crucifixion, and used in several Divine offices. suite: a set of unrelated and usually short instrumental pieces, movements or sections played as a group, and usually in a specific order. symphonic poem/tone poem: a descriptive orchestral piece in which the music conveys a scene or relates a story.

symphony: an extended piece for full orchestra, usually serious in nature and in several movements. tango: an Argentinian couple dance in duple meter characterized by strong syncopation and dotted rhythms. Te Deum: (from the Latin, "We praise Thee, O God") lengthy hymn of praise to God in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other Christian liturgies. toccata: a piece for keyboard intended to display virtuosity. trio sonata: a 17th-18th-century sonata for two or three melody instruments and continuo accompaniment variations: composition form in the theme is repeated several or many times with various modifications. waltz: a popular ballroom dance in 3/4 time. Musical Terms and Concepts | SUNY Potsdam Musical Terms and Concepts Musical Terms and Concepts Explanations and musical examples can be found through the Oxford Music Online, accessed through the Potsdam Library page at . Click on Music Reference, then Oxford Music Online.

Key terms and concepts contour: the shape of the melody as rising or falling conjunct: stepwise melodic motion, moving mostly by step in intervals of a 2nd disjunct: melodic motion in intervals larger than a 2nd, often with a large number of wide skips range: the distance between the lowest and highest pitches, usually referred to as narrow (> octave) or wide (< octave) motive: a short pattern of 3-5 notes (melodic, rhythmic, harmonic or any combination of these) that is repetitive in a composition phrase: a musical unit with a terminal point, or cadence. Lengths of phrases can vary.

Related to rhythm: measures or bars: a metrical unit separated by lines in musical notation meter: groups of beats in a recurring pattern with accentuation on strong beats non-metric, unmetrical: free rhythm, no discernable time simple meters: beats subdivided into two parts (2/4, 3/4, 4/4) compound meters: beats subdivided into three parts (6/8, 9/8, 12/8) asymmetrical meters: meters with an uneven number of subdivisions (7/4, 5/8) mixed meters: shifting between meters mensurations: used in music from 1300-1600, the ratios of rhythmic durations Related to harmony: chords: three or more pitches sounding simultaneously triads: three notes that can be arranged into superimposed thirds extended chords: thirds added above the triad, usually as a 9th, 11th or 13th consonance: a harmonic combination that is stable, usually in thirds dissonance: a harmonic combination that is unstable, often including seconds or sevenths parallel motion: two or more parts moving in the same direction and same intervals, as in parallel fifths contrary motion: two or more

 parts moving in the opposite direction oblique motion: occurs when one voice remains on a single pitch while the other ascends or descends canon: (meaning rule) one melody is strictly imitated by a second part after a delay in the entrance of the second part.

In order for the parts to end simultaneously, the canon may break down at the end of the composition. The canonic parts may occur at the unison or some other interval. round: an exact canon, ending at different times, as in ?Row, row, row your boat.? imitation: two or more parts that have the same or similar phrase beginning and with delays between entrances (as in a round or canon), but after the beginning of the phrase, the parts diverge into separate melodies Related to tonality: diatonic: a seven-note scale with a regular pattern of 5 whole and 2 half steps. Diatonic intervals are found within this type of scale. chromatic: using pitches outside of a particular diatonic scale, or using a succession of half steps. major tonality: pitches are related to a central pitch called the tonic. Major scales are used. minor tonality: pitches are related to a central pitch called the tonic. Minor scales are used.

modal: refers to music using diatonic scales with Greek names (Western) or non-Western scales modulation: moving from one key area to another key atonality: music that is not tonal or not based on any system of keys or modes bitonality: the simultaneous use of two key areas. polytonality: the simultaneous use of two or more key areas. Related to texture: monophony (noun; monophonic = adjective, as in monophonic texture): literally ?one sound? - one melodic line, without harmony or any accompaniment, which can occur when one person or many people sing a melody simultaneously. Singing in octaves is considered a monophonic texture. homophony (noun; homophonic = adjective): one melodic line with a harmonic accompaniment that supports the melody. polyphony (noun; polyphonic = adjective): two or more parts sung or played simultaneously. heterophony (noun; heterophonic = adjective): multiple voices singing a single melodic line, but with simultaneous melodic variants between the singers. Heterophony often occurs in non-Western music and sometimes in folk music.

homorhythms: the same rhythms in all parts, as in the singing of a hymn. counterpoint (noun; contrapuntal = adjective): like polyphony in that it has two or more compatible melodies performed simultaneously.

Related to tempo: consult the Oxford Music Online commonly in Italian from the 17th-18th c., and then increasingly in other vernacular languages largo, lento, adagio, andante, moderato, allegretto, allegro, presto, prestissimo qualifying terms: meno (less), pi (more), molto (very or much) poco a poco (little by little), assai (very) mosso (motion), sostenuto (sustained), non troppo (not too much) Related to expression: terraced dynamics: a sudden and dramatic shift from loud to soft or soft to loud accelerando Releated to timbre: classifications of instruments chordophone: string instruments aerophones: wind produces the sound (woodwinds and brass instruments) membranophone: a vibrating membrane produces the sound (drums) idiophone: sound is produced from the material (wood, glass, stone, metal) Related to ensembles: voice ranges: bass, tenor, alto, soprano (from lowest to highest) choral: music written for a choir a cappella: choral music without instrumental accompaniment, literally ?at the chapel?

polychoral: two or more choirs in a composition, usually with an antiphonal or echo effect orchestra: large instrumental ensemble with strings band: large instrumental ensemble without strings chamber ensembles: trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, octet Standard ensemble combinations: string trio: three string instruments piano trio: piano, violin, cello string quartet: two violins, viola, cello piano quintet: piano and a string quartet brass quintet: 2 trumpets, french horn, trombone, tuba wind quintet: flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, french horn Related to text and music: syllabic: one syllable sung to each note melismatic: one syllable sung to several notes sacred: religious music, often for the church liturgy (services) secular: worldly, non-religious music, usually in the vernacular vernacular: texts in the language of the people (English, French, Spanish, German, etc.) Related to musical forms: Generally capital letters are used to distinguish different sections of a composition. A capital refers to an exact repetition. A lowercase letter refers to the same music but new text.

A prime number after the capital refers to a variation of the music from the original section. repetitive forms: strophic: a vocal form consisting of several phrases. The musical form is repeated using different verses of text, as in a hymn or folksong. modified strophic: simply means that the repetitions of the sections are varied slightly, but not so much that they are a significant variation or the original. bar form: two sections of music, with only the first section A repeated. Many hymns use the far form. binary form: two sections of music, usually with each A and B section repeated. This is typically used in dances. When a group dances are combined into a suite, the dances generally all stay in the same key. processive forms: variation forms: continuous variations: includes an ostinato -- a repeated bass line or set of chords (usually 4-8 measures) with continuous variations above the bass pattern. This term is also called a ground bass, a chaconne, and a passacaglia. These are common in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. sectional variations: a theme and variation set, where usually each section is clearly marked. Generally in a theme and variations, the theme itself is identifiable.

Variation sets are commonly used in the Classical period as the slow movement of a string quartet or symphony. fugue: a one-subject (also called monothematic) composition in which the subject is continually restated on different pitches and in various keys, processing the modulations, fragments or registers of the subject. Like the other variation forms, there is usually a return to the subject in the original key. return forms: the initial section returns following a contrasting middle section. rounded binary: two sections, with a return of A in the second section: |: A :|: B A :| This form is typical of late Baroque dances and of minuets/scherzos and trios of the Classical period. ternary: ABA, with new material in the middle section and a return to the first A material (exactly or varied). The return to the final A section can be recopied in the music, denoted by a phrase above the music (da capo), or a sign (da capo al segno), which is common in da capo arias. rondo forms: ABACA, ABACADA, etc.

the initial section is contrasted with episodes in different keys and styles from the original A material. Rondos are typically used as the last movement of a Classical sonata, string quartet or symphony. rondeau: a medieval song/dance, ABaAabAB virelai: a medieval song/dance, AbbaA sonata form: two contrasting key areas in the first section (exposition) are developed in the middle section (development) and return in the final section (recapitulation) in the tonic key. The sonata form emerges from an expanded rounded binary form in the Classical period. compound forms: any two forms combined to make a new, large form. two binary forms can be combined (Minuet ? Trio - Minuet) to produce a larger ABA structure sonata-rondo: combines the contrasting rondo sections ABA-C-ABA with the sonata principles of an exposition, development and recapitulation. concerto-sonata form: derived from sonata form, but with two expositions (1. orchestra, 2. orchestra and soloist) and a solo cadenza between the recapitulation and the coda.

additive form: through-composed: continuous contrasting sections are composed together without repetitions of previous material. Ballad songs and improvisatory instrumental pieces, like the fantasia, toccata or prelude are examples of additive compositions. Some Renaissance genres (mass, motet, madrigal) are typically through-composed. Related to genres: compositional types or categories of works examples of sacred vocal genres: chant, plainsong or Gregorian chant mass tone poem/symphonic poem program symphony Nota bene: Instruments, terms, concepts, tempi and expressions often go by different names in foreign languages. It is best to look up unfamiliar words when they are encountered. Historical periods, musical styles and principal genres Middle Ages (also referred to as medieval music): 600-1420. Generally called the Middle Ages, this long historical era can be broken into several distinct developmental periods and falls between Classical Antiquity and the Renaissance. Students are encouraged to listen to several examples of each style at online sources available through Classical Music.net, Naxos, or other online sites and to listen for the characteristics given below.

Early medieval music to 850: mainly plainsongs (chants) written in Latin for the church sacred: worship music for the church, always in Latin texture: monophonic text settings: syllabic and melismatic rhythm: free rhythms based on the syllables of the text scales: modal, based on the pitches D (Dorian), E (Phrygian), F (Lydian), G (Mixolydian) ranges: narrow, usually less than an octave notation: neumes --groups of notes in symbols, showing the direction of the melodic patterns.

musical staff: ranging from one to four lines, c-clefs, no bar lines or meters accidentals: B-flat only sources: manuscripts are hand copied on parchment genres: numerous types of chants (songs in Latin for the church services) composers: mostly anonymous harmony: perfect consonances (perfect fourths, fifths and octaves) harmonic motion: parallel, then in contrary and oblique motion melodic motion: conjunct in each voice part text settings: syllabic and melismatic, mostly in Latin scales: modal rhythm: repetitive rhythmic patterns in compound time called rhythmic modes notation: modal; signs (neumes) show the groups of notes that form each rhythmic unit musical staff: four to five lines, c-clefs, no bar lines or meters, no dynamics or expression marks, voice designations: tenor, duplum, triplum, quadruplum sources: manuscripts are hand copied on parchment genres: organum (chant combined with polyphony), motet (polyphonic settings with new and separate texts added to each voice chants composers: Leonin and Perotin (Notre Dame in Paris), Hildegard of Bingen Development of secular music: 1100-1300

 secular: worldly music not written for religious services texts: vernacular languages - French, German, Spanish, English texture: mostly monophonic text settings: syllabic and melismatic rhythm: mostly unmetered rhythms until 1250, metered for dances scales: modal ranges: narrow, usually less than an octave traditions: troubadours (South French), trouvres (North French), Minnesingers (German) instrumental dances instruments: organs, recorders, sackbuts (trombone), shawm (double reed), vielles (string) composers: Bernart of Ventadorn, Beatrice of Dia, Adam de la Halle, and hundreds of others Late medieval music: 1300-1420 ?the New Art (Ars nova) textures: polyphonic rhythm: complex rhythmic patterns, simple and compound metrical groups, often syncopated melodic motion: conjunct lines harmony: consonances: (P=perfect) P4, P5, P8, some thirds ranges: often an octave in each voice cantus firmus: a pre-existent melody (chant, for example) used in the lower voice (tenor) musical notation: mensural; early time signatures

 (mensuration signs), but still no bar lines 5-line staff with c and f clefs, flats and sharps used on individual notes, and flats at the beginning of a line apply throughout the line, but not as ?tonal?

key signatures. voice designations: tenor, contratenor, triplum, cantus sources: manuscripts are hand copied on parchment genres: isorhythmic motets, masses, dance songs (ballade, virelai, rondeau) composers: Philippe de Vitry, Guillaume de Machaut, Francesco Landini Renaissance ("rebirth"): 1420-1600 texture: polyphonic, often organized by imitation and canons, or homorhythmic motion: conjunct lines with some wider skips rhythm: regular pulses, but often without a metrical pulse in vocal music; metrical rhythms and strong downbeats in dances and instrumental music harmony: triadic, but cadences on perfect fifths and octaves (some Picardy thirds at cadences ? the name Picardy comes from north French region where many of these composers originated) ranges: expand to utilize the full SATB registers genres: growth of numerous sacred and secular genres vocal: predominant in sacred and secular music sacred music: sung a cappella secular music: can be sung with instruments notation: mensural; early time signatures (mensuration signs), but still no bar lines.

5-line staff with c and f clefs, parts written on individual sections of the page, no dynamic markings voice designations: tenor, contratenor, cantus, later changing to cantus, altus, tenor, bassus. sources: music printing develops in 1501 in Italy. Manuscripts also continue to be hand copied.

genres: single-movement compositions, except for the Mass cycle and dance pairs mass cycle: sacred choral, a capella composition with specific Ordinary sections of the Catholic service composed as a group, often with the same cantus firmus in the tenor part motet: sacred choral, a capella composition with words in Latin chorale: sacred hymn with words in German chanson: secular polyphonic composition with words in French madrigal: secular polyphonic composition with words in Italian Lied: secular polyphonic composition with words in German ayre: secular polyphonic composition with words in English canzona: instrumental composition in the style of a chanson dances: usually in pairs, like the slow pavan and the fast galliard musical instruments: harpsichord (also called the virginal), clavichord, lute, viola da gamba family (also called viols), recorders, cornetto, shawm, sackbut. The violin is developed, but is mostly used outdoors. Instruments are not usually specified for compositions. ensembles: called ?consorts.?

A whole consort is an ensemble of the same family (e.g., all recorders, SATB) and a broken consort is a mixed ensemble. composers: Du Fay, Dunstable, Binchois, Ockeghem, Josquin des Prez, Palestrina, Byrd, Morley, Dowland, Marenzio, Monteverdi, and hundreds or others Baroque Era: 1600-1750 textures: homophonic, polyphonic, and contrapuntal textures rhythms: metrical rhythms, strong and weak beat pulses motives: short ideas become the basis for continuous pitch and register manipulation, often presented without regular pauses in the music scales: major and minor scales develop harmonic rhythm: changes often occur on every beat or every two beats basso continuo: bass line played by the harpsichord and cello or other solo bass instrument figured bass: develops c. 1600; number notations that inform the continuo player of the intervals and accidentals in relation to the bass notes; the realization of the harmonies is improvised.

terraced dynamics: contrasting piano and forte in abrupt dynamic shifts ornamentation: melodic decorations, often improvised or added from symbols given in scores affections: music expresses specific emotions concertato style: contrast is emphasized through alternating groups of voices and/or instruments polychoral: a composition for multiple choirs or voices and/or instruments ritornello: instrumental refrain that frequently returns, as in a concerto or between verses of a song notation: modern symbols, written in score notation with time signatures, key signatures, dynamics (piano and forte), measures with bar lines, instrument and voice designations. instruments: the violin family, horns and trumpets (without valves) are not new instruments, but they begin to appear and gain importance in specific ensembles. Harpsichords, and especially organs, become more fully developed as solo instruments. The oboe and bassoon replace the shawm and the dulcian as the principal double reeds.

ensembles: string orchestras are expanded with individual instruments that contrast in timbre to each other genres: numerous multi-movement compositions opera seria: Italian opera, serious in nature, in which the narrative (recitative) and reflective (aria) numbers are all sung, and including staging, costumes, scenery and dramatic acting. oratorio: work for soloists, chorus and orchestra, based on a sacred story; with no acting costumes or scenery. cantata: a composition for one or more voices and accompaniment chorale cantata: a work with soloists, chorus and orchestra, incorporating hymns into the composition. trio sonata: two solo instruments, keyboard and continuous bass instrument fantasia/prelude/toccata: improvisatory compositions, often paired with a fugue fugue: paired with an improvisatory composition (fantasia, toccata or prelude) suite: a collection of dances (allemande, courant, saraband, gigue) solo concerto: a solo instrument and a chamber orchestra concerto grosso: a small group of solo instruments contrasted with a chamber orchestra.

A multi- movement composition overture: instrumental movement used at the beginning of an opera or oratorio composers: Monteverdi, Schtz, Corelli, Couperin, Handel, Vivaldi, J. S. Bach Classical Era: 1750-1800 aesthetic: balance, symmetry and formality, reflecting the rational objectivity of the Enlightenment melody: sometimes tuneful and folk-like; at other times motivically constructed; lyrical themes contrast with dramatic ones phrasing: periodic, in multiples of 4, usually separated by rests; balanced antecedent-consequent phrase relationships tonality: major and minor keys, with major more prevalent texture: homophonic, with occasional counterpoint, especially in developmental sections harmony: triadic with 7th chords used for color and tension; primary chords (I ?IV-V-I) predominate harmonic rhythm: slow, changing every two to four beats modulations: to closely related keys (e.g., to IV or V in Major; to III in minor).

accompaniments: broken triadic patterns (Alberti bass); repetitive broken octaves (murky bass) instrumentation: homogeneous sounds (orchestras with doubling of winds), musical material organized by families; standardized combinations of instruments within a genre; piano and clarinet (both invented in the Baroque) added to the repertory forms: standardized sonata form, theme and variations, minuet & trio, rondo, concerto-sonata dynamic gradations and expansions: crescendos, diminuendos, piano and forte dynamic (pp & ff very occasionally); occasional accents on off-beats, sforzandos genres: composers: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven Romantic Era: 1800-1900, or nineteenth-century music aesthetic: freedom from boundaries, including those that separate the arts: music becomes more programmatic, merging with literature, art, and philosophy; programmatic elements reflect this trend; interest in the subjective, including the emotions and the supernatural, in contrast with the more objective and rational Classic.

melody: long, emotional, and memorable, using wide leaps for expression phrases: of irregular lengths, with less symmetry than those of the Classic rhythm: displaced accents, shifting and overlapping of duple and triple patterns texture: homophony predominates, highlighting the melody, but counterpoint appears at times harmony: more extensive, with chord extensions and greater dissonance tonality: tonal, but with distant chord progressions and modulations; chromaticism is used extensively; key areas often change freely within movements; minor mode predominates, in contrast with the Classic accompaniment: complex, sometimes contrapuntal, with wide ranges and disjunct intervals dynamics: dramatic, at extremes of the dynamic range; tempi use expressive terminology meter and tempo: freer meters and tempi forms: less clearly defined by sections and tonality instrumentation: larger forces of the orchestra, with a greatly expanded range of timbres that demanded instrumental evolution (valves for brass instruments, more keys for winds, larger and stronger pianos, pedaled harps; new instruments, including the tuba, saxophone, and celeste); inclusion of voice and chorus in later symphonic works scale: on one hand, short, intimate compositions for piano (character piece

) or voice and piano (lied, chanson); on the other, expansion of proportions of the symphony, chamber music, concerto, sonata, mass; opera roles demand bigger voices to match more grandiose dramatic concepts genres: single-movement character pieces and dances for piano composers: Schubert, Robert and Clara Schumann, Verdi, Brahms, Twentieth-century music: 1900-2000 wide range of tonal, modal, whole tone, atonal, serial, and approaches to composition wide range of harmonic structures: triadic, quartal, clusters rhythms: polymeters, asymmetrical meters melodies: disjunct, Sprechstimme (half sung/half spoken) timbres: non-traditional uses of instruments, global instruments, electronic sounds mixed media: music combined with film, art, theater form: traditional and non-traditional structures expression: ranges from subdued works (Impressionism) to excessive exaggeration (Expressionism) nationalism and folk elements return to musical characteristics of earlier periods: Neo-Classicism (including Neo-Baroque elements) and Neo-Romanticism jazz and other African-American influences composers: Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Debussy, Bartok, I

ves, Barber, Copland, Cage, and Glass.

Forms and Genre Forms and Genre copyright © 1999 by Larry Solomon The overall structure of a composition Forms Pre-existing structural (formal) schemes used to compose new music Function Extra-musical purpose for the music, e.g., dancing, wedding, funeral, military, etc. Genre A classification of music by form, function, medium, or idiom, normally in some combination Idiom Device used to explore the capabilities of the medium, e.g., Alberti-bass Medium The instrument/s for which the composition is written Sectional forms Short Forms These forms are used to compose short pieces Binary, Simple. Two sections, labeled A and B, usually with repeats ||: A :||: B :|| . Each section commonly divides into two parts, with the second part of ||: A :|| focusing on the dominant when the first part is in a major key, or focusing on the relative major if the first part is in minor. The second part of ||: B :|| returns to tonic. In very short Binary pieces, a modulation or motion away from tonic may not occur. Many classical dances are in Simple Binary form. Examples: Beethoven, German Dances. Binary, Rounded.

Two sections, labeled A and B, usually with repeats ||: A :||: B :|| . Each section commonly divides into two parts, with the second part of ||: A :|| focusing on the dominant when the first part is in a major key, or focusing on the relative major if the first part is in minor. The second part of ||: B :|| returns to tonic. Additionally, the Rounded Binary brings back the first or second part (usually the second part) of the ||: A :|| section at the end of ||: B :|| . In very short Binary pieces, a modulation may not occur. Most classical dances are in Rounded Binary form. Strophic. A vocal form in which the same music is repeated with different verses; i.e., the text changes, but the music does not. Thus, it is musically: A A A A A A . . . etc. Examples: most folk songs. Strophic-Binary. A combination of Strophic* and Binary* forms, sometimes called the Refrain form. ||: verses A || B :|| 2.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Refrain, or Chorus, is sung after each verse.

It contains the same music and text every time it repeats, while the || A || section changes the words and repeats the same music. Examples: many popular songs. Ternary. A three section form: A B A. Each section commonly has repeats. Each section begins and ends in the same key, but the B section is normally in a different key from A. Additionally, each section normally subdivides into Binary. Examples: classical minuets and scherzi, Beethoven, Op 28, III. Scherzo. Large or Long Forms These forms are normally used to compose large works. Arch. (Modern) An arch form is vaguely defined as one where the music starts with a soft and thin texture, has a climax in the middle, and returns to a soft and thin texture at the end. This is normally combined with one of the other Large Forms. Prototype: Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta, first movement. Chaconne. (Baroque) A special type of Theme & Variations*, normally in triple time, often in a minor key and a slow tempo.

The theme occurs as a bass or harmonic progression, often with an accent on the second beat, and is usually four to eight measures long. Similar to the Passacaglia*. Prototypes: Bach's Chaconne in D minor for solo violin from the Sonata (Partita) for Solo Violin No. 2, Brahms's Symphony No. 4, last movement. Ground Bass. A Theme & Variations* based on a repeating bass line. prototype: Bach's Goldberg Variations. Passacaglia. (Baroque) A special type of Ground Bass* Theme & Variations*, normally in triple time, a minor key, and a slow tempo. The theme recurs as a bass line, usually four to eight measures long. Similar to the chaconne*. Prototype: Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue in c minor for organ. Rondo. (Classical) An extended Ternary* form: A B A C A D A. . . . B A. The basic principle is a repeating A section alternating with new material, any number of times. Prototype: Beethoven's Rondos Sonata.

(Classical) A large instrumental work usually in three or four movements, in which one or more movements is in sonata form*. The Classical Sonata has a standard design, in which the third movement is optional:: Movement rondo, or theme &variations Sonata form. (Classical) An elaborate Rounded Binary* in which the first section is called the Exposition containing two contrasting themes in tonic and dominant keys (or tonic and relative major if in a minor key), commonly called masculine and feminine. The second section is divided into two parts called the Development and Recapitulation. The Development contains themes from the exposition manipulated in various ways, commonly fragmented, transposed, inverted, retrograded, etc. This section also contains rapid modulation and a contrapuntal treatment of thematic material and focuses around the dominant or relative major. The Recapitulation is a repeat of the Exposition, but both themes are presented in the tonic key. The first movement (allegro) of a Sonata* is normally in this form. Theme & Variations. (Baroque-Classical) A set of variations based on a theme that is stated at the beginning as in: A A1 A2 A3 A4 . . . A.

Often the theme is itself in Rounded Binary* form. Prototypes: Bach's Goldberg Variations, Mozart's Sonata, K. 284, III., Beethoven's Sonata 12, Op. 26, I., Beethoven's Variations. Variations. See Theme & Variations* Contrapuntal forms Canon. (Renaissance) Music composed in continuous imitative counterpoint. Protoype: Bach's The Art of Fugue, canons. Fugato. (Baroque-Classical) A fugue* that is contained in a larger work, e.g., a symphony. Prototype: Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, second movement (funeral march), B section. Fugue. (Renaissance) A complex, strictly composed form employing imitative counterpoint. The fugue, literally meaning "flight", is a monothematic composition derived from one Subject, which is stated at the outset in all the voice parts in turn, in a specific tonal scheme, alternating tonic and dominant. The Subject is manipulated in a variety of ways, including transposition, fragmentation, inversion, retrograde, etc.

It employs certain specific sectional types, including an exposition, stretto, counter-exposition, episode, etc. WSith the exceptrion of the exposition,nthese sectional types are not required to be in any specific order. For details, consult a counterpoint text. Prototype: Bach's fugues from the Well Tempered Clavier. Round. (Renaissance) A circular (repeating) canon*. Prototype: "Frere Jacques" Genres Aria. (Baroque-Romantic) A self-contained song with instrumental accompaniment within a larger, dramatic or narrative genre, such as opera*, cantata*, or oratorio*. It is often in triple meter (17th C. on) or with a ground bass*, especially in laments. The "Da Capo aria" (A B A) became common by the late 17th Century. In opera, the function of an aria is to express a character's emotional response to the dramatic action. Prototype: Mozart's arias from his operas. Arioso. (Romantic) Similar to an aria* but between an aria and recitative* in idiom*. Prototype: Wagner's operas. Art Song.

(Romantic) A song* set to a poem. Prototype: Schubert's Lieder. Ballad. A strophic* narrative song*. Prototype: the English folk ballad. Ballet. (Romantic) A highly stylized dance that pantomimes a dramatic narrative, normally with an orchestral accompaniment. Prototypes: Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. Cantata. (Baroque) Literally, a "sung piece". A vocal narrative, yet non-dramatic work, i.e., without action or staging. It is similar to an oratorio*, but shorter and more allegorical in nature. Prototype: J.S. Bach's Cantata no. 4, Christ lag in Todesbanden. Canzona. (Italian Renaissance) Originally, a song* transcribed for instruments (Italian, late 16th C.). Later (17th C.) became an independent instrumental genre* (Frescobaldi). Chamber Music.

(Classical) Music written for small ensembles with one instrument per part, originally intended to be performed with friends, usually without an audience, in someone's parlor (thus, the name "Chamber music"). Prototype: Haydn's String Quartets. Chorale. (Renaissance-Baroque) A German Protestant, metrical and somewhat homorhythmic hymn* with more or less symmetrical phrases punctuated by fermata cadences. Prototype: J.S. Bach's Chorales. Concerto, solo. (Classical) A sonata* for a featured solo instrument and orchestra. Prototype: Mozart's Piano Concerti, Beethoven's Concerto No.5 for piano, the "Emperor". Dirge. (Ancient) Funeral music, a lament for the dead. Prototype: Chopin's Sonata No. 2, Funeral March. Etude. An exercise or study used to build technical skill on an instrument. Prototype: Czerny's or Paganini's Etudes. Divertimento. (Classical) a light, free suite* of dances. Fantasy. (Romantic) An instrumental composition in a free, quasi-improvisational style. Gigue.

(Baroque) a lively dance, usually in compound duple or quadruple meter with a skipping, syncopated rhythm and sometimes fugal. The last dance in a Baroque suite*. Prototype: J.S. Bach's Fugue à la Gigue, in G major for organ, S. 577. Hymn. (Ancient) A song* in praise of God or a hero. Impromptu. (Romantic) A short instrumental piece in an extemporaneous, style, often in ternary form. Prototype: Schubert's Impromptus Intermezzo. (Baroque: vocal) A light dramatic musical entertainment inserted between the acts of opera seria (serious or tragic opera); later, it became opera comique, or opera buffa. In the Romantic period the Intermezzo became an short, but independent instrumental piece of a light, lyrical character. Prototype: Brahms' Intermezzo, op. 118, no.2. Invention. (Renaissance) A short, contrapuntal instrumental piece based on a motive and constructed with strict rules. Prototype: Bach's Two Part Inventions. Lullaby. A song* used to lull one to sleep.

Prototype: Brahm's Lullaby. Madrigal, Italian. (Renaissance) Vocal a capella contrapuntal composition, often with five voice parts. Prototype: Monteverdi's madrigals. March. (Renaissance-Romantic) An instrumental composition with a pronounced repetitive rhythm in a duple or quadruple meter, punctuated by drum beats. Originally, it had a military function, to keep troops in line. Prototype: Sousa's Marches. Mass. (Medieval-Renaissance) A musical setting of the Roman Catholic Mass. Prototype: Josquin des Prez's Missa Hercules D'Este Mazurka. (Romantic) A Polish folk dance, from the province of Mazovia, in triple meter with accents falling off the first beat; i.e., employing syncopation. Prototype: Chopin's Mazurkas. Minuet. (Classical) A stately court dance in triple time, a moderate tempo, and in ternary form. Baroque minuets were most often in Binary* form. Motet. (Renaissance) A normally sacred, a capella, vocal composition featuring imitative counterpoint.

Prototypes: Victoria's O Magnum Mysterium, Bach's Singet dem Herrn Ein Neues Lied. Nocturne. (Romantic) Instrumental music about the night, or to be heard at night. Prototype: Chopin's Nocturne, op. 27, no.1 Opera. (Baroque-Romantic) A drama set to music with action, staging, singers, and an orchestra. Prototype: Mozart's Don Giovanni. Oratorio. (Baroque) A sacred story set to music, without action or staging, but having singers and an orchestra. Prototype: Handel's Messiah Overture. (Baroque-Romantic) Instrumental introduction to a large dramatic work, such as an opera. Prototype: Rossini's Overtures. Polonaise. (Romantic) A Polish dance in triple meter and a moderate tempo. Although the Polonaise is known as a Renaissance folk dance, it is the later courtly version that has passed on to us from Chopin's examples. Its characteristic rhythm is: 8th + two 16ths, four 8ths, often with an accent on the second beat and a cadence on the weak third beat.

Prototype: Chopin's Polonaise, op. 44. Prelude. (Baroque-Romantic) An introductory instrumental piece that precedes the main fare. Program Music. See Tone Poem*. Quartet, String. (Classical) A sonata* for two violins, viola, and cello. Prototype: Beethoven's String Quartets. Recitative. (Baroque) A vocal idiom used in dramatic and narrative works, such as opera*, oratorio*, or cantata*. The music is subservient to the text, with the vocal rhythm conforming to the textual, rather than metrical rhythm. The instrumental accompaniment is simple and consists of sparse, often blocked chords. Rhapsody. (Romantic) A series of melodies strung together without any dependence or connection with each other. Prototype: Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies. Ricercare. (Renaissance) An instrumental "motet*" with more than one subject, treated as in a fugue*. Romance. (Romantic) A short instrumental or vocal piece expressing a sentiment. Sarabande.

(Baroque) A slow dance in triple meter, often with an accented dotted rhythm on the second beat and cadencing on the third beat. It was normally in binary* form. Serenade. (Renaissance on) An evening piece addressed to a lover, friend, or a person of rank. Prototype: Mozart's "Deh vieni alla finestra" from Don Giovanni. Sinfonia. (Baroque) a Baroque proto-symphony* which also applied to the sonata* and canzona*. Song. (Romantic) A short composition for voice with text, normally accompanied. Prototype: Schubert's Lieder (songs). Suite. (Baroque) a set of dances. Prototype: Bach, Partita No. 2 for Clavier Symphony. A sonata* for orchestra. Prototype: Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 Toccata. (Baroque) Literally: "touch piece". A brilliant, virtuoso keyboard work intended to show off the ability of a performer. Prototype: Bach's Toccata and Fugue in d minor for organ. Tone Poem* or Symphonic Poem.

(Romantic) An orchestral work written with narrative prose or a poem, to be read before listening rather than during the performance. Prototype: Liszt's Les Preludes & Faust Symphony. Tone Poem. Music composed to a story, but the words are printed in a program rather than in the music. Waltz. (Romantic) A couple-dance in triple meter and a moderate tempo. Prototype: Johann Strauss's Waltzes Since 9/9/1999, you are visitor No: What is A Cappella Music? | Study.com What is A Cappella Music? Watch short & fun videos Start Your Free Trial Today Instructor: Sharon Rhinesmith Add to Add to Add to Want to watch this again later? Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. Custom Courses are courses that you create from Study.com lessons. Use them just like other courses to track progress, access quizzes and exams, and share content. Teachers Organize and share selected lessons with your class. Make planning easier by creating your own custom course. Students Create a new course from any lesson page or your dashboard.

From any lesson page: Click "Add to" located below the video player and follow the prompts to name your course and save your lesson. From your dashboard: Click on the "Custom Courses" tab, then click "Create course". Next, go to any lesson page and begin adding lessons. Edit your Custom Course directly from your dashboard. Personalize: Name your Custom Course and add an optional description or learning objective. Organize: Create chapters to group lesson within your course. Remove and reorder chapters and lessons at any time. Share your Custom Course or assign lessons and chapters. Teacher Edition: Share or assign lessons and chapters by clicking the "Teacher" tab on the lesson or chapter page you want to assign. Students' quiz scores and video views will be trackable in your "Teacher" tab. Premium Edition: You can share your Custom Course by copying and pasting the course URL. Only Study.com members will be able to access the entire course. Like this lesson Share A cappella music refers to vocal music, either solo or choral, that is sung without music behind it. In this lesson you will learn about the history of this style of singing and what kind of vocal music is sung a cappella today.

Definition A cappella is an Italian phrase which means 'in the style of the chapel.' It was originally used to refer to music that was sung in a chapel or small worship space without accompanying instruments, as opposed to a large church where vocal music was usually accompanied by an organ. The term has since come to mean any music sung without accompaniment, whether sacred (religious) or secular (non-religious). A cappella music can be performed by a large choir, a small group, or as a solo. History of A Cappella Music We know the ancient Greeks used instruments when making music. Instrumental music up to the Renaissance was mostly associated with dancing and merry-making. As one could not have too much fun in places of worship, this kind of mirthful music was not popular with religious leaders. In the early church, instrumental music was associated with the sinful outside world and considered a bad influence. Starting with the Hebrews, the tradition of using music without accompaniment began after the fall of the second temple in 70 A.D., at which point instruments were not allowed during a period of mourning after the fall. In orthodox and conservative Jewish congregations, the tradition of singing mostly a cappella still exists.

In these synagogues, it is customary for a cantor to chant or sing a scriptural text which the congregation responds to in kind. The only instruments used might be a pitch pipe to give everyone a starting note or a ram's horn on a special occasion or holiday. The early church developed the tradition of a cappella singing from the Hebrews, chanting psalms or other scriptures and using a cantor as a leader. Gregorian chant, the liturgical chant of the Roman Catholic Church named after Pope Gregory, was the prevailing form of church music starting around 590 A.D. It is a single, simple, melodic line half-spoken, half-sung in a free rhythmic style. More than 3,000 of these recorded chants have been preserved and they comprise one of the best examples of a cappella church music. Example of Gregorian chant The tradition of unaccompanied sacred vocal music continued during the Renaissance. Although instruments sometimes doubled or substituted for a vocal line, vocal music largely stood on its own. The sound of a choir of voices in a chapel with excellent acoustics had a particularly ethereal effect.

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was one of the most significant composers of the Renaissance in Italy, writing hundreds of masses and motets for the church. 'The Palestrina style,' as it was called, was a sophisticated a cappella form using many voices singing different music and text coming in at different times, or polyphonic, as opposed to one melodic line sung together or in the same rhythm, or homophonic. Outside of the church, Italian and English madrigals were common. These were pieces for a small ensemble of usually four or five voices and, contrary to what was sung in church, they were often about everyday pleasures: love, drinking, and having a good time. A Cappella Music Today Although very different from madrigal music, the idea of a small secular group of mostly male voices singing in close harmony unaccompanied, or with the accompaniment very much in the background, became quite popular in the 1950s and 60s . Some examples of these groups include The Marcels, The Drifters, and The Harptones.

Some famous songs include 'Blue Moon' and 'I Only Have Eyes for You.' One reason a cappella singing was so popular was that it was cheaper because the groups did not have to hire a band. The Marcels

Question: One of the forms of music usually sung a capella is...?
Answer: Madrigal