| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Dynamics | how loud or soft music is |
| Piano | soft (volume) |
| Forte | loud (volume) |
| Crescendo | growing louder |
| Decrescendo | growing softer |
| Timbre | characteristic tone-color of a voice or instrument |
| Hearing Range | what the human ear is able to hear |
| Definite Pitch | a sensation of "musical tone" (associated with most instruments) |
| Indefinite Pitch | a sensation of "noise" (associate with percussion, nature) |
| Women (What three types of Singing Voices do females have) | soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto |
| Men (What three singing voices do men have) | tenor, baritone, bass |
| Aerophones (means) | column of air is sound generator |
| Chordophone (means) | stretched string is sound generator |
| Idiophones (means) | instruments material produces sound (cymbals, bells) |
| Membraphones (means) | stretched skin provides sound (percussion, drums) |
| Electrophones (means) | sound produced by electronic means |
| Monophonic texture | simply a melody by itself without any accompaniment provides what texture |
| Homophonic texture | melody and harmony provide X texture |
| Polyphonic texture | two or more melodies being performed at same time (a round of row, row) |
| climax | the high point in a melodic line, usually represents peak in intensity |
| counter melody | additional melody line |
| triad | most common combination of tones |
| imitation (texture) | when a melodic idea is presented in one voice, then restated in another |
| acoustics | the science of sound measured in wave-lengths |
| pitch | the highness or lowness of a given sound |
| melody | succession of single tones or pitches perceived by mind as unity; a linear arrangement of pitches. |
| Conjunct movement | melodies that move mainly in a joined or connected manner. Small leaps between high and low pitch |
| Disjunct movement | melodies moving in disjointed way, large leaps |
| harmony | background of a painting, adds depth and emotion, simultaneous combination of notes and the ensuing relationships of intervals and chords. The vertical arrangement of pitches. |
| Interval | the distance between any two pitches, melodic or harmonic |
| chord | the simultaneous sounding of three or more pitches, like a guitar |
| key | the relationship of tones with common center or tonic, musical universe centered around single home pitch |
| Texture | sound density, like a quilt, how much music is moving through time |
| Monophonic texture | single melody or line provides X texture |
| Homophonic texture | principal melody and accompanying harmony |
| Polyphonic texture | two or more melody lines are performed at same time, like row row |
| Beat | the basic unit of rhythm, it is a regular pulse that divides time into equal segments |
| Tempo | speed or pace of a given piece |
| Meter | organizes the beats in music |
| Rhythm | what moves music forward into time, it is present in all music |
| Measure | contains a fixed number of beats |
| Syncopation | a deliberate way to upset the normal pattern of accentuation |
| Polyrhythm | having many rhythms like two against three with a piano piece |
| Movement | contrasting though complementary parts in music, they include sections and phrases |
| Motive | the smallest fragment of a theme that forms a melodic-rhythmic unit |
| Strophic Form | a from based on repetition, usually includes songs that have same melody for stanzas of a poem, vocals included in the music |
| Theme and variations | a type of form where a theme is stated, then altered in successive statements. Based on repetition and contrast. Instrumentals only. |
| Ternary form | based on similar and contrasting sections, where a constant element is surrounded by another. |
| Binary form | a form based on variety within unity, it is a form where the B section is a varied repetition of the A section with the variation usually being pitch related |
| Improvisation | a form almost solely based on contrasting elements, it is a form that usually is created on the spot, as in Jazz |
| Through composed | a form based on the structure of the texts being used and not a pattern follows anything musically traditional |
| Call and response | this form is defined by its technique where a leader is echoed by chorus. |
| Ostinato | a technique that consists of systematic repetition of short melodic-rhythmic units, like rock and rap |
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