| Term | Definition |
|---|
| falsetto | the vocal technique of singing notes above the singer's vocal range |
| flat | an accidental that lowers the pitch of a note by a half step |
| folk music | music that is indigenous to a particular group, usually passed down orally |
| form | the structure of a piece of music |
| forte | an Italian term that indicates a section of music that is to be performed loudly (abbreviated f). |
| fortissimo | an Italian term that indicates a section of music that is to be performed very loudly (abbreviated ff). |
| fugue | a contrapuntal work in which the melody is passed between voices |
| glockenspiel | a percussion instrument that consists of a series of flat steel bars attached to a frame |
| harmony | the combination of more than one tone at a time (also the pattern and chords in a composition) |
| harpsichord | a keyboard instrument in which sound is produced by depressing keys that cause strings to be plucked |
| heterophony | the use of different versions of a single melody at the same time (more common in non-Western music) |
| homophony | music in which one part carries the melody and is supported by other parts in the same rhythm (much of the music of the Classical era is homophonic) |
| idiophone | a percussive instrument that does not have a stretched membrane across it |
| instrumentation | the assignment of specific instruments to play various parts of a composition |
| intermezzo | a short instrumental work that separates the movements of a longer compostion (or an independent instrumental compostion that suggests such a separation) |
| interval | the distance between two pitches |
| key | a group of tones related to a tonic |
| key signature | the sharps or flats placed at the beginning of a musical staff to indicate the key of the composition |
| largo | a very slow tempo and the slowest of the conventional tempos |
| leading tone | the seventh note in a major, diatonic scale |
| major scale | a specific pattern of half tones and whole notes in an octave (when played, typically sounds "happy") |
| measure | a metrical division of music |
| mediant | the third note in a diatonic scale |
| melodeon | a portable reed organ with a five- to six- octave keyboard |
| melody | a sequence of musical tones that generally has a recongizable tune |
| membranophone | a percussive instrument that has a stretched membrane across the frame of the instrument |
| metallophone | an instrument that is made of metal |
| meter | the arrangement of beats into groups of equal size |
| minor scale | a specific pattern of half tones and whole tones in an octave (when played, typically sounds "sad") |
| minuet | a French dance in 3/4 meter with a moderate tempo (sometimes the third movement of a symphony or sonata is a minuet) |
| mode | a pattern of pitches within an octave that makes up the basic melodic material of a composition |
| modulate | to change the key in a piece of music |
| monophony | music that consists of a single part without accompaniment of any kind |
| motet | a composition based on a sacred text, usually without accompaniment (is a form of polyphony) |
| natural | an accidental that restores any changes to the pitch of a note caused by a sharps and flats |
| octave | the interval from one tone to another tone that is eight full notes above or below the original tone |
| opera | a play in which characters sing their parts (usually they are accompained by instruments) |
| opus | Latin for "work". Used with a number to identify the sequence of a composer's work |
| oratorio | Biblical stories sung with orchestral accompaniment |
| orchestration | the process of writing music for an orchestra and assigning parts to various instruments |
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