 | Term | Definition |
| |
frequency |
rate of sound vibration |
| |
pitch |
quality of sound, high and low |
| |
dynamics |
level of sound |
| |
forte |
loud |
| |
piano |
soft |
| |
mezzo |
medium |
| |
piu |
more |
| |
meno |
less |
| |
tone color, timbre |
musical sounds differeing in their general quality |
| |
overtones |
amplitudes of fractional vibrations |
| |
duration |
length of sound |
| |
rhythm |
time aspect of music |
| |
beats |
basic unit of measurement for time in music |
| |
accent |
emphatic beats |
| |
meter |
recurring pattern of strong and weak beats |
| |
simple meter |
basic kind of meter, duple and triple |
| |
compound meter |
involves subdivision of one of the simple meters |
| |
syncopation |
displaced accents |
| |
tempo |
speed of music |
| |
metronome |
mechanical device that ticks out beats at any desired tempo |
| |
scale |
pitches assembled in a collection |
| |
interval |
distance between two pitches |
| |
octave |
ok we all know what an octave is |
| |
diatonic scale |
set of seven pitches originally used in western music |
| |
chromatic scale |
complete set of white and black keys on a keyboard |
| |
flat, sharp |
example: Ab or G# |
| |
half step |
smallest interval, semitone |
| |
whole step |
whole tone |
| |
melody |
organized series of pitches |
| |
tune |
simpe, catchy melody |
| |
motive |
distinctive fragment of melody |
| |
theme |
basic subject matter of longer pieces of music |
| |
chords |
groupings of pitches |
| |
harmonized |
unexpected successions of chords in order to enrich their accompaniments |
| |
harmony |
melody that is harmonized using different chords |
| |
consonance |
sounds at rest |
| |
dissonance |
discord, sounds tense |
| |
resolved |
a consonant chord following dissonant chord to make music come to a point of stability |
| |
monophonic |
single unaccompanied melody |
| |
heterophony |
kind of monophonic texture, different versions of single melody presented simultaneously |
| |
homophonic |
one melody of real interest combined with other sounds |
| |
polyphonic |
two or more melodies played simultaneously |
| |
counterpoint |
technique of writing two or more melodies that fit together |
| |
imitative polyphony |
variouslines sounding together using same or fairly similar melodies (canon, round, row row row your boat, etc.) |
| |
non-imitative polyphony |
melodies that are essentially different from one another |
| |
tonality |
"homing" instinct that we sense in melodies |
| |
tonic |
"home" pitch (do, in do re mi fa so la ti do) |
| |
modality |
different ways of centering or organizing diatonic scale |
| |
modes |
different tonic pitches |
| |
major mode |
music with "do" orientation |
| |
minor mode |
music with "la" orientation |
| |
modulation |
change of tonic note |
| |
form |
organization of elements in a musical work |
| |
style |
combination of qualities that make the music distinctive |
| |
exposition |
basic material of the movement (A) |
| |
first theme |
tune, group of small phrases |
| |
bridge |
transition |
| |
second group |
group of themes in a new key |
| |
cadence theme |
closing theme |
| |
development |
section that heightens the tonal-thematic tension (B) |
| |
retransition |
discharging tension, preparing for recapitulation |
| |
coda |
concluding section in any musical form |
| |
minuet |
sole dance type from Baroque suite |
| |
trio |
second dance after minuet |
| |
rondo |
closing movements, has a repeating theme |
| |
string quartet |
genre for 4 instruments |
| |
chamber music |
music designed to be played in a room |
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