Musical Terms

Terms in this set (68)

Accelerando
Increase of speed in music
Accent
Stress of one tone over others, making it stand out
Accompaniment
Music that goes along with a more important part
Adagio
Slow, leisurely
Allegretto
Moderately fast, lively. Faster than Andante, slower than allegro
Allegro
Lively, brisk, rapid
Andante
Moderately slow, a walking speed
Baroque
Relating to the period from about 1600 - 1750, characterized by grandeur and heavy elaboration of design in music
Binary Form
the structure of a musical composition consisting of two main sections
Cadence
Closing of a phrase or section of music
Cantata
A short lyric form dealing with secular or sacred subjects
Chord
Three or more tones combined and sounded simultaneously
Classical
Referring to that period from approximately 1750 - 1800, characterized musically by objectivity of the composer, emotional restraint, and simple harmonies
Consonance
A simultaneous sounding of tones that produces a feeling of rest
Crescendo
Gradually growing louder
Da Capo
From the beginning
Diminuendo
Gradually growing softer
Dissonance
A simultaneous sounding of tones that produces a feeling of tension or unrest and a feeling that further resolution is needed
Dolce
Sweetly, softly
Dynamics
Varying intensities of sound throughout a given musical composition
Espressione
Expressively
Fermata
A pause, stop, or interruption
Fine
The end of a musical piece
Forte
Loud, strong
Fortissimo
Very loud
Grave
Heavy, slow, ponderous in movement
Gusto
In good taste, tasteful
Harmony
The sound resulting from the simultaneous sounding of two or more tones consonant with each other
Interval
The distance between two tones
Istesso Tempo
The same tempo
Legato
Smooth, flowing
Largo
Large, broad, slow and stately
Legato
Smooth and connected
Lento
Slow
Melody
An arrangement of single tones in a meaningful sequence
Maestoso
Majestic, dignified
Meno
Less
Mezzo Forte
Moderately loud
Mezzo Piano
Moderately soft
Molto, Molta
Much
Obbligato
Required, indispensable
Ostinato
A repeated melodic or rhythmic fragment
Piano
Softly
Pianissimo
Very soft
Presto
Fast
Phrase
A section of a composition comprising a musical thought
Polyphonic
Two or more melodies sound simultaneously
Polyrhythms
Two or more keys are used simultaneously
Ritardando
Gradually slower
Retrograde
melody is played backwards
Romantic
19th century musical period characterized by subjectivity on the part of the composer, emotionalism in music, longer musical forms, and richer harmonies
Root
The tone of the scale upon which a chord is built
Root Position
The position of a chord in which the root appears as the lowest tone
Rubato
a modification of the strict rhythmical flow
Scale
A series of tones in a specified order
Scherzo
A sprightly movement
Sforzando
Explosively
Slur
two or more notes executed in a smoothly connected manner without a break
Sostenuto
Sustained
Spirito
Spiritedly
Staccato
Sounded in a short, detached manner
Syncopation
The rhythmic result produced when a regularly accented beat is displaced onto an unaccented beat
Tempo
The rate of speed at which a musical composition is performed
Theme
A short musical passage that states an idea
Timbre
The quality of a musical tone
Tone
1. A musical sound 2. The quality of a musical sound
Tutto, Tutta
All, whole
Vivace
Spirited, bright, rapid, equaling or exceeding allegro
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