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The Arts - Music Vocab

Terms in this set (17)

Antiquity
The distant past, particularly in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome
Stave
The set of five horizontal lines on which music is written, with symbols representing the notes
Notation
A system used to write down music so that others can read and play it, showing the pitch and length of each note
Chord
Several notes played on an instrument at the same time, together making a harmonious sound
composer
A person who writes music
symphony
A long piece of classical music consisting of several parts, or movements, and composed for an orchestra
Classical music
Refers to the type of music composed in the Western world from the Middle Ages to the present. It follows certain rules in terms of notation, melody, harmonies, and style - and does not allow for improvisation. The term can also be used to describe the ancient formed music of a country, such as India or Japan
brass
A family of instruments that includes the trumpet, horn, and tuba
Romanticism
A 19th century movement; Romantic composers wrote music that was moving and sentimental, or nationalistic and inspired by their country's folk music
orchestra
A large group of classically trained musicians, such as violinists, trombonists, and percussionists, who play and perform music together
Conductor
The person who leads an orchestra, showing them when to play soft or loud, and keeping the rhythm
woodwind
A family of instruments that includes flutes and reed instruments such as the saxophone and clarinet
score
Music written for a ballet or film
percussion
A family of instruments that are struck to produce a sound, such as drums, cymbals, maracas, and xylophones
pitch
A term used to describe how high or low a note is perceived to be in relation to other notes on the musical scale
Polyphony
A musical term describing a combination of different sounds played to create a single unifying tone or mood
Sonata
A piece written for a solar pianist, or for a solo instrumentalist with or without piano accompaniment
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