Acoustics
The science of the production, propagation and perception of sound.
Pitch
The perceived quality of a sound that is chiefly a function of its fundamental frequency.
Tone Color
The character of a sound, as distinct from its pitch. See Timbre
Timbre
Tone color
Loudness
The intensity or softness of a sound.
Duration
The time that a sound or silence lasts. Can be measured in musical or real Time.
Notation
Any means of writing down music.
Instrument
Any means of producing sounds that are considered to be music by the persons producing them.
Aerophone
Any instrument in which air is the primary sound producer.
Chordophone
Any instrument in which a string is the primary producer of sound.
Idiophone
Any instrument that produces sound by the vibration of its own primary material.
Electrophone
An electronic instrument
Membranophone
Any instrument that produces sound by a resonating membrane.
Voice
The human mechanism for producing sound by the mouth.
Castrato
A male singe castrated as a boy to preserve his soprano or alto range after his lungs have and chest were those of an adults.
Chorus
A body of singers who perform together, either in unison or in parts.
A Capella
Choral music without instrumental accompaniment.
Orchestra
A performing body of diverse instruments.
Orchestration
The art of employing instruments in various combinations, most notably the orchestra; sometimes also termed scoring.
Violin
A bowed stringed instrument consisting of a hollow resonating wooden body with an attached neck and peg box.
Bow
A device for setting in motion the strings of some types of string instruments.
Bowing
The technique of using the bow on stringed instruments such as the violin.
String Quartet
Two Violins, viola and a cello.
Symphony
A work for orchestra in multiple movements.
Chamber Music
Music written for and performed by a small ensemble, usually instrumental, with one performer on a part.
Arco
The Bow of a stringed instrument; Hence, also an instruction. e.g. Col arco (with the bow)
Pizzicato
To pluck the strings.
Mute
A device for reducing the volume and or altering the tone color of an instrument
Sul ponticello
“On the bridge” An indication to bow or sometimes pluck very near the bridge.
Sur la Touche
An indication to bow or sometimes pluck over the fretboard. (opposite of Sul Ponticello)
Col Legno
To strike the strings with the wood of the bow, producing a percussive sound.
Muta
A change in tuning
Muta
A change in tuning
Tremolo
Rapid repetition of the same note.
flutterzunge / fluttertongue
Rapid fluttering of the tongue.
open-offnen
Stopped
Cuivre
A player of a brass instrument / A harsh or brassy tone, especially on the horn.
Dynamics
The relative volume in a piece of music.
Dynamic Marks
Markings in a piece of music to show change in volume. e.g. Forte, mezzo forte, piano etc.
Expression Marks
Dynamic, tempo and articulation marks. Different markings and their abbreviations employed along notation to guide the performance in matters other than pitch and rhythm. e.g. Legato, pizzicato, muta
Performance marks
Similar to expression marks. Indicates aspects of performance.
Forte
Dynamics instruction; Loud
Piano
Dynamics instruction; Quiet
Sforzando
Dynamics instruction; Start Loudly on a note (usually Fortissimo)and immediately get very soft (Usually pianissimo) and continue into a crescendo)
Crescendo
Dynamics instruction; Gradually get louder
Diminuendo
Dynamics instruction; Gradually get softer
Rhythm
The aspect of music concerned with the organization of time
Tempo
The relative speed of a piece of music
Meter
The pattern in which a steady succession of rhythmic pulses is organized
Measure
A unit of musical time; has a set number of note values (determined by meter) 4/4 has 4 beats per measure
Rubato
The practice of making the established pulse flexible by accelerating and slowing down the tempo
Syncopation
A momentary contradiction of the prevailing meter or pulse
Unmetered
Having no *meter
Asymmetrical Meter
polymeter
The simultaneous use of two or more meters; Sometimes applied to the successive use of different meters in one or more parts
Polyrhythm
The simultaneous use of two or more rhythms that are not readily perceived as deriving from one another or as simple manifestations of the same meter.
Hemiola
The Ratio 3:2. Referring to the use of three notes of equal vaule in the time normally occupied by two notes of equal value.
Allegro
Fast
Lento (Langsam)
Slow
Andante
Walking; Moderately slow
Allegretto
Very Fast
Moderato
Moderate with respect to tempo. Allegro Moderato– Andante Moderato. Not as fast or not as slow as…
Fast
Fast…
Vivace
lively, brisk
Presto
Very fast; Faster than Allegro; Prestissimo- as fast as possible
Accellerando
Becoming Faster
Ritardando
Becoming slower
Interval
The distance or space between two given notes.
Melody
A coherent succession of pitches.
Range and Tessitura
The Span of pitches between highest and lowest; Tessitura- The particular range of a part that is most commonly exploited as opposed to the overall range.
Conjunct + Disjunct
Conjunct- Stepwise Motion; Disjunct- Leapwise Motion
Phrase
a unit of musical syntax in comparison with language
Antecedent, consequent
Question and answer
Period
In terms of language a period is a musical phrase that lets you know the cadence has finished
Motive Sequence
A short rhythmic or melodic idea that is sufficiently well defined to retain its identity when elaborated or transformed and combined with other material and that thus lends itself to serving as the basic element from which a complex texture or even a whole composition is created
Harmony
The relationship of tones considered as they sound simultaneously
Chord
Three or more pitches sounded simultaneously
Triad
A chord consisting of three pitches, the adjacent pitches being thirds
Simultaneity
any 2 or more pitches sounded simultaneously
Interval
The distance between two notes
Inversion
When the root note of a chord is swapped with another note within the chord
Consonance and Dissonance
Consonance- The sound will sit without wanting to move up or down; Dissonance- When the sound wants to move up or down
Tonality
When a piece uses notes from a scale with little or no variance.
Atonality
When a piece of music uses many variations of a parent scale.
Bitonality
The simultaneous use of two or more tonalities or keys.
Scale
A collection of pitches ordered in range lowest to highest or highest to lowest.
Chromatic
A scale with all semitones
Pentatonic
A scale with 5 different tones
Accidental
e.g. Sharps or flats
Key
The pitch relationships that establish a tonal Range
Cadence
A melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of repose or resolution
Clef
A sign placed at the beginning of a staff to establish the position of a certain note.
Texture
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Monophony
A single melodic line with no harmony or accompaniment
Homophony
Music in which melodic interest is concentrated on one voice or part that is provided with subordinate accompaniment
Heterophony
The simultaneous statement of two or more different versions of what is essentially the same melody
Polyphony
Music that simultaneously combines several lines.
Fugue
The time is stated successively in all voices of the polyphonic texture.
Counterpoint
the combination of two or more melodic lines
Antiphonal
Two ensembles which oppose each other
Imitation
Two melodic lines play a similar line
Form
All the musical elements of a composition
Strophic
made up of units with the same number of lines, rhythm scheme and meter
Binary and ternary
Binary- music in binary form contains two parts, each usually repeated; Movements in ternary have three parts, the first and third identical or closely related.