minor scale
a scale having a certain pattern of half and whole steps (WHWWHWW)
minuet (menuet, minuette)
a French dance form originating in the 17th century; a stately dance in triple meter
mode
a scale
moderato
tempo marking meaning moderately
modulation
a section leading to a key change in a composition
molto
Italian: “very” or “much”
monophony
a musical texture with only one melodic line and no accompaniment
mordent
a musical ornament that is rapidly alternated with the melody note a step below it (aka trill)
motet
a polyphonic vocal composition, usually with sacred text and performed a capella
motive
a short, recurring melodic or rhythmic idea that provides unity in a composition
movement
a complete composition that is part of a larger work such as a suite, symphony, concerto, etc.
musical/musical theater
a theatrical production of singing and speaking with instrumental accompaniment
mute
a device that softens or partially stops the vibrations of an instrument
nationalism
a movement that encouraged composers to write music indigenous to their homeland or native country
natural
a symbol indicatin that a pitch is neither sharp nor flat
non-functional harmony
harmony that disregards traditional chord progressions
non troppo
Italian: “but not too much”
notation
pitch, length, adn expression of musical sounds represented in written form
octave
the interval formed by two pitches with the same note name, seven steps apart (six whole steps or twelve half steps)
opera
a drama that is mostly sung but may have some spoken parts; it has orchestral accompaniment, scenery, and costumes
oratorio
a text, usually sacred, set to music for soloists, chorus, and orchestra; no scenery, costumes, or acting is normally used
orchestration
the process fo assigning parts in a composition to various musical instruments or timbres
ornament
a musical embellishment in a melody
ornamentation
the varying of a composition by the use of embellishments
ostinato
a rhythmic and/or melodic pattern that is repeated over and over
overtone
a pitch in an overtone series
overtone series
the series of pitches consisting of a fundamental and the overtones or harmonics produced by the fundamental
overture, concert overture
1-an instrumental composition that precedes an opera or oratorio 2-an instrumental composition similar to an opera _________ but intendedto stand alone for concert use
part
in homophonic and polyphonic music, the pitches sung or played by one particular person or group
partial
a pitch in an overtone series; a fundamental, harmonic, or overtone
passing tone
in a melody, a note that is not part of the harmony of the two chords it connects
pentatonic
consisting of 5 notes
pentatonic scale
a five-tone scale, usually comprised of do, re, mi, so, and la or the black keys on a keyboard instrument
pesante
Italian: “heavy”
played or sung in a heavy style
phrase
a melodic fragment that expresses one musical idea
pianissimo
Italian: “very softly”
piano
Italian: “softly”
pickup
note(s) played or sung before the first full measure of a phrase
pitch
the highness or lowness of a tone, labeled with a letter from A to G and a sharp or flat if necessary
piu mosso
(u has accent towards the left)
Italian: “a little more motion, a little faster”
pizzicato
a technique usd by string players to produce a staccato articulation; involves plucking the strings of the instrument with the fingertip or nail rather than using the bow