Idiophone
The instrument itself is vibrating
Membranophone
An instrument where the membrane vibrates
Aerophone
Vibrating air column
Chordophone
vibrating strings
Adagio
Slow
Largo
Super slow
Andante
“quickish”
Allegro
Fast
Presto
Super fast
Moderato
Moderate
Beat
Regular pulse
Rhythm
Sub-grouping of pulse
Meter
organization of notes
Accent
emphasized note
Syncopation
putting accent in unexpected places
Sound
vibrating air that creates waves
Pitch
The highness or lowness of a sound
Interval
Distance between two notes/pitches
Octave
Eight note scale
Pitch Range // Range
The interval of notes and instrument or vocalist can achieve
Dynamics
Volume
Tone Color
Timbre // quality of sound // way to describe music
Frequency
The amount in which something occurs
Note
Staff
Sharp
Half step up
Flat
Half step down
Natural
Cancels out sharps or flats
Time Signature
Number of beats per measure
Flag
Beam
Connects notes
Dotted note
1.5x orignal note
Tie
Connects two notes smoothly so it isn’t played again
Triplet
Three notes played in the time of two
Rests
a pause
Score
Melody
A series of single tones that add up to a whole
Motive
small part of a melody
Steps
A note up or down
Leaps
skipping a note
Climax
Peak of the music
Legato
connected and smooth
Staccato
Light and airy
phrases
part of a whole piece
Sequence
motive, melody or theme repeated at a higher or lower pitch
Cadence
Musical ending
Harmony
two or more notes
chord
three notes played “triad”
consonance
don’t clash
dissonance
sounds that create a clash
dominant chord
dissonant
tonic chord
at rest
broken chord
arpeggio
Improvisation
C-Jam Blues // The concept of creating a piece at a given point
modulation
changing keys over a long period of time
enharmonic
pitches have two names
Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra
Benjamin Britton // Legato // Themes // Variations
Prelude
Chopin // Minor //
Texture
layering of sound and how the layers relate to one another
Monophonic
single unaccompanied medley
Polyphonic
two or more equally important melodies happening simultaneously.
Counterpoint
combining several melodies into a meaning whole.
Imitation
when a melody is played and later repeated
homophonic texture
one medley with a chordal accompaniment
Farandole
Georges Bizet // Staccato / Homophonic
musical elements
Melody // Rhythm // Tone Color // Dynamics // Harmony // Texture // Form
Suite
Bourre // Minor // Sequence // Phrase
Binary Form
Only two parts: A and B
Nutcracker Suite
Tchaikovsky // Ternary Form (three parts) A (aba)