Pitch
The relative highness or lowness of sound
Dynamics
Degrees of loudness or softness in music
Tone Color/Timbre
The Particular sound quality of a voice or instrument
Melody
A progression of single notes in a musically expressive order
Phrase
A section or division of a musical line
cadence
the point af the end of a musical phrase that wants to pause or stop
Theme
A longer melody the introduces the basic subject of a piece
Motive
A 3-5 note musical pattern the reoccurs through a piece and helps unify it
Harmony
A rational progression or combination of chords. Thought of as vertical accompaniment.
Chord
3 or more notes sounded simutaneously
Consonance
A combination of tones in harmony that is restful and stable
Dissonance
A tone combination in harmony that is unstable, restless, and needs to be resolved
Resolution
The progression from dissonance to consanance. Tension and release in music
Tonality
Relates to Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm and how they gravitate towards or away from a tonal center
Key
The tonal center the all notes relate or revolve around
Scale
A series of whole and half steps into patterns which form a distinctive key
Major and Minor Chords
3 note chords the present a happy(major) or sad(minor) feeling
Modulation
The chordal progression for one key to another
Rhythm
The flow of music through time. The aurually perceived relationship of sequential durations of sound and silence patterns that occur through time
Beats
Pulsations of equal durations the occur in music
Meter
Organization of beats into groups or patterns
Tempo
The pace of music indicated by the markings such as moderato, andante, or grave
Syncopation
Accenting the normally unaccented beats in rhythm
Form
The structural outline of musical composition
Binary Form
Two part or a-b form. Statement/contrasting statement or verse/chorus
Ternary Form
a/b/a form. Statement/contrasting statement/return to original statement
Repitition
Repeating musical ideas. Creates a sense of unity
Contrast
Differences in music. Creates Variety in music
Texture
How many layers or musical ideas can be heard at once in a piece
Monophony
A texture with a single, unaccompanied musical texture; one musical idea
Homophony
One musical idea with harmonic accompaniment or 2 musical ideas
Polyphony
A texture with several intertwining melodies or musical adeas of equal value
Sacred music
Music for church service with religous text
Gregorian chant
A cappella liturgical chant sung to latin texts of the Roman Catholic mass
Drone
One or more long sustained tones accompanying a melody
Modes
The set of scales used in the middle ages, and rennaisance. Dorian, Ionian, Lydian
Organum
First 2 parts polyphony used with melody and dance line counter melody based on Gregorian Chant (cantus firmus)
Cantus Firmus
Fixed song or Gregorian Chant on which 3 or 4 part motets or madrigals are based in middle ages and Rennaisance
School of Notre Dame
a style of composition formed by Leotin and Perotin in Paris of the 12th century which developed music with measured rhythms in triple meter
Mass
music set to the liturgical service of the roman catholic church featuring kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Santus, Agnus Dei, and Benedictus
Secular Music
Music with non religious text. ie madrigals, art songs, opera
Estampie
Midevil intrumental dance music in triple time with a strong fast beat
Troubadours
poet/musicians often of noble birth who wrote secular love songs or ballads celebrating the heros of the crusades
Middle Ages composers to know
Hildegard, Machaut, Perotin
Motet
A vocal polyphonic composition for 3 or 4 voices based on gregorian chant (cantus firmus) using a sacred latin text
Imitative Polyphony
presentation of a melodic idea by one voice immediately followed by its restatement by another voice or instrument, as in a round
Madrigal
a short, secular polyphonic composition in 3 or 4 voices set to a stanza poem
Declamation
setting the rhythm of music to the normal rhythmic patterns of the language used
Word painting
a compositional technique matching the music to the literal meaning of of the words; high note on word heavan
Rennaissance composers to know
Desprez, Palestrina, Weelkes