What are the four main properties of musical sounds?
pitch, dynamics, tone color and duration
Pitch
the relative highness or lowness that we hear in a sound
Tone
A sound that has a definite pitch
Interval
the “distance” in pitch between any two tones
Range
distance between the lowest and highest tones that a voice or an instrument can produce
Dynamics
degrees of loudness or softness in music
Accent
emphasis on tone given by playing it more loudly than the tones around it
pianissimo (pp)
very soft
piano (p)
soft
mezzo piano (mp)
moderately soft
mezzo forte (mf)
moderately loud
forte (f)
loud
fortissimo (ff)
very loud
Decrescendo or diminuendo
gradually softer
Crescendo
gradually louder
Tone color or timbre
the quality that distinguishes the sound
Pizzicato
The musician plucks the string, usually with a finger of the right hand. In jazz, the double bass is typically played mainly as a plucked instrument, rather than being bowed.
Vibrato
The string player can produce a throbbing, expressive tone by rocking the left hand while pressing the string down. This causes small pitch fluctuations, which can make the tone warmer.
Tremolo
The musician rapidly repeats tones by quick up-and-down strokes of the bow. This can create a sense of tension, when loud; or a shimmering sound, when soft.
Beat
regular, recurrent pulsation that divides music into equal units of time
Meter
the organization of beats into regular groups
Downbeat
The first, or stressed, beat of the measure
Tempo
the speed of the beat — the basic pace of the music
Adagio
slow
Andante
moderately slow, a walking pace
Allegro
fast
Vivace
lively
Melody
a series of single notes that add up to a recognizable whole
Climax
emotional focal point
Legato
smooth, connected style
Staccato
short, detached style
Consonance
points of arrival, rest, and resolution
Dissonance
unstable tone combination; its tension demands an onward motion to a stable chord
Musical Texture
refers to how many different layers of sound are heard at once, whether they are melody or harmony, and how they are related to each other
Monophonic
one sound texture
Polyphonic
many-sounding texture
Homophonic
one main melody accompanied by chords; attention is focused on the melody, which is supported and colord by sounds of subordinate interest
Repetition
phrase, section, or entire movement, often used to create a sense of unity
Contrast
striking differences of pitch, dynamics, rhythm, and tempo that provide variety and change of mood
Variation
changing some features of a musical idea while retaining others
Three-part form (A B A)
form that can be represented as statement (A); contrast (B); return of statement (A)
Two-part form (A B)
form gives a sense of statement (A) and counterstatement (B)
Style
refers to a characteristic way of treating the various musical elements
Gregorian chant
melody set to sacred Latin texts and sung without accompaniment (monophonic texture)