melody
a series of tones that add up
phrase
a complete musical thought
dynamics
the softness or loudness of a sound or note
cadence
the end of a phrase, section, or piece of music
harmony
that which adds depth to music
chord
three or more tones
rhythm
the pattern of the beat
consonance
harmony, chord, or interval that sounds stable
dissonance
harmony, chord, or interval that sounds unstable, temporary, or transitional
piano
soft
forte
loud
crescendo
get louder
decrescendo
get softer
tempo
the speed of the beat
allego
quick and lively or cheerful
adagio
slow and stately (literally, “at ease”)
presto
very fast
lento
very slow
moderato
moderately
andante
walking speed
texture
describe the amount of rhythms played at a specific time
monophonic
one melodic voice without harmonic accompaniment
homophonic
multiple voices of which one, the melody, stands out prominently and the others form a background of harmonic accompaniment
polyphonic
multiple melodic voices which are to a considerable extent independent from one another.
SATB
abbreviation for soprano, alto, tenor, bass
soprano
highest female voice
alto
lowest female voice
tenor
highest male voice
bass
lowest male voice
orchestra
an instrumental ensemble usually composed of string, brass, and woodwind sections, sometimes with a percussion section
woodwind instruments
flute, clarinet, saxophone, oboe, bassoon, piccolo, English horn
brass instruments
trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba
string instruments
iolin, viola, cello, bass
percussion
timpani, cymbals, gong, triangle, xylophone, marimba, bells