absolute music
music without a program or extra-musical connotation. a piece that doesn’t have a picture or something it is trying to convey to the listener
a cappela
singing without accompaniment
aleatoric
chance music, game music
basso continuo
continuing bass line; bass line from the baroque time
binary form
AABA 2 parts
cadence
chords that end a section; the last chords of a movement of a piece
canon
melody that comes back on itself to produce harmony; like a round (ex. “row row row your boat”)
cantus firmus
the lowest voice in polyphony; initial chant line; basso continuo from renaissance
chord
3 or more notes played simultaneously
chromaticism
notes off scale
concerto style
small group played against a bit group; soli against tutti
consonance
stable, comfortable sound that seems to be at the rest as compared with a dissonant restless sound
contrapuntal
note against note;
contrary motion
general movement of two melodic lines with respect to each other
counterpoint
note against note; interval structure like polyphony
diatonic
within the scale; notes on scale
dissonance
tension/release; needs to be resolved;
dominant
chord built on 5th and 1st scale tone. the 5th is the dominant
double-stop
play 2 strings at the same time
drone
first and fifth low notes that constantly play under some melody
dynamics
changes in volume
episode
where a motive is introduced (in baroque period)
falsetto
guy who sings an octave higher and sounds unnatural
figured bass
another step of the bass line after basso continuo, and cantus firmus
harmony
simultaneous sounds that make vertical consonance
homophony
vertical lines of notes
imitation
melody or motive repeated
incipit
little snippet of melody sung at the beginning that is then used as a bass line
interval
2 notes stacked on each other
inversion
play melody or motive backwards; take bottom note of interval and put to top
legato
smooth and connected notes
melisma
singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession; same syllable, multiple notes
meter
the grouping of notes in a rhythmic pattern in groups of 2, 3, or 4
modulation
to go from key to key; the act or process of changing from one key to another; to change from one tonality to another frequently by harmonic progressions
motive
short melodic pattern or phrase that is used for further development and is the basis of a section of music or composition; musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition.
ornamentation
using extra notes outside the theme or motive to decorate; embellishments are musical flourishes that are not necessary to carry the overall line of the melody, but serve instead to decorate or “ornament” that line
period
group of two of more phrases in antecedent/ consequence
phrase
2 motives that are call and response
pitch
the highness or lowness of a tone produced by a single frequency.
polyphony
note against note; vertical and horizontal lines
programmatic music
music that has an extra-musical agenda or a picture in mind
range
distance from the lowest to the highest pitch a music instrument can play
refrain
a reoccurring melodic piece in a music; the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the “chorus” of a song.
scale
a sequence of musical notes in ascending and descending order
sequence
playng one motive after another; immediate restatement of a motif or longer melodic (or harmonic) passage at a higher or lower pitch in the same voice
syncopation
emphasis on off-beat; a placement of rhythmic stresses or accents where they wouldn’t normally occur; a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected which make an off-beat tune or piece of music
tempo
is the speed or pace of a given piece
theme
the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based
timbre
the overtone series created by an instrument that gives you the specific sound of an instrument; the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production
tonic
the one chord in any scale; the first scale degree of the diatonic scale and the tonal center or final resolution tone
tremolo
to vibrate in and out of amplitude; a musical term that describes various trembling effects, falling roughly into two types
triad
three notes simultaneously; a three-note chord that can be stacked in thirds
tutti
all or together and is used as a musical term, for the whole orchestra as opposed to the soloist
vibrato
to vibrate in and out of pitch; a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch.
monophony
single line