lyre
Plucked string instrument with a resonating sound box, two arms, crossbar, and strings that run parallel to the soundboard and attatched to the soundbox. Associated with Apollo, god of the arts.
harp
Plucked string instrument with a resonating soundbox, neck, and strings in roughly triangular shape. The strings rise perpendicular from the soundboard the neck.
bull lyre
Sumerian LYRE with a bull’s head at one end of the soundbox.
genre
Type or category of musical COMPOSITION, such as SONATA or SYMPHONY.
hymn
Song to or in honor of a god. In the Christian tradition, song of praise sung to God.
diatonic
In ancient Greek music, adjective describing a TETRACHORD with two WHOLE TONES and one SEMI-TONE.
aulos
Ancient Greek reed instrument, usually played in pairs. Used in the worship of Dionysus, god fertility and wine.
kithara
Ancient Greek instrument, a LARGE lyre. Used for processions and sacred ceremonies. Played while musician stands.
monophonic
Music consisting of a single melodic line.
heterophony
Music or musical TEXTURE in which a MELODY is performed by two or more parts simultaneoulsy in more than one way, for example, one voice performng it simply, and the other with embellishments.
harmonia
Ancient Greek term with multiple meanings: (1) the union of parts in an orderly with a sense of directionl especially, the succesision of chords used o; accompany a MELODY or used as the basis for Variations.
ethos
Greek, “custom” (1)moral and ethical character or way of being or behaving, (2) characer, mood, or emotional effect of a ceratin TONOS, MODE, METER, or MELODY
diastematic
Having to do with intervals. In this type of motion, the voice moves between sustained pitches separated by discrete intervals; in this type of NOTATION, the approximated intervals are indicated by relative height.
tetrachord
Greek, “four strings” In Greek and medieval theory, a SCALE of four NOTES spanning a perfect fourth.
genus
In ancient Greek music, one of three forms of TETRACHORD: DIATONIC, CHROMATIC, and ENHARMONIC. Based on the greater perfect system.
chromatic
Greek, “color” (1) In ancient Greek music, adjective describing a TETRACHORD comprising a minor third and two SEMITONES, or a MELODY that uses such tetrachords.
enharmonic
In ancient Greek music, adjective describing a TETRACHORD comprising a major third and two quartertones, or a MELODY that uses such tetrachords
Greater Perfect System
In ancient Greek music, a system of TETRACHORDS spanning two octaves.
species
The particular ordering of WHOLE TONES and SEMITONES within a perfect fourth, fifth, or octave.
tibia
Roman version of the aulos
tuba
long straight trumpet derived from Etruscans, used in military, religious, and state ceremonies
cornu/buccina
large G-shaped circular horn