2010 Music Memory - Vocabulary

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2/4 (two-four meter)

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An organization of beats into sets of two, with a quarter note receiving one beat

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6/8 (six-eight meter)

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a "duple" meter with six eighth notes in each measure, organized int sets of three, so that it is usually counted in two, one beat for each set of three, with the pulse or accents on notes one and four

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5/4 (five-four meter)

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an organization of beats into sets of five, with a quarter note receiving one beat; uncommon in earlier music, it is used fairly often incontemporary music; the five beats may be organized in groups of 3 and 2, 2 and 3, or irregular patterns

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a cappella

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vocal music performed without accompainment

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ABA form

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a three-part musical form in which a theme or theme group (A) is first presented, followed by a contrasting theme or theme group (B) and finally return to the original material (A)

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accent

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a stress or strong emphsis on a note

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aria

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literally "air" or "song," in opera, a solo vocal piece featuring one singer

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banjo

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a stringed instrument that can be either strummed or plucked ("picked"); most often used in folk or popular music

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baritone

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a medium-low male voice, higher than a bass, but lower than a tenor

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Baroque Period

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(about 1600-1750) a musical period that used polyphony (many independent voices), rich ornamentation of melodies, and the development of many forms (fugue, toccata, oratorio, opera, etc.) that are still used today

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brass

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instruments, usually made of metal, that are played by "buzzing" the lips against a mouthpiece; modern brass instruments have valves, sllides, and keys for changing the pitch

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cadence

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an end point of a piece of music, or a section, that brings th music to a "resting" point or resolution

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cadenza

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an ornamental solo passage in a concerto or other concert piece which shows off the player's skill; a ccadenza was originally imrpovised, but many were also notated by the composer or skilled soloists and are now accepted as part of the official score

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chorus

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a group of singers who perform together, usually, but not necessarily, in parts (harmony)

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Classical Period

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(about 1750-1820)a musical period that saw development of standard musical forms, including creation of the symphony, concerto, and other concert forms, the development of many "modern" instruments, and use ofmore standard harmonies

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coda

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literally a "tail," an ending section of a piece of music, added after and apart from the main set of themes

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comic opera

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an opera different from a "serious" opera in that it is often humorous and always has a happy ending

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concerto

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sing the Baroque period , a piece of concert music featuring a solo performer or solo group, accomapined by an orchestra or large ensemble

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concerto grosso

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a Baroque style of music in which a small group of solo instruments is accompanied by and alternates with a larger ensemble

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Contemporary Period

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(about 1900-present) this musical period's most significant characteristic is a wide array of styles and techniques, including free-form tonal music, atonal music, 12-tone serial music' use of different ethnic materials, post-romantic and post-impressionist styles, and many varied techniques, including non-standard use of traditiona instruments, and the rise of technology

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continuo

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in Baroque music, the underlying bass line played on the cello, with accompanying harmonies, played on the harpsichord

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countermelody

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a secondary melody that is played along with the main melody

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crescendo

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gradually getting louder

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D.C. al Fine (da capo al fine)

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literally "from the top to the end;" instructions to go back to the beginning o fthe piece and continue until coming to the word fine (end)

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decrescendo

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gradually getting softer

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development

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a section usually in the middle of large musical forms (as in sonata form)' some or all of the themes are "developed" - the key, melodies, and rhythms might change; sometimes new material is also introduced

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"dogfight"

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a nickname for the device used in marches to break the flow and introduce a new, usually more lyrical section' so named because of a generally aggressive, vigourous interchange between different instrumental groups, for example between the high and low brass sections

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dotted quarter note

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a note having half again as much time value as a quarter note' one and a half beats of sound in 4/4 meter

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dynamics

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how loud or quiet the music is

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eighth note

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a note having one-eighth of the time value of a whole note' a half-beat of sound in 4/4 meter

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etude

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literally a "study," a piece designed to develop a player's technique as well as musicality it usually includes repeated patterns for practice, but can be very artistic and musically engaging

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exposition

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the first section in sonata form' it has two or more themes - theme 1 is in the tonic key and theme 2 is in the dominant or other related key

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expressive elements

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aspects such as tempo, dynamics, articulation, and phrasing that help give a piece of music its particular mood and character

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f - forte

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loud

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ff - fortissimo

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very loud

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fff - fortississimo

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very, very loud

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fanfare

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a flourish of bright, militaristic figures scored for or featuring brass instruments and drums

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form

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the structure of a piece of music, the basic shape or "frame" on which it is built; for example, rondo form, sonata form, ABA, etc.

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homophony

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a style of musci with one prominent meolody, and all voices and accompaniment moving together rhythmically

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Impressionism

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a late-19th century and early-20th century style of composing music; it uses rich harmonies, subtle rhythms, and usualy tone colors to create moods and impressions

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introduction

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an opening section of a piece of music that comes before the main body of the piece

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jazz

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a style of music originating in the 20th century in the United States, a combination of European-American and African musical elements and styles, with a strong emphasis on insistent rhuthm, syncopation, "blue" notes and chords, and improvisation

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legato

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smooth, connected

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mp - mezzo piano

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medium quiet

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mf - mezzo forte

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medium loud

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madrigal

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a Renaissnace-period style of short secular(non-sacred) song, usually for four or more voices, performed a cappella and traditionally using one singer per part

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march

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a processional, sometimes military, piece, featuring a steady beat for use in parades and ceremonies, most often performed by wind ensemble (band), but sometimes by orchestras in concert or theater settings

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melodic direction

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the path, upward and downward, of a sequence of notes in a melody

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meter

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the groupoing of beats into a regular pattern, designed to measure and manage the way the music moves through time

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Middle Ages

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a period of about 1,000 years, from 450 to 1450, in which music did not change much in style or function' Most "written" music was created for the church and is monophonic (a single line of melody). People began experimenting with notatitng music around 500 AD' by the late 1400s ntation had developed into a system similar to our modern method. During the Middle Ages, secular music was principally passed down by ear, singer to singer. Church music, though notated, was inconsistent in method' it is often quite diffecult for modern musicians to figure out

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mood

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the feeling or emotinal landscape of a piece of music, for example, cheerful, mournful, uplifting ominous, and so on

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music drama

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an opera, a play with music, generally sung throuhgout' "music drama" may imply a more expansive, universal theme or story

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oboe

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a couble-reed woodwind instrument consisting of a single tapering conical tube, a mouthpiece with two parallel reeds that are vibrated by the player's breath, and an arrangement of keys for changing the pitch; rather mournful and reedy inits lower notes, but sweet and airy in the higher register

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opera

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a music drama, generally sung throughout, combining vocal and instrumental music, acting, scenery, costumes, and sometimes dance

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orchestrator

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a person whoc hooses and notates the instruments to be used in a piece of music

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p - piano

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soft

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pp - pianissimo

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very soft

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patter song

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a song with a fast tempo and entertaining, tongue-twisting lyrics' used in comic opera and musicals to showcase a comic character

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piano

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a keyboard instrument with keys, strings, a hammer mechanism that strikes the strings as keys are pressed, and a set of pedals which may sustain or soften the sound

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piccolo trumpet

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a small trumpet with a range an octave higher than standard trumpets, and having a bright, piercing timbre

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polyphony

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music for multiple independent voices, each with its own meoloy and rhythm, creating a rich, many-layered musical texture

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quarter note

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a note lasting one beat in 4/4 time; in value, it is one quarter of a whole note

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question/answer phrases

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musical phrases that seem to be engaged in a conversation, with on phrase sometimes rising as in a spoken question, but almost always ending with an "active" of unresolved feeling, then an answering phrase, sometimes falling downward, with a feeling of rest or conclusion

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recapitulation

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when the main themes return in sonata form' sometimes they are shortened or changed inother ways, but usually stay in the tonic

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recorder

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a simple wooden wind instrument related to the flute, but held downward like a clarinet or oboe; popular in the Renaissance and early Baroque period, but still played today, it comes in a variety of sizes and pitch ranges

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repeat signs ll: :ll

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a sign that means to play the music within the signs again

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rhythm

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combinations of longer and shorter sounds and silences

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rit. (ritardando)

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gradually slow down

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Romantic Period

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(about 1820 - 1910) in music, an era when composers turned to richer harmonies, more expressive melodies and freer rhythms; the music depicted stories, emotions, and feelings more than the music of previous times

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rondo form

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a musical form in which a main (opening) theme returns between contrasting themes, for example, ABACA

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rondo sonata form

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a combination of the rondo and sonata forms, with a recurring theme and interspersed contrasting themes like a rondo form, but with a development section and sometimes a return of one or more of the secondary themes

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sequence

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repetition of a melodic figure at different pitch levels

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sixteenth note

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a note having one-sixteenth of the time value of a quarter note

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solo

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a musical performance by one individual

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sonata form

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a musical form consisting of at least two themes; the themes are first stated in an exposition, then changed or embellished, or framgmented in a development section, and then brought back, more or less intact, in the recapitulation' a sonata form may include an introduction and/or coda

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soprano

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a high treble singing voice

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strings

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instruments that have strings and are bowed, plucked, or strummed; the pitch is changed mostly with the fingers changing the length of the vibrating strings

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staccato

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very short

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syncopation

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rhythms that upset the usual expectation of the rhythm, with accents occurring between the usual "strong" beats, on a "weak" beat, or just before or after the usual pulse points

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tempo

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the speed (fast, moderate, or slow) of the rhythm of music

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tenor

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a high male singing voice

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theme

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a distinctive recurring musical element, almost always a meloidic line or motive, but may be a characteristic rhythm pattern, harmonic sequence or a combination of these

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tone color

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the characteristic sound - sweet, bright, reedy, mellow, piercing, etc. - of a voice or instrument

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triplet

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three notes of the same value that are performed in the duration of two of those same notes, for example, three eighth notes performed in the time space of two eighth notes

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trumpet

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the highest pitched group of instruments in the brass "family," a coiled metal tube with a flaring "bell" and keys that change the pitch by changing the length of the bivrating air column in the tube, played by "buzzing" the lips against a metal mouthpiece; has a bright, clear sound and a fairly wide rante, can sound sweet, smooth, noisy, playful, and even regal

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tutti

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literally "all," indicates that everyone plays or sings; usually found after a solo or solo-group passage

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violin

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a stringed instrument with four strings stretched across a graceful wooden case and "neck," played either with a bow or plucked; often a solo instrument, and the most numerous instrument in the modern symphony or chamber orchestra; has a wide range and great variety of possible tone colors and effects

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woodwinds

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instruments which were originally made of wood; they are played by blowing through a hole or mouthpiece; modern woodwinds have many keys for changing the pitch