Final Exam Music Vocabulary

Front 1

tone

Back 1

specific frequency of sound wave, a definite pitch

Front 2

scale

Back 2

tones associated with one another into a defined group

Front 3

motif/motive
melody
theme

Back 3

rhythmic ideas that are the building blocks of songs

Front 4

conjunct

Back 4

notes progress in same general area of scale

Front 5

disjunct

Back 5

makes large jumps in the scale

Front 6

timbre
tone color

Back 6

same pitches have different qualities on different instruments (e.g. sound of violin is different from piano)

Front 7

dynamics

Back 7

refer to the volume characteristics of a piece of music

Front 8

pianissimo

Back 8

very soft

Front 9

piano

Back 9

soft

Front 10

mezzo piano

Back 10

somewhat soft

Front 11

mezzo forte

Back 11

somewhat loud

Front 12

forte

Back 12

loud

Front 13

fortissimo

Back 13

very loud

Front 14

crescendo

Back 14

gradually getting louder

Front 15

decrescendo

Back 15

gradually getting softer

Front 16

meter

Back 16

a steady beat

Front 17

measure

Back 17

rhythmic structure that divides sets of notes into segments

Front 18

accent

Back 18

making a note more prominent

Front 19

tempo

Back 19

speed of the piece

Front 20

presto

Back 20

very fast

Front 21

allegro

Back 21

fast

Front 22

andante

Back 22

walking speed, moderately slow

Front 23

adagio

Back 23

slow

Front 24

lento

Back 24

very slow

Front 25

largo

Back 25

very very slow

Front 26

accelerando

Back 26

gradually speeding up

Front 27

ritardando

Back 27

gradually slowing down

Front 28

rubato

Back 28

when a performer takes liberties with tempo for effect

Front 29

interval

Back 29

the space between notes

Front 30

chord

Back 30

three tones played simultaneously

Front 31

consonance

Back 31

pleasing sound
seems correct to our ears

Front 32

dissonance

Back 32

sounds like it needs to be resolved

Front 33

cadence

Back 33

closure
resolution of a musical phrase

Front 34

modulation

Back 34

changing of keys

Front 35

harmonic progression

Back 35

overall architecture of the piece in terms of harmonies

Front 36

tonality

Back 36

has a principal key
wanders in predictable ways

Front 37

atonality

Back 37

wanders with no apparent tonal center
not necessarily dissonant

Front 38

tonal center

Back 38

principal key to which a tonal piece returns

Front 39

monophony

Back 39

musical texture with a single, unaccompanied melody line
may be in multiple octaves but same note and movement is parallel

Front 40

polyphony
counterpoint

Back 40

musical texture with multiple independent melodic lines

Front 41

homophony

Back 41

musical texture in which two or more parts move together in harmony
one principal melodic line with others supporting it

Front 42

musical texture
sonority

Back 42

quality of the sound
describes the number of voices and their relationship

Front 43

sectional forms: binary

Back 43

two-part form

Front 44

sectional forms: tertiary

Back 44

three-part form

Front 45

rondo

Back 45

sectional form with one section through to which a piece returns in between other sections

Front 46

free

Back 46

a sectional form without a specifically named arrangement of parts

Front 47

variation form: basso ostinato

Back 47

variation form in which a bass line is repeated as a basis for a piece underneath variations

Front 48

fugal form: concerto grosso

Back 48

fugal form that contrasts the playing of all the instruments with that of a smaller instrument group
a musical "conversation"

Front 49

motet

Back 49

a religious polyphonic composition

Front 50

madrigal

Back 50

a secular polyphonic composition

Front 51

sonata, symphony

Back 51

typically four movements (fast, slow, dance, fast)
a sonata for the whole orchestra (rather than just a single instrument or small group of instruments)

Front 52

sonata-allegro form

Back 52

exposition
development
recapitulation
(optional) coda

Front 53

concerto

Back 53

single soloist playing with & against (by turns) the orchestral ensemble

Front 54

cantata

Back 54

setting to music of sacred texts with a common theme

Front 55

opera

Back 55

narrative through music (with staging)

Front 56

aria

Back 56

part of opera with high musicality
in depth musical exploration

Front 57

recitative

Back 57

spoken word sections of opera

Front 58

oratorio

Back 58

telling of a sacred story
individual singers play a character
plot is added to a scriptural text

Front 59

absolute music

Back 59

music with no outside reference point
music for music's sake

Front 60

program music

Back 60

music that imitates something outside the music
narrative
concrete inspiration

Front 61

mass

Back 61

a religious service with a set form
words to various parts are taken from specific scriptural texts that are always the same
Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus (+ Benedictus), Agnus Dei

Front 62

Kyrie (Eleison)

Back 62

first hymn in the mass form
"Lord Have Mercy"

Front 63

Gloria

Back 63

second hymn in the mass
"Glory to God in the Highest"

Front 64

Credo

Back 64

third hymn of the mass
"I Believe in One God" from the Nicean Creed

Front 65

Sanctus

Back 65

fourth hymn of the mass
"Holy, Holy, Holy"

Front 66

Agnus Dei

Back 66

final hymn of the mass
"Lamb of God"

Front 67

variation form: passacaglia

Back 67

begins with a statement of the theme unaccompanied, in the base
repetition of a melodic phrase in the base part (possibly with a varied treatment)

Front 68

variation form: theme and variations

Back 68

a simple, direct theme
repeated with variations in harmonics, melody, rhythm, etc.
theme often stated in original form at end

Front 69

fugal form: fugue

Back 69

polyphonic in texture
begins with an exposition
series of episodes alternates with the fugue subject, seen each time in new apects
ends with a final, clear statement of the fugue subject