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67 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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3/4-meter
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an organization of beats into sets of three, with a quarter note receiving one beat. In a fast tempo 3/4 meter may sound like on ebeat per measure, with the three beats going by very quickly
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accelerando
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gradually getting faster
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accompaniment
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a background part that supports a melody or other more important thematic material
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alto
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a low treble singing voice
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arch form
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a form in which the themes are presented in order, then return in reverse order, for example ABCBA
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art song
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a song for solo voice and piano accompaniment, often with a narrative story or poem as its text, and usually performed in recital or concert
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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 fomrs (fugue, toccata, oratorio, opera, etc.) that are still used today
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bass
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low male singing voice
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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, slides, and keys for changing the pitch
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C clef
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a clef marking that is placed on any of the staff lines to indicate the position of middle C. See handbook glossary for example
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chord
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more than one note sounding together
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Classical Period
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About 1750 - 1820; a musica 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 of more standard harmonies
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coda
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an ending section added on to a piece of music
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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 traditional instruments, and the rise of technology
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crescendo
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gradually getting louder
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decrescendo
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gradually getting softer
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development
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the middle section 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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dissonance
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two or more notes sounded at the same time which sound like they clash, or don't go together
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dynamics
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how loud or quiet the music is
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eighth rest
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a half beat of silence in 4/4 time
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exposition
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the first section in a 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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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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fermata or "bird's eye" (see handbook glossary for symbol)
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a symbol that meansa note or rest is held longer than the normal duration
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Impressionism
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a late-19th centur and early-20th century style of composing music; it uses rich harmonies, su tle rhytms, and unusual tone colors to create moods and impressions
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intermezzo
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a short piece, often performed between sections of a larger work or opera; a character piece used to express emotin
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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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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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marcato
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heavy, separated
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mazurca (or mazurka)
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a Polish folk-dance in triple meter
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melisma
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many notes sung on a single syllable
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melody
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several tones one after the other; a tune
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Middle Ages
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a period of about 1,000 years, from 450 to about 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 a melody) People began experimenting with notating music around 500 AD; by the late 1400s, notation 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 diffucult for modern musicians to figure out.
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minor
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a key in which the scale has a minor third between the first and third steps
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monophonic
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music consisting of single lines of melody without accompainent or harmony
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notation
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the mnethod of writing music down so that it can be read and interpreted by performers
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opera
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a music drama, generally syng throughout, combining vocal and instrumental music, acting, scenery, costumes, and sometimes dance
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oratorio
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a large-scale dramatic composition, usually based on a religious subject; it is performed by chorus and solo singers, with instrumental accompaniment; unlike opera, it does not use costumes, scenery, or action
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orchestrate
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to choose the instruments to be used in a piece of music
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p piano
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quiet, soft
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pp pianissimo
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very quiet; very soft
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percussion
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instruments that are hit, rattled, or shaken; they can be unpitched (most drums, for example) or pitched and able to play different notes (such as timpani or xylophone)
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phrase
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a musical "statement that is often part of a melody; it is like a sentence or line of poetry that is part of a larger whole; many phrases may make up a complete "theme" or melody in music
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pizzicato
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plucking the strings of a stringed instrument, rather than using the bow
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quarter note
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a note lasting one beat in 4/4 time; it is one quarter of a whole note
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recapitulation
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when the main themes return in sonata form' sometimes they are shortnened or changed in other ways, but usually stay in the tonic key
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repeat signs ||: :||
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a sign that means to play the music within the signs again
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rit. (ritardando)
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gradually slow down
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Romantic Period
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in music, an era when composers turned to richer harmonies, more expressive melodies and freer rhythms; the music depicted stoires, emotions, and feelings more than the music of previous times; Approximately 1820 - 1900
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rondo
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a musical form in which a main (opening) theme returns between contrasting themes, for example, ABACA
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rubato
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means "robbing" in Italian; the performer may "rob" time from one note and give it to another; to perform with rhythmic freedom
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scherzo and trio
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a three-part form, ABA; Beethoven used this form as an alternative to the minuet and trio (also ABA) movement popular in earlier classical symphonies
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sequence
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repeitition of a melodic figure at different pitch levels
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solo
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a musicalperformance 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 in a development section, and then brought back, more or less intact, in the recapitulation; a sonata form may include an introduction and coda
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song cycle
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a set of related art songs, usually on a single subject or with a connected story
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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 chanbed mostly with the fingers changing the length of the vibrating strings
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symmetry
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the balance created by matching sides of a shape, art work, musical piece, etc. for example, an armchair is usually symmetrical
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tenor
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a high male singing voice
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theme and variations
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a form in music which introduces a theme, followed by a set of varied, changed, or embellished versions of the theme
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trio
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in scherzo and trio form, it is the middle, contrasting section of the piece; it is called a trio because in early times it was often played by a trio or small group of instruments
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vivace
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a quick, lively tempo
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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
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