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316 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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A cappella
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To sing without musica acoompaniment
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AB
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A form made up of two contrasting sections, each of which may or may not be repeated.
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ABA
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A form made up of a principle section which is repeated after the completion of a contrasting section.
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Accelerando
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Italian tempo marking meaning to gradually become faster.
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Accent
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A stress or added emphasis given to a note or chord.
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Accidental
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Any chromatic sign not found in the key signature, occuring in the course of a piece of music.
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Accompaniment
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A vocal or instrumental part that supports or is background for a solo or principle part.
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Acoustics
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The science of sound and how it is produced.
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Adagio
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A slow and leisurely tempo.
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Ad Libitum
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(Ad Lib) At liberty; as you wish.
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Agitato
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Agitated, excited, hurried, restless
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Alberti bass
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Bass notes that outline the chord being sounded in a pattern of low-high-midle-high
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Al fine
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To the finish
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Alla Breve
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Half note is unit of beat; also called "cut time" 2/2
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Allegretto
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Italian tempo marking, meaning medium fast, a bit slower than allegro
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Allegro
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Italian tempo marking, meaning lively, fast, brisk, rapid
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Alto
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One of four musical ranges; in order they are bass, tenor, alto and soprano. Alto being the third highest and usually sung by a female.
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Andante
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Italian tempo marking, meaning moderately slow, easy and flowing, leisurely, a litter faster than adagio
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Animato
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Italian tempo marking, meaning spirited, lively, animated
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Anthem
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A short piece for choir on a religious theme
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Aria
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Italian word for song, mainly used to describe an opera song for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment
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Arpeggio
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A broken chord, the tones of a chord played one at a time in even succession
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Arranger
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One who writes musical compositions and/or parts for a particular group of performers
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Assai
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Very, extremely
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A tempo
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A return to the original tempo
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Atonal
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Music lacking a tonal or key center. Music that has no key signature.
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Authentic Cadence
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Chord progression from the dominant chord (V) to the tonic chord (I).
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Baby Grand
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A smaller (or shorter) horizontal version of a grand piano.
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Bagatelle
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A short, light or whimsical piece, usually written for piano
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Ballads
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Songs that tell stories, dealing with present day events. Also an instrumental piano piece.
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Ballet
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A form of theatrical dance, combining music and dance.
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Band
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Any large body of instrumental players (brass bands, dance bands, jazz bands, etc.)
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Bar
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A "measure," the space between two bar lines.
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Bar line
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A dividing, vertival line of a staff resulting in measures.
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Baritone
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The range of a male voice pitch, that is deeper than a tenor but not so deep as bass.
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Baroque Period
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The musical era from 1600-1750 characterized by heavy elaboration in music, the establishment of major and minor tonality, and the introduction of opera.
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Bass
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"Low." Of the four musical ranges, the lowest. Sung by a male.
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Bass Clef
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Symbol placed on the five line staff indicating the lower notes, primarily below middle C.
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Baton
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A conductor's stick or wand.
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Beat
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A steady, even pulse, marking time.
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Binary form
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A form with two sections of music, which are repeated as in the pattern, AABB. Many minuets are written in this form
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Bitonal
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Using two keys simultaneously (or at the same time).
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Bluegrass
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A style of music featuring fold instruments (banjo, guitar, mandolin and bass). It is quite rhythmical and energetic.
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Blues
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Early form of music consisting of 12 measure choruses and a chord progression of I IV V. The tempo is usually slow, and improvisational by nature.
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Brass Family
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Instruments made of long brass tubes curled up in different shapes with cup shaped mouthpieces and bell shaped ends. Examples include: French horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba
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Bravo
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"Good." An expression of approval after a performance
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Brio (con)
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Sprited, with gusto
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Buffo
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Comical
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Cadence
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The close or ending of a melody. The end of a musical phrase.
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Call and Response
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A song style that follows a simple question/answer pattern in which one singer leads and a group responds.
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Cantabile
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In a "singing" style. Play the notes as if you were "singing" them.
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Canon
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A polyphonic composition in which one part is imitated by one or more parts, entering in a specific sequence with each melody overlapping.
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Chamber music
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Music intended for small groups performing in intimate surroundings and not concert halls or large theaters.
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Chanson
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French word for "song."
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Choir
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A group of singers for sacred music.
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Chord
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Three or more notes sounded simultaneously (at the same time).
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Chorus
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A group of singers of secular music.
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Chromatic
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Moving by half steps, notes foreign to a diatonic scale.
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Classical
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Serious and formal in style and nature. Very traditional.
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Clavier
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Keyboard instrument with strings, ie harpsichord, or piano.
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Clef
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A sign or symbol placed at the beginning of a staff to make it possible to identify pitches or notes
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Coda
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A "tail" hence a musical passage, or short section ending a composition.
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Common time
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Meter in which a measure consists of four beats with a quarter note counted as one beat.
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Composer
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A person who creates music.
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Composition
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The act of composing, or the work a composer creates.
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Con
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"with"
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Concert
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A public performance.
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Concerto
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Italian word for an orchestral composition with a major part for one or more instrumental soloists.
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Conductor
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Director of a musical group.
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Con moto
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"Move along." With motion.
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Consonance
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Sounds that are pleasing to the ear.
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Counterpoint
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A composition with 2 or more melodies occuring at the same time. "Note against note."
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Crescendo
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Italian dynamic marking meaning to gradually grow louder.
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Cut time
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2/2 meter. Two counts per measure and the half note is counted as "1" (while quater note is now counted as one half. See Alla breve).
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Da Capo
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"From the beginning." It indicates a return to the very beginning of the piece.
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Dal segno al fine
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"From the sign." It means to return to the sign and play to the end of the composition.
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Decrescendo
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Italian dynamic marking meaning to gradually get softer.
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Degree
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One of eight consecutive tones in a major scale or minor scale, counting upward from the keynote.
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Diatonic
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The notes within a particular key, either all major or all minor.
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Diminuendo
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Italian dynamic marking meaning to gradually get softer.
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Dirge
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A piece that is performed at a funeral or memorial service.
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Dissonance
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Sounds that are unpleasant to the ear
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Dolce
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"Sweet" or "sweetly"
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Dominant
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The fifth tone (or degree) in a major or minor scale.
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Dot
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Written after a note, a dot increases the length of the note by one half of its original value. Written above or below a note, a dot indicates staccato.
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Downbeat
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The primary or first beat in each measure.
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Duet
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A piece for two performers on one piano.
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Duo
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On piano, two performers on two separate pianos.
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Duple meter
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A time signature with two beats to a measure 2/4 2/2.
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Dynamics
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The degree of volume of a musical tone. How loud or soft one plays.
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8va
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A symbol, when placed above a note, it means to play one octave higher than written, and when placed below a note it means to play one octave lower.
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Eighth note
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A note equal to one-half of a quarter note.
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Elements (of music)
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Meody, Rhythm, Harmony, Texture, Form, Timbre, Dynamics, and Tempo
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Encore
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It means "again!" A word used by an audience to recall an actor or musician to the stage after a performance, to perform another piece.
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Enharmonis
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Two notes that are the same pitch, but speeled differenly, such as C# and D♭
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Ensemble
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A group of instrumentalists (musicians) or singers.
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Espressivo
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Expressive, emotional
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Etude
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A "study" or challenging exercise requiring practice in a particular technical difficulty.
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Exercise
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A short technical stufy for training the fingers to overcome special difficulties.
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F Clef
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The bass clef.
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Fake book
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A music book containing only the melody lines, lyrics, and chords of songs.
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Fermata
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The symbol placed over or under a note or rest which allows the performer to sustain or hold the note (or rest) longer than its proper time value.
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Finale
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The last movement of a symphony or sonata, or the last act of an opera.
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Fine
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Italian word for end, finish.
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Fingering
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The numbers which accompany the notes telling the performer which fingers to use with which note.
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Flag
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A hook on the stem of a note.
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Flat
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A symbol that lowers a tone one-half step when placed before a note.
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Folk songs
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Songs handed down from generation to generation. Folk songs typically tell a story.
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Forte
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Italian dynamic term for "loud" or "strong."
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Form
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The overall structural organization of a musical composition (e.g. AB, ABA, fugue, sonata allegro, etc.).
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Fortissimo
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Italian dynamic term for "very loud."
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Fugue
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A form, using imitative counterpoint, in which a theme is first stated on its own, then imitates successively by other "voices," followed by sequential "episodes."
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G clef
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The treble clef
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Gavotte
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A French dance of Baroque origin, usually in common time, it is sometimes included in instrumental suites
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Genre
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A type or category of music (e.g. sonata, opera, jazz, folk music, etc)
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Glissando
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A rapid scale produced by sliding the fingers or hand across the keyboard from one note to another note
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Gospel song
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A song whose lyrics recount passages from scripture
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Grace note
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A very short ornamental note, usually played quickly just before the beat
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Grand staff
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The combination of the treble and bass staves
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Grave
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Grave, serious, solemn. The slowedt musical tempo
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Grazioso
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Gracefully
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Gregorian chant
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The liturgical chant of the Roman Catholic churhc. The earliest form of Christian chant music.
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Guitar
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A plucked, six string instrument
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Half cadence
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Also known as an imperfect cadence. It is the progression of tonic (I) to dominant (V) at the close of a phase. But can also involve the subdominant (IV) to dominant (V).
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Half note
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A note equal to two quarter notes or one half the length of a whole note
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Half step
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The smallest interval on the piano
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Harmonic progression
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Movement from one chord to another chord
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Harmony
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The combination of two or more pitches sounded together
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Homophony
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Music in which one voice has the melody with a chordal accompaniment
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Hook
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A catchy, repetitive melodic phrase, usually in the chorus of a popular song that catches the listener's attention
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Hornpipe
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An English dance in lively, triple time.
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Hymn
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A sacred song or poem that praises God
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Hymnal
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A Hymn book, a collection of Hymns
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Iambic
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A metrical foot with one short and one long syllable
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Imitation
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In counterpoint, the restatement of a theme, motive or phrase
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Impromptu
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A short improvisational and spontaneous sounding piece
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Improvisation
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Spontaneous composition. The create music spontaneously.
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Instrument families
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Four separate groups of instruments into which the orchestra is divided: strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion
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Interlude
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A short piece (or passage) that is used to bridge the acts of a play or verses of a humn or the sections of a composition.
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Interval
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The distance between two notes
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Invention
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A fairly short keyboard piece. Bach's Inventions make extensive use of counterpoint.
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Inversion
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A chord or triad that has been rearranged.
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Jam
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A loose gathering of musicians to play, improvise or rehearse
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Jazz
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A style of music with, Afro-American roots, characterized by improvisation, blue ntoes, rhythmic syncopation and swinging beat
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Jig
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A lively folk dance, usually in 6/8 time
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Jingle
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Music composed specifically for a commercial. It is usually very catchy (see hook)
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Karaoke
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"Empty orchestra." Singing along with recorded accompaniment
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Key
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The series of tones forming any given major or minor scale. The tonality of a composition
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Keynote
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The first note of a key or scale
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Key signature
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The sharps or flats written on a staff at the beginning of a piece of music to indicate the key
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Lamentoso
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Italian term for "mournfully"
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Largo
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Slow and broad, almost as slow as grave
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Lead sheet
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The melody line, lyrics and chords for a song.
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Leger lines
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The short lines added above and below the staff, indicating very high or very low notes
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Legato
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Italian term for smooth and connected playing, resulting in a flowing effect.
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Leno
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Italian term for "faint"
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Lento
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Italian tempo marking for "slow"
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Libretto
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The words (or text) to a piece of music as used in opera, oratorio or a cantata
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Lyrically
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To play in a singing and melodious way
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Lyrics
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The text or words to a song
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Maestoso
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Majestically, stately
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Maestro
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A master, teacher or conductor
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Major
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Tonality based on a major scale
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Major chord
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A triad composed of a root, a major third, and perfect fifth
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Major scale
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A diatonic scale consisting of 2 whole steps, one half step three whole steps, and one half step in that order
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Manual
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The keyboard on an organ or harpsichord
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Marcato
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Marked, stressed, accented
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Measure
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A bar, the space between two bar line
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Medley
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A group of series of songs linked together musically
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Melisma
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Several notes sung to one syllable of text
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Melody
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A organized sequence of single notes resulting in a tune
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Meno
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"Less"
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Mestoso
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"Sadly"
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Mezzo
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"Half" or "medium"
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Mezzo forte
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"Moderately loud"
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Mezzo piano
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"Moderately soft"
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Minor
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tonality based on a minor scale
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Minor chord
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A triad compoed of a root, a minr third, and a perfect fifth
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Minstrel
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A wandering musician from the Middle Afes
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Minuet
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A court dance with three beats to a measure
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Misterioso
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Mysteriously
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M.M.
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"Maelzel's metronome." The metronome marking placed at the beginning of a composition. The double "m's" follwed by a note value indicate the number of beats per minute and the tempo
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Moderato
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A moderate tempo
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Modulate
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The change keys, the transition from one key to another key within a single piece of music
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Molto
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"Very much"
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Monotone
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A single, unvaried pitch. Reciting words on one pitch
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Monody
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A solo or unison song without an accompaniment, only one note is heard at a time
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Morendo
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"Dying" or fading away
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Mosso
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"Moved," "lively"
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Motet
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A vocal compostition in contrapuntal style, generally on a sacred text and performed with accompaniment
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Motive
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A short, melodic pattern or musical idea that rune throughout the piece of music
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Mouth Organ
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Another term for a Harmonica
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Movement
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A self contained sction of a composition, such as a symphony, suite, concerto or sonata
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Musette
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A dance with a drone bass accompaniment
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Music
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The organization of sounds, utilizing rythm, melody, and harmony
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Music concrete
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Music creaed using natura sounds and noises (e.g. the wind, a motor accelerating, bird sounds). Once recorded, the sounds are manipulated on tape.
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Music theory
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The study of how music is put together.
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Natural ♮
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The music symbol ♮ that indicates that a note is neither sharp or flat. When the symbol is placed to the left of the note, it cancels a previous sharp or flat.
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Nocturne
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A "night piece," a serenade. It is moody and usually for solo piano.
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Notehead
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The rounded portion of the note, sometimes at the end of a stem.
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Notation
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The science of expressing music in writing.
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Notes
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The written symbols of music.
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Plagal cadence
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A cadence in which the progression moves from the subdominant (IV) chord to the tonic chord (I). Sometimes referred to as the "amen" cadence, heard at the end of hymns.
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Polyphony
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Music that combines two or more melodic lines simultaneously, (at the same time). The interweaving of a number of melodic lines
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Polyrhythm
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Several different rhythms playes at the same time
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Polytonality
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The simultaneous presence of several different keys
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Prelude
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"Play before." An introductory piece of music
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Prestissimo
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"Very, very fast." The fastest tempo
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Presto
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"Very fast."
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Primary chords
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The tonic (I), the subdominant (IV), and the dominant (V) chords of a major or minor key.
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Primo
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Principle, first. In a piano duet, the top part
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Progression
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Movement from one chord to another chord
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Pronto
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"Prompt, quick"
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Pulse
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A beat
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Quadruple meter
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A time signature with four beats to a measure
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Quarter note ♩
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A note one half the length of a half note and one quarter the length of a whole note ♩
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Quartet
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A piece for four instruments or voices. Also four performers
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Quasi
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Almost, nearly, as if
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Question/answer
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A formal structure where each successive phrase or setiong is formed as a reponse to the preceding one
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Quickstep
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A fast march
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Quintet
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A piece for five instruments or voices. Also five performers
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Ragtime
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The earliest form of jazz, from the early 1900's. Features "ragged" syncopated rhythms against a regular rhythmic backgroud of 2/4 or 4/4
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Rap
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A popular music style of the 1980's and 90's with fast spoken lyrics and an often, complex beat
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Range
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The distance between the lowest and highest tones of a melody, or the lowest and highest tones an instrument or voice can produce
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R & B
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"Rhythm and Blues"
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Recapitulation
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The final section in sonata form, in which themes are restated
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Refrain
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The chorus of a song, usually repeated at the end of each verse or section
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Relative Keys
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Major and minor keys that share the same key signature
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Repeat
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The restatement of a musical passage
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Recital
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A performance by one or more performers
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Recitative
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A reciting of words in a song-like way. An element of opera or oratorio
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Requiem
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A Mass for the dead
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Resolution
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The progression of chords or notes from dissonance to consonsance
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Rest
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A period of silence. Symbols that indicate silence
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Rhythm
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The pattern of long and short note values in music
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Rhythm and Blues
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A form of pop music that evolved in the 1940's characterized by heavily syncopated dance rhythms and blues scales. The roots of Rock n Roll
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Riff
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A short, repeated melodic pattern, played by a soloist or a group.
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Ritardando
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Italian tempo marking, meaning to gradually get slower
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Rock 'n' Roll
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A form of pop music that evolved in the mid 1950's from Rhythm and Blues, characterized by strongly accented beats and youth oriented lyrics
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Rondo
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A piece in which one recurring, principal theme is interspersed with a series of new themes. ABACADA etc.
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Root
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The fundamental, (first) note of a chord or a scale
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Round
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Similar to a canon; a musical piece in which each part joins in turn with the same melody, all following each other until the end.
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Rubato
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"Robbed" rhythm. Freely slowing down and/or speeding up the tempo without changing the basic pulse underneath
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Run
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A rapid scale passage
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Sans
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"Without"
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Scale
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A sequence of tones or notes, arranged in a specific order
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Scale degrees
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The names and numbers for each note in the scale
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Scat
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To sing with made-up nonsense syllables. First hear in Jazz
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Scherzo
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"Joke." A piece in a lively tempo.
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Score
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The written depication of all parts of a musical ensemble with each part stacked vertically on the page
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Secco
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"Unornamented"
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Secondo
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"Second." The second part. The lower part of a piano duet
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Secular music
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Any music that is not sacred music
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Segno
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"sign"
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Semplice
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"Simple"
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Sempre
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"Always," constantly
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Senza
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Italian term for "without"
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Sequence
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Repetition of the same melodic pattern at a different pitch
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Serenade
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A love song, or piece usually performed below someone's window in the evening
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Sextet
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A piece for six instruments or voices. Six performers
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Sforzando
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A very strong accent (or emphasis) on a note or chord.
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Sharp ♯
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The symbol which indicates raising a note one half step. ♯
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Slur
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A curved line placed above or below two or more notes, of different pitch, indicating that they are to be played legato
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Solo
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"Alone." To perform alone or as the predominate part
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Sonata
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"Sounded." Music to be played, thus an instrumental piece, often in several (3 to 4) movements
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Sonatina
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A short sonata
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Soprano
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The highest female voice
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Staccato
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"Detached." Short, snappy notes, indicated by a dot above or below a note. The opposite of legato.
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Staff
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The horizontal lines upon which music is written
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Stem
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The vertical line extending up or down from the notehead
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Strophic
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A song in several verses all set to the same music
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Subdominant
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The fourth degree of the diatonic scale
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Subito
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"Suddenly"
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Suite
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A series or set of movements in various dance forms
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Symphony
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1. A piece of music for a large orchestra, usually in four movements. 2. A large orchestra
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Syncopation
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The placement of rhythmic accents on weak beats
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Tag
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A short addition played at the end of a musical composition
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Tarantella
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A piece written as a fast and lively dance; usually in 6/8 time, originated in Italy
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Tempo
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"Time." The pace or speed of a piece of music
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Tenor
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The highest pitched male voice
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Tenuto, ten
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"Held" to hold the note for its full value
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Ternary
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Designates a form or structure in music that has three sections, with the first section repeated after the second section. (ABA form)
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Tertian Harmony
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Stadard Western Harmony, based on thirds or triads.
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Texture
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The number of parts (voices) in a piece of music and their relatio nto one another. Thus there may be monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic textures
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Theme
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The musical subject of a piece of music, usually a distinctive and recognizable melody
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Theme and Variations
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A compositional form in which an itial theme is stated then followed by various mesuical treatments of that theme.
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Timbre
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Tone color, or quality. The sound of a particular instrument
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Time signature
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The numbers at the beginning of a piece of music. The top number indicates the number of beats in a measure; the bottom number indicates the type of note that receives one beat
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Tone color
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The distinctive sound of a single instrument or voice
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Tonic
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The first degree of the scale; the keynote
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Transpose
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Changing an entire piece of music from one key to another key
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Trebel Clef
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Symbole placed on the five line staff insticating higher pitches and designates the g on the second line of the staff
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Triad
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A three note chord
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Trill
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An ornament consisting of the rapid alternation of two adjacent notes
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Trio
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Three performers or a piece for three performers
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Tritone
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The interval spanning three whole steps
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Troubadour
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A wandering minstrel, combination poet and musician
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Triste
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"Sadly"
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Tutti
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Italian term for "all"; describes a section for full chorus and/or orchestra
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Unison
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Singing or playing the same notes by all singers or players, either at exactly the same pitch of in a different octave.
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Up-tempo
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"Fast"
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Urtext
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"Pure text." An edition of a composition that attempts to represent the composer's original notation and intentions without editorial suggestions.
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Valse
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"Waltz"
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Variation
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The process of modifying a theme, melody or passage in such a way that the resulting product is recognizably derived from the original
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Verse
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A stanza
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Vibrato
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"Shaken." The wavering effect caused by a rapid fluctuation of a pitch
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Virtuoso
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A brilliant, highly skills performer
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Vivace
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Very Lively, brisk and quick.
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Voce
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The voice
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Volume
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"Loudness"
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Waltz
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A late 18th century dance, and music in moderate triple time
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Whole note
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A note equal to two half notes or four quarter notes
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Whole step
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Two half steps, a major second
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Whole tone
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A whole step
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Whole tone scale
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A scale made up on only whole tones (or whole steps). It may begin on any note since it has no tonic.
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Word painting
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In vocal music, when the music reflects the meaning of the words, for instance, fast passages for "running" or dissonances for "anguish" or "pain"
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