Florida All-State High School Terms 2017-2018

Front 1

A Tempo

Back 1

Return to the original tempo after some deviation

Front 2

A Cappella

Back 2

Without instrumental accompaniment

Front 3

Accent Marks

Back 3

Symbols that indicate a note is strongly played or sung

Front 4

Accidentals

Back 4

Symbol used to raise or lower a given pitch by 1 or 2 semi-tones, or to cancel a previous sign or part of a key signature

Front 5

Al fine

Back 5

To the end, generally used after a repetition

Front 6

Allargando

Back 6

Slowing of tempo, usually with increasing volume; most frequently occurs toward the end of a piece

Front 7

Allegretto

Back 7

Slightly slower than allegro, often implying lighter texture and character as well

Front 8

Allegro con spirito

Back 8

Fast tempo (happy) with spirit

Front 9

Amabile

Back 9

Sweet, loveable

Front 10

Andante

Back 10

Rather slow, at a moderate walking speed

Front 11

Arpeggio

Back 11

The notes of the chord played in succession to one another, rather than simultaneously; a broken chord

Front 12

Atonal

Back 12

Music that lacks a tonal center; absence of key

Front 13

Augmented

Back 13

Raised or enlarged. Generally refers to the raising of a pitch by one half-step

Front 14

Bel Canto

Back 14

“Beautiful singing”; an Italian Opera term

Front 15

Binary form

Back 15

AB- form of a composition that has two distinct sections

Front 16

Cadenza

Back 16

An improvised or written-out ornamental passage performed by a soloists usually near the final cadence

Front 17

Caesura

Back 17

Grand pause; an interruption or break in the line (aka "Rail road tracks")

Front 18

Cantabile

Back 18

In a singing style; singable

Front 19

Chromatic

Back 19

Motion by half steps; also describes harmony or melody that employs some of the sequential 12 pitches (semi-tones) in an octave

Front 20

Coda

Back 20

A passage that brings a piece of music to its conclusion; an ending

Front 21

Concerto

Back 21

Composition for instruments in which a solo instrument is set against an orchestral ensemble

Front 22

D. C. or Da Capo

Back 22

Repeat from the beginning of the composition

Front 23

Diminished

Back 23

Lowered, or reduced; generally refers to the lowering of a pitch chromatically by one half step

Front 24

Diminuendo

Back 24

Gradually reduce volume, getting softer

Front 25

Divisi

Back 25

Performers singing the same part are divided to sing different parts

Front 26

Dolce

Back 26

Sweetly, usually also softly

Front 27

Espressivo

Back 27

To play or sing with expression

Front 28

Falsetto

Back 28

Type of vocal phonation that enables the singer to sing notes beyond the normal vocal range

Front 29

Fermata

Back 29

A pause or hold

Front 30

Fortissimo

Back 30

Very loud

Front 31

Grave

Back 31

Solemn, with dignity, serious

Front 32

Grazioso

Back 32

Graceful

Front 33

Half-step

Back 33

A semi-tone. There are 12 half-steps in an octave (Think: "Jaws" Theme)

Front 34

Harmonic minor

Back 34

A minor scale with a raised 7th

Front 35

Interval

Back 35

The relationship between two pitches, the distance between an upper and a lower pitch

Front 36

Key Signature

Back 36

Sharps or flats at the beginning of each staff to indicate which pitches are to be raised or lowered from their natural state during the piece

Front 37

Largo

Back 37

Very slow and broad

Front 38

Legato

Back 38

To play or sing in a smooth, connected manner

Front 39

Leading Tone

Back 39

The seventh degree of the diatonic scale, when it is only a half-step below the tonic, gives the feeling of wanting to move up to the tonic

Front 40

Leggiero

Back 40

Lightly

Front 41

Lunga

Back 41

A long pause that is determined by the performer or director

Front 42

Marcato

Back 42

Marked, stressed

Front 43

Meno Mosso

Back 43

Less motion

Front 44

Meter

Back 44

Indicated by a time signature, can be simple or compound

Front 45

Mezzo forte (mf)

Back 45

Medium loud

Front 46

Mezzo piano (mp)

Back 46

Medium soft

Front 47

Misterioso

Back 47

Play or sing in a mysterious manner

Front 48

Motif

Back 48

A short musical idea or melodic theme, usually shorter than a musical phrase

Front 49

Niente

Back 49

Dying away to nothing

Front 50

Octave (8va)

Back 50

An interval eight diatonic scale degrees a pitch. Two notes an octave apart have the same letter name, and form the most consonant interval possible

Front 51

Opera

Back 51

A major vocal work that involves theatrical elements

Front 52

Opus (Op.)

Back 52

A creative work, numbered to designate the order of the composer’s works

Front 53

Oratorio

Back 53

Large scale musical composition on a sacred subject (i.e. Handel's Messiah)

Front 54

Pesante

Back 54

Heavy, ponderous

Front 55

Perdendosi

Back 55

Gradually dying away, softer and softer

Front 56

Phrase

Back 56

A single musical idea or element which is often defined as a repeated, rhythmic pattern, or a melodic contour

Front 57

Poco più mosso

Back 57

A little more motion

Front 58

Portamento (port.)

Back 58

Special manner of singing where the voice glides from one tone to the next through all the intermediate pitches

Front 59

Presto

Back 59

Very fast; faster than allegro

Front 60

Primo

Back 60

First or upper part

Front 61

Rallentando (Rall.)

Back 61

Gradually slowing down

Front 62

Rondo form

Back 62

Form of a composition that has a recurring “A” section (ABACA)

Front 63

Rubato

Back 63

Making the established pulse flexible by accelerating and slowing down the tempo; an expressive device

Front 64

Senza

Back 64

Without

Front 65

Sequence

Back 65

The repetition of a phrase at different pitch levels using the same or similar intervals

Front 66

Sforzando (sf or sfz)

Back 66

Strongly accented; forced

Front 67

Simile (sim.)

Back 67

Continue to perform in a similar manner

Front 68

Slur

Back 68

Curved line that indicates to sing or play in a legato manner; without separation (different notes)

Front 69

Solfège

Back 69

A system used for teaching sight-singing (Do-Re-Mi)

Front 70

Sotto voce

Back 70

Softly; with subdued sound; performed in an undertone (almost like a whisper but still singing "on voice")

Front 71

Sostenuto

Back 71

In a sustained manner

Front 72

Staccato (stacc.)

Back 72

Detached; crisply played, separated, short

Front 73

Strophic

Back 73

Describes a song where the stanzas are all sung to the same music (like hymns - same music, different words)

Front 74

Subito

Back 74

Suddenly; quickly

Front 75

Tempo primo

Back 75

The original speed

Front 76

Tenuto (ten.)

Back 76

Fully sustained; occasionally even a bit longer than the note value requires (stickier)

Front 77

Tessitura

Back 77

Most widely used range of pitches in a piece of music

Front 78

Triad

Back 78

Three note chord consisting of the root, third, and fifth (i.e. Do-Mi-Sol)

Front 79

Tutti

Back 79

In a choral work, would indicate all voices (everyone!)

Front 80

Vivace

Back 80

Lively; briskly