All Terms Flashcards
A capella
Singing without instrumental accompaniment.
Acciccatura
An ornament, printed as a small note with a slash through it, played as quickly as possible before the main note that follows it.
Accordion
An instrument with hand-operated bellows that force the air to vibrate metal reeds.
Aeolian Mode
A scale that can be found by playing the white notes on the piano from A to A (an octave higher).
Alla breve
A pulse of 2/2 time, sometimes referred to as cut time.
Alto voice
Lowest female voice.
Anacrusis
An upbeat before the first strong beat of a phrase.
Antiphonal
A texture in which two or more spatially separated soloists or groups perform alternately and in combination.
Appoggiatura
Play the first note as half the value of the second note. Often resolves a dissonance by step.
Aria
A song sung by one voice with accompaniment in an opera or oratorio.
Atonal
Music that lacks a tonal center; absence of key.
Augment
A proportionate increase in note length (e.g. when a rhythm of two quavers and a crotchet is augmented it becomes two crotchets and a minim.
Backbeat
A term used in pop and rock to describe accenting the normally weak second and fourth beats in 4/4 time.
Backing vocals
Singers who support the lead singer(s), usually by singing in harmony in the background.
Ballad
In jazz and pop, a slow, romantic song.
Baroque
The period between 1600-1750.
Bass voice
Lowest male voice.
Bass viol
A bowed string instrument of the viol family, similar in size to the later cello, but having between five and seven strings and a fretted fingerboard (like a guitar).
Bell chord
A chord that is sounded as a downward succession of sustained notes.
Bend
A slight change in pitch of note while it is sounded (often used for expression).
Bitonal
Using two keys simultaneously.
Bodhran
An Irish wooden drum, held in one hand and played with a wooden beater. Often used in Irish traditional music.
Book Musical
A musical play where songs and dances are fully integrated into a well-made story with serious dramatic goals.
Bossa Nova
A dance and highly syncopated style of music. It is slower and gentler than samba and influence by jazz of the period (1960s).
Bouzouki
A plucked string instrument of the lute family usually associated with the music of Greece, but used by a number of Celtic folk musicians in recent decades.
Break
In pop and jazz, an instrumental solo (usually improvised).
Bridge
A short and often contrasting passage in a pop song that links two other sections. Sometimes called a middle eight.
Broken octaves
Rapidly alternating notes that are an octave apart.
Build
An abbreviation of build up. A term used mainly in electronic dance music for a long crescendo and thickening of texture.
Cadence
The end of a musical phrase, often harmonised by two chords.
Cadenza
An improvised vocal flourish just before a singer’s final cadence in an aria.
Canon
A contrapuntal form in which the individual voices enter and each in turn imitates exactly the melody that the first voice played or sang.
Chamber orchestra
A small orchestra, typically consisting of a small but complete string orchestra plus a limited number of wind players.
Chordal
A homophonic texture that consists mainly of block chords.
Chromatic
Notes that don’t belong to the current key.
Circle of Fifths
A chord progression whose roots are each a fifth lower than the previous chord.
Classical
The period between 1750-1820.
Close harmony
A style of singing in which most of the accompanying voice parts lie close to the melody and close to each other.
Cluster
A dissonant chord that includes several adjacent notes only one step apart from each other.
Coda
A closing section at the end of a movement, song or piece.
Codetta
A short coda, used to end a section within a longer movement.
Colla voce
Italian for ‘follow the solo voice’.
Coloratura
Florid vocal ornamentation.
Compound time
Time signatures in which each beat contains three (rather than two) subdivisions (e.g. 6/8).
Concept album
A collection of pop songs related by lyrics that share a common theme.
Concertino
The group of instruments that function as soloists in a concerto grosso.
Concerto
A composition for orchestra and a soloist, often in three movements.
Conjunct
A melody that moves by step.
Continuo
A bass part in Baroque music played by one or more bass instruments and used by the players of chordal instruments as the basis from which to fill out the harmonies of the music.
Contrapuntal
Music in which two or more melodic lines occur simultaneously (a texture known as counterpoint).
Contrary motion
When two parts move in opposite directions.
Countertenor
An adult male voice with a range similar to that of an alto.
Cross rhythm
The combination of two conflicting rhythms within a single beat (e.g. a triplet of quavers against two normal quavers).
Da capo form
A type of ternary form in which the repeat of the A section is indicated by the instruction Da capo instead of being written out.
Dal segno
Literally ‘from the sign’.
Development
The central section of sonata form (where motifs are developed and transformed).
Dialogue
A texture in which motifs are exchanged between different parts without the use of imitation.
Diatonic
Notes that belong to the current key.
Diminish
A proportionate decrease in note lengths (e.g. When a rhythm of two crotchets and a minim is diminished it becomes two quavers and a crotchet).
Diminished 7th
A chord consisting of three intervals of a minor 3rd built one on top of the other, the interval between the lower and top note being a diminished 7th.
Disjunct
A melody that moves by leap.
Dissonant
Music whose notes mainly seem to clash harshly when sounded together.
Distortion
An effect that can make the sound of an electric guitar harsher and more gritty.
Dominant
The fifth note of a scale.
Dominant preparation
A passage that creates expectation for the return of the tonic key, typically at the end of the development in a sonata for movement. Emphasised by chords that lean onto the dominant.
Dominant 7th chord
A major triad with a minor 7th.
Dotted rhythms
Successive pairs of notes in which the first is a dotted note and the second is a short note.
Double stopping
Playing two notes simultaneously on a string instrument.
Double tracking
A recording technique in which a performer sings or plays along with their own prerecorded performance in order to produce a thicker sound.
Doubling
The performance of the same melody, in unison or in octaves, by two or more musicians at the same time
Drone
A continuous pedal note (used in folk music).
Enharmonic
Notes or keys that sound the same but are notated differently, such as C# and Db.
Ensemble
A small group of musicians who perform together.
Episode
A passage of music linking two appearances of the same of similar material.
Exposition
The first section of a fugue; the first section of a movement in a sonata form.
Extended chords
Chords in which further notes a 3rd apart are added to 7th chords to produce chords of the 9th, 11th and 13th above the root.
False relation
The effect produced when the natural and chromatically altered versions of a note (such as G and G#) in different parts occur either simultaneously or in close proximity.
Falsetto
The technique of singing notes higher than the normal top register.
Fanfare
A short and lively flourish for trumpets or a group of brass instruments, typically used to introduce something or someone.
Figured bass
A basso continuo part with figures and other symbols beneath the notes to indicate the harmonies of the music.
Fill
In pop and jazz, a brief improvised flourish (often on drums) to fill the gap between the end of one phrase and the beginning of the next.
Finale
The closing scene in an act of an opera or musical.
Free time
Music in which the rhythm does not have to fit a regular pulse.
Fugue
A contrapuntal composition in which a subject is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts.
Gigue
A fast dance in compound time (or based on triplet rhythms in simple time) often used in the Baroque period.
Glissando
A slide from one pitch to another.
Ground bass
A bass ostinato or constantly repeating bass pattern often used in Baroque period.
Harmonic
On string instruments (including the harp and guitar), a very high and pure sound produced by placing a finger lightly on a string before plucking or bowing. Harmonics are indicated by small circles above the note.
Harmonic pace
The rate at which chords change.
Homophonic
A texture with multiple layers moving at the same time.
Hurdy gurdy
An instrument with strings that are set into vibration by the action of a hand-cranked wheel.
Imitation
A contrapuntal device in which a melody in one part is copied a few notes later in a different part (whilst the first melody continues).
Imperfect cadence
A chord progression ending on chord V, sounds incomplete, usually preceded by I, II or IV.
Incidental music
Music intended to be performed as part of a play.
Instrumental
A section in a pop song that features an instrumental solo.
Interrupted cadence
A cadence progression of chord V - vi, sounds interrupted.
Interval
The distance between two pitches.
Kora
A long-necked harp, shaped like a lute, used in West African music.
Lead guitar
The part that has, along with the lead vocal, the main melodic role in a rock band.
Lead vocal
The part for the main solo singer in a rock band.
Leap
An interval greater than a tone between adjacent notes.
Leitmotif
A musical idea that is associated with a person, object, place or emotion in a music drama.
Libretto
A document containing all the words of an opera or stage musical.
Loop
A short section of music that is continually repeated using technology.
Low whistle
A recorder-like instrument used in Irish traditional music. It is longer and deeper in range than the smaller and more familiar tin whistle.
Melismatic
Several notes sung to one syllable (word-setting).
Melody and accompaniment
A homophonic texture in which the accompaniment has some degree of rhythmic independence from the melody.
Mezzo soprano
A female singing voice, lower than soprano but higher than alto.
Mode
A scale of seven pitches. Major and minor scales are types of mode, but the term is usually reserved for other types of scales (e.g. Aeolian mode).
Modulation
A change of key.
Monophonic
A texture with a single line.
Mordent
An ornament played as a rapid wiggle from the printed note to the note above and back (upper mordent) or to the note below and back (lower mordent).
Motif
A short, distinctive melody or rhythm used in various ways to form much longer passages of music.
Movement
An independent section in a longer piece of music.
Multi-tracking
Individual tracks of sound from one or more performers are recorded independently and then played back together.
Murky bass
An 18th Century term for broken octaves.
Mute
A device used to soften the tone of a musical instrument.
Obbligato aria
An Aria, generally from the Baroque period, which includes a part for a solo instrument that is almost as important as the vocal part.
Octave
The distance between a note and the nearest note with the same letter name.
Opera
A large-scale composition for the theatre, involving staged drama sung to an instrumental accompaniment.
Operetta
A shorter, lighter version of an opera and typically includes spoken dialogue.
Oratorio
A musical composition for voices and orchestra based on a religious text.
Ornaments
Notes, often indicated by special signs, that decorate the main notes of a melody.
Ostinato
A repeated pattern of notes.
Overdub
The process of adding additional sound tracks to an existing recording.
Overdrive
A guitar effect that produces a deliberately distorted sound.
Pan
A control that determines the position (from left to right) of a sound in a stereo field.
Parallel harmonies
A succession of similar chords whose notes all move in the same direction.
Passing notes
Non-chord notes that move by step between the notes of adjacent chords.
Pedal
A sustained or repeated note in the bass.
Pentatonic scale
A five-note scale found often in folk music and non-Western music.
Perfect cadence
A chord progression of chords V - I, sounds finished.
Phase shifter
Electronic process that can add a ‘sweeping effect’ to a sound.
Plagal cadence
A chord progression of chord IV to I, sounds like a sung ‘amen’.
Polyphonic
A texture with several parts interweaving.
Portamento
A continuous slide in pitch between two notes.
Quartal harmony
Harmony based on 4ths rather than 3rds.
Range
The span of pitches from low to high.
Recitative
Vocal music that mimics the rhythms of ordinary speech.
Register
A particular part of the range of a voice or instrument (i.e. high vs low).
Related keys
Keys whose scales have most of their notes in common.
Reverb
Electronically making the instrument or voice sound like it is in a large room - reverberating.
Riff
A short, catchy, and repeated melodic phrase.
Ripieno
The larger of the two ensembles in the Baroque concerto grosso.
Ritornello form
Form in a Baroque concerto grosso in which all or part of the main theme—the ritornello (Italian for “return” or “refrain”)—returns again and again, invariably played by the tutti, or full orchestra.
Romantic
The period between 1820-1900.
Rondo form
A musical structure in which a main section alternates with contrasting episodes, e.g. ABACA.
Root
The note that corresponds with the letter-name of a chord (e.g. Chord of C = root is C).
Rubato
Tiny fluctuations in tempo for expressive effect.
Samba
A dance and highly syncopated type of music from Brazil.
Sample
A short segment taken from an existing recording for reuse in a new piece.
Scale
A set of notes that go up or down in order.
Scalic
Related to a musical scale.
Semitone
Half of a tone.
Sequence
The repetition of a phrase at a different pitch.
Swing rhythm
Rhythm where notes with equal written time values are performed with unequal durations, usually as alternating long and short.
Simple time
Time signatures in which each beat contains two subdivisions (e.g. 2/4, 3/4, 4/4).
Slide
An ornament common in the Baroque period, consisting of two notes that rapidly rise by step to the main note. The notes of the ornament are printed in small type.
Sonata
Classical period, a work in three or four movements for soloist and piano or piano alone.
Sonata form
A work made up of an exposition, development, recapitulation, coda.
Sonority
The character of musical sounds either individually or in combination.
Soprano
The highest female singing voice.
Stab
A term used in pop and jazz for a loud, detached chord.
Step
An interval of a tone or semitone between adjacent notes.
Stretto
A section of a fugue in which entries of the subject occur closer together than previously so that they overlap more tightly.
Strophic form
Song structure in which the same music is repeated with every stanza (strophe) of the poem.
Subject
The theme of a fugue or one of two important themes in sonata form.
Suite
A collection of pieces (often danced) intended to be performed together.
Sus. chord
In pop and jazz, a chord with a 4th or 2nd above the bass instead of a third. The dissonance does not necessarily resolve, as in a typical 4-3 suspension.
Suspension
An effect that occurs when a note from one chord is held over to a chord to which it does not belong. This creates a moment of dissonance before resolving to a chord note (often a 4-3 or 2-3 suspension).
Syllabic
One note per syllable (word-setting)
Syncopation
Strongly accented notes played off or against the beat.
Talking drum
An African drum played with a hooked beater. Can mimic the patterns of speech and has considerable tonal variety.
Tasto solo
A passage in a continuo part where no chords are required.
Tenor
Highest male singing voice.
Ternary form
A three-part structure (A B A).
Terraced dynamics
A term used to describe the sharp, abrupt dynamic contrasts found in the music of the Baroque era.
Tessitura
The average range of a passage.
Theme
A musical idea (usually a melody).
Tierce de Picardie
The final chord of a piece of music in the minor key is changed to major.
Timbre
Quality of sound/tone colour.
Title hook
A short and catchy motif set to the words of the title of a pop song.
Tone
An interval of two semitones.
Tonic
The first note of a major or minor scale.
Transciption
A score made from a recording.
Transpose
The process of writing or performing music at a higher or lower pitch.
Tremolo
Rapid repetition of either a single pitch or two alternating pitches.
Triad
A chord of three pitches consisting of a root and the notes a 3rd and 5th above it.
Trill
An ornament in which the written note is rapidly alternated with the note above.
Tutti
Everyone plays.
Uillean pipes
A type of Irish bagpipe used in many kinds of folk music. The air supply comes from elbow-operated bellows.
Unison
The effect of two or more people performing the same note(s).
Verse and chorus form
A typical pop and rock structure. Each verse has different words but the same music and is followed by a contrasting chorus, in which the same words and music appear each time.
Vibrato
A slight fluctuation in pitch used to enhance or intensify a sound.
Virtuoso
A performer of outstanding technical ability.
Vocables
Nonsense syllables in a song.
Wah-wah
A guitar effect or brass mute that can mimic the human voice saying ‘wah-wah’.
Walking bass
A bass line that creates a steady tread by moving mainly in identical note lengths.
Word painting
Musical illustration of the meaning of a word or a short verbal phrase.
Word setting
The way in which words are allocated to the syllables of the text in vocal music.
