glossary notes Flashcards
12 bar blues
one of the most prominent chord progressions in popular music, starting in blues music and spreading to jazz, rock, R&N. Its predominantly based on I, IV and V chords.
32 bar song form
a song written in four 8 bar phrases, also known as popular song form
acciaccatura
a melodic ornament, a note played as quickly as possible before the main note that follows it
anacrusis
one or more weak-beat notes before the first strong beat of a phrase, which is often called a ‘pickup’ in pop music
antiphony, antiphonal
a musical texture where two groups of musicians take turns to play or sing
appoggiatura
a melodic ornament where a neighboring note( that sound dissonant) is sounded before the main note of the melody
argeggio
the notes of a standard chord played one after the other in an ascending or descending order
atonal
music without an obvious key
backbeat
accented off-beats, emphasizing the second and fourth beats of a bar, giving a syncopated effect
basso continuo
see continuo
blues notes
in blues music, notes added to a scale which are usually a flattened 3rd or flattened 7th
bossa nova rhythm
a syncopated rhythm found in Brazilian genre which is a fusion of jazz and samba style
broken or spread notes
a chord in which the notes are sounded one after the other, rather than being played exactly together
argeggio
another word for broken chord
cadence
a pair of chords which mark the end of a musical statement
cadenza
an extended passage for the soloist in a concerto, usually unaccompanied and requiring virtuoso playing, it is intended to show off instrument’s capabilities and the players skills
call and response
vocal musician which a soloist sings a phrase to which a group of singing a respond. mostly found in African music, but also found in jazz and pop
changing notes
two non- harmony notes in succession, similar to a suspension
chordal
a form of homophony in which all the parts move together in the same or very similar rhythm.
chorus
in classical music it refers to a large group of singers in a choral work or opera, or the music that they sing
semi-chours
it is similar to a chorus. it is a smaller group of singers.
chromatic
notes that don’t belong to the current key; the opposite of diatonic.
coda
the final part of a composition made up of repeated sections, where the coda is different from the earlier seactions
colla voce
not following a strict beat, the tempo is left to the interpretation of the performer, or follows speech rhythm.
concerto
a work for a soloist or soloists accompanied by an orchestra, usually in three movement
conjunct
a style of melodic writing in which each note is a step away from the previous one; opposite of disjunct.
consonant harmony
a combination of notes providing a pleasing sound when played together; opposite if dissonant.
continuo
accompanying part in the instrumental music of the baroque period. played by a bass instrument ( such as cello) and a harmony instrument ( such as a harpsichord)
contrapuntal
music that uses counterpoint, a texture where 2 or more melodic lines are played together at he same time.
counterpoint
a texture where 2 or more melodic lines are played together / at the same time.
dal segno
( a sign that looks like a fancy S ) is a form of repeat just like the D.S sign.
delay
guitar device which records a sound and repeats it at a given time, or multiple times, often with a diminuendo.
NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH ECHO.
diatonic
music using just the notes of the home key; opposite of chromatic
disjunct
a style of melodic writing including many leaps between one note and the next; opposite of conjunct
dissonant
a combination of notes producing a clashing sound when played together; opposite of consonant.
distortion
a technology effect used to alter the sound of an amplified instrument, usually creating a ‘dirty’ or ‘clipped’ version of the same sound.
double dotted
when the shorter of a pair of dotted notes is halved in length again, making it extremely short, and accentuating the dotted rhythm.
double stopping
2 notes played at the same time on a stringed instrument, on 2 adjacent( other) strings
doubling
more than one part playing the same line , either in unison or an octave apart,
drone
one or more notes held or repeated throughput an extended passage of music, common in folk music style.
enharmonic
2 notes or keys which sound the same but are written differently, such as C# and Db (flat)
falsetto
male singing in a high treble or unbroken voice, in the same range as a soprano or alto.
fill
in pop music or jazz, a brief improvised flourish to fill the gap between the end of one phrase and the beginning of another.
four-on-the-floor
Bass drum of a drum kit, playing on every crotchet in a 4/4 bar , common in disco music
glissando
a slide from one pitch to another.
homophonic
a musical texture in which all parts( melody accompaniment) move in similar rhythm creating a chordal effect.
hook
a repeated, catchy motif in jazz and pop music.
