Intermediate Flashcards
Return to the previous tempo
A tempo
Becoming quicker
Accelerando, accel.
In the manner of
Alla, all’
Lively, animated
Animato
Much, very much (for example, allegro assai: very fast)
Assai
Well (for example, ben marcato: well marked)
Ben, bene
Brilliant
Brillante
With (for example, coll’ ottava: with an added octave)
Col, coll’, colla, colle
With
Con
With vigor or spirit
Con brio
With expression
Con espressione
With movement
Con moto
And
E, ed
Expressive, with expression
Espressivo, espress.
Loud, then suddenly soft
Fortepiano, fp
Slow and solemn
Grave
Light, nimble, quick
Leggiero
Return to normal register
Loco
But (for example, am non troppo: but not too much)
Ma
Less
Meno
Less movement, slower
Meno mosso
Metronome marking
M.M.
Much, very
Molto
Not
Non
Not too much
Non troppo
More
Più
More movement, quicker
Più mosso
Little
Poco
Little by little
Poco a poco
Almost, as if
Quasi
A flexible tempo using slight variations of speed to enhance musical expression
Rubato
Always, continuously
Sempre
Without
Senza
Spirited
Spiritoso
Held, sustained
Tenuto
Quiet, tranquil
Tranquillo
Three strings; release the left piano pedal
Tre corde
Too much
Troppo
One strength; depress the left piano pedal
Una corda
Lively, brisk
Vivace
A symbol, placed in front of a note, that raises or lowers its pitch
Accidental
And interval that is one chromatic semitone larger than the equivalent major or Perfect interval
Augmented interval
A vertical line that divides the staff into measures
Bar line
The clef that indicates the location of F on the fourth line of the staff
Bass clef
A horizontal line that connects two or more eighth, 16th, or 32nd notes
Beam
A major scale in which the third, the seventh, and sometimes the fifth degrees are lowered
Blues scales
Two chords or implied harmonies that end a phrase of music creating a place of rest
Cadence
A style of written music for four distinct voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass
Chorale style
A combination of notes that are played together
Chord
A semitone that consists of two notes with the same letter name (for example, G-G#)
Chromatic semitone
A diagram that shows how keys are related by perfect 5ths
Circle of fifths
The sign placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate the location of notes
Clef
Another name for the time signature 4/4
Common time
Time signatures that indicate to beats in each measure-for example, 6/4, 6/8, 6/16 - where each beat is divisible by three
Compound duple time
Time signatures that indicates four beats and each measure - for example, 12/4, 12/8, 12/16 - where each beat is divisible by three
Compound quadruple time
Time signatures in which each beat is divisible by three
Compound time
Time signatures that indicate three beats in each measure-for example, 9/4, 9/8, 9/16 - where each beat is divisible by three
Compound triple time
Another name for the time signature 2/2
Cut time (alla breve)
A semitone that consists of two notes with different letter names (for example, G-Ab)
Diatonic semitone
An interval that is one chromatic semitone smaller than the equivalent minor or Perfect interval
Diminished interval
The sign that lowers the pitch of a note one whole tone
Double flat
bb
The sign that raises the pitch of a note one whole tone
Double sharp
In 4/2 time, A note equal to four beats
Double whole note, breve
In 4/2 time, a rest equal to four beats
Double whole rest, breve rest
In compound time, a group of two notes that are played in the time of three notes of the same value
Duplet
Describes notes of the same pitch that are named differently (for example, F# and Gb)
Enharmonic
In a chord, The note that is the interval of a fifth above the root
Fifth
The position of a chord when the third is the lowest
First inversion
A small curved line that, when attached to a note stem, indicates an eighth note (two _____ indicate a sixteenth note, three indicate a thirty-second note)
Flag
The sign that lowers the pitch of a note one semitone
Flat
The combination of the treble and bass staves
Grand staff
The distance between two notes played at the same time
Harmonic interval
A scale formed by raising the seventh degree of the natural minor scale (there are semitones between notes 2 and 3, Notes 5 and 6, and Notes 7 and 8(1).)
Harmonic minor scale
The distance between two notes
Interval
Turned upside down
Inverted
The specific scale on which a piece of music is based
Key
A collection of sharps or flats at the beginning of the staff that indicates the key of the music
Key signature
The short lines used for notes that are above or below the staff
Ledger lines
The interval of a 2nd, 3rd, 6th, or 7th, as formed above the tonic of a major scale
Major interval (maj)
A series of seven notes with the following pattern of tones and semitones: tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone
Major scale
A three-note chord that consists of a major 3rd and a perfect 5th above the root
Major triad
A group of beats or pulses between two bar lines
Measure
The distance between two notes played one after the other
Melodic interval
A scale formed by raising the sixth and seventh degrees of the natural minor scale ascending, and lowering the sixth and seventh degrees the sending
Melodic minor scale
The interval of a 2nd, 3rd, 6th, or 7th that is one semitones smaller than the equivalent major interval
Minor interval (min)
A three-note chord that consists of a minor 3rd in a perfect 5th above the root
Minor Triad
The sign that cancels a sharp or a flat
Natural
A minor scale written with no changes from the key signature
Natural minor scale
A written symbol used to indicate sound in music
Note
The interval of an octave
Ottava, 8va
And eight-note scale in which tones and semitones alternate
Octatonic scale
A five-note scale (one example is found on the black keys of the keyboard)
Pentatonic scale
A chord progression that consists of a dominant triad moving to a tonic triad (V - I)
Perfect cadence
And interval of a unison, 4th, 5th, or 8ve as formed above the tonic of a major scale
Perfect interval (per)
A chord progression that consists of a subdominant triad moving to a tonic triad (IV- I)
Plagal cadence
In compound time, a group of four notes that are played in the time of three notes of the same value
Quadruplet
A group of five notes that are played in the time of three, four, or six notes of the same value, depending on the time signature
Quintuplet
Major and minor keys that use the same key signature
Relative keys
A written symbol used to indicate silence in music
Rest
The fundamental note of a triad or chord
Root
The position of a chord when the root is the lowest note
Root position
A series of notes with a specific pattern of tones and semitones
Scale
The position of a chord when the fifth is the lowest note
Second inversion
One halfstep; the shortest distance between two notes on the keyboard
Semitone
A group of seven notes that are played in the time of four or six notes of the same value
Septuplet
A group of six notes that are played in the time of four notes of the same value
Sextuplet
The sign that raises the pitch of a note one semitone
Sharp
A score for four voices (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) written on two staves
Short score
Time signatures that indicate to beats in each measure-for example, 2/2, 2/4, 2/8 - where each beat is divisible by two
Simple duple time
Time signatures that indicate four beats and each measure-for example, 4/2, 4/4, 4/8 - where each beat is divisible by two
Simple quadruple time
Time signatures in which each beat is divisible by two
Simple time
Time signatures that indicate three beats in each measure-for example, 3/2, 3/4, 3/8 - where each beat is divisible by two
Simple triple time
The five horizontal lines on and between which notes are written
Staff (pl. staves)
A shift of accent from a strong beat to a weak beat
Syncopation
In a chord, the note that is a 3rd above the root
Third
A curved line that connects two notes of the same pitch (The first note is played and the sound is held for the value of both notes.)
Tie
Two numbers placed at the beginning of a piece of music (The upper number indicates the number of beats in each measure; the lower number indicates which note get the strong beat.)
Time signature
The first note of a scale
Tonic
A major scale that has the same tonic as a given minor scale
Tonic major
A minor scale that has the same tonic as a given major scale
Tonic minor
The rewriting of a melody at a different pitch or in a different key
Transposition
The clef that indicates the location of G on the second line of the staff
Treble clef, G clef
A three-note chord
Triad
A group of three notes played in the time of two notes of the same value
Triplet
Two semitones; the distance between any two piano keys with one key (White or black) between them
Whole tone
