Literacy Notes Flashcards
Tempo Italian Terms
Presto- very fast
Allegro- fast and lively
Allegretto- moderately fast and lively
Moderato- at a moderate speed
Andante- at an easy walking pace
Adagio- slowly
A tempo- return to the original tempo
Accelerando- gradually getting faster
Rallentando- gradually getting slower
Ritardando- gradually getting slower
Ritenuto- immediately slower or held back
Rubato- musical term referring to expressive and rhythmic freedom by slight speeding up and then slowing down of the tempo of a piece
Half time- compositional device in jazz, when rhythmic values are doubled without altering pace of chord changes
Double time- compositional device in jazz, when rhythmic values are halved without altering pace of the chord changes
Syncopation- displacing of beats and the irregular accents resulting from weak beats being emphasised
Swung- in rhythm, the conversion of even subdivisions into long-short pairs
Articulation Italian terms
Sforzando- in music notation to play a note with sudden, strong emphasis
Forte piano- sudden dynamic change from loud to immediately soft
Accent- emphasis or stress placed on a particular note
Legato/slur- curved line connecting two or more notes of different pitch and indicating that they are to be played in a legato manner
Staccato- playing notes short and detached or separated from each other
Tenuto- direction for the performer o hold or sustain a note for its full length
Trill- musical ornament of rapid alternation between two adjacent notes
Glissando- a glide from one pitch to another
Scoop- indicate a falling or rising of pitch
Structural symbols
Anacrusis- incomplete bar at beginning of a musical work or phrase, remaining value is accounted for in the final bar
Ostinato- repeating pattern that usually has an accompanying role
Riff/motif- short, repeated musical idea
1st time ending- player go back to a point at or near the beginning and start over
2nd time ending- player skips the 1st time ending and plays only the second time ending
Fermata/pause- signifies that the note should be held beyond its natural duration
Segno- a sign in composition that indicates a repeat
Dal segno al fine- go back to the segno symbol and play the music again until you come to the bar marked fine
Da capo al fine- from the head until the end
Coda- a concluding section that is based on extensions or re-elaboration of theme music already heard
Segue- to proceed without pause from one musical number/theme to another
Attacca- attack at once, usually at the end of a movement to begin the next without pause
Transposing instruments
Bb - (Major 2nd lower)
Clarinet in Bb
Bass clarinet (+ 8ve)
Trumpet
Tenor saxophone (+ 8ve)
Soprano saxophone
A - (minor 3rd lower)
Clarinet in A
Horn
Cor Anglais
Eb - (Major 6th lower)
Alto saxophone
Baritone saxophone (+ 8ve)
Octave
Piccolo
Double bass
Contrabassoon
Guitar
Drum Kit notation
Crash
Hi-hat
Ride
High Tom
Mid Tom
Snare
Floor tom
Kick/ Bass drum
Hi-hat foot
starts on line above top line, skips B and low E
