Music Study Notes: Dynamics and Expressive Techniques Flashcards
Crescendo
Gradually getting louder
Decrescendo
Gradually getting softer
Diminuendo
Getting softer
Forte
Loud
Fortissimo
Very loud
Mezzo Forte
Moderately loud
Mezzo Piano
Moderately soft
Morendo
Dying away
Pianissimo
Very soft
Piano
Soft
Stringendo
Pressing on faster
Arco
With the bow
Legato
Smoothly
Pizzicato
Plucked
Slurred
Smooth joining together of notes in a phrase
Spiccato
A form of staccato bowing which allows the bow to bounce the strings
Staccato
Short and detached
Tongued
Each note of the phrase is separated and not well connected
Accents
Strong emphasis on a note
Distortion Pedals
Pedals used in rock music to alter the sound of the notes by changing the wave lengths of the sound creating a dirty sound quality
Falsetto
A male voice singing very high
Flutter Tonguing
Trilling the note with an ‘m’ sound
Glissando
Smoothy, notes that are well connected
Harmonics
Secondary, soft high sounds heard when any note is sounded.
Mutes
Devices used to dampen the quality of the sound
Note Bending
Pushing the string sideways as the note is being played
Scat Singing
Singing of nonsense syllables instead of words
Slurring
Playing notes well connected
Sul Ponticello
Bow on or near the bridge of stringed instruments
Tremolo
Rapid movement of the bow across the strings
Vibrato
The gentle movement of the finger on a stringed instrument to a give a warm tone colour
