Music Terms

Question 1

What is the term for a very quiet piece of music?

Answer 1

Pianissimo (pp)

Question 2

What is the term for a quiet piece of music?

Answer 2

Piano (p)

Question 3

What is the term for a moderately quiet piece of music?

Answer 3

Mezzo-piano (mp)

Question 4

What is the term for a medium-loud piece of music?

Answer 4

Mezzo-forte (mf)

Question 5

What is the term for a loud piece of music?

Answer 5

Forte (f)

Question 6

What is the term for a very loud piece of music?

Answer 6

Fortissimo (ff)

Question 7

What is the Italian term for slow pace?

Answer 7

Adagio

Question 8

What is the Italian term for medium pace?

Answer 8

Andante

Question 9

What is the Italian term for fast pace?

Answer 9

Allegro

Question 10

What is the term for a piece of music getting slower?

Answer 10

Rallentando

Question 11

What is the term for a piece of music getting faster?

Answer 11

Accelerando

Question 12

What is the term for a piece of music getting quieter?

Answer 12

Diminuendo

Question 13

What is the term for a piece of music getting louder?

Answer 13

Crescendo

Question 14

What is the term for something being played suddenly?

Answer 14

Sforzando

Question 15

What are the two tonalities of a piece?

Answer 15

Major and Minor

Question 16

What is Ragtime?

Answer 16

Often played on piano. Features a strongly syncopated melody (meaning the notes don’t always fall on the beat)

Question 17

What is Rondo?

Answer 17

A B A C A … A form where the first section (A) keeps returning, in between different sections

Question 18

What is Con sordino?

Answer 18

Mute

Question 19

What is a Coda?

Answer 19

A passage at the end of a piece of music which rounds it off effectively

Question 20

What is a Modulation?

Answer 20

A complete change in key

Question 21

What is a Strophic?

Answer 21

A song which has the same music repeated for verses/choruses

Question 22

What is Contrary Motion?

Answer 22

Going up and down in pitch at the same time

Question 23

What is a Descant?

Answer 23

Tune above the singer

Question 24

What is an Ornament?

Answer 24

An ornament decorates a melody by adding extra notes

Question 25

What is a Discord?

Answer 25

A chord in which certain notes clash. Sounds unpleasant

Question 26

What is Syncopation?

Answer 26

Strongly accented notes playing off or against the beat. Notes coming in when unexpected

Question 27

What is Minimalist?

Answer 27

Simple rhythmic and melodic figures which are constantly repeated with very slight changes each time

Question 28

What is a Cluster?

Answer 28

A group of notes, which clash, played together

Question 29

What is Atonal?

Answer 29

No feeling of key. It is not major or minor

Question 30

What is an Aria?

Answer 30

A solo sung in an operatic style

Question 31

What is a Chromatic?

Answer 31

12 half-steps

Question 32

What is Arco?

Answer 32

String players using a bow

Question 33

What is Canon?

Answer 33

Like repetition. Once one part begins to play, an