Music Terms - Specialized Concepts Flashcards
Pentatonic
A scale consisting of five notes per octave, often associated with folk music and non-Western musical traditions.
Modal
Referring to music based on modes rather than traditional major or minor scales, often associated with ancient and non-Western music.
Tonal center
The central pitch or key of a piece of music, providing a sense of stability and orientation.
Heterophony
Music in which multiple performers play simultaneous variations of the same melody, creating a rich, textured sound.
Anacrusis
A pickup note or notes occurring before the first downbeat of a phrase, often used to lead into the main theme.
Rubato
Flexible tempo, where the performer speeds up or slows down for expressive effect, often used in romantic and expressive music.
Conducting
Directing a musical performance by giving cues to performers with a baton or hands, guiding the ensemble’s interpretation and expression.
Score
The written notation of a piece of music, showing all parts simultaneously, used by performers and conductors for reference.
Lead sheet
A simplified musical notation indicating melody, lyrics, and chord symbols, commonly used in jazz and popular music.
Improvisation
Creating or performing music spontaneously, without prior preparation.
Head
The main melody or theme of a jazz composition.
Walking bass
A steady, stepwise bass line commonly used in jazz.
Swing
A rhythmic feel characterized by uneven eighth notes and a strong sense of groove.
Bebop
A complex and fast-paced style of jazz characterized by intricate melodies and harmonies.
Modal jazz
Jazz that emphasizes the use of modes rather than chord progressions.
Fusion
A style of music that combines elements of jazz with rock, funk, or other genres.
Latin jazz
Jazz music with strong influences from Latin American rhythms and instrumentation.
Bossanova
A Brazilian style of music characterized by its relaxed tempo and syncopated rhythms.
Samba
A Brazilian dance style with a fast tempo and distinctive syncopated rhythm.
Riff
A short, repeated melodic or rhythmic pattern.
Lick
A short melodic or rhythmic phrase often used in improvisation.
Chorus
A repeated section of music, often with the same melody and lyrics.
Hook
A catchy or memorable melodic or rhythmic motif that grabs the listener’s attention.
Groove
A strong, infectious rhythm or beat that propels the music forward.
Drop
A sudden decrease in volume or intensity, often used for dramatic effect.
Fade
Gradual decrease in volume, often used to end a song.
Mixing
Adjusting the balance, EQ, and effects of individual tracks in a recording.
Mastering
Final stage of audio production, preparing the recording for distribution.
Arrangement
The organization and adaptation of a piece of music for performance or recording.
Segue
Smooth transition from one section of music to another.
Vamp
Repeating musical figure or chord progression used as an accompaniment.
Sample
A recorded snippet of sound used in music production.
Loop
A repeating section of music, often created electronically.
Dubbing
Technique of remixing and manipulating recorded music to create new versions.
Compression
Audio processing technique used to reduce dynamic range.
Reverb
Acoustic effect simulating the sound reflections in a physical space.
Delay
Audio effect that repeats the input signal after a certain amount of time.
Distortion
Audio effect that alters the sound waveform, adding harmonics and saturation.
Phaser
Modulation effect that creates a sweeping, swirling sound.
Flanger
Modulation effect similar to a phaser but with a more pronounced, jet-like sound.
Chorus
Modulation effect that simulates the sound of multiple instruments playing together.
Pitch shift
Altering the pitch of a sound without changing its duration.
Transpose
Shifting a piece of music to a different key or pitch level.
