Musical Terms Flashcards
2/4 time
simple meter in which there are two beats per measure and a quarter note gets one beat
3/4 time
simple meter in which there are three beats per measure and a quarter note gets one beat
ABA form
a form consisting of three sections in which the third section is a repeat of the first
ABC form
a form consisting of three sections, all of which are different
accent
indicates that a note should be played or sung with more emphasis than the other notes
alto
low female singing voice, abbreviated “A”
arch form
a musical form with the sections ABCBA
aria
a song from an opera, for one voice, often sung with an orchestra
arpeggio
broken chord; a group of notes from a chord that are sounded one after another
articulation
the way the notes are played
ballet
a story told through music and dancing, performed on a stage with costumes, sets, and lighting
band
a group of musicians who play woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments
baritone
the most common male singing voice, lower than tenor and higher than bass
baroque motet
a musical composition for choir and soloists in several movements
bass
low male singing voice, abbreviated “B”
bass clef (“F clef”)
a musical symbol that indicates F below middle C (line 4 on the staff)
instruments that use bass clef
cello, double bass, bassoon, trombone, baritone, euphonium, tuba, timpani, bass guitar, piano, and harp, as well as baritone and bass voices
bel canto
“beautiful singing” in Italian; an Italian vocal style in Europe during the 18th and early 19th centuries
big band
a group of 12-25 jazz musicians who play woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments; came to prominence in the 1930s
bridge
a contrasting section that prepares for the return of the main theme; also used in jazz and pop music for a connecting section within the form of the music
chamber ensemble
a small group of musicians who play in a room or small hall
chamber orchestra
a few musicians who play in a room or small hall
choir
a large group of singers associated with the church (sacred); includes soprano, alto, tenor, and bass
chord
three or more notes sounded together
clef
a musical symbol that is used to indicate the pitch of musical notes. Most common are treble, bass, and alto.
coda
“tail” in Italian; the ending of a piece of music
commission
to hire and pay a composer to compose a piece of music. May be done by individuals or groups, such as a school or symphony orchestra
compound meter
the beat is evenly divided into three parts (6/8, 9/8, etc)
concert band
a large group of 20-60 musicians who play instruments from the woodwind, brass, and percussion families indoors in a concert setting
other names for concert band
wind band, wind ensemble, wind orchestra, wind symphony, symphonic band, symphonic winds, symphonic wind ensemble
concerto
a composition, usually in three parts or movements, for solo instrument(s) and orchestra
conductor
a person who leads the orchestra, band, chorus, opera, ballet, or other musical group in the performance and interpretation of a musical work
development
second section of the Sonata form, in which the themes are changed and developed
dynamics
the volume (loudness or softness) of the music
English Military Band
a group of musicians within the armed forces who play marching and military music, made of brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments
exposition
first section of the Sonata form, in which two themes are introduced or “exposed”; usually repeated
expressive elements
tempo, dynamics, articulation, texture, tonality, and mood; qualities that affect the emotions felt when music is heard
fanfare
“sounding of trumpets” in French; a short, showy piece of music played for a special event or to announce the arrival of an important person; usually played by brass instruments, often with percussion
finale
the last, or final, movement of a sonata, concerto, or symphony
folk song
a song that is not written down, but is passed on orally from person to person. Usually the composer is unknown
forte
dynamic marking that indicates that the music is to be performed loudly
french horn
a brass instrument made from about 17 feet of coiled metal tubing. Developed from the post horn, hunting horn, and natural horn, to a modern horn that uses valves and valve keys.
fugue
a composition with two or more voices or parts. The melody is played in one part, and then played and modified by the other parts.
Gloria
a celebratory passage in a mass that praises God; divided into sections according to the text
Gregorian chant
a simple vocal line with free rhythm, performed without instruments. Developed in the Middle Ages for use in the church. The Latin text is religious.
harmony
two or more tones that sound at the same time
improvisation
creating music in real time without preparation
interlude
a short section of music between parts of a longer composition
interval
the inclusive distance between two pitches, labeled with a number
introduction
the beginning of a piece of music
jazz
music that was created by African Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; uses improvisation and syncopation
King Ludwig of Bavaria
(1845-1886); ruled from 1864 to 1886. Was so fond of Wagner and his music that he built a fairy tale castle, “Neuschwanstein” (“New Swan-on-the-Rock”) in honor of Wagner.
King Solomon
the son of David, ruled Israel from 970 BC to 931 BC; he was great in wisdom, wealth, and power
Laudamus te
“we praise you” in Latin; the second of six sections of the Gloria
legato
an articulation that means “tied together”; notes are smooth and connected
“Les Six”
the famous group of French composers (Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, Arthur Honegger, Georges Auric, Louis Durey, and Germaine Tailleferre) who embraced Satie’s artistic ideal of extreme simplicity
libretto
“book” in Italian; the text used in an extended musical composition such as an opera, oratorio, cantata, or musical
Franz Liszt
(1811-1886) Hungarian composer, conductor, and virtuoso pianist. Was a close friend of Wagner, and Wagner married this composer’s daughter, Cosima.
lyricist
a person who writes the words of a song
lyrics
the words of a song
marionette
a type of puppet with jointed limbs that is controlled from above by strings
mass
the choral composition that sets the Latin words of a Catholic church service to music
sections of the ordinary mass
I. Kyrie, II. Gloria, III. Credo, IV. Sanctus and Benedictus, V. Agnus Dei
melody
a line of single pitches that move up, down, or repeat
meter
the way beats of music are grouped, usually in sets of two, three, or four beats
mood
the way a piece of music makes you feel, determined by expressive elements: tempo, dynamics, articulation, texture, and major/minor tonality
motif
a distinctive and recurring musical theme
musical form
the overall structure of a piece of music
musical prodigy
a child who can perform or compose music at the level of a highly-trained adult
opera
a story completely told through music. The characters sing with an orchestra accompanying them and act out the story on a stage with costumes, scenery, and props.
opera buffa
comic opera, written for and about ordinary people with common problems, in everyday settings, using local dialects, and simple vocal writing. Singer must have clear diction and be able to sing “patter”
oratorio
a large composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists with a religious theme. Usually performed in a concert setting, without special costumes, stage sets, and staging.
organ symphony
a large-scale piece of music in several movements for solo pipe organ, in which the full range, power, and musical color of the organ is used to imitate the sound of the orchestra
Ospedale della Pietà
an orphanage for girls in Venice
Vivaldi taught music here
ostinato
a pattern that repeats
pastoral
refers to the country
patter
a type of fast singing used in opera buffa
piano
a dynamic marking that indicates that the music is to be performed softly
pipe organ
nicknamed the “King of instruments”; a keyboard instrument, often with multiple keyboards and many metal and wooden pipes. When a key is pressed, air rushes into a corresponding pipe. The vibration of the air in the pipe creates the sound.
parts of a pipe organ
pipes, manuals (keyboards played by the hands), stops or draw knobs (stop the sound from playing)
pizzicato
a type of articulation that indicates that the strings of a stringed instrument are to be plucked
prelude
a piece of music that introduces something important, such as an orchestral opening to an act of an opera, the first movement of a suite, or a piece preceding a fugue. In his operas, Wagner used this word in place of “overture”
presto
a tempo mark that includes that the music is very fast
Pulitzer Prize
a yearly American award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature, and musical composition. Winners receive a $10,000 award.
Queen of Sheba
ruler of a kingdom in southwestern Arabia. She visited King Solomon’s court at the head of a camel caravan bearing gold, jewels, and spices. The purpose of her visit was to test Solomon’s wisdom by asking him to solve a series of riddles.
ragtime
a style of early jazz music composed for the piano, with a bouncy, syncopated melody. It was called this at first because it sounded as “ragged” as a torn piece of cloth.
recapitulation
third section of the Sonata form in which the themes are restated
rondo form
a musical form in which the main theme returns after each contrasting section: ABACA. Can also refer to music that is fast and vivacious
sabre
a sharp, heavy sword with curved blade and a single cutting edge
sabre dance
a traditional folk dance in which dancers display their skill with sabres
SATB choir
a group of male and female singers in 4 parts
scherzo
“joke” in Italian; the third movement of a symphony, in 3/4 time, usually quick and light-hearted. It is often played with a trio, followed by a repeat of the first part of the movement.
Seville
a large city in southern Spain
simple meter
the beat is evenly divided into two parts (2/4, 3/4, 4/4, etc)
Sinfonia
“symphony” in Italian; a 17th or 18th century orchestra piece used as an introduction, interlude, or postlude to an opera, oratorio, cantata, or suite
solo
a piece or part of a piece of music that is played or sung by one performer
sonata form
a musical form developed in the Classical period by Haydn and Mozart. It is used mostly for the first movement of symphonies and concertos. Its sections include exposition, development, recapitulation, and coda.
song cycle
a group of songs with a common theme or that tell a story, designed to be performed in sequence without a break
soprano
high female singing voice
staccato
a type of articulation that indicates that the notes are to be detached or separated
stinger
an accented single note at the end of an introduction and/or the end of a piece of music
suite
a musical form made up of a collection of short pieces
The Swing Era
(Big Band Era) the period of time (around 1935-1946) when Big Band swing music was the most popular music in the United States
symphony
a musical composition in three or more movements for orchestra
syncopation
a rhythm where important tones begin on weak beats or weak parts of beats, giving an “off-balance” feeling to the music
tam-tam
a type of gong
tempo
“time” in Italian; the speed of the beat
tenor
high male singing voice
texture
the way the sounds are combined, or the way layers of sound interact in a musical composition
theme
the main melody of a section or composition. Used repeatedly to represent an idea, emotion, or character
the “Three B’s”
the group of German composers: Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig Van Beethoven, and Johannes Brahms
the “Three Titans of Soviet Music”
a group of three Soviet composers of the early 20th century: Aram Khachaturian, Sergei Prokofiev, and Dmitri Shostakovich
toccata
“touch” or “play a musical instrument” in Italian; a piece of music for solo keyboard instrument, often difficult, with a lot of fast notes to show off how well the performer can play
treble clef (“G clef”)
a musical symbol that indicates G above middle C (line 2 on the staff)
instruments that use treble clef
violin, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, saxophone, recorder, trumpet, cornet, French horn, vibraphone, xylophone, guitar, mandolin, bagpipe, keyboards, harps, as well as women’s and tenor voices
trio
a middle contrasting section of a three-part form, named this because it was originally written for three instruments. Usually has a light, simple, texture
two step
a form of popular music that was performed with ragtime music, until about 1911
variation
a technique where music is repeated with alterations to the melody, harmony, rhythm, meter, dynamics, tempo, timbre, or texture
virtuoso
a musician who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability on a musical instrument
