Musical Terms Flashcards
Accent
An emphasis or ‘punch’ at the beginning of a musical sound
Adagio
Slow tempo, sometimes the name of a work like Mozart’s Adagio for Violin and Orchestra.
Andante
Walking tempo; a moderate speed
Bar/Measure
A specific number of musical sounds that are organised within a measure, and that are contained within two solid lines called bar lines
Beat/Pulse
Regular pattern within a bar or measure
Cadenza
An extended solo for the soloist in a concerto
Chord
When two or more notes or pitches are sounded simultaneously a chord is created
Concerto
A work for one performer or a group of performers with orchestral accompaniment
Crescendo
Meaning growing, swelling of sound, becoming louder
Decrescendo/Diminuendo
Getting softer; the opposite of a crescendo
Dolce
To be performed sweetly/delicately
Downbeat
The first bar in a measure as conducted by the leader of an ensemble is called the downbeat
Ensemble
1) a group of musicians playing together like an orchestra or a string quartet;
2) the actual act of playing as a unit, or performing together
Fanfare
A musical work used as an announcement, often played by the brass section of the orchestra or a single instrumentalist like a trumpet
Fermata
A symbol that tells the performer to hold the note as long as they would like, but certainly longer then the written note value
Flat
Lowers the note but a half-step
Form
The shape or organisation of a musical composition
Forte
Loud or strong
Fortissimo
Louder than forte
Half-step
A musical interval equivalent to 1/12 of an octave
Harmony
The simultaneous combination of pitches, especially when blended into chords that are pleasing to the ear
Instrumentation
Also called orchestration; it is the way the composer or arranger takes musical sounds and assigns them to specific instruments
Key
A group of pitches based on a particular tonic, and comprising scale, regarded as forming the tonal basis of a piece or section of music
Larghetto
Usually slightly faster then largo
Largo
Meaning wide, broad; a tempo meaning to be performed quite slowly
Major (when referring to a chord)
When the chord has three musical pitches with the space between the fist and the secon point he’s being 4 half-steps, and the distance between the second and the third being 3 half-steps.
Major (when referring to a key)
The central tonality upon which a work or movement is constructed, and will usually use the same tonic chord as the ‘destination’ chord of the composition (happy)
Measure
A measurement of time in music that contains a specific number of pulses defined by a time signature, and that is contained within bar lines
Melody
An identifiable succession of musical sounds
Minor (when referring to to a chord)
When the chord has three different pitches and the distance between the first and second pitch is 3 half-steps and the distance between the second and third pitch is 4 half-steps.
Minor (when referring to a key)
When minor refers to key, it is the central tonality upon which a work or movement is constructed, and will usually use the same tonic chord as the central chord. (Sad)
Molto vivace
Very lively, or at a very quick speed
Motif
An identifiable succession of musical sounds, but shorter than a complete melody
Movement
A large unit within a symphony or concerto. It usually is comprised of many themes or musical ideas
Notes
Symbols to represent sounds or pitches and duration of those sounds
Octave
The interval between two musical notes, the upper one of which has twice the pitch of the lower note. (Eg, from note middle c-c)
Pianissimo
Softer than piano
Piano
Gently, soft
Pitch
The frequency of a note depending how high or low it sounds.
Piu
More, (e.g, piu piano = more softly)
Resolution
A group of chords can create harmonic tension. When this tension is released with a calm chord, or a chord without tension, it is ‘resolved’ and is thus called a resolution
Scale
An ordered succession of adjacent pitches, arranged in a sequence of whole and half-steps, for example the major or minor scales
Sempre
Always. (For example, sempre forte would mean always loud)
Sempre piu
Always More.
Sforzando
Forcefully, usually accented
Sharp
When a sharp symbol is added to a note it raises it by a half-step.
Solo
For one player (musician), or to be played alone.
Step
A musical interval between pitches compromising two half-steps
Symphonic form
The structure of a work for large ensemble
Tempo
The rate of speed of a musical work
Theme
The most important melody at any specific time in a musical work. There can be one main theme in a work, or many themes
Tonality
The organisation of all the tones and harmonies of a piece of music in relation to a tonic
Tonic
A pitch that is the first degree of a major or minor scale and the tonal center of a piece composed in a particular key
Upbeat
The preparatory sign given prior to the first beat in a bar
