Prep D Musical Terms Flashcards
Placed over or under a note that gets special emphasis. Play the note louder (an articulation sign)
Accent
A sharp, flat or natural not given in the key signature. (a pitch sign)
Accidental
Slowly (tempo term)
Adagio
Quickly, happily (tempo term)
Allegro
Moving along, at a walking speed (tempo term)
Andante
Resume original speed (“first” speed), usually follows after “ritardando” or a “fermata” (pause/hold sign)
a tempo (ah tempo)
Gradually louder (dynamic term)
crescendo
Repeat from the beginning and play to the end (a “roadmap” sign)
Da Capo al Fine (FEE-nay)
Gradually softer (dynamic term)
diminuendo
Signs showing “volume”; how loud or soft to play the keys. (one of the musical elements)
Dynamic Signs
A sign that indicates that a note should be held longer than its true value. (an articulation symbol)
Fermata
“The End” (a “roadmap” sign)
Fine (FEE-nay)
The measures under the bracket are played the first time only. (a “roadmap” sign).
First Ending.
Lowers a note one half step. Play the next key to the left. (a pitch sign)
Flat
Loud. (a dynamic sign)
Forte (FOR-tay)
On the piano, the distance from one key to the very next one, with NO key between. (an interval term)
Half Step or Semitone
The interval between two notes sounded together, or “played AT THE SAME TIME” (an interval term)
Harmonic Interval
A measure at the beginning of a piece with fewer counts than shown in the time signature. The missing counts are found in the last measure. (a rhythm term)
Incomplete Measure
The distance between two tones on the staff (how many lines and spaces apart) that match on the keys (how many keys between). (one of the musical elements)
Interval
The sharps or flats written at the beginning of each line after the clef sign. (one of the musical elements)
Key Signature (Key Sign)
Smoothly connected. Usually indicated by a slur over or under the notes. (an articulation term).
Legato
A series of eight (8) notes made of two tetrachords joined by a whole step. (a scale term).
Major Scale
The interval between two notes played one after the other. (an interval term)
Melodic Interval
Moderately Loud, or medium loud (a dynamic term)
Mezzo Forte, (MET-so FOR-tay)
Moderately (a tempo term)
Moderato (moh-deh-RA-toe)
Cancels a sharp or a flat (a pitch term)
Natural sign
When placed OVER notes, it means play them eight notes higher. When placed UNDER notes, it means play them eight notes lower. (a pitch term)
Octave sign
A symbol found below the bass clef notes, meaning press the damper pedal, hold it, and release it. (a “road map” term)
Pedal Mark or Pedal Sign
When there is more than one pedal on a piano, the name of the pedal furthest to the right. (an articulation term)
The Damper Pedal
Soft (a dynamic term)
Piano
Play the piece two times. (a “road map” term).
Repeat Sign
Gradually slowing (a tempo term)
Ritardando
The abbreviation for “ritardando” (a tempo term)
ritard. or rit.
The measures under the bracket are played the second time only. (a “road map” term)
Second Ending
Raises a note one half step. Play the next key to the right. (a pitch term)
Sharp Sign
Separated or detached. Usually indicated by a dot over or under the note. (an articulation term)
Staccato
A musical word for “speed” - how fast or how slow to play. (one of the musical elements)
Tempo
Four notes in alphabetical order, having the pattern of WHOLE STEP, WHOLE STEP, HALF STEP. (example: C-D-E-F) (a scales term)
Tetrachord
Two numbers found at the beginning of a piece or section of a piece. The top number shows the number of beats in each measure (bar). The bottom number shows the KIND OF NOTE that gets one beat. (one of the musical elements)
Time Signature (time sign) or Metre
There are four crotchet beats in every bar, or there are four quarter note beats in every bar. (a time signature term)
4/4 time sign
There are three crotchet beats in every bar, or there are three quarter note beats in every bar. (a time signature term)
3/4 time sign
There are two crotchet beats in every bar, or there are two quarter note beats in every bar. (a time signature term)
2/4 time sign
Two half steps. On the piano, the distance between two keys with ONE key between. (an interval term)
Whole Step (or a Whole Tone).
The interval when there are two white keys next to each other, whether there is ONE key between them or NO key between them. These intervals are always a line-space or a space-line. (an interval term)
A second
The interval when there is ONE key between them. These intervals are always a line-line or a space-space. (an interval term)
A third
The interval when there are TWO keys between them. These intervals are always a line-space or a space-line. (an interval term)
A fourth
The interval when there are THREE keys between them. These intervals are always a line-line or a space-space. (an interval term)
A fifth
When RH 1 is on Middle C ledger line below the staff and LH 5 is on C space, the second space on the bass staff. (this is a “road map” term)
C Position
When RH 1 is on the G line (where the treble clef is drawn) and LH 5 is on the G line at the BOTTOM of the bass clef. (this is a “road map” term)
Low G Position
When both thumbs are on middle C ledger line between the staves. (this is a “road map” term)
Middle C Position
There are no sharps or flats in this key signature (a scales term)
C Major
There is one sharp in this key signature; ALL F’s are SHARP. (a scales term)
G Major
When RH 1 is on the G (where the treble clef is drawn) and LH 5 is on the G space at the TOP of the bass clef. (this is a “road map” term)
High G Position
When RH 1 is on D and LH 5 is on the D line in the MIDDLE of the bass clef. (this is a “road map” term)
D Position
When RH 1 is on E and LH 5 is on the E space ABOVE the MIDDLE LINE of the bass clef. (this is a “road map” term)
E Position
When RH 1 is on F and LH 5 is on the F line, where the bass clef is drawn. (this is a “road map” term)
F Position
A musical note or tone; can be “high” or “low” (one of the musical elements)
Pitch
The lengths of music notes; can be “long” or “short” (one of the musical elements
Rhythm
Signs that show how notes should be played; accented, held longer, smoothly connected, detached (one of the musical elements)
Articulation
A steady pulse; an equal amount of time between any two. Think of a ticking clock or what your heart does. (one of the musical elements)
Beat
The sections of a piece of music, usually labelled with letters (ABA) and consists of two or more phrases. (one of the musical elements)
Structure
A series of pitches and rhythms that create the main tune of a piece of music. (one of the musical elements)
Melody
The combination of different layers of music and the roles they play. (one of the musical elements)
Texture
A type of rhythm, usually found in Jazz or Blues or “Boogie Woogie”, where the pairs of quavers (eighth notes) are played long-short, long-short, like skipping when you’re walking. (a rhythm term)
Swing
An added ending (a “road map” term)
Coda
What is a hand position? (this is a “road map” term)
Where to place your fingers on the keys. We look at the LETTER NAME (line or space) for each hand, and what FINGER NUMBER (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) needs to play that key. When all five fingers fall into place, we look at the LOWEST SOUNDING finger (RH 1 and LH 5); the name of that key is the name of the hand position.
What is the difference between a hand position and a key signature?
A hand position tells WHERE to place your fingers on the keys. A key signature tells WHICH keys are sharp or flat.
How notes are added together (played at the same time) to make chords (one of the elements of music)
Harmony
True or false: Hands can be in C position at the same time as being in the Key of G Major.
True! If the piece is written in the Key of G Major and the hands are in C position, then the RH 4th finger and the LH 2nd finger must BOTH play F sharp because all F’s are sharp in the key of G Major, regardless of what hand position they are places on the keys.
True or false: RH and LH can be in different hand positions.
True! Remember, a hand position simply means where to place the hands/fingers on the keys. If the keys needed for the RH are C-D-E-F-G and the keys needed for the LH are G-A-B-C-D, then sure enough, the hands will be in two different hand positions.
True or false: A piece can be both Allegro and Adagio.
False! These are both tempo terms that have opposite meanings. You cannot possibly play both “fast” and “slow” at the same time.
True or false: A piece can be both staccato and piano.
True! Staccato is an articulation meaning “detached”. Piano is a dynamic meaning “quiet”. Often times, a violin will have notes that are plucked on their strings, making the sound both “detached” and “quiet”. The same is for the piano. We can very lightly touch and let go of the keys to make them both soft and detached.
A group of notes that together create a musical thought. They are usually two-bars or four-bars in length, and they usually marked by a long slur that connects the first and last note of the group.
Phrase or Phrasing
What are the basic elements of music?
These are the parts of music that together make up the written language of music. They are:
Pitch - letter names
Rhythm - length of time
Beat - pulse
Metre (time signature) - beats per bar
Dynamics - volume
Articulation - connections
Tempo - speed
Melody - the tune
Harmony - the background
Phrasing - Musical ideas
What are the advanced elements of music?
The advanced elements of music are:
Instrumentation
Texture
Tonality
Timbre
Phrasing
Style
Mood
We won’t define them yet. These terms will be covered in future lesson books.
If RH 3 plays the third line of the treble staff, what is the name of the hand position?
G Position
If LH 3 plays the top line of the bass staff, what is the name of the hand position?
Middle C Position
If RH 4 plays the bottom space on the treble staff, what is the name of the hand position?
C Position or Middle C Position
If the LH 3 plays the third space on the bass staff, what is the name of the hand position?
C Position
If the LH 4 plays the top line of the bass staff, what is the name of the hand position?
High G Position
