Terminologies Flashcards
Accent
An emphasis placed on a particular note.
Accidental
A symbol placed before a note to indicate an alteration of its pitch. ie. Sharp, Flat or Natural.
Aesthetic
In music this involves the subjective responses by which music is perceived and judged, which can be relevant to genre/style/time/place. The principles of what engages our sensory attention and leads us to respond in a particular way.
Anacrusis
An incomplete bar at the beginning of a piece or phrase. The remaining value of this incomplete bar is accounted in the final bar. Also known as ‘upbeat’ or pick up’.
Arrangement
An adaptation of a musical composition that is different from the original version.
Articulation
The way a note is sung or played. See accent, legato and staccato.
Atonal
A term used to define a piece of music that has no clear tonic or tonal centre.
Audience
Individuals or groups of people who experience music in a range of settings through intellectual, emotional and social engagement.
Audience Behaviour
The expectations or conventions which determine the appropriate way for an audience to experience and respond to a musical performance.
Augmentation (Compositional Device)
Lengthening the durations of all the notes in a melody by the same factor. ie. doubling
Augmented
May refer to:
Interval: major or perfect interval that is increased by one semitone (C-E#).
Triad: a major chord with the fifth degree increased by one semitone (C-E-G#).
Aural Skills
Hearing and listening skills that students develop to identify and discriminate sounds in music.
Balance
The consideration of the volume of voices and/or instruments in musical work or ensemble to achieve an overall sound that is clear.
Bar
The pitches, rhythms and rests occurring between two bar lines on a musical staff.
Bar Line
Vertical lines that divide the musical staff into bars of certain length, usually in accordance with a time signature.
Bass Clef
The clef used by lower instruments/parts, also called the F clef as it indicates the location of the F note on the staff.
Beat
The unit of measurement of rhythmic pulse in music. Beats are organised and emphasised according to time signature and tempo.
Binary Form (Structure)
The organisation of a piece of music into two contrasting sections (AB). The sections can be the same length (simple binary: AB) or different lengths (extended binary: AB/AB). A small part of the A section may return (rounded binary: ABA1).
Blend
The adjustment of timbre of different voices/instruments within an ensemble, in order to achieve a group sound in which no one part dominates the others.
Blues Scale
A six-note scale, containing a flattened third, fifth and seventh. Scale Degrees: 1 3b 4 5b 5 7b 8 (e.g. C-Eb-F-Gb-G-Bb-C). This scale is commonly used in Jazz and Contemporary music.
Bridge
A section that links two or more sections of a musical piece or work, also called a transition passage in which new musical material is usually introduced.
Cadence
A combination or pattern of chords that is used to end a phrase, section or piece of music. ie. Perfect V-I, Plagal IV-I, interrupted V-vi and Imperfect I-V, ii-V or IV-V.
Call and Response
A melodic or rhythmic pattern consisting of alternating sections of calls, or questions, (usually improvised by a leader) and responses which are sung or played by an individual or group. The response or answer is different from the call and is not an echo.
Canon (Compositional Device)
A compositional technique where a melody is imitated by one or more voices/instruments after a specified duration.
Chant
The repetitive rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, using a limited pitch set.
Chord
A collection of two or more notes played simultaneously.
Chord/Harmonic Progression
A sequence of chords that are the basis for a musical piece.
Chorus
The section of a song which is usually repeated after each verse. A chorus can also refer to a large group of singers, such as an opera or orchestral chorus.
Chromatic Scale
A twelve-note scale with all notes a semitone apart.
Clef
A symbol placed at the beginning of each musical staff to indicate the location of a particular note. ie. Bass, Tenor, Alto or Treble Clef.
Coda
A concluding section that occurs in addition to the defined form to finish a piece of music.
Compositional Devices
Techniques that composers use to create, develop, manipulate and enhance their musical ideas. ie. Augmentation, diminution, imitation, inversion, obstinate, pedal note and sequence.
Compound Time
Compound time is organised into dotted beats which are divisible by three or six.
Consonance
A chord that sounds pleasant to the ear. The opposite of dissonance.
Context
The setting and circumstances (time period, purpose, place/culture and style) in which music has been composed and performed.
Copyright
The exclusive right or license to the ownership of material; the control over exploitation of any work by another person.
Crescendo
Gradually getting louder.
Crotchet
Quarter note or one beat, basic unit of duration.
Culture
The values, attitudes, customs, practices, language and conventions common shared by a particular group that forms a part of their group identity and contributes towards a sense of shared understanding.
Decrescendo
Gradually getting softer.
Diminished
May refer to:
Interval; a minor interval that is decreased by one semitone (A-Cb).
Triad: A minor chord with the fifth degree decreased by one semitone (C-Eb-Gb)
Diminution (Compositional Device)
Shortening the durations of all the notes in a melody by the same factor, halving.
Dissonance
A chord which sounds jarring or unstable. The opposite of consonance.
Dotted Note
A dot after a note or rest lengthens the not by half of its original value. ie. dotted crotchet = 1 1/2
Drone
A note or chord sustained throughout all or most of a piece of music. Also, the part of a musical instrument that is used to produce a drone ie. Bagpipes.
Dynamics
The volume of sound to be played, usually indicated by symbols. ie. p, mp, mf etc
Elements of Music
The important components or building blocks of music. Tone Colour - Instrumentation; Pitch, Rhythm/Duration, Texture, Structure, Dynamics and Expressive Techniques.
Ensemble
A group of musicians or instruments ie. orchestra, choir, concert band etc
Expression
How sound is performed, articulated and interpreted. Can also refer to how sound is coloured relating to the interpretation of a style.
Expressive Devices
Particular kinds of emphasis or colour applied to notes that alter or enhance the overall sound and interpretation of music. See articulation, dynamics, tempo and timbre.
Form/Structure
The plan or design of a piece of music. Often defined by identifying sections of the piece and describing the similarities and differences between sections. See binary, rondo, ternary and theme and variations.
Found Sound Sources
Natural and manufactured objects that can be used to create sound.
Harmony
The simultaneous sounding of two or more notes or pitches and the resulting relationship between them.
Homophonic
Musical texture describing a single melodic layer supported by block accompaniment.
Hook
A memorable melodic or rhythmic pattern or idea that is repeated several times throughout a song, common in Jazz and Contemporary Music.
Imitation
The repetition of a melody, phrase or idea by a different voice or instrument.
Improvisation
Spontaneously extending and varying music ideas in response to initial material or responses invented by other performers in an ensemble.
Interval
The distance between two pitches.
Intonation
The accuracy of pitch when playing or singing, or the pitch accuracy of musical instrument.
Inversion
Refers to intervals, chords and melodic patterns that can be turned and played upside down. For example, an inverted interval is when the lower note is moved to become the top note, and an inversion in a chord is when the positioning of the notes changes so that the bottom note becomes the top note etc.
Key
The set of pitches and the tonic/home note or scale that are the basis of a musical piece, or part of a piece.
Key Signature
The pattern of sharps and flats in a certain order that are placed next to the clef at the beginning of a piece of music to indicate the key or scale on which the piece is based.
Legato
Playing or singing smoothly and well connected. Often indicated in musical notation with a slur.
Leger Lines
Additional short lines that are added above and below the staff to notate the pitches that fall outside the range of the five-lined staff.
Major
The tonality of an interval, chord or musical piece when based on the notes of the major scale.
Major Scale
An 8 note scale with a particular ordering of pitches and intervals: T T S T T T S (C Major: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C)
Melody
An organised succession of sounds and silences that relate together to create a distinct musical phrase or idea.
Minim
Half note or rest, worth two crotchet beats.
Minor
The tonality of an interval, chord or musical piece when based on the notes of the minor scale.
Minor Scale
An 8 note scale, the 3 most common types of minor scale are:
Natural minor or Aeolian Mode: T S T T S T T (A natural minor: A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A)
Harmonic Minor which contains the raised 7th: T S T T S T+1/2 S (A Harmonic Minor: A-B-C-D-E-F-G#-A)
Melodic Minor contains a raised 6th & 7th in the ascending octave which are lowered in the descending octave (A Melodic Minor: A-B-C-D-E-F#-G#-A-G-F-E-D-C-B-A)
Mode
A group of scales which use the same set of notes as the major scale, in the same order, starting from one of its seven degrees. 1. Ionian, 2. Dorian, 3. Phrygian, 4. Lydian, 5. Mixolydian, 6. Aeolian, 7. Locrian. The Ionian mode is the same as the major scale and the aeolian mode is the same as the natural minor scale.
Monophonic
Musical texture describing a single melodic layer, or several parts playing in unison or octaves.
Motif
A short musical idea. A phrase or melody will usually contain several motifs. Most commonly associated with melody but can also be a rhythmic or harmonic idea. Similar to a riff.
Notation
Written symbols that represent and communicate sound. Notation can be invented, graphic, conventional, recognisable to a traditional style, time or culture, or digitally created.
Ostinato
A repeating pattern, either rhythmic, melodic or a combination of both, that usually has an accompanying role.
Pedal/Pedal-Note/Pedal-Point
A note repeated or sustained (usually in the bass part) while the harmony in the other parts change. When pedal-point appears in a voice other than the bass, it is usually referred to as an ‘inverted pedal’.
Pentatonic Scale (Major)
A five-note scale with a particular combination of intervals. The major pentatonic scale can be derived from the major scale by omitting the fourth and seventh notes/degrees of the major scale. Scale degrees: 1 2 3 5 6 8 (C Major Pentatonic: C-D-E-G-A-C)
Pentatonic Scale (Minor)
A five-note scale with a particular combination of intervals. The minor pentatonic scale can be derived from the major scale but applying the correct pattern. Scale Degrees: 1 3b 4 5 7b 8 (C Minor Pentatonic: C-Eb-F-G-Bb-C)
Phrase
A musical sentence or thought. An inexact term, phrases can vary greatly in length. In traditional notation, usually indicated by a slur.
Pitch
How high or low the sound is. Pitch occurs horizontally (as in a melody) and vertically (as in harmony).
Polyphonic
Musical texture describing two or more rhythmically-and melodically-independent layers combined together.
Practice
The application of music skills and knowledge to create, represent, communicate and respond.
Practise
Regularly revising, developing and consolidating skills, techniques and repertoire as a class, an ensemble or an individual.
Primary Triads
Triads (chords) built on the first (tonic), fourth (subdominant) and fifth (dominant) notes/scale degrees in any major or minor key. Major: I, IV & V and minor: i, iv & V.
Quaver
Eighth note, is worth 1/2 a beat, or 1/2 of one crotchet beat. They are grouped according to time signature.
Repertoire
The collection of pieces, songs or musical works that a musician or group of musicians are able to perform.
Rest
A measure of silence.
Rhythm
The organisation of sound and silence using beat, note values and tempo.
Riff
Short, repeated musical idea which can be rhythmic, melodic or harmonic. Term most commonly used in Jazz and Contemporary music. Similar to ‘motif’.
Rondo Form
Organisation of a piece of music into sections with one section repeating and alternating with contrasting sections (ABACA).
Round
A musical piece for three or more voices/parts. Consisting of a repeating canon in which all voices are musically identical.
Scale
An ordered series of pitches with a particular combination of intervals, based around a tonic or key note.
Score
The notated form of a musical piece. Scores can be hand-written, printed or digital. Sometimes referred to as ‘sheet music’.
Semibreve
Whole note worth four crotchet beats or a whole bar in any time signature.
Semiquaver
Sixteenth note worth a quarter of a crotchet beat. Grouped according to the time signature.
Semitone
An interval of a minor second, or half a tone.
Sequence (Compositional Device)
A melodic, rhythmic or harmonic pattern. A melodic sequence is a pattern of notes that is repeated at a different pitch. It can also describe the process of product of arranging music digitally using software.
Simple Time
Simple Time is organised into non-dotted, or simple beats and subdivide into groups of two or four.
Slur
A curved line connection two or more notes and indicating that they are to be played or sung in a legato manner. For string players, it indicates that all the notes are to be played in the same single bow direction, and for wind and brass players, it indicates that only the first note is to be tongued.
Soundscape
A piece of music that depicts a picture or event, or creates a mood or atmosphere through sound. These can be composed using graphic, invented or conventional notation.
Staccato
Playing or singing notes short and detached, or separated, from each other. Represented in notation by a dot above or below the note head.
Staff/Stave
The five lines and four spaces on which music is written using notation.
Style
Musical type or category. Style terms; jazz, be-bop, classical, grunge, rock etc. group music works primarily by the characteristic use of the elements of music. Sometimes used interchangeably with the term ‘genre’.
Swing
In rhythm, the conversion of even subdivisions (usually quavers) into long-show pairs. The ration of the two notes may vary but typically the first note is twice the duration of the second, so dividing the beat into thirds. ie. Tim-ka
Syncopation
The displacing of beats and irregular accents resulting from weak beats being emphasised rather than strong beats.
Technical Skills
Proficiencies developed with practise in order to sing or play instruments.
Technique
The capacity to control a voice or instrument in order to produce a desired sound.
Tempo
The speed or pace at which a piece of music is performed. Can be indicated by a word (Andante) or a metronome marking indicating beats per minute (120bpm).
Ternary Form
Organisation of a piece into three sections, with a contrasting section in between two repeated sections (ABA).
Texture
The layers of sound in a piece of music, and the relationship between them. ie Monophonic, Homophonic, Polyphonic.
Theme & Variations
A musical form where a theme is used as the basis of a set of variations (AA1A2A3…) The theme can be varied in many different ways, for example by augmentation of diminution, or by changing the rhythm, tonality, key or dynamics.
Theory Skills
Musical concepts surrounding the elements of music in a written context, rather than an aural context.
Tie
A curved line that joins two or more notes of the same pitch, indicating that they should be performed as one unbroken note of the combined value.
Timbre
The particular tone, colour or quality that distinguishes one sound from another. (ie. Violin from a flute), includes various instrumental techniques. (ie. Muting, picking, flutter-tonguing), vocal techniques (ie. Falsetto, Belting) and electronic effects (ie. reverb, distortion).
Time Signature/Metre
Indicates how many beats occur in a bar of music and the value of the beat.
Tonality
The character of a piece of music as determined by the key or scale upon which the piece is based. ie. Atonal, chromatic, major, minor, modal and pentatonic.
Tone
May refer to:
Interval: the interval of a tone is defined as a major 2nd, or two semitones.
Pitch: the terms tone, pitch and note are used interchangeably to mean a single musical sound.
Treble Clef
The clef used by higher sounding instruments/parts, also called the G clef as it indicates the location of the G note on the staff.
Triad
A chord consisting of three notes, usually the tonic, third and fifth degrees of the scale. Triads can have different combination s of major and minor threads to create different qualities such as major, minor, diminished or augmented.
Triplet
Three notes played evenly in the time of two of the same value.
Unison
Two or more instruments or voices singing or playing at the same pitch, or the same note at a different octave simultaneously.
