Terms 1 Flashcards
Accelerando, accel
Gradually faster
Accent
> placed above a note to indicate stress or emphasis
Accidental
A sharp, flat, or natural not included in the given key
Adagio
Slow, slower than andante, faster than largo
Al coda
To the coda
Aleatory or aleatoric music
Chance music in which the performers are free to perform their own material and/or their own manner of presentation
Al fine
To the end
Alla breve
Cut time; meter in which there are two beats in each measure and a half note receives one beat
Allargando, allarg
Showing of tempo, usually with increasing volume; most frequently occurs toward the end of a piece
Allegretto
Slower than allegro
Al segno
Return to the sign, dal segno
Alteration
The raising or lowering of a note by means of an accidental
Andante
Moderate tempo
Andantino
Slightly faster than andante
A niente
To nothing, e.g. to ppp
Animato
Animated; lively
Augmentation
Compositional technique in which a melodic line is repeated in longer note values. The opposite of diminution.
Bitonality
The occurrence of two different tonalities at the same time
Cadence
A chordal or melodic progression which occurs at the close of a phrase, section, or composition, giving a feeling of repose; a temporary or permanent ending. The most frequently used cadence are perfect, plagal, and deceptive.
Cadenza
A solo passage, often virtuosic, usually mean the end of a piece, either written by the composer or improvised by the performer
Caesura
A sudden silencing of the sound; a pause or break, indicated by the following symbol: //
Canon
The strictest form of imitation, in which two or more parts have the same melody but start at different points
Canonic
A term used to describe a polyphonic style of music in which all the parts have the same melody but which start at different times
Cantabile
In signing style
Chance music
Aleatoric music
Chorale
Hymn-like song, characterized by blocked chords
Chord
A combination of three or more tones sounded simultaneously
Chromatic
Ascending or descending by half steps
Coda
Closing section of a composition. An added ending.
Con
With
Con brio
With spirit; vigorously
Con calore
With warmth
Con moto
With motion
Consonance
Intervallic relationships which produce sounds of repose. Frequently associated with octave, third and sixth intervals; however, fourths and fifths may be sounds of consonance, as in both early and 20th century music
Consort
A 17th century term for instrumental chamber ensembles and for the compositions written for these ensembles
Con spirito
With spirit
Crescendo
Gradually louder
Cue
Indication by the conductor or a spoke word or gesture for a performer to make an entry. Small notes that indicate another performer’s part. Music occurrence in a film.
Cut time
2/2 meter
Espressivo
Expressively
Key signature
The sharps or flats placed at the beginning of the staff to denote the scale upon which the music is based
Da capo, D.C.
Return to the beginning
Dal Segno
Repeat from the sign. Frequently followed by al Fine.
Deceptive cadence
Chordal progression dominant (V) to a chord other than the expected tonic.
Decrescendo
Gradually softer. Synonymous with diminuendo.
Diminished
The term for an interval which has been decreased from the major by two half steps and from the perfect by on half step eg c-abb, diminished sixth or c-gb, a diminished fifth. Also used for a triad which has a minor and a diminished fifth
Diminuendo, dim
Gradually softer. Synonymous with diminuendo.
Diminution
The shortening of note values; the opposite of augmentation.
Dissonance
Sounds of unrest e.g. intervals of seconds and sevenths; the opposite of consonance
Divisi, div
An indication of divided musical parts
Dolce
Sweetly
Dolcissimo
Very sweetly
Doloroso
Sadly; mournfully
Dominant
The fifth degree of the major or minor scale. Also, the term for the triad built on the fifth degree, labeled V in harmonic analysis
Double bar
Two vertical lines placed on the staff to indicate the end of a section or a composition. Also, used with two dots to enclose repeated sections.
Enharmonic
A term used to describe notes of the same pitch which have different names
Dynamics
Varying degrees of loud and soft
Fine
The end
First ending
One or more measures which occur at the end of the stanza or stanzas
Form
The design or structure of a musical composition
Forte
Loud
Fortissimo
Very loud
Giocoso
Playful
Giubilante
Exultant, jubilant
Glissando, gliss.
The rapid scale achieved by sliding the nail of the thumb or third finger over the white keys of the piano. Commonly used in playing harp. For bowed instruments glissando indicates a flowing, unaccented playing of a passage.
Grandioso
Grandiose, majestic
Grand pause
A rest for the entire ensemble
Half step
The interval from one pitch to the immediately adjacent pitch, ascending or descending. The smallest interval on the keyboard.
Harmony
The sounding of two or more times simultaneously; the vertical aspect of music.
Hemiola
The term applied to time values in the ratio of 3:2 eg three half notes in place of two dotted half notes.
Homophony, homophonic
Musical texture which is characterized by chordal support of a melodic line
Instrumentation
There art of composing, orchestrating, or arranging for an instrumental ensemble
Interval
The difference in pitch between two tones
Inversion
As applied to music the term may be used in both melody and harmony. Melodic inversion: an exchange of ascending and descending movement eg c up to f in descending becomes c down to g. Harmonic inversion: the position of the chord is changed from root position to first inversion with the third, or second inversion, with the fifth in the lowest voice.
Key signature
The Sharps or flats placed at the beginning of the staff to denote the scale upon which the music is based
Largamente
Broadly
Larghetto
Slower than largo
Largo
Very slow
Leading tone
The seventh degree of the major scale, so called because of its strong tendency to resolve upward to the tonic
Ledger lines
Short lines placed above and below the staff for pitches beyond the range of the staff
Legato
Smooth, connected
Lento
Slow; slightly faster than largo, slower than adagio
