Terms and Elements of Music Flashcards
the loudness or softness of a composition
Dynamics
a directive in music to perform a certain passage loudly
Forte
at a soft volume
Piano
a gradual increase in the volume of music
Crescendo
a gradual decrease in the volume of music
Decrescendo
music’s pattern in time
Rhythm
the basic rhythmic unit of a measure or bar
Beat
a recurring pattern of stresses or accents that provide the pulse or beat of music
Meter
the smallest metrical division of a composition, containing a fixed number of beats, marked off by vertical lines on the staff
Measure
the concept of playing rhythms that accent or emphasize the offbeats
Syncopation
the speed at which a piece of music is or should be played
Tempo
a timely arranged linear sequence of pitched sounds that the listener perceives as a single entity; one of the three main parameters that makes music out of a collection of sounds and beats, alongside harmony and rhythm
Melody
The scope of notes that an instrument or a voice can produce
Range
music that is played in the background at the same time as another instrument or singer that plays or sings the main tune
Accompaniment
a particular frequency of sound
Pitch
the quality of an instrument’s or voice’s sound
Tone
the inclusive distance between one tone and another, whether sounded successively (melodic interval) or simultaneously (harmonic interval)
Interval
what occurs when more than one note is played or sung at the same time
Harmony
an accord of sounds sweet and pleasing to the ear
Consonance
two or more notes sounded together which are discordant, and, in the prevailing harmonic system, require resolution to a consonance
Dissonance
the main group of pitches, or notes, that form the harmonic foundation of a piece of music
Key
a series of notes differing in pitch according to a specific scheme (usually within an octave); any graduated sequence of notes, tones, or intervals dividing what is called an octave
Scale
a chord made up of three tones, called chord factors, of the diatonic scale: root, third, and fifth
Triad
how the melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic materials are combined in a composition, thus determining the overall quality of the sound in a piece
Texture
a piece of music where there is only one melodic sound being heard
Monophonic
when there are multiple independent melodies being played or sung at the same time
Polyphonic
where you can have multiple different notes playing, but they’re all based around the same melody
Homophonic
refers to the structure and organization of a musical composition
Form
a lengthy form of musical composition for orchestra, normally consisting of several large sections, or movements, at least one of which usually employs sonata form
Symphony
a piece of music that is played on instruments; a type of musical composition, usually for a solo instrument or a small instrumental ensemble, that typically consists of two to four movements, or sections, each in a related key but with a unique musical character
Sonata
a musical composition for instruments in which a solo instrument is set off against an orchestral ensemble
Concerto
a chord progression of at least two chords that ends a phrase or section of a piece of music
Cadence
the divisions of larger pieces of music into sections that are usually (but not always) marked by a pause in the performance
Movement
of or relating to religion; not secular or profane
Sacred
not pertaining to or connected with religion (opposed to sacred)
Secular
