Band Glossary
Terms
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- Monophony, monophonic
- the texture of music in whihc there is a signle unaccompanied melodic line
- Ritardando
- gradually slower
- Attack
- Promptness and precision in beginning a phrase
- Clef
- A symbol placed at the beginning of the staff to indicate the pitch of the notes in the staff
- Key signature
- the sharps or flats placed at the beginning of the staff to denote the scale and tonal center upon which the music is based
- Half-step
- the intercal from one pitch to the immediately adjacent pitch
- Ostinato
- a repeated meoldic or rhythmic pattern
- fine
- the end
- Tenor
- the highest male voice
- Fermatta
- a hold; held longer than normal
- da capo
- the the beginning
- Note
- the symbol which, when placed on a staff with a particular clef sign, indicates pitch
- Major
- The designation for certain intervals and scales
- Homophony, homophonic
- the texture of music in which a melody is supported by a chrodal accompaniment
- Range
- the gamut of pitches from low to high
- Triiad
- a chord of three tones arranged in thirds
- Accelerando
- gradually faster
- Modulation
- the process of changing from one key to another within a composition
- Cambiata
- A term meaning change, applied to a boy's changing voice
- Notation
- a term for a system of expressing music through the use of written characters
- Dissonance
- Sounds of unrest; the opposite of consonance
- Madrigal
- a vocal form which originated in Italy during the 14th century
- Semitone
- a half step
- Pentatonic scale
- a scale formed by 5 different tones
- segno
- the sign
- 1st or 2nd ending
- repeat with different ending
- Theme and Variations
- A musical idea and any number of modifications
- Meter signature
- the numbers placed at the beginning of a composition to indicate the meter of the music
- Blend
- The quality of sound that gives an ensemble its own distincive sound
- al
- to; used with code or fine
- Improvise
- performing music spontaneously without notation or memory
- Intonation
- singing or playing in tune
- Enunciation
- the manner of singing or speaking words as it pertains to distinct vowels and consonants
- Form
- to design or structure of a musical composition
- Staccato
- detached sounds, indicated by a dot over or under a note
- partner song
- 2 or more songs with compatible meter signatures and key signatures that may be performed simultaneously
- Classroom instruments
- those instruemnts whether purchased from a manufacturer or created in the classroom that produce melodic, harmonic, or percussive sounds
- repeat
- repeat section between signs
- A cappella
- song without instrumental accompaniment
- Polyphony, polyphonic
- music in which 2 or more parts move independently
- Ternary form
- 3-part form in which the middle section is different from the other sections ABA
- Binary form
- the term used to describe a composition of 2 sections, AP, each of which may be repeated
- fortissimo
- very loud
- Renaissance
- the period 1450-1600
- Triple meter
- Meter based on three beats or a multiple of three, in a measure
- Harmony
- the sounding of 2 or more tones simultaneously
- Introduction
- the opening section of certain musical compositions
- crescendo
- gradually louder
- Meter
- the structure of notes in a regular pattern of accented and unaccented beats within a measure
- Coda
- Closing section of the composition that draws on musical material from the piece it concludes
- Program music
- Music in which pictorial or poetic ideas are portrayed
- Atonal
- Lacking a tonal center
- Consonance
- intercallic relationships that produce agreeable sounds
- Sequence
- the repetition of a melodic pattern on a higher or lower pitch level
- Meldoy
- a succession of musical tones
- Legato
- smoot, held full value
- Mixed voices
- the combination of male and female voices
- Scale
- a successions of tones
- Staff
- 5 lines and 4 spaces upon whihc musical notation is placed
- Fugue
- a musical composition in which a theme is stated successively by a number of voices
- Octave
- the eigth tone above a given pitch with twice as amyn vibrations per soecond
- Bar
- Measure
- Baroque
- the period 1600-1750
- Accent
- with a shart attack
- Staccato
- short, detached
- Rondo
- a musical form, usually the five-part form of A-B-A-C-A
- coda
- the final section of music
- Diaphragm
- the muscular area that seperates the chest cavity from the abdoment.
- mezzo piano
- medium soft
- forte
- loud
- Opera
- a dramatic performance set to music
- Unison
- singing or playing the same notes by all singer or players, either exactly at the same pictch or ina different octave
- Absolute Music
- Music that is not associated with pictorial or poetic ideas
- Interval
- the distance between 2 pitches
- Timbre
- the characteristic quality ofa voice or instrument
- Soprano
- the highest female voice
- Conduction patterns
- the pattern of the beat of the music that the conductor uses to direct the music
- Texture
- the way melodic lines are combined, either with or without accompaniment
- Resonance
- reinforcement and intensification of sound by vibrations.
- Bar line
- the verticle line placed on the staff to divide music into measures
- Duple meter
- Music that moves in two's
- Imitation
- the recurrence of a melodic line in different voices or parts
- Suite
- a form of Barogue music consistion of a number of movements, each in the character of dance and all in the same key
- Terraced dynamics
- the Baroque practice of suing sudden changed in dynamics, as opposed to a gradual increase or decrease in volume
- Synthesizer
- an electric keyboard that duplicated the sounds of various instruments
- piano
- soft
- mezzo forte
- medium loud
- Dynamics
- how loud or soft one should play or sing
- Tempo
- the rate of speed in a usical work
- Time signature
- synonymoues with meter signature
- pianissimo
- very soft
- Romantic
- the period 1825-1900
- Marcato
- with a strong attack
- Balance
- A satisfying arrangement of musical elements and sections
- dal segno al coda
- from the sign to the coda
- Phrase
- a relatively short portion of a melodic line that produces a music line, such as a line or sentence in poetry
- Alto, contralto
- The lowest female voice
- Canonic
- A term used to describe polyphonic style of music in which all parts have the smae melody but start at different times
- dal segno
- from the sign
- Minor
- the designation for certain intercals and scales
- Accent
- a symbol placed above a note to indicate stress or emphasis
- Diction
- Degree of clarity and distintness of fronunciation in singing
- diminuendo/ decrescendo
- gradually softer
- rhythm
- the organization of sound in time
- Sonata form
- a musical form consistion of three sections and ofter a coda
- Style
- the charasteric language of a composition as distinguished from its form
- Atriculation
- The movement of the jaw, lips, soft palate, and tongue to form intelligeble sounds.
- Tonality
- the organization of the melodic and harmonic elements to give a feeling of a key center or a tonic pitch
- Argeggio
- A term used to describe the pitches of a chord as they are sung or played one after the other, rather than simultaneously