Music Theory Vocab
Terms
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- accelerando
- gradually getting faster
- accent
- stress of one tone over others
- accidental
- music symbols placed at left side of head of a note to raise, lower, or return to normal pitch of note
- adagio
- slow tempo
- agogic accent
- accent effected by longer duration of note
- alberti bass
- accompaniment playd on keyboard instrument with left hand, with chords broken
- allegro
- fast tempo
- andante
- walking tempo
- andantino
- moderate tempo slightly faster than andante and slower than moderato
- antecedent
- first of a pair of musical statements
- anticipation
- unaccented, non-harmonic note that belongs to and is repeated in harmony immediately following
- appogiatura
- note preparatory to another
- arpeggio
- broken chord in which individual notes are sounded one after another
- articulation
- directions through symbols and icons on a musical score that indicate characteristics of attack, duration, and decay of a given note
- augmentation
- lengthening of note value in a melodic line
- augmented
- triad major third and augmented fifth
- authentic cadence
- V-I
- bar line
- lines dividing certain number of beats into measures
- bass
- lowest parts
- beat
- temporal unit of composition - acoustical phenomenon resulting from interference of two sound waves of slightly different frequency
- binary
- music divided into two parts
- brass
- term applied to wind instruments made of brass
- bridge
- contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section
- cadence
- chordal/melodic progression that occurs at the end of a phrase, section, or composition
- cadential extension
- the prolongation of a cadence by additional material beyond the point at which the cadence is expected
- cambiata
- nonharmonic tone insterted between a dissonance and its resolution
- canon
- strict counterpoint in which each voice exactly imitates previous voice at fixed distance
- changed note
- nonharmonic note is used on an accented beat then passees by step to a consonance or by skip to a note belonging to another chord
- changing meter
- music in which there are changing time signaturees
- chorus
- line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse
- chromatic
- scale consisting of twelve half-tones to the octave
- close position
- all notes in chord are arranged as close as possible
- compound beat
- beath which has background of three equal positions
- compound interval
- interval greater than octave
- concerto
- a musical work in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra
- consequent
- second of a pair of musical statements
- consonance
- accord of sounds sweet and pleasing to ear
- constrasting
- two different phrases
- contour
- shape of a melody
- contrapuntal
- point against point/note against note
- contrary motion
- when two voices move in opposite directions
- countermelody
- melody designed to fit against the principal melody
- counterpoint
- art of combining two or more melodies to be performed simultaneously and musically
- crescendo
- increase the volume of phrase/passage
- cross relation
- chromaticism occuring between two different voices in adjacent chords
- cross rhythm
- juxtaposition of simultaneous but conlicting rhythmic patterns
- deceptive cadence
- V-VI - V to any chord except I iii6-vi, vii6-vi, V-IV6
- diatonic
- scale consisting of whole and half-tone steps
- diminished
- triad minor third and diminished fifth
- diminished seventh
- chord diminished triad and diminished seventh interval above root
- diminuendo
- decrease the volumee of phrase/passage
- diminution
- shortening of note values in a melodic line
- direct fifths
- motion to a fifth in similar motion
- direct octaves
- similar motion of outer voices to an octave in chord progression
- dissonance
- two or more notes sounded together which are discordant
- dominant
- fifth tone of scale
- dominant seventh
- major-minor seventh chord built on ffifth scale degree in either major and harmonic minor tonality
- dorian
- similar to natural minor except its sixth is raised
- dot
- used after a note to indicate augmentation of its value by one-half; above a note to indicate staccato
- dotted rhythm
- in jazz, cross-rhythm based on dotted quarter notes, extending through passage
- double dot
- appearing to the right of a note or rest, note/rest is given one and one-half its original value
- double period
- two antecedents and two consequents
- doubling
- tone of chord sounds simultaneously in another voice in unison or octave
- duple
- regular grouping to time units by two
- duplet
- group of two notes played in time of three
- duration
- relative length of tone or rest
- dynamic accent
- accent achieved by increase in volume
- dynamics
- loudness or softness of composition
- echapee
- ornamentation between notes proceeding in stepwise fashion in which ornamental note will go the opposite way of the progression
- embellishment
- ornamentation
- figured bass
- indicates harmonies that should go with each note
- first inversion
- third of triad is placed in bass
- flatted fifth
- diminished fifth
- forte
- loud
- fragmentation
- breaking up a subject into small segments
- fugue
- most mature form of imitative counter-point
- half cadence
- any cadence ending on V preceded by ii, IV, or I, or any other chord
- half-diminished seventh
- chord minor third, diminished fifth, minor seventh
- harmonic minor
- natural scale except leading note is rased by semitone both when scale is ascending and when it is descending
- harmonic rhythm
- rate of harmonic change
- hemiola
- two notes are played in time allotted to three or where three notes are played in the time allotted to two
- heterophonic
- difference of sound
- heterophony
- two or more musicians simultaneously performing slightly different versions of the same melody
- homophony
- style of comp. in which there is one melody, all voices + accomp. move rhythmically together
- imitation
- repetition in second voice or part of theme, motif, phrase prresented by first voice
- imperfect authentic cadence
- highest voice is not tonic, could be inverted - V6-I
- improvisation
- without previous preparation or any written notes
- instrumentation
- art of arranging composition for performance by instrumental ensemble
- interval
- distance between two pitches
- introduction
- the opening part of a piece of music
- inversion
- position of a chord when fundamental is not the lowest note
- inversion of an interval
- complement of an interval
- key signature
- convienient grouping of accidentals used in a piece
- largo
- slow and solemn tempo
- lead sheet
- 'fake music' all that is required to be able to play a head arrangement, written representation of the theme and accompanying chords
- leading tone
- major seventh of scale
- legato
- smooth, graceful, connected style
- lento
- slow
- lydian
- same as major except its fourth degree is raised one semitone
- major
- major third and perfect fifth
- major seventh
- seventh chord major triad and major seventh interval above root
- major-minor seventh
- seventh chord major triad and minor seventh above root
- mediant
- third note of scale
- melismatic
- use of many notes for one syllable of text
- melodic minor
- descending, 6th and 7th are flattened so that the scale is the same as a descending natural minor scale
- melody
- tune, succession of notes comprised of mode, rhythm, and pitches arranged to achieve musical shape
- meter
- basic scheme of note values and accents
- mezzo forte
- somewhat loud
- minor
- minor third and perfect fifth
- minor seventh
- chord minor triad and minor seventh above root
- minor-major seventh
- seventh chord minor triad and major seventh interval above root
- mixolydian
- same as major except its seventh is lowered one semitone
- modality
- choice of tones between which the relationship of tonality exsists
- mode
- specific selection and arrangement of tones forming the tonal substance of a composition
- moderato
- moderately fast
- modulation
- process of changing from one key to another
- monophony
- music written for only one voice or part
- motive
- smallest identifiable element of melody or rhythm, basis of largee themes/phrases that gives a musical work a sense of cohesion
- musical genre
- referring to particular style of music
- natural minor (aeolian)
- rising interval sequence WWWHWW
- neighboring tone
- nonharmonic note that leaves and returns to the same chord note by a whole or half step
- note value
- indicates relative duration of note (color, shape, stem, flag)
- oblique motion
- one voice remaining on same pitch while other moves
- octatonic (diminished scale)
- WHWHWHWH.
- octave displacement
- melody with notes played in differing octave registers
- open position
- occurs if any note is placed one octave up or down from 'close' position
- ornament
- decorative notes of short duration
- ostinato
- short melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic pattern repeated throughout a composition or some portion of it
- parallel fifths
- two voices moving in parallel motion from one perfect fifth to another perfect fifth
- parallel key
- majorand minor founded on same key note
- parallel major or minor
- minor key having same tonic note as major key
- parallel motion
- two or more melodic lines which move at same interval spacing from one position to next
- parallel octaves
- two voices moving in paralllel motion from onee octave to another octave
- parallel period
- antecedent/consequent pairing
- passing tone
- nonharmonic note that appears between two notes in stepwise motion
- pedal point
- low, sustained tone that remains steady in the bass of a composition while other voices move
- pentatonic
- scale of five tones
- percussion
- instruments that are sounded by striking, shaking, plucking, or scraping
- perfect authentic cadence
- chords are in root position and root of final chord is in the highest voice - V-I
- period
- phrase consisting usually of an antecedent and a consequent and totaling about 8 measures in length
- phrase
- section of usic relatively self contained and coherent over a medium time scale
- phrasing
- allows each phrase to be conceived as a single unit - breathing in correct places, using rhythm, dynamics, and musicianship to give music shape
- phrygian
- similar to natural minor scale except its second degree is lowered one semitone
- phrygian half cadence
- HC from iv6-V in minor key
- pianisimo
- very softly
- piano
- soft
- picardy third
- ending a composition with a major chord when the rest is in a minor key
- pizzicato
- indicated notes are to be plucked with fingers rather than bowed
- plagal cadence
- IV-I
- polyphonic
- style of composition that has many voices, each with its own melody
- polyrhythm
- simultaneous use of striking contrasting rhythms in different parts of musical fabric
- presto
- quite fast
- pulse
- underlying beat over which rhythm is superimposed
- quadruple
- regular grouping to time units by four
- quality
- particular choice of third, fifth, and seventh in a chord
- realization
- the performing of a composition that is not notated in its entirety
- realization of the figured bass
- by the continuo performer, even though the entire harmonization is not notated
- register
- division of range of instrument or singing voice
- relative key
- key which has the same key signature as its major and minor counterpart
- relative major
- major relative to minor key, tonic lies a minor third below its own
- relative minor
- minor relative to major key, tonic lies minor third above its own
- resolution
- resolving of a dissonant sound to consonant sound in following chord
- retardation
- lackening, slowing down of the tempo
- retrograde
- moving backwards
- rhythm
- alternating tension and relaxation in duration of tones
- rhythm section
- performers of percussion instruments of an ensemble
- ritardando
- gradually delay tempo
- ritenuto
- slowing of tempo more suddenly and extremely than ritardando
- root
- generating note of triad or any of its inversions
- root position
- root of triad is placed in bass
- rounded binary
- form with two seections in which second ends with a return to material from first
- rubato
- taking part of duration from one note and giving it to another
- second inverstion
- fifth of triad is placed in bass
- sequence
- systematic transposition of motive to different scale degrees
- seventh chord
- four-tone chord built in thirds above given root
- similar motion
- two parts moving in same direction but not necessarily same distance
- slur
- curved line drawn over or under a series of notes indicating that they should be played legato
- sonata
- instrumental composition, usually for a solo instrument, in three or four contrasting, extended movements
- song form
- term used to describe ABA or ternary structure
- soprano
- highest voice
- staccato
- detached, separated, distinct mannr
- stanza
- section of music
- strings
- any musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings
- strophic
- form in which same music is repeated for each verse
- subdominant
- fourth of scale
- submediant
- sixth of scale
- subtonic
- seventh degree of natural minor scale
- supertonic
- second note of scale
- suspension
- single note of one chord is held over into another chord
- swing rhythm
- first of pair of written eighth notes is played longer than second
- syllabic
- use of one note for each syllable of text
- symphony
- an extended piece for full orchestra
- syncopation
- deliberate upsetting of normal pulse of meter, accent, rhythm
- tempo
- speed of rhythm of a composition
- ternary
- music dividedn into three parts
- tessitura
- general range of composition or of particular voice of composition
- theme
- subject, musical motto serving as baisis of a composition or movement
- through-composed
- form with no pre-established musical structure
- tie
- curved line placed over note and repetition to show that two shall be performed as one unbroken note
- timbre
- quality of a sound
- time signature
- symbol indicating the type of meter and unit of beat
- tonal
- one w/o intervals of semitone
- tonality
- all notes in scale related to one central tone
- tonic
- note upon which sale/key is based
- transposition
- process of shifting music from one tonality to another
- triad
- fundamental harmoning consisting of root, third, and fifth
- triple
- regular grouping to time units by three
- triplet
- group of three notes to be performed in place of two of the same kind
- tritone
- musical interval spanning three whole tones
- turnaround
- in jazz, using a set of chords played at the end of one section to provide a smomoth transition into the next section
- twelve-bar blues
- a chord progression using a rhythmic scheme of twelve 4/4 bars to the verse with swing or shuffle
- unison
- same pitch
- variation
- transformation of theme by means of harmonic, rhythmic, melodic changes
- verse
- section of the song in which different sets of words are sung to the same repeated melody
- vivace
- lively/brisk manner
- voice crossing
- writing of four-part music in which certain voice is above or below an adjacent voice
- walking bass
- bass line that moves steadily in rhythm contrasting to that of upper parts
- whole-tone
- scale composed of only six notes, all whole step from each other
- woodwinds
- instruments that are made of wood and sounded by means of air