| A | B |
|---|
| Musicology | Scholarly research especially about music history and transcripts into modern notation |
| Ethnomusicology | Research that deals with primitive and non-western systems of music |
| Monophonic | Single melody line without accompaniment or harmonic support |
| Heterphony | Same melody played by two composers at the same time, one elaborates |
| Theory | Based on acoustical mathematics of pythagorean ratios |
| Tetrachord | 4-note group spanning a perfect fourth |
| A capella | Without accompaniment |
| Non-Metric | Without time signature or bar lines |
| Mass | Catholic service where chants were used |
| Requiem | Death Mass |
| Sacred Music | Written for/about religious themes |
| Secular Music | Non-religious music |
| Polyphony | Two or more melodiesbeing played simaltaneously |
| Homophonic | Single melody with supporting accompaniment |
| Modulation | Harmonic progression which begins in one key and ends in another |
| Tonality | Modern concept of major and minor tonalities |
| Libretto | Text of an opera |
| Instrumentation | Instruments specified in an orchestral score |
| Ochestration | The manner in which those instruments are employed |
| Concerto | Ochestral piece with solo instrument highlighted |
| Art Song | Romantic poetry set to music |
| Neoclassicism | Any form of music today written in a past style |
| Aleatory Music | Certain choices in composition are left to chance of whim |
| Minimalism | Aim is radically reduce the range of compositional materials |
