| A | B |
|---|
| melody | Series of single tones that add up to a recognizable (singable) whole |
| step | Interval between two adjacent tones |
| leap | Interval larger than a step, when you skip tones |
| legato | smooth and connected |
| staccato | short and detached |
| marcato | between staccato and legato, longer notes with separation |
| phrase | part of a melody, a musical idea |
| cadence | resting place at the end of a phrase or melody |
| incomplete cadence | inconclusive resting point at the end of a phrase which sets up expectations for phrases to follow |
| complete cadence | definite resting place, giving a sense of finality, at the end of a phrase in a melody |
| climax | emotional focal point in a melody |
| sequence | the immediate repetition of a melodic pattern on a higher or lower pitch |
| theme | melody which serves as the starting point for an extended piece of music |
| harmony | how chords are constructed and how they follow each other |
| chord | combination of three or more tones sounded at once |
| progression | series of chords |
| consonance | tone combination that is stable and restful |
| dissonance | tone combination that is unstable and tense |
| resolution | progression from a dissonance to a consonance |
| triad | most basic of chords, consisting of three alternate tones of the scale |
| tonic chord | triad built on the first, or tonic, note of the scale, serving as the main chord of a piece |
| dominant chord | triad built on the fifth, dominant, note of the scale |
| broken chord (arpeggio) | sounding of the individual tones of a chord in sequence rather than simultaneously |
