| A | B |
|---|
| pitch | relative highness or lowness that we hear in a sound |
| tone | a sound that has a definite pitch |
| interval | the "distance" in pitch between any two tones |
| range (pitch range) | the distance between the lowest and highest tones that a voice or instrument can produce |
| dynamics | degrees of loudness or softness |
| accent | emphasize a tone by playing it more loudly than the tones around it |
| tone color (timbre) | bright, dark, brilliant, mellow, rich |
| register | part of the total range of an instrument or voice |
| reed | a very thin piece of cane |
| theme | melody used as the basis for a musical composition |
| variation | repetition of the theme |
| rhythm | the flow of music through time |
| beat | the regular, recurrent pulsation that divides music into equal units of time |
| meter | organization of beats into regular groups |
| measure | a group containing a fixed number of beats |
| downbeat | the first, or stressed, beat of a measure |
| upbeat | an unaccented pulse preceding the downbeat |
| syncopation | an accented note that comes where normally one would not expect one |
| tempo | speed of the beat |
| tempo indication | largo, grave, adagio, andante, moderato, allegretto, allegro, vivace, presto, prestissimo |
| accelerando | becoming faster |
| ritardando | becoming slower |
| notation | a system of writing music so that specific pitches and rhythms can be communicated |
| staff | a set of five horizontal lines |
| ledger lines | short, horizontal lines above or below the staff |
| clef | placed at the beginning of the staff to show the pitch of each line and space |
| grand staff | a combination of the treble and bass staves |
| time signature | appears at the beginning of the staff to show the meter of a piece |
| score | shows the music for each instrumental or vocal category in a performing group |
| melody | a series of single tones which add up to a recognizable whole |
| steps | when the melody moves by small intervals |
| leaps | when the melody moves by large intervals |
| legato | when the music is played in a smooth, connected style |
| staccato | when the music is played in a short, detached manner |
| cadence | (1) resting place at the end of a phrase in a melody, (2) progression giving a sense of conclusion |
| complete cadence | definite resting place, giving a sense of finality, 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 |
| climax | the emotional focal point |
| sequence | a repetition of a melodic pattern on a higher or lower pitch |
| harmony | the way chords are constructed and how they follow each other |
| chord | a combination of three or more tones sounded at once |
| consonance | a tone combination that is stable and restful |
| dissonance | a tone combination that is unstable or tense |
| resolution | when consonance moves to dissonance |
| triad | the simplest, most basic chord which consists of three tones |
| root | the bottom note of a chord |
| tonic chord | a triad built on the first note of the scale |
| dominant chord | a triad built on the fifth note of the scale |
| arpeggio | a broken chord |
| keynote or tonic | the central tone |
| key | a central tone, a central scale and chord |
| tonality | another term for key |
| key signature | sharp or flat signs immediately following the clef sign at the beginning of the staff |
| chromatic scale | the twelve tones of the octave |
| modulation | shifting from one key to another within the same piece |
| monophonic texture | a single melodic line without accompaniment |
| unison | performance of a single melodic line at the same pitch by more than one instrument or voice |
| polyphonic texture | simultaneous performance of two or more melodic lines of relatively equal interest |
| counterpoint | the technique of combining several melodic lines into a meaningful whole |
| imitation | a repetition of a melodic line by another instrument or voice |
| round | a song in which several people sing the same melody but each singer starts at a different time |
| homophonic texture | one main melody accompanied by chords |
| form | the organization of musical elements in time |
| repetition | reiteration of a phrase, section, or entire movement, often used to create a sense of unity |
| contrast | striking differences of pitch, dynamics, rhythm, and tempo that provide variety and change of mood |
| variation | changing some feature of a musical idea while retaining others |
| ternary form | A (statement), B (contrast or departure), A (return) |
| binary form | A (statement), B (counterstatement) |
| improvisation | music created at the same time it's performed |
| embellishments | certain ornaments that are added when performed although not indicated in printed music |
| virtuoso | an artist of extraordinary technical mastery |
| conductor | the leader of a group of musicians |
| concertmaster | the principal first violinist |
| style | a characteristic way of using melody, rhythm, tone color, dynamics, harmony, texture, and form |
