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233 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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sound
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Vibrations transmitted, usually through air, to the eardrum, which sends impulses to the brain.
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pitch
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Relative highness or lowness of a sound.
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frequency
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the speed of a sounds vibrations, which is measured by cycles per second
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tone
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Sound that has a definite pitch, or frequency.
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interval
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"Distance" in pitch between any two tones.
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octave
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Interval between two tones in which the higher tone has twice te frequency of the lower tone.
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pitch range
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Distance between the highest and lowest tones that a given voice or instrument can produce.
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dynamics
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Degrees of loudness or softness in music.
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timbre (tam'-ber)
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tone color; Quality of sound that distinguishes one instrument or voice from another.
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pianissimo
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very soft
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pp
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pianissimo; very soft
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piano
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soft
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p
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piano; soft
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mezzo piano
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moderately soft
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mp
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mezzo piano; moderately soft
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mezzo forte
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moderately loud
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mf
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mezzo forte; moderately loud
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forte
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loud
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f
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forte; loud
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fortizzimo
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very loud
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ff
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fortizzimo; very loud
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>
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decrescendo/diminuendo; gradually softer
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descrescendo/diminuendo
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>; gradually softer
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<
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crescendo; gradually louder
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crescendo
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<; gradually louder
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"The Firebird", scene 2
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by Igor Strvinsky, 1910
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"C-Jam Blues"
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by Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra, 1942
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the classification of voice ranges
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Women- soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto; Men- tenor, baritone, bass
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instrument
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any mechanism, other than the voice, that produces musical sounds
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register
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Part of the total range of an instrument or voice. The tone color of the instrument or voice may vary with the register in which it is played or sung.
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string instrument
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Instrument whose sound is produced by the vibration of strings.
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woodwind instrument
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Instrument whose sound is produced by vibrations of air in a tube; holes along the length of tube are opened and closed by the fingers, or by pads, to control the pitch.
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percussion instrument
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Instrument of definite or indefinite pitch whose sound is produced by striking by hand, or with a stick or hammer, or by shaking or rubbing.
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keyboard instrument
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Instrument- such as the piano, organ, or harpsichord- played by pressing a series of keys with the fingers.
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electronic instrument
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Instrument whose sound is produced, modified, or amplified by electronic means.
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conductor
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Leader of a performing group of musicians.
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baton
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Thin stick used by many conductors to beat time and indicate pulse and tempo.
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concertmaster
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Principle first violinist in a symphony orchestra.
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"The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra", Opus 34
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by Benjamin Britten, 1946
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rhythm
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Ordered flow of music through time; the pattern of durations of notes and silences in music.
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beat
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Regular, recurrent pulsation that divides music into equal units of time.
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meter
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Organization of beats into regular groups.
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measure
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Rhythmic group set off by bar lines, containing a fixed number of beats.
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downbeat
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First, or stressed, beat of a measure.
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duple meter
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Pattern of 2 beats to the measure.
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triple meter
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Pattern of 3 beats to the measure.
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quadruple meter
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Pattern of 4 beats to the measure.
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upbeat
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Unaccented pulse precding the downbeat.
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sextuple meter
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Pattern of 6 beats to the measure.
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septuple meter
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Pattern of 7 beats to the measure.
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quintuple meter
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Pattern of 5 beats to the measure.
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accent
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Emphasis of a note, which may result from its being louder, longer, or higher in pitch than the notes near it.
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syncopation
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Accenting of a note at an unexpected time, as between two beats or on a weak beat. Syncopation is a major characteristic of jazz.
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tempo
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Basic pace of the music.
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tempo indication
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Words, usually at the beginning of a piece of music, often in Italian, which specify the pace at which the music should be played.
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largo
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very slow, broad
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grave
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very slow, solemn
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adagio
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slow
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andante
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moderately slow, a walking pace
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moderato
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moderate
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allegretto
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moderately fast
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allegro
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fast
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vivace
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lively
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presto
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very fast
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prestissimo
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as fast as possible
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molto
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much
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non troppo
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not too much
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allegro molto
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very fast
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allegro non troppo
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not too fast
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accelerando
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becoming faster
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ritardando
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becoming slower
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metronome
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Apparatus that produces ticking sounds or flashes of light at any desired constant speed.
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notation
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System of writing down music so that specific pitches and rhythms can be communicated.
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note
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In notation, a black or white oval to which a stem and flags can be added.
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mute
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Device used to veil or muffle the tone of an instrument. For string instruments, the mute is the clamp which fits onto the bridge; for brass instruments, it is a funnel-shaped piece of wood, metal, or plastic which fits into the bell.
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staff
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In notation, a set of five horizontal lines between or on which notes are positioned.
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stem
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Vertical line on a note indicating how long that note is to be held relative to the notes around it.
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step
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Interval between two adjacent tones in the scale.
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stop (double, triple, quadruple)
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Means of playing a string instrument by which the bow is drawn across two, three, or four strings at the same time or almost the same time.
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style
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Characteristic way of using melody, rhythm, tone, color, dynamics, harmony, texture, and form in music.
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Swing
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Jazz style that was developed in the 1920's and flourished btwn 1935-1945, played mainly by "big bands." Also, verb for what jazz performers do when they combine a steady beat and precision with a lilt, a sense of relaxation, and vitality.
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swing band
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Typically, a large band made up of fourteen or fifteen musicians grouped in three sections: saxophones, brasses, and rhythm. They play swing, a jazz style.
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ledger lines
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Short, horizontal lines above or below the staff, used to indicate a pitch that falls above or below the range indicated by the staff.
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sharp sign
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Symbol which notates a pitch one half step higher than the pitch that would otherwise be indicated- for example, the next higher black key on the piano.
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Single-reed woodwinds
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Instruments whose sound is produced by a single piece of cane, or reed, fastened over a hole in the mouthpiece. The reed vibrates when the player blows into the mouthpiece.
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flat sign
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Symbol which notates a pitch one half step lower than the pitch that would otherwise be indicated- for example, the next lower key on the piano.
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English horn
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Double-reed woodwind instrument, slightly larger than the oboe and with a lower range, straight in shape with an egg-shaped bell.
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flag
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Wavy line attached to the stem on a note, indicating how long that note is to be held relative to the notes around it.
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flute
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Woodwind instrument, usually made of metal, with a high range, whose tone is produced by blowing across the edge of a mouth hole.
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form
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Organization of musical ideas in time.
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natural sign
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Symbol use in notation of pitch to cancel a previous sharp or flat sign.
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Organ (pipe organ)
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Keyboard instrument with many sets of pipes controlled from two or more keyboards, including a pedal keyboard played by the organist's feet. The keys control valves from which air is blown across or through openings in the pipes. (The electric organ is an electronic instrument that is sometimes designed to imitate the sound of a pipe organ.)
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clef
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Symbol placed at the beginning of the staff to show the exact pitch of notes placed on each line and space.
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climax
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Highest tone or emotional focal point in a melody or a larger musical composition.
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coda
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In a sonata-form movement, a concluding section following the recapitulation and rounding off the movement by repeating themes or developing them further.
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complete cadence
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Definite resting place, giving a sense of finality, at the end of a phrase in a melody.
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treble clef
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Notation on a staff to indicate relatively high pitch ranges, such as those played by a pianist's right hand.
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bass clef
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Symbol on the staff indicating relatively low pitch ranges, such as those played by a pianist's left hand.
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bar
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Another term for measure, often used in jazz.
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Baritone horn
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Brass instrument similar in shape to the tuba, with a higher range, commonly used in bands.
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Baritone
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Male voice range lower than a tenor and higher than a bass.
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bass
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(1) Male voice of low range. (2) Largest string instrument, having the lowest range of the string family.
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grand staff
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Combination of the treble and bass staves, used keyboard music to encompass the wide range of pitches produced by both hands.
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French horn
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Brass instrument of medium range, whose tube is coiled into a roughly circular shape and fitted with valves; commonly used in symphony orchestras and in bands. (Sometimes called simply a horn.)
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Free jazz
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Jazz style that departs from traditional jazz in not being based on regular forms and established chord patterns; developed during the 1960's.
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middle c
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Note c nearest to the center of the piano keyboard, notated as the pitch on the ledger line below the treble clef and above the bass clef.
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melody
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Series of single tones that add up to a recognizable whole.
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major scale
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Series of seven different tones within an octave, with an eighth tone repeating the first tone an octave higher, consisting of a specific pattern of whole and half steps; the whole step between the second and third tones is characteristic.
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major key
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Music based on a major scale.
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Lute
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Plucked string instrument shaped like half a pear; used in Renaissance and Baroque music.
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beam
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Horizontal line connecting the flags of several eighth notes or sixteenth notes in succession, to facilitate reading these notes.
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Bassoon
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Double-reed woodwind instrument, made of wood, having a low range.
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break
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In jazz, a brief unaccompanied solo.
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bridge (transition)
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In the exposition of the sonata form, a section which leads from the first theme in the tonic, or home, key to the second theme, which is in a new key.
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dotted note
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Note with a dot to the right of it. This dot increases the note's undotted duration by half.
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dotted rhythm
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Long-short rhythmic pattern in which a dotted note is followed by a note that is much shorter.
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tie
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In notation of rhythm, an arc between two notes of the same pitch indicating that the second note should not be played but should be added to the duration of the first.
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Time signature (meter signature)
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Two numbers, one above the other, appearing at the beginning of a staff or the start of a piece, indicating the meter of the piece.
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Timpani (kettledrums)
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Percussion instruments of definite pitch, shaped like large kettles with calfskin or plastic stretched across the tops, played with soft padded mallets.
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triplet
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In notation of rhythm, three notes of equal duration grouped within a curved line with the numeral 3, lasting only as long as two notes of the same length would normally last.
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rest
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In notation of rhythm, a symbol to indicate the duration of silence in the music.
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score
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Notation showing all the parts of a musical ensemble, with a separate staff for each part, and with simultaneaously sounded notes aligned vertically; used by the conductor.
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leap
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Interval larger than that between two adjacent tones in the scale.
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legato
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Smooth, connected manner of performing a melody.
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staccato
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Short, detached manner of performing a melody.
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style
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Characteristic way of using melody, rhythm, tone, color, dynamics, harmony, texture, and form in music.
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phrases
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Parts of a melody.
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Piccolo
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Smallest woodwind instrument, having the highest range; a smaller version of the flute.
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sequence
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In a melody, the immediate repetition of a melodic pattern on a higher or lower pitch.
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cadence
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(1) Resting place at the end of a phrase in a melody. (2) Progression giving a sense of conclusion, often from the dominant chord to the tonic chord.
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incomplete cadence
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Inconclusive resting point at the end of a phrase which sets up expectations for phrases to follow.
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key signature
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Sharp or flat signs immediately following the clef sign at the beginning of a piece of music, indicating the key in which the music is to be played.
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key (tonality)
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Central note, scale, and chord within a piece, in relationship to which all other tones in the composition are heard.
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Keynote (tonic)
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Central tone of a melody or larger piece of music. When a piece is in the key of C major, for example, C is the keynote.
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complete cadence
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Definite resting place, giving a sense of finality, at the end of a phrase in a melody.
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theme
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Melody that serves as the starting point for an extended piece of music.
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thematic transformation
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Alteration of the character of a theme by means of changes indynamics, orchestration, or rhythm, when it returns in a later movement or section; often found in romantic music.
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theme and variations
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Form in which a basic musical idea (the theme) is repeated over and over and is changed each time in melody, rhythm, harmony, dynamics, or tone color. Used either as an independent piece or as one movement of a larger work.
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tone cluster
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Chord made up of tones only a half step or a whole step apart, used in twentieth-century music.
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harmony
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How chords are constructed and how they follow each other.
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Harp
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Plucked string instrument, consisting of strings stretched within a triangular frame.
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Ground bass (basso ostinato)
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Variation form in which a musical idea in the bass is repeated ove and over while the melodies above it constantly change; common in baroque music.
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Guitar
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Plucked string instrument with six strings stretched along a fretted fingerboard.
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half step
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Smallest interval traditionally used in western music; for example, the interval between ti and do.
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harmonics
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Very high-pitched whistle-like tones, produced in bowed string instruments by lightly touching the string at certain points while bowing.
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Harpsichord
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Keyboard instrument, widely used from about 1500-1775, whose sound is produced by plectra which pluck its wire strings. The harpsichord was revived during the twentieth century.
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progression
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Series of chords.
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consonance
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Tone combination that is stable and restful.
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Contrabasson
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Double-reed woodwind instrument with a register one octave lower than that of the bassoon.
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countermelody
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Melodic idea that accompanies a main theme.
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counterpoint
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Technique of combining two or more melodic lines into a meaningful whole.
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dissonance
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Tone combination that is unstable and tense.
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resolution
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Progression from a dissonance to a consonance
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triad
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Most basic of chords, consisting of three alternate tones of the scale, such as do, mi, sol.
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Triangle
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Percussion instrument of indefinite pitch, consisting of a triangular length of metal suspended from a hook or cord, played by striking with a metal rod.
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trill
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Musical ornament consisting of the rapid alternation of two tones that are a whole or half step apart.
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"Prelude in E Minor for Piano, Op.28, No. 4"
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by Frederic Chopin, 1839
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scale
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Series of pitches arranged in order from low to high or high to low.
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tonic
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Central tone of a melody or larger piece of music. When a piece is in the key of c major, for example, c is the keynote.
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Baroque Music
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1600-1750
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Baroque (early phase)
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1600-1640
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Baroque (middle phase)
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1640-1680
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Baroque (late phase)
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1680-1750
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terrace dynamics
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Abrupt alternation between loud and soft dynamic levels; characteristic of baroque music.
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clavichord
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Baroque keyboard instrument in which sound is produced by means of brass blades striking strings, capable of making gradual dynamic changes, but within a narrow volume range.
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basso continuo
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Baroque accompaniment made up of a bass part usually played by two instruments: a keyboard plus a low melodic instrument.
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figured bass
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Bass part of a baroque accompaniment with figures (numbers) above it indicating the chords to be played.
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movement
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Piece that sounds fairly complete and independent but is part ofa larger composition.
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concerto grosso
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Composition for several instrumental soloists and small orchestra common in late baroque music.
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tutti
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In Italian, all; the full orchestra, or a large group of musicians contrasted with a smaller group; often heard in baroque music.
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Ritornello form
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Compositional form usually used in the baroque concerto grosso, in which the tutti plays a ritornello, or refrain, alternating with one or more soloists playing new material.
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ritornello
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In Italian, refrain; a repeated section of music usually played by the full orchestra, or tutti, in baroque compositions.
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Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major
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Johann Sebastian Bach, about 1721
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Allegro, First movement
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Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, about 1721
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Fugue
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Polyphonic composition based on one main theme, or subject.
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subject
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Theme of a fugue.
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answer
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Second presentation of the subject in a fugue, usually in the dominant scale.
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episodes
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Transitional section in a fugue between presentations of the subject, which offers either new material or fragments of the subject or countersubject.
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stretto
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Compositional procedure used in fugues, in which a subject is imitated before it is completed; one voice tries to catch the other.
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pedal point (organ point)
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Single tone, usually in the bass, which is held while the other voices produce a series of changing harmonies against it; often found in fugues.
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inversion
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Variation of a fugue subject in which each interval of the subject is reversed in direction.
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retrograde
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Variation of a fugue subject in which the subject is presented by beginning with its last note and proceeding backward to the first.
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augmentation
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Variation of a fugue subject in which the original time values of the subject are lengthened.
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diminution
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Variation of a fugue subject in which the original time values of the subject are shortened.
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prelude
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(1) Short piece usually serving to introduce a fugue or other composition; a short piece for piano. (2) Short musical composition, purely orchestral, which opens an opera and sets the overall dramatic mood. Orchestral introductions to later acts of an opera are called preludes.
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Organ Fugue in G Minor (Little Fugue)
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by Johann Sebastian Bach, about 1709
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opera
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Drama that is sung to orchestral accompaniment, usually a large-scale composition involving vocal soloists, chorus, orchestra, costumes, and scenery.
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libretto
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Text of an opera.
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librettist
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Dramatist who writes the libretto, or text, of an opera.
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voice categories of opera
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coloratura soprano; lyric soprano; dramatic soprano; lyric tenor; dramatic tenor; basso buffo; basso profundo
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coloratura soprano
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Very high range; can execute rapid scales and trills
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lyric soprano
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Rather light voice; sings roles calling for grace and charm.
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dramatic soprano
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Full, powerful voice; is capable of passionate intensity
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lyric tenor
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Relatively light, bright voice.
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dramatic tenor
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Powerful voice; is capable of heroic expression
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basso buffo
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Takes comic roles; can sing very rapidly
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basso profundo
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Very low range, powerful voice; takes roles calling for great dignity.
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aria
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Song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment, usually expressing an emotional state through its outpouring of melody; found in operas, oratorios, and cantatas.
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recitative
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Vocal line in an opera, oratorio, or cantata that imitates the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech, often serving to lead into an aria.
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ensemble
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In opera, a piece sung by three or more solo singers.
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chorus
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(1) A group of singers performing together, generally with more than one to a part. (2) In jazz, a statement of the basic harmonic pattern or melody.
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prompter
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Person who gives cues and reminds singers of their words or pitches during an opera performance. The prompter is located in a box just over the edge of center stage, which conceals him or her from the audience.
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Camerata
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In Italian, fellowship or society; a group of nobles, poets, and composers who began to meet regularly in Florence around 1575 and wose musical discussions prepared the way for the beginning of opera.
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castrato
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Male singer castrated before puberty to retain a high voice range; the most important category of vocal soloists in opera during the baroque period.
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secco recitatives
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Speechlike melody that is sung by a solo voice accompanied only by a basso continuo.
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accompanied recitatives
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Speechlike melody that is sung by a solo voice accompanied by the orchestra.
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da capo aria
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Aria in A B A form; after the B section, the term da capo is written; this means from the beginning and indicates a repition of the opening A section.
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de capo
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From the beginning; an indication usually meaning that the opening section of a piece is to be repeated after the middle section.
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Orfeo (Orpheus)
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Monteverdi, 1607
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Act II: Recitative: Tu se' morta (You are dead)
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Monteverdi, 1607
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ground bass (basso ostinato)
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Variation from in which a musical idea in the bass is repeated over and over while the melodies above it constantly change; common in baroque music.
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Dido and Aeneas
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Henry Purcell, 1689
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Act II: Dido's Lament, Dido and Aeneas
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Henry Purcell, 1689
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sonata
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In baroque music, an instrumental composition in several movements for one to eight players. In music after the baroque period, an instrumental composition usually in several movements for one or two players.
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trio sonatas
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Baroque composition with three melodic lines: two high ones, each played by one instrument; and a basso continuo, played by two instruments.
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Tio Sonata in A Minor, Op. 3, No. 10
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Arcangelo Corelli, 1689
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La Primavera (Spring), Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra, Op. 8, No. 1, from The Four Seasons
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Antonio Vivaldi, 1725
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Vivaldi, La Primavera, from The Four Seasons: (three movements)
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First movement: Allegro; Second Movement: Largo e pianissimo sempre (very slow and very soft throughout); Third movement: Danza Pastorale (Pastoral Dance)
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improvisation
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Creation of music at the same time as it is performed.
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suite
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In baroque music, a set of dance-inspired movements all written in the same key but differing in tempo, meter, and character.
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French overture
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Common opening piece in baroque suites,oratorios, and operas; usually in two parts: the first slow, with characteristic dotted rhythms, full of dignity and grandeur; the second quick and lighter in mood, often starting like a fugue.
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Suite No. 3 in D Major
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Johann Sebastian Bach, 1729-1731
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Suite No. 3 in D Major, by Johann Bach (five movements)
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First movement: Overture; Second movement: Air; Third movement: Gavotte; Fourth movement: Bourree; Fifth movement: Gigue
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chorale
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Hymn tune sung to a German religious text.
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chorale prelude
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Short composition for organ, based on a hymn tune and often used to remind the congregation of the melody before the hymn is sung.
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Cantata No. 140: Wachet auf. ruft uns die Stimme (Awake, a Voice Is Calling Us)
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by Johann Sebastian Bach, 1731
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Bach, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, Fourth Movement
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Tenor Chorale
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Bach, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, Seventh Movement
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chorale
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oratorio
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Large-scale composition for chorus, vocal soloists, and orchestra, usually set to a narrative text, but without acting, scenery, or costumes; often based on biblical stories.
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Messiah
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by, George Frideric Handel, 1741
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Messiah: Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted, Aria for tenor, strings, and basso continuo Andante
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Orchestral ritornello
by, George Frideric Handel, 1741 |
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Messiah, For unto Us a Child Is Born, Chorus, strings, basso continuo
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the twelfth movement
by, George Frideric Handel, 1741 |
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Messiah, Hallelujah chorus
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by, George Frideric Handel, 1741
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