Music Vocabulary
• Review
Whole step
• Two half steps
Half step
• A Minor Second
Timbre
• Tone color
Characteristics
• Unique attributes
Style
• The way it is played
Genre
• Special styles
Strings
• Instruments using plucked or bowed strings to create the sound
Brass Winds
• Instruments using a cupped shaped mouthpiece
Woodwinds
• Those originally made of wood or using a reed to create the sound
Clef
• Symbol to indicate the tonal center
Score
• The conductor’s copy of the music.
Staff
• 5 lines and 4 spaces
Expression
• Emotion portrayed in music
Intonation
• The correct vibrations of a tone to match the established standard or that of another instrument
Resonance
• Vibrations of an instrument’s sound creating the unique sound of that particular instrument
Ledger Lines
• Short lines extending the staff upward or downward
Vertical Music
• Music composed in a chordal manner in which most or all parts move together at the same time
Horizontal Music
• Music having independent lines weaving a fabric of sound.
Second ending
• The short ending which will send musicians forward to a new melodic section.
Repeat
• To play it again
Fugue
• A melodic presentation using varied melodic and rhythmic alterations to present new interpretations of the melody.
Fugetto
• A small or short section in a fugal style.
First ending
• The short ending which will send musicians back to a particular place to repeat that section.
Double Bar
• Two bars of different size indicating the end of a section or composition.
Dal signo al fine`
• Return to the sign and play to the fine`
Da capo al fine`
• Return to the beginning and play to the fine`
Transposition
• To move the position of the tone to adjust for the length of the instrument
Tessitura
• That part of the range used most often
Range
• The extreme from lowest to highest tone for each instrument
Key Signature
• Those sharps and/or flats which identify the tonal center.
Homophonic
• Movement in a chordal manner
Counterpoint
• Independent movement of musical lines in correlation to each other
Cannon
• The simple melodic repetition. It is also called a round.
Brace
• Two or more staves joined with a bracket { } indicating a system of music.
Slur
• A curved line which smoothly connects tones on different lines and/or spaces without attack.
Tie
• A curved line connecting tones (adding their value) on the same line or space.
Major Second
• Whole Step
Minor Second
• Half Step
Tutti
• Those originally made of wood or using a reed to create the sound
Music History
• The story of mankind’s music throughout time.
Balance
• To achieve the aural perception of each instrument or section being of the same or equal volume without dominance by any one instrument or section.
Blend
• To create an ensemble sound in which all instruments/sections collectively create one sound rather than individual sounds.
Dynamics
• Various degrees of loudness and softness
Forte (f )
• Strong or full
Piano (p)
• Soft
Mezzo (m)
• Medium
Mezzo Forte (mf)
• Medium full
Mezzo piano (mp)
• Medium soft
Fortissimo (ff)
• Very strong
Fortississimo (fff)
• Very, very strong
Pianissimo (pp)
• Very soft
Pianississiom (ppp)
• Very, very soft
Crescendo (cres.)
• To get louder
Decrescendo (decres)
• To get softer
Diminuendo (dim)
• To gradually get softer
Baroque
• The historic period between 1600 and 1750 AD
Medieval
• The historic period prior to 1400 AD
Renaissance
• The historic period between the 15th (1400 AD) and 17th (1600AD) centuries.
Rococo or Roccoco
• The French historic period between 1700 and 1799 AD (18th Century)
Classical
• The historic period between 1750 and 1820 AD
Impressionist
• The historic period between 1870 and 1880
Expressionist
• The historic period originating in Germany beginning in the 20th Century.
Experimental
• One type of music composed between 1950 and today.
Jazz
• Jazz is a musical form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions.
Fusion
• The mixing of diverse musical styles originating around 1980.
Strophic
• Repeated melody for each verse
Through composed
• No repetition of music for new lyrics
Pulse
• Steady, ongoing emphasis of the count
Diatonic
• Within the Key
Consonant Interval
• Interval requiring no resolution (change)
Dissonant Interval
• Interval requiring resolution (change)
Variation
• Changing the melody, rhythm, or harmony of a composition.