- accompaniment Vocal or instrumental parts that accompany a melody.
- aerophone A musical instrument (as a trumpet or flute) in which sound is generated by a vibrating column of air.
- articulation The manner in which notes are performed, such as staccato or legato.
- atonal A type of music in which tones and chords are not related to a central keynote.
- augmented interval A major or perfect interval raised by a half step.
- beat Unit of measure of rhythmic time.
- canon A musical form in which a melody is imitated exactly in one or more parts.
Similar to a round.
- chord Three or more tones sounded simultaneously.
- chordaphone An instrument the sound of which is created by means of strings stretched between two points.
- clef, bass, or treble A symbol written at the beginning of a musical staff indicating which notes are represented by which lines and spaces.
- composition Creation of original music by organizing sound. Usually written for others to perform.
- compound meter A type of meter in which the beat is divided into threes or sixes.
- concerto A composition for orchestra and soloist.
- descant A melodic line or counterpoint accompanying an existing melody.
- diatonic scale The notes found within a major or minor scale.
- diminished interval A minor or perfect interval lowered by a half step.
- duple meter A time signature with groups of two beats to the measure.
- dynamics Varying degrees of volume in the performance of music.
- dynamic markings The symbols indicating the varying degrees of volume: pp -pianissimo, very soft; p-piano, soft; mp- mezzo piano, medium soft; mf-mezzo forte, medium loud; f-forte, loud; and ff-fortissimo, very loud.
- elements of music Melody, harmony, rhythm, and form and the expressive elements of dynamics, tempo, and timbre (tone color).
- embellishments: Notes added to ornament a melody or rhythmic pattern.
melodic and rhythmic
- form The organization and structure of a composition and the interrelationships of musical events within the overall structure.
- fugue A composition in which three or more voices enter one after the other and imitate the main melody in various ways according to a set pattern.
- genre Type or kind of musical work (e.g., opera, jazz, mariachi).
- harmonic progression A succession of individual chords or harmonies that form larger units of phrases, sections, or compositions.
- harmony The simultaneous sounding of two or more tones.
- idiophone A musical instrument, the sound of which is produced by shaking or scraping.
- improvisation Spontaneous creation of music.
- interval The distance in pitch between two tones.
- levels of difficulty The levels of difficulty for the musical content standards are as follows:
- Level 1: very easy; easy keys, meters, and rhythms; limited ranges.
- Level 2: easy; may include changes of tempo, key, and meter; modest ranges.
- Level 3: moderately easy; contains moderate technical demands, expanded
ranges, and varied interpretive requirements.
- Level 4: moderately difficult; requires well-developed technical skills, attention
to phrasing and interpretation, and ability to perform various
meters and rhythms in a variety of keys.
- Level 5: difficult; requires advanced technical and interpretive skills; contains
key signatures with numerous sharps or flats, usual meters, complex
rhythms, subtle dynamic requirements.
- Level 6: very difficult; suitable for musically mature students of exceptional
competence.
- major key Tonally, a key based on a major scale; a scale that contains the following step pattern: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half; or uses the sol-fa tones of do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do.
- melody An organized sequence of single notes.
- membranophone An instrument that produces sound through the vibrations of a membrane.
- meter The grouping of beats by which a piece of music is measured.
- minor key Tonally, a key based on a minor scale; a scale that contains the following step pattern: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole; or uses the sol-fa tones of la, ti, do, re, me, fa, so, la.
- mixed meter A mixture of duple and triple meters.
- mode A type of scale with a specific arrangement of intervals (e.g., Aeolian, Dorian, Ionian, Locrian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Phrygian).
- notation Written music indicating pitch and rhythm for performance.
- opera A drama set to music for voices and orchestra and presented with costumes and sets.
- oratorio A dramatic musical composition usually set to a religious text and performed by solo voices, chorus, and orchestra without action, special costumes, or scenery.
- ostinato A rhythmic or melodic accompaniment figure repeated continuously.
- pentatonic scale A scale having five tones to the octave and containing no half steps: do, re, mi, so, la.
- phrase A musical idea comparable to a sentence or a clause in language.
- pitch The location of a note related to its highness or lowness.
- rhythm The combinations of long and short, even or uneven sounds that convey a sense of movement in time.
- rondo form A musical form in which a section is repeated, with contrasting sections in between, such as ABACA.
- scale The arrangement of notes in a specific order of whole and half steps.
- score The organized notation of all of the instrumental and/or vocal parts of a composition.
- serial music A type of composition based on a technique involving a twelve-tone scale. See also twelve-tone scale.
- solfege A system of designating verbal syllables for the degrees of the scale.
- sonata-allegro form A musical form that uses the overall design of exposition, development, and recapitulation.
- song forms The organization of sections of a song, represented by letters that depict similar and contrasting sections: AB, ABA, AABA, ABC, verse/refrain, and so forth.
- staff (staves) The horizontal lines on and between which notes are written.
- suite A musical composition consisting of a succession of short pieces.
- symphony A long orchestral work divided into three to five movements.
- syncopation The placement of rhythmic accents on weak beats or weak portions of beats.
- tempo The pace at which music moves according to the speed of the underlying beat.
- texture The character of the different layers of horizontal and vertical sounds.
- theme and variation A compositional form in which a theme is clearly stated and is followed by a number of variations.
- timbre Tone color or quality of sound heard.
- tonality (key) The tonal center of a composition.
- tone poem An orchestral composition based on an extramusical idea; a tone picture (e.g., The Pines of Rome, by Ottorino Respighi).
- triad A three-note chord consisting of root, third, and fifth.
- triple meter Beats grouped into a set of three.
- twelve-bar blues A chord pattern often used in blues music based on the I, IV, and V chords and the blues scale in specific order within 12 bars.
- twelve-tone scale A scale constructed of all twelve half steps within an octave and organized in a specific order called a tone row.
|