Melody
a sequence of single notes that is musically satisfying.
Interval
is the difference between two pitches
Harmony
The sounding of two or more musical notes at the
same time in a way that is pleasant or desired.
Polyphonic
consists of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as
opposed to a musical texture with just one voice,
monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by
chords, which is called homophony.
Genre
is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of
music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of
conventions. It is to be distinguished from musical
form and musical style, although in practice these
terms are sometimes used interchangeably.
Aria
is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of
music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of
conventions. It is to be distinguished from musical
form and musical style, although in practice these
terms are sometimes used interchangeably.
Modulation
the act or process of changing from one key (tonic, or tonal center)
to another.
Tutti
is an Italian word literally meaning all or together and is used as a
musical term, for the whole orchestra as opposed to
the soloist. It is applied similarly to choral music,
where the whole section or choir is called to sing.
Virtuoso
is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in a
particular art or field such as fine arts, music,
singing, playing a musicalinstrument,
Recitative
In an opera, oratorio, cantata, or other multi-movement vocal
compositions, a recitative is a narrative song that
describes some action, thought, or emotion.
Motive
a short musical idea
Binary
form is a musical form in two related sections, both
of which are usually repeated
Development
a process by which a musical idea is communicated in
the course of a composition. It refers to the transformation and
restatement of initial material.
Program Music
music that is intended to evoke images or convey the impression of events.
Chromatic
relating to or using notes not belonging to the diatonic scale of the
key in which a passage is written.
Ballad
any light, simple song, especially one of sentimental or romantic
character, having two or more stanzas all sung to the same melody.
Phasing
is a compositional technique in which the same part (a repetitive
phrase) is played on two musical instruments, in
steady but not identical tempi.
Cadance
a melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of
resolution [finality or pause].
Rhythm
movement or procedure with uniform or patterned recurrence of a beat,
accent, or the like.
Chord
three or more notes that combine harmoniously
Timbre
is the perceived sound quality of a musical note,
sound, or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production,
such as choir voices and musical instruments
Sacred Music
is music performed or composed for religious
use or through religious influence.
Recitative
is a narrative song that describes some action, thought, or emotion.
Exposition
the initial presentation of the thematic material of a
musicalcomposition, movement, or section.
Ritornello
a short instrumental refrain or interlude in a vocal work.
Overture
an orchestral piece at the beginning of an opera, suite, play,
oratorio, or other extended composition.
an introduction to something more substantial
Symphony
An extended musical composition for orchestra in
several movements, typically four.
Theme
a subject is the material, usually a recognizable melody,
Ternary
sometimes called song form, is a three-part musical
form where the first section (A) is repeated after the second section
(B) ends.
Recapitulation
occurs after the movement's development section, and typically
presents once more the musical themes from the
movement's exposition. Written in sonata form
Etude
is an instrumental musical composition, usually
short, of considerable difficulty, and designed to provide practice
material for perfecting a particular musical skill.
Sprecchtime
Speak-talking
Drone Bass
a sustained bass note or chord of unvarying pitch
accompanying a melody.
Stride Bass
A musical device with leaping between the
bass and harmony notes in the left hand part of a
piano accompaniment.
Phrase
concepts and practices related to grouping consecutive melodic notes
Meter
is a recurring pattern of stresses or accents that provide the pulse
or beat of music.
Monophonic
music with a single "part
Dynamics
Relative loudness. The two basic dynamic indications
in music are: p or piano, meaning
"soft". f or forte, meaning "loud".
Secular Music
being separate from (not associated or concerned with) religion.
Subject
is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or
all of a composition is based.
Concerto
a piece usually composed in three parts or movements, in which
(usually) one solo instrument (for instance, a piano, violin, cello or
flute) is accompanied by an orchestra or concert band.
Opera
an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work
combining text (libretto) and musical score, usually
in a theatrical setting.
Quartet
is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers
MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface. Video game music
Sonata Form
is an organizational structure based on contrasting
musicalideas. It consists of three main sections -
exposition, development, and recapitulation - and sometimes includes
an optional coda at the end. In the exposition, the main melodic
ideas, or themes, are introduced.
Lied
German song
Character Piece
Relatively brief musical composition, usually for piano,
expressive of a specific mood or nonmusical idea.
1st Viennese School
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven.
Incidental Music
music in a play, television program, radio program,
video game, film, or some other presentation form that is not
primarily musical.
Background music
Stepwise Motion
the interval between any two consecutive pitches is no more than a step,
Disjunct Motion
the difference in pitch between two consecutive notes of a
musical scale. In other words, it is the interval
between two consecutive scale degrees.
Homophonic
characterized by the movement of accompanying parts in the same
rhythm as the melody.
Form
Refers to the overall structure or plan of a piece of
music, and it describes the layout of a composition
as divided into sections.
Plainchant
is a body of chants used in the liturgies of the Western Church.
Counterpoint
the art or technique of setting, writing, or playing a melody or
melodies in conjunction with another, according to fixed rules.
Tonic
the pitch upon which all other pitches of a piece are hierarchically referenced.
Syncopation
a shifting of the normal accent, usually by stressing the normally
unaccented beats.
Piano sonata
written for a solo piano, usually written with 3 or
4 movements
Ragtime
A style of early jazz music written largely for the
piano in the early twentieth century, characterized by jaunty rhythms
and a whimsical mood
SCOTT JOPLIN
Strophic Form
is the term applied to songs in which all verses or stanzas of the
text are sung to the same music.
Nationalism
Pride in one's country
Sight-read
the reading and performing of a piece of
music or song in music notation that
the performer has not seen before.
At first sight
2nd Viennese School
Schoenberg, Berg and Webern
Impressionism
An artistic movement that focused more on sensations, perceptions,
and light than on the direct representation of objects.2q
Composers: Debussy
Dissolution of tonality
Expressionism
German movement that takes place in the late 19th century, inspired
by Van Gogh. No More tonality
composers: Schoenberg (father), Bartok
Minimalism
Started in 1960, New York compositional style, Repetitive and simple,
and very lengthy.
Composer: Steve Reich (Father)
Experimentalism
ompositional practice defined broadly by exploratory sensibilites and
movement radically opposed to and questioning of institutionalized
musical compositional, performing, and aesthetic conventions
Late 20th century
Excerpt from Play of Virtues
Hildegard von Bingen
Medieval
Has the Devil speaking at the beginning
�Winter,� mvt. 1, from The Four Seasons
Vivaldi
Baroque
Its your fave piece
El Grillo
Josquin
Renaissance
Says el grillo
Fugue in G Minor, "Little" fugue
Bach
Baroque
You have a song to it
Symphony 102, mvt. 4
Hyden
Classical
"Hyden" is hidin in symphony 102 mvt. 4
Symphony no. 5, mvt. 1
Beethoven
Classical
Beethoven # five song
�Der Erlkonig� or �The Elf King�
Schuburt
Romantic
Creepy voices, and the elf king has schuburt
Symphonie Fantastique, mvt. 4 �March to the Scaffold�
Berlioz
Romantic
Druggie whose head drops
Revolutionary Etude
Chopin
Romantic
Left hand is doing more
Romeo and Juliet, Love Theme
Tchaikovsky
Romantic
Played in most love scences