Music
The art of organized sounds and time.
Note
When vibrations are definite and steady.
Pitch
How high or low a note sounds; determined by the frequency of vibrations per second. The faster the frequency, the higher the note. The slower the frequency, the lower the note.
Staff
Five horizontal lines on or between notes.
Dynamics
How loud or soft something is.
Pianissimo
(pp) Very soft.
Piano
(p) Soft.
Mezzo
(m) Medium.
Forte
(f) Loud.
Fortissimo
(ff) Very loud.
Crescendo
Gradually getting louder.
Decrescendo
Gradually getting softer.
Timbre/Tone Color
The distinctive quality of sound for an instrument or voice.
Rhythm
The flow of music through time; the combination of long/short sounds or silence.
Beat
Regular pulse in most music.
Meter
The organization of beats into groups.
Measure
The groups created from meter.
Tempo
Speed or how fast the beat is in music.
Adagio
Slow.
Andante
Moderate.
Allegro
Fast.
Accelerando
Gradually getting faster.
Ritardando
Gradually getting slower.
Melody
The horizontal aspect of music. The aspect of music that we remember and hum.
Theme
Melody that serves as the basis for a larger composition.
Harmony
The vertical aspect of music; two or more pitches sounded simultaneously.
Chord
Groups of three or more notes played together.
Consonance
Stable harmonies without tension that imply finality and rest.
Dissonance
Unstable/tense harmonies that sound as if the notes are fighting.
Tonality
Another word for key. Organized around a central note, scale, and chord.
Tonic
The first note of a scale.
Key
Named after the tonic note.
Major Scale
Compromised of specific whole steps and half steps.
Minor Scale
Sadder sounding, with different whole steps and half steps.
Chromatic Scale
Uses all black keys and white keys/all the notes on an instrument.
Key Signature
Occurs at the beginning of a piece. Indicates which notes are flat and sharp.
Modulation
Shift from one key to another.
Texture
Describes the relationship between melodic and harmonic aspects of music.
Monophony
One melody. Simple texture.
Polyphony
Two or more melodies performed at the same time.
Homophony
Single melody with accompaniment.
Form
Organization of musical ideas.
Repetition
Repeating.
Contrasting
Different things together.
Variation
Difference between things.
Binary Form
Two parts of a song.
Ternary Form
Three parts of a song.
Cadence
Point of rest; gives a sense of conclusion.