Music Theory Study Guide

Pitch

How high or low a sound is

Rhythm

The arrangement of sounds and silences over time (pulse of music)

Melody

Sequence of pitches that make the song recognizable (usually sops)

Harmony

Two or more notes played/sung at the same time to create a fuller sound

Tempo

Speed of the music (Allegro=fast, Largo=slow)

Dynamics

The volume (piano=soft, forte=loud)

Timbre (Tone Color)

The unique quality of a sound that makes it distinguishable

Texture

How different musical lines or layer interact (Dr. Moss is big about this)

Form

The overall structure of a piece (verse, chorus, etc…)

Staff

Five horizontal lines and four spaces where notes are written

Clef

A symbol (such as treble or bass) at the beginning of the staff that indicates the pitch

Time Signature

A fraction showing beats per measure and note values (ex: 4/4)

Note

A symbol representing a specific pitch or duration

Measure (Bar)

A segment of music between two bar lines, containing a specific number of beats

Articulation

How notes are played/sung (staccato vs. legato)

Cres. Decres. <>

Gradually getting louder softer (type of dynamic)

Key Signature

The central note and scale that forms the basis of the music

Flat is…

Fa

Sharp is…

Ti

Minor is…

La

Accent

A specific note or phrase is emphasized with an increase in intensity above other non-accented notes

Accidental

Notes that are not within a specific key signature and therefore exist outside of the key (sharps, flats, naturals)

Adagio

(slowly in Italian) In music, it signifies that a piece should be played a slower tempo or speed

Allegro

(means cheerful in Italian) In music, it means the music should be played at an upbeat and bright tempo

Andante

(describe a moderately slow tempo) It’s Italian meaning “to-go about” suggests a walking pace to be used in a piece of music

Arpeggio

When a chord of notes is broken and played in sequence (ex: a C major arpeggio would be played C-E-G-C)

BPM

Number of beats in 60 seconds (beats per minute)

Cadence

A sequence of chords used to signify the end of a phrase

Cadenza

A moment in a musical piece where an instrumentalist or singer is given the opportunity to play a solo freely and with artistic license to go outside of a rigid tempo or rhythm

Canon

When a melody is played by one instrument or group of instruments, and then repeated a certain number of bars later by another instrument to overlap the initial melody (Not really singing but still)

Coda

A symbol used in sheet music to show where the final passage of a piece begins

Da Capo

An instruction used in sheet music that tells the band or orchestra to re-start the piece from the beginning and go back to the top

Enharmonic

Two notes that have different spellings yet sound the same (ex: F# and Gb are the same notes with different spellings)

Fermata

A symbol used in sheet music to indicate that a note should be held longer than its standard duration

Giocoso

Implies that the piece should be played in a fun and carefree manner, most often at a higher tempo

Glissando

Where you slide in pitch from note to note, instead of accentuating each note (in With a Spark)

Grave

A marking that indicates an extremely slow tempo below 60 BPM (means solemn in Italian)

Leggero

(means light in Italian) In sheet music leggero means to play lightly, usually at a quicker pace and in a light-hearted manner

Motif

Refers to a specific melody or series of notes is used in different ways throughout a piece of music or song

Ostinato

Similar to a motif, an ostinato is a rhythmic pattern that repeats throughout a piece of music

Pizzicato

(means plucked in Italian) It instructs string sections to pluck their instruments instead of bowing them

Poco-a-poco

(little by little in Italian) Indicating an incremental change in tempo over a longer period of time either up or down

Presto

Very fast tempo usually above 170 BPM

Quarter Tone

Musical interval that is half the value of a semitone and a quarter of the value of a whole tone

Rubato

Indicates the player may appropriately speed up and slow down the tempo as desired

Sforzando

Dynamic instruction that requires players to play a note abruptly and loudly

Solfège

The phonetic set of notes correspond to the letter note

Sostenuto

Requires musicians to play each note beyond its normal value (sustained in Italian)

Tremolo

Effect musicians can put on a sustained noted to create a trembling sound

Tenuto

Hold each note for the entirety of its value and then some (means hold in Italian)

Trill

Instruction to sustain rapid alternation between two different pitches

Vibrato

Effect where the pitch of a note is subtly moved up and down to create a vibrating effect

Vivace

Suggests a fast tempo, louder dynamic, and bright playing (means lively or vivacious in Italian)

Aria

Generally used to describe set-piece songs in Opera