Florida Vocal Association All-State Musicianship High School Terms

FVA High School terms for 2019 and beyond

A tempo

return to the original tempo after some deviation

Accelerando

becoming gradually faster

Allargando

slowing of tempo, usually with increasing volume; most frequently occurs toward the end of a piece

Allegro con spirito

fast tempo with spirit

Anacrusis

upbeat or pickup

Andante

rather slow, at a moderate walking speed

Arpeggio

the notes of the chord played in succession to one another, rather than simultaneously; a broken chord

Bel canto

"beautiful singing"; an Italian Opera term

Binary form

(AB) form of a composition that has two distinct sections

Cantabile

in a singing style; singable

Chromatic

motion by half steps; also describes harmony or melody that employs some of the sequential 12 pitches (semi-tones) in an octave

D. C. or Da Capo

repeat from the beginning of the composition

Descant

a high obligato part above the melody

Divisi

performers singing the same part are divided to sing different parts.

Dolce

sweetly, usually also softly

Espressivo

to play or sing with expression

Falsetto

type of vocal phonation that enables the singer to sing notes beyond the normal vocal range.

Fermata

a pause or hold

Form

the organization and structure of a composition

Grandioso

grand, majestic

Improvisation

music that is created spontaneously

Interval

the relationship between two pitches, the distance between an upper and a lower pitch

L'istesso

the beat remains constant when the meter changes

Largo

very slow and broad

Ledger lines

short horizontal lines used to extend a staff either higher or lower

Legato

to play or sing in a smooth, connected manner

Meno mosso

less motion

Meter

indicated by a time signature, can be simple or compound

Mezzo forte

medium loud

Modulation

to change key within a composition

Motif

a short musical idea or melodic theme, usually shorter than a musical phrase

Niente

dying away to nothing

Opera

a major vocal work that involves theatrical elements

Oratorio

large scale musical composition on a sacred subject.

Part song

an unaccompanied homophonic choral composition for three or more voices

Poco piu mosso

a little more motion

Presto

very fast; faster than allegro

Rallentando

gradually slowing down

Rubato

Making the established pulse flexible by accelerating and slowing down the tempo; an expressive device

Senza

without

Sforzando

strongly accented; forced

Solfege

a system used for teaching sight-singing (Do-Re-Mi)

Sotto voce

Softly; with subdued sound; performed in an undertone

Strophic

describes a song where the stanzas are all sung to the same music

Subito

suddenly; quickly

Tessitura

most widely used range of pitches in a piece of music

Tranquillo

to perform in a relaxed tempo

Triad

three note chord consisting of the root, third, and fifth

Vibrato

a rapid fluctuation of pitch slightly higher or lower than the main pitch

Vivace

lively; briskly