CM Level 1-6 Vocab

a tempo

return to the original tempo

Baroque Period of Music

a term borrowed from architecture to describe Western European music written from 1600 to 1750

crescendo

gradually getting louder

decrescendo

gradually getting softer

dot

added to a note, it increases the length of the note by 1/2 of its original value

fortissimo (ff)

very loud

ledger lines

short lines added above or below the staff so that notes can be written there

mezzo forte (mf)

medium loud

mezzo piano (mp)

medium soft

pianissimo (pp)

very soft

Renaissance Period of Music

in musical history, the period between 1425 and 1600

repeat signs

two dots placed before or after a double bar line, indicating a repeat of the music between the signs

ritardando (rit.)

becoming gradually slower

slur

a curved line connecting two or more different notes, indicating smoothness

tenuto (ten.)

sustain a note for its full value

tie

a curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch, which combines their values

accidental

a flat, sharp, or natural sign

allegro

a lively, fast tempo

andante

a moderate, graceful, walking tempo

broken triad

three consecutive tones, Do-Mi-Sol

Classical period of music

general term for the style of music written between 1750 and 1820

diminuendo (dim.)

gradually getting softer

dolce

sweetly

lento

slow

moderato

moderate tempo

molto

very

Musical Theatre/Broadway

a 20th Century form of theatre, combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance

natural

cancels the effect of a previous flat or sharp

poco a poco

little by little

sforzando (sfz)

a heavy, strong accent

simple meter

a time signature in which the basic beat can be divided by two

accent

to emphasize or stress a note

bar line

a line that separates notes on the staff into measures

bass clef

also called F clef, it names the fourth line of the bass staff

chord

a group of 3 or more notes sounded at the same time

composer

a person who writes music

double bar line

two lines that signal the end of a section or piece

fermata

a hold or pause

key signature

sharps or flats written on the staff at the beginning of a piece to indicate the key

flat

lowers the pitch of a note one-half step

Folk Music

music that is learned by mouth, has no known composer, and was not initially written down

forte (f)

loud

interval

the distance the pitches of two notes, sounded together or consecutively

legato

smooth and connected

measure

the space between two bar lines

piano (p)

soft

sharp

an accidental that raises the pitch of a note one-half step

staccato

short and detached

staff

the five lines and four spaces on which music is written

time signature

the numbers at the beginning of a piece that indicate the number of beats in each measure and the type of note that receives one beat

treble clef

also called G clef, it names the second line of the treble staff

vocalise

a vocal exercise

adagio

a slow tempo falling between largo (slower) and andante (faster)

accelerando (accel.)

becoming faster

allegretto

a light, cheerful tempo, a bit slower than allegro

andantino

a little faster tempo than andante

con moto

with motion

diphthong

a vowel with two sounds

half step

the smallest musical interval between two adjacent notes in a 12-tone scale

Jazz music

began in America around 1900, influenced by African & European traditions; it incorporates blues, ragtime, swing, improvisation, syncopation & complex rhythms

largetto

a slow tempo, a little faster than largo

largo

slow and broad

meno mosso

less lively, slower

opera

a play in which the characters sing rather than speak, accompanied by instruments

più mosso

more lively, faster

rallentando (rall.)

becoming gradually slower

Romantic period of music

a 19th Century movement in the arts that influenced music from 1820 until 1920

sempre

always

senza

without

whole step

the interval of a major 2nd; consists of 2 half steps

alla breve / cut time

the same as 2/2 time

arietta

a short aria

bel canto

brilliant, lyric vocal style originating in Italy in the 18th & early 19th centuries

coda

a separate section at the end of a song, indicated by the symbol

common time

the same as 4/4 time

da capo (D.C.)

return to the beginning

da capo aria

a vocal form popular in the Baroque era, with an ABA form

D.C. al fine

return to the beginning and sing to the fine

dal segno (D.S.)

return to the sign

D.S. al fine

return to the sign and sing to the fine

D.S. al coda

return to the sign, proceed to the coda sign, then skip to the coda and finish the song

grazioso

gracefully

Late Romantic/Impressionistic period of music

a movement in European classical music, mainly in France, that began in the late 19th century and continued into the middle of the 20th century

fine

end

operetta

a genre of light opera; the precursor to Musical Theatre

primary triad

one three triads, (tonic, subdominant, dominant) built from thirds

repetition

a compositional technique accomplished by repeating the same melodic patterns exactly

sequence

a compositional technique consisting of repeating the same melodic patterns at a different pitch

simile

to continue in the same manner

vivace

lively, quick, brisk tempo

arpeggio

the notes of a chord sung or played in succession

art song

a vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano or orchestral accompaniment, typically set to poetry

compound meter

a time signature in which the basic beat is divisible by three

Contemporary period of music

a general term for musical styles developed since 1900

espressivo

expressively, with emotion

fröhlich

(Ger.) glad, joyous

grace note

an unaccented ornamental note, which resolves quickly to the main note; written in small type as an 8th note with a slash through it

inversion

the result of shifting a note of an interval or chord so that the lowest note becomes the upper note

langsam

(Ger.) slowly

lebhaft

(Ger.) lively