Music Terms and Definitions

Updated 9/19. TExES Prep

Rococo

decorative style of music composed during later Baroque and early Classical period. Works by F. Couperin, Rameu, and J.C. Bach.

Gospel

19th century spirtual-like texts with some AA musical characteristics.

Blues

folk music with AA roots originating in Deep South US in latter 19th century. Call-and-response pattern, 12-bar chord progressions, blue notes.

Homophony

multiple melodic parts moving at approx. the same time. 4-part traditional hymns with roots in Baroque practice of chorale harmonication (Bach).

Heterophony

variations of a melody that occur simultaneously. Can describe vocal and instrumental music and is common in instrumental music of South-East Asia, and accompanied vocal music of East Asia and the Middle East.

Polyphony

many sounds of 2 or more relatively independent parts.

Monophony

a single melody, such as a plainchant (sacred music) or unaccompanied solo song. A unison passage in a composition could be described as monophonic (i.e. Beethoven's 5th).

Chant

unaccompanied melody that projects sacred and devotional words. Is monophonic.

Syllabic

one note per syllable

Melismatic

many notes per syllable

Neumatic

2-7 notes per syllable

Discant style

Note against note movement (medieval period)

Motet

New genre, early 13th century; Polyphonic; based on chant.

Ars Nova

14th century French style; isorhythm; new meter and rhythms.

Formes fixes

"Fixed forms;" 14th century French songs from dance songs

Madrigal

Derived from a form of poetry; ritornellos

Sforzando

sfz; strongly accent a note

Marcato

^; marked, stressed, or accented.

Pizzicato

pizz; pluck strings

Portamento

Legato from note to note; typical for voice and strings

Non-metric; ametric

without meter, might lack a discernible meter; medieval plainsong, 20th century.

Polymeter

2 or more meters simultaneously. Can be found in Romantic Era. More associated with contemporary works by Stravinsky, Elliot Carter, and Charles Ives.

Multi-meter

Music that frequently changes meter. Can include changing time signatures, mixed meter, and variable meter. Can include passages from Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and Bartok's Mikrokosmos.

Polyrhythm

multiple rhythms. Used in 14th century secular composiitons, 20th century, and jazz.

20th Century

"Increase in style and variety of available music.
Emphasis on individuality and originality led to increased complexity, increased use of dissonance, variations in tonality, and new styles of singing and playing instruments. "

Neoclassical

"Brief trend in 1920s; Rejected Romanticism
Looks back at 17th and 18th centuries; Returned to genres like the suite, concerto, fugue, sonata form, minuet, and rondo
Prokofiev, Strauss, Vaughan Williams, Stravinsky "

Baritone

male singing voice between tenor and bass. Approx. range is F2-F4. Most common among classical male singers.

Tenor

highest male singing voice.

Contralto

Lowest female voice type; characterized by range and dark, rich tone quality.

Bass

lowest male singing voice. Approx. range is E2 - E4. Tessitura is between G2-A4.

Inversion

Mirror image of original melody with same sequence of intervals.

Augmentation

Increasing duration of note values used in a melody, theme, or motif. Can be represented by lengthening a series of notes, individual notes by using dotted notes, or widening intervals by chromatic semitones.

Diminution

Decreasing the duration of note values in a melodic line.

Retrograde

Backwards; Reverses the direction of a melodic line .