MUSI2737 - Key Terms Prelude 1

Odom || Tuesday, Thursday 2:00pm

Pitch

Highness or lowness of a note, depending on the frequency

Frequency

Rate of vibration of a string or column of air, which determines pitch

Note

A musical symbol denoting pitch and duration

Staff

The five parallel lines on which notes are written

Duration

Length of time something lasts; e.g., the vibration of a musical sound

Volume

Degree of loudness or softness of a sound

Timbre

The quality of a sound that distinguishes one voice or instrument from another. Also tone color

Melody

Succession of single pitches perceived by the ear as a unit

Range

Distance between the lowest and highest pitches of a melody, an instrument, or a voice

Contour

The overall shape of a melodic line as it moves upward or downward or remains static

Interval

The distance and relationship between two pitches

Conjunct

Smooth, connected melody that moves principally by small intervals

Disjunct

Disjointed or disconnected melody with many leaps

Phrase

A musical unit; often a component of a melody

Cadence

Resting place in a musical phrase; a musical punctuation

Rhyme Scheme

The arrangement of rhyming words or corresponding sounds at the end of poetic lines

Climax

The high point in a melodic line or piece of music, usually representing the peak of intensity, range, and dynamics

Countermelody

An accompanying melody sounded against the principal melody

Rhythm

The controlled movement of music in time

Beat

Regular pulsation; a basic unit of length in musical time

Accent

The emphasis on a beat resulting in its being louder or longer than another in a measure

Meter

Organization of rhythm in time; the grouping of beats into larger, regular patterns, notated as measures

Measure

Metric grouping of beats, notated on the musical staff with bar lines. Also bar

Bar Lines

Vertical lines on a staff that separate measures, or bars

Downbeat

First beat of the measure, the strongest in any meter

Duple Meter

Basic metrical pattern of two beats to a measure

Triple Meter

Basic metrical pattern of three beats to a measure

Quadruple Meter

Basic metrical pattern of four beats to a measure. Also common time

Simple Meter

Meter in which the beat is divided into two, as in duple, triple, and quadruple meters

Compound Meter

Meter in which each main beat subdivides into three rather than two; 6/8 is a common example

Sextuple Meter

Compound metrical pattern of six beats to a measure

Upbeat

Last beat of a measure, a weak beat that anticipates the downbeat

Syncopation

Deliberate upsetting of the meter or pulse through a temporary shifting of the accent to a weak beat or an offbeat

Off Beat

A weak beat or weak portion of a beat

Polyrhythm

The simultaneous use of several rhythmic patters or meters, common in twentieth‐century music and certain African musics

Additive

Patterns of beats that subdivide inso smaller, irregular groups

Nonmetric

Music lacking a strong sense of beat or meter, common in certain non‐Western cultures

Harmony

The simultaneous combination of notes and the ensuing relationships of intervals and chords

Chord

Simultaneous combination of three or more pitches that constitute a single block of harmony

Scale

Series of pitches in ascending or descending order, comprising the notes of a key

Octave

Interval between two notes eight diatonic pitches apart; the lower note vibrates half as fast as the upper and sounds an octave lower

Triad

Common chord type, consisting of three pitches built on alternate notes of the scale (e.g., steps 1– 3– 5, or do– mi– sol)

Tonic

The first note of the scale, or key; do

Tonality

Principle of organization around a tonic, or home, pitch, based on a major or minor scale

Dissonance

Combination of tones that sounds discordant and unstable, in need of resolution

Consonance

Concordant or harmonious combination of pitches that provides a sense of relaxation and stability in music

Drone

Sustained sounding of one or several pitches for harmonic support, a common feature of some folk musics

Texture

The interweaving of melodic (horizontal) and harmonic (vertical) elements in the musical fabric

Monophonic

Single‐line texture, or melody without accompaniment

Heterophonic

Texture in which two or more voices (or parts) elaborate the same melody simultaneously, often the result of improvisation

Polyphony

Texture resulting from combining two or more melodic lines, as distinct from monophonic

Counterpoint

The art of combining in a single texture two or more simultaneous melodic lines

Homophonic

Texture with a principal melody and accompanying harmony, as distinct from polyphony

Homorhythmic

Texture in which all voices, or lines, move together in the same rhythm

Imitation

Melodic idea presented in one voice or part and then restated in another, each part continuing as others enter

Canon

A list of composers and/or works assigned value and greatness by consensus. Also, a type of polyphonic composition in which one musical line strictly imitates another at a fixed distance throughout

Round

Perpetual canon at the unison in which each voice enters in succession with the same melody (for example, Row, Row, Row Your Boat)

Contrast

The use of opposing musical elements to emphasize difference and variety

Strophic Form

Song structure in which the same music is repeated with every stanza (strophe) of the poem

Through-Composed

Song structure that is composed from beginning to end, without repetitions of large sections

Variation

The compositional procedure of altering a pre-existing musical idea

Improvisation

Spontaneous creation or elaboration of music through performance, as in Baroque ornamentation, cadenzas of concertos, jazz, and some non‐Western musics

Binary Form

Two‐part (A‐B) form with each section normally repeated. Also two‐part form

Ternary Form

Three‐part (A‐B‐A) form based on a statement (A), contrast (B), and repetition (A). Also three‐part form

Theme

Melodic idea used as a basic building block in the construction of a piece. Also subject

Thematic Development

Musical expansion of a theme by varying its melodic outline, harmony, or rhythm. Also thematic transformation

Sequence

Restatement of an idea or motive at a different pitch level

Motive

Short melodic or rhythmic idea; the smallest fragment of a theme that forms a melodic‐harmonic‐rhythmic unit

Call and Response

Performance style with a singing leader who is imitated by a chorus of followers. Also, responsorial singing

Ostinato

A short melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic pattern that is repeated throughout a work or a section

Movement

Complete, self‐contained part within a larger musical work

Tempo

The rate of speed or pace of music

Dynamics

Element of musical expression relating to the degree of loudness or softness, or volume, of a sound

Nonlexical

A syllable that does not carry specific meaning; a nonsense syllable often sung in madrigals, jazz, hip‐hop, and other vocal styles

Scat-Singing

A jazz style that sets syllables without meaning (vocables) to an improvised vocal line

Vocalise

A textless vocal melody, as in an exercise or concert piece

Vernacular

The common language spoken by the people as distinguished from the literary language, or language of the educated elite

Strophe

A unit or verse of poetry; also stanza

Strophic Form

Song structure in which the same music is repeated with every stanza (strophe) of the poem

Refrain

Text or music that is repeated within a larger form

Chorus

Fairly large group of singers who perform together, usually with several on each part. Also a choral movement of a large‐scale work. In jazz, a single statement of the melodic‐harmonic pattern

Syllabic

Melodic style of one note set to each text syllable

Melismatic

Melodic style characterized by many notes sung to a single text syllable

Neumatic

Melodic style with two to four notes set to each syllable

Word-Painting

Musical pictorialization of words as an expressive device; a prominent feature of the Renaissance madrigal

Instrument

Mechanism that generates musical vibrations and transmits them into the air

Register

Specific area in the range of an instrument or voice

Soprano

The highest part in a normal four‐part vocal texture; also, the highest member of an instrument family (e.g., saxophone, recorder)

Mezzo-Soprano

Female voice of middle range

Alto

The second‐highest part in a normal four‐part vocal texture; in an instrument family (e.g., clarinet, saxophone), a member with a range lower than soprano

Tenor

The second‐to‐lowest part in a normal four‐part vocal texture; also a part, often structural, in early polyphony

Baritone

Male voice of moderately low range

Bass

The lowest part in a normal four‐part vocal texture; also, the lowest sounding member in an instrument family (e.g., trombone, clarinet)

Vibrato

Small fluctuation of pitch used as an expressive device to intensify a sound

Aerophone

Instruments such as a flute, whistle, or horn that produce sound by using air as the primary vibrating means

Bagpipe

Wind instrument popular in Eastern and Western Europe that has several tubes, one of which plays the melody while the others sound the drones, or sustained notes; a windbag is filled by either a mouth pipe or a set of bellows

Chordophone

Instrument that produces sound from a vibrating string stretched between two points; the string may be set in motion by bowing, striking, or plucking

Idiophone

Instrument that produces sound from the substance of the instrument itself by being struck, blown, shaken, scraped, or rubbed. Examples include bells, rattles, xylophones, and cymbals

Membranophone

Any instrument that produces sound from tightly stretched membranes that can be struck

Sacred Music

Religious or spiritual music, for church or devotional use