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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
