Music Vocab

A tempo

measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given composition

Accelerando

becoming gradually faster

Allargando

slowing of tempo, usually with increasing volume; often near the end of a piece

Allegro con spirito

fast tempo with spirit and energy

Anacrusis

upbeat or pickup note(s)

Andante

moderately slow, walking speed

Arpeggio

notes of a chord played one after another instead of together

Bel canto

“beautiful singing”; Italian singing style

Binary form

AB form with 2 distinct sections

Cantabile

in a singing style; lyrical

Chromatic

movement by half steps; uses semitones in an octave

D.C. / Da Capo

repeat from the beginning

Descant

a high part above the melody

Divisi

singers split into different parts within the same section

Dolce

sweetly and softly

Espressivo

with expression

Falsetto

vocal register above the normal singing range

Fermata

a pause or held note

Form

the organization and structure of a composition

Grandioso

grand and majestic

Improvisation

music created on the spot spontaneously

Interval

distance between 2 pitches

Largo

very slow and broad

Ledger lines

short lines extending the musical staff higher or lower

Legato

smooth and connected playing or singing

L’istesso

beat stays constant while the meter changes

Meno Mosso

less motion; slower

Meter

rhythmic pattern shown by the time signature

Mezzo forte

medium loud

Modulation

changing key within a composisiton

Motif

short musical idea or theme

Niente

fading away to nothing

Opera

dramatic vocal work with theatrical elements

Oratorio

large sacred musical composition

Part song

unaccompanied homophonic choral music for 3+ voices

Poco più mosso

a little more motion; slightly faster

Presto

very fast

Rallentando

gradually slowing down

Rubato

flexible tempo for expression

Senza

without

Sforzando

strongly accented

Solfege

sight-singing system using Do-Re-Mi

Sotto voce

softly; in an undertone

Strophic

each verse sung to the same music

Subito

suddenly

Tessitura

most commonly used pitch range in a piece

Tranquillo

calm and relaxed tempo

Triad

3-note chord built on root, third, and fifth

Vibrato

rapid slight variation in pitch

Vivace

lively and briskly