Music - Texture, Tempo, Rhythm, Metre and Dynamics - Appendix C

Monophonic

melody without accompaniment

Homophonic

Melody with accompaniment

Polyphonic

Many sounds together

2, 3 or 4 part textures

Different layers of music

Unison

sounding together

Chordal

music consists of a series of chords

Imitation

copying phrases of music

Layered

Different layers of music

Melody and accompaniment

Melody supported by

chordal accompaniment.

Countermelody

An accompanying melody

Descant

high melody above the main melody

Round

rounded music

Canon

When music is repeated by another instrument but starts at a different time

Drone

A sustained tone

Alberti bass

An accompaniment derived from broken chords.

Stab chords

staccato chords that add dramatic impact to the music

Walking bass

a bass line that moves at a moderate pace

Allegro

fast

Vivace

fast

Allegretto

moderately fast

Moderato

Moderately paced

Andante

walking pace

Adagio

slow

Lento

slow

Accelerando

gradually getting faster

Ritardando

gradually getting slower

Rallentando

gradually slower

Rubato

Flexible tempo

Puase

A break in the music

Semibreve

4 beats

Minim

2 beats

Crotchet

1 beat

Quaver

1/2 beat

Semiquaver

1/4 beat

Dotted

Add half the note value to the note

Syncopation

Off beats

swing rhythm

notes with equal written time values are performed with unequal durations

On the beat

Keeps with the music and counting

Off-beat

unusual musical pattern

Triplet

3 lines

Associated rests

Every note duration has an equivalent rest

Driving rhythms

Rhythms that push the music forward

Dance rhythms

rhythms usually faster than heartbeats and associated with dance

Rock rhythms

Rhythms at the speed of heartbeats and associated with rock music

Regular metre

a time signature where all the beats are the same length

Irregular metre

Time signature where beats are grouped in uneven mixtures of two and three

Accent

Emphasise the note

simple time

2/4, 3/4, 4/4

Compound time

6/8

Pianissimo

very quiet

Piano

quiet

Mezzo piano

moderately quiet

Forte

loud

Fortissimo

very loud

Crescendo

gradually louder

Diminuendo

gradually quieter

Sforzando

Sudden strong accent