Musicianship Midterm

Fermata

To Hold - the performer or conductor decides how much longer to hold the note.

Ceasura

To Cease - a brief pause within the flow of music, total silence.

Ritardando

To Retard/Slow - a gradual decrease of tempo

Accelerando

To accelerate - a gradual increase of tempo

Slur

A curved line connecting notes, meaning to play without separation.

Tie

Ties notes together, the notes must be the same. If two notes held on C are tied together and they are both half notes, the length that it is held becomes 4 beats.

Legato

Tied together - notes that are sung or played smoothly and connected, without breaks.

Staccato

Strung apart - notes that are sung or played detached and sharply separated from others.

Rubato

To Rob - displacing the beat of the music

Counterpoint

Combines multiple melodies into something harmonious as a whole - think Not Getting Married Today

Canon

Repeating a melody within a sequence in multiple different voices/instruments.

Accent

Placed above a note to indicate emphasis.

Tempo

The speed at which the music is performed.

4/4 Time

Time signature in which the quarter note gets the beat and there are 4 beats per measure.

3/4 Time

Time signature in which the quarter note gets the beat and there are 3 beats per measure.

2/2 Time

Time signature in which the half note gets the beat and there are 2 beats per measure.

Common and Cut Time

Common time is the same thing as 4/4 and can be referred to the “C” symbol while cut time is the same thing as 2/2.

Scale

A series of notes arranged in order of pitch, whether that is ascending or descending.

Tonic

The first note of either a scale, and used for the notes of first other things. “Tonic Chord” is the foundation bottom note of a chord.

Moderato

moderate tempo, featured in Do Re Mi

Allegretto

Fairly brisk tempo, featured in Do Re Mi

Colle Voce

With the voice - the accompanist should follow the singers rhythm, featured in Do Re Mi

Animato

lively, animated, and energetic, featured in Do Re Mi

Tempo di Marcia

Tempo of a marching beat, featured in Do Re Mi, Ever After

Cadenza

A passage in a piece of music in which the soloists do their own thing sometimes improving, without the accompanist playing beneath them. Featured in Do Re Mi

Maestoso

Majestically, featured in Sit Down

Marcato

Performed with emphasis, featured in Sit Down

Allegretto Giocoso

Moderately fast and playful, featured in Ever After

Largo

Slow and broad, featured in Not Getting Married Today

Crescendo

Gradual increase in volume

Descrendo

Gradual decrease in volume

Forte

Forceful/Loud

Piano

Soft/Quiet

Mezzo Forte

Medium Forceful/Loud

Mezzo Piano

Medium Soft/Quiet

Fortissimo

Very Forceful/Loud

Pianissimo

Very Soft/Quiet

Poco a Poco

Gradually - little by little

Do Re Mi

Show: Sound of Music (1959)

Composer & Lyricist: Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II

Other Works: Cinderella, Oklahoma!, South Pacific

Sit Down You’re Rockin The Boat

Show: Guys and Dolls (1950)

Composer & Lyricist: Frank Loesser

Other Works: How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying

Six Months Out of Every Year

Show: Damn Yankees (1955)

Composer & Lyricist: Richard Adler & Jerry Ross

Orchestration: Douglas Besterman

Other Works: The Pajama Game

Ever After

Show: Into the Woods (1986)

Composer & Lyricist: Stephen Sondheim (Jonathan Tunick - Orchestration)

Other Works: Company, Sweeney Todd, West Side Story

Corn Puddin

Show: Schmigadoon! (2021)

Composer & Lyricist: Cinco Paul

Orchestration: Douglas Besterman

Arranged: David Chase

Other Works: No other known composing however has wrote many screenplays like all the Despicable Me films, Horton Hears a Who.

Voulez Vous

Show: Mamma Mia! (1975)

Composer & Lyricist: Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus - all songs come from the musical group ABBA

Other Works: Chess

Not Getting Married Today

Show: Company

Composer & Lyricist: Stephen Sondheim (Jonathan Tunick - Orchestration)

Other Works: Into the Woods, West Side Story, A Little Night Music