Lakeside High School Band Exam Vocab

Accelerando

Gradually speed up in tempo

Accent

Emphasis placed on a note

Accidental

Alters the pitch of a note until the end of the measure

Adagio

Slow in tempo

Allegro

Fast tempo

Andante

Walking tempo

Arpeggio

Notes of a chord sounded one after another

Articulation

Type of attack used to play a note or group of notes

Cantabile

Flowing, singing style

Chord

Three or four notes played simultaneously in harmony

Consonance

Pleasing sound

Crescendo

Gradually get louder

D.C. al Fine

Repeat to the beginning and play to the fine

Decrescendo

Gradually get softer

Dissonance

Harsh, discordant sounds/tones

Drone

Dull, monotonous tone like a humming or buzzing sound

Embouchure

Mouth formation around/on the mouthpiece of an instrument

Espressivo

to play expressively

Fermata

To hold a note or rest longer than its actual value

Flat

Lower note one half step

Forte

Loud

Glissando

Sliding between notes

Grave

Slow and serious

Grazioso

gracefully

Interval

Distance between two notes

Ledger line

short line used to identify notes above or below the staff

Legato

Smooth and flowing

Maestoso

Majestically

Mezzo Forte

Medium loud

Mezzo piano

Medium soft

Moderato

Medium tempo

Modulation

Shift to another key

Natural

Cancels any flat or sharp in musical notation

Phrase

Musical sentence

Piano

Soft

Pick up Note

Musical note(s) that come before the first full measure of music

Presto

Very fast

Ritardando

Gradually slow down

Sharp

Raises the pitch one half step

Slur

A curved marking over a group of notes indicating that phrase is to be played legato

Staccato

Shorten the note

Staff

Five lines and four spaces for music notation

Syncopation

Rhythmic effect that places emphasis on the weak beat

Tempo

Speed of music

Tie

Marking that connects notes of the same pitch to make a note of longer value

Timbre

Tone color

Time Signature

Tells the performer number of beats in a measure and what note gets the beat

Trill

Rapid alternation between two notes, usually half step apart

Tutti

All play

Vivace

Brisk, lively and spirited