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Modal
See mode
Modes
In Ancient Greece, when the notes of the scale were worked out and used in 7 different ways
Modulation
Change of key in a piece of music
Monophonic
A solo line with no accompaniment
Neapolitan 6th
Chromatic chord using the flattened supertonic triad in first inversion
Neo-classical
20th century style which drew out styles of baroque and classical periods
Oblique motion
A texture with moving parts against static parts
Ostinato
Persistently repeated melody, bass, chord pattern or rhythm (riff)
Parallel motion
A texture where parts move in a similar direction, but using the same interval between them
Pedal point
A harmonic device where a fixed sustained or repeated note is heard while the chords above it change
Pentatonic
Music that uses a scale of 5 notes. Found by playing the black notes on the keyboard
Pickup
See anacrusis. A group of unaccented notes prior to the first full bar of a phrase or piece
Pivot chord
A chord that belongs to both the old and new key
Pizzicato
Opposite of arco, string players pluck the string
Polarised
A texture which features a wide gap between melodic parts and the bass
Polychordal
Music written for 2 or more groups of performers who are often placed in different parts of the performing space
Polyphonic
A texture consisting of two or melodies sounding together (contrapuntal)
Polyrhythm
Different rhythms used simultaneously in different parts
