Music Introduction

Culture

A set of beliefs and practices that define a group of people.

Music Culture

A set of musical practices that define a group of people.

Enculturation

The way infants learn culture.

Acculturation

The meeting and exchange of ideas between two or more cultures.

Appropriation

The way we pick up ideas in life and incorporate them into who we are.

Intra-cultural Exchange

Cultural exchange that occurs within a single culture.

Inter-cultural Exchange

Cultural exchange that occurs between different cultures.

Eurocentric Bias

A worldview that is centered on Western culture and perspectives.

Organology

The study of musical instruments.

Aerophones

Wind instruments.

Chordophones

String instruments.

Membranophones

Drums.

Idiophones

Mallet instruments.

Electronophones

Instruments that produce sound using electronic means.

Frequency

The scientific definition of pitch.

Amplitude

The scientific definition of volume.

Spectrum

The scientific definition of timbre.

Rhythm

A set of patterns in music.

Meter

Time signatures in music.

Rubato

The lack of a steady beat, out-of-time moments in music.

Melody

What we hear on the top of the music.

Scale

A set of notes used in music.

Ornamentation

Different styles or embellishments in music.

Syllabic Singing

Singing style where each syllable corresponds to one note.

Melismatic Singing

Singing style where one syllable is sung over several notes.

Harmony

What happens underneath the melody, giving music its richness.

Chord

Three or more harmonies sounded at the same time.

Texture

The relationship between different instruments in music.

Monophony

Single-voice texture in music.

Heterophony

Two or more voices playing the same musical line.

Polyphony

Two or more separate musical parts occurring simultaneously.

Form

How the music is constructed.