Terminology/Notation/Solfege

Melody

A sequence of notes that are perceived as a single entity. Often the main focus of a musical composition and are characterized by rhythm and pitch.

Pitches

specific frequencies of sound that determine the perceived highness or lowness of a note.

Clef

A symbol placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate the pitch of the notes. Common clefs include treble, bass, and alto.

Staff

A set of five horizontal lines and four spaces used in musical notation to represent different pitches. It is the foundational framework for writing music.

Treble Clef

A symbol used in musical notation that indicates the notes are to be played in a higher pitch range, typically assigned to the G note.

Rhythm

A combination of sounds and silences in music, organized in time. It defines the beat, tempo, and patterns of musical pieces.

Beat

The basic unit of time in music, often felt as the pulse that underlies the rhythm. Beats are typically organized into measures and can vary in speed.

Meter

The organization of beats into regular groups, such as duple or triple, which establishes the structure of a piece of music.

Durple

A term describing a meter consisting of two beats per measure, typically emphasized as strong-weak.

Triple

A meter consisting of three beats per measure, usually emphasized as strong-weak-weak.

Meter Signatures

are notations at the beginning of a musical staff that indicate the meter of a piece, showing how many beats are in each measure and which note value receives one beat.

Notes

The symbols that represent musical sounds, indicating pitch and duration.

Rests

are symbols indicating periods of silence in music, specifying duration.

Form

is the overall structure or organization of a musical composition, detailing how different sections are arranged and repeated.

Phrase

a musical thought or idea, often consisting of a series of notes that create a complete musical sentence.

Sections

are parts of a musical composition that can vary in length and serve specific purposes, such as verses, choruses, or bridges.

Binary

form consisting of two distinct sections, often labeled A and B, that are repeated in various arrangements.

Ternary

a musical form consisting of three sections, typically structured as ABA, where the first and third sections are the same and the middle section contrasts.

Texture

refers to the way different musical elements are combined in a composition, determining the richness or thickness of the sound. It can include aspects like monophonic, homophonic, or polyphonic textures.

Monophonic

texture that consists of a single melodic line without any harmonic support or accompaniment.

Homophonic

texture featuring a primary melody supported by chords, creating a sense of harmony.

Polyphonic

texture that involves multiple independent melodic lines occurring simultaneously, creating interweaving voices.

Ostinato

a repeated musical phrase or rhythm that remains constant throughout a piece or passage.

Round

a musical composition in which two or more voices sing the same melody but enter at different times, creating a cyclical effect.

Harmony

the combination of different musical notes played or sung simultaneously to produce a pleasing sound.

Chords

three or more notes played together to produce a pleasing sound.

Consonance

the combination of notes that produces a stable and pleasing sound. It is often contrasted with dissonance.

Expressive Qualities

are the characteristics of music that convey emotions and moods, such as dynamics, tempo, and articulation.

Dynamics

refers to the volume of sound in music, indicating how loud or soft a passage should be played.

Forte (f)

is a musical notation indicating that a passage should be played loudly.

Piano (p)

is a musical notation indicating that a passage should be played softly.

Tempo

is the speed at which a piece of music is played, often indicated by beats per minute (BPM) or descriptive terms such as "allegro" or "lento."

Legato

is a musical term indicating that notes should be played smoothly and connected without any noticeable breaks.

Staccato

is a musical articulation that indicates notes should be played in a short, detached manner, often with a noticeable separation between them.

Timbre

refers to the color or quality of sound that distinguishes different voices or instruments, often described by adjectives like bright, dark, or warm.

Singing

is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, typically involving melody and harmony.

Teaching by rote

is a method of teaching music where students learn melodies and rhythms through repetition and memorization rather than through written notation.

Teaching by note

is a method of teaching music where students learn to read and interpret musical notation, focusing on understanding written music.

“Whole song” or immersion method

is a teaching approach in music where students learn songs in their entirety, often by listening and replicating, promoting a holistic understanding of music.

“Part” or segmented method

is a teaching approach in music where students learn and practice sections of a piece or song individually before integrating them into the whole, allowing for focused mastery of specific musical elements.

Instruments

are tools used to produce music, including a wide range of categories such as strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.

Rhythm Instruments

are musical instruments primarily used to create and maintain a beat or tempo, often including drums, tambourines, and claps.

Membranophones

are a class of musical instruments that produce sound primarily through vibrating membranes, typically including drums and similar percussion instruments.

Idiophones

are instruments that produce sound through the vibration of their own material, including instruments like bells, cymbals, and maracas.

Chordophones

are a class of musical instruments that produce sound primarily by the vibration of strings, such as violins, guitars, and harps.

Aerophones

are musical instruments that produce sound primarily by the vibration of air, including instruments like flutes, trumpets, and saxophones.

Listening

is the active process of receiving and interpreting sounds, allowing individuals to analyze music and other auditory stimuli.

“pure” listening

is a mode of listening that focuses solely on the auditory experience without visual or contextual distractions, allowing for deeper engagement with the music.

Listening Map

is a visual representation of the structure and elements of a piece of music, used to enhance listening skills and comprehension.

Listening Guide

is a tool or resource that provides a framework for actively engaging with a piece of music, often including annotations on form, musical elements, and interpretive insights.

Movement

is a section of a larger musical work, often characterized by a distinct tempo, mood, and form, typically separated by pause or change in dynamics.

Fundamental Movement

is a basic type of physical motion used in dance and music performance that involves essential body movements like walking, jumping, and rotating.

Locomotor

is a type of movement that involves shifting the body from one place to another, typically including actions like walking, running, hopping, and skipping.

Non-locomotor

is a type of movement that occurs without changing one's position, involving actions such as bending, swaying, and twisting.

Creative Movement

is a type of expressive physical activity that encourages individuals to explore movement in their own way, often through improvisation and personal interpretation of music.

Creating Music

is the process of composing, arranging, or performing music, often involving improvisation and personal creativity to express emotions or ideas.

Improvising

is the spontaneous creation of music or movement without pre-planning, allowing performers to express themselves in the moment.

Composing

is the art of creating original music by combining melodies, harmonies, and rhythms, typically notated for performance.

Reading and notating music

involves interpreting written musical symbols and translating them into sound, as well as writing down music using standard notation for others to perform.

Music Notation

is a system of symbols used to visually represent music through notes, rhythms, and other musical elements, enabling performers to read and interpret compositions accurately.

Informal Notation

is a method of writing music that uses simplified symbols or shorthand to convey musical ideas quickly, often for personal use or in casual settings.

Contour

refers to the overall shape or trajectory of a melody, indicating how pitches rise and fall in relation to one another. It captures the expressive qualities of a musical line.

Solfege

a pedagogical method used to teach pitch and sight-singing through assigned syllables for each note in the scale.

• do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do

Classical Music

a genre of music rooted in Western traditions, often characterized by a high level of artistry and complexity, spanning from the Medieval period to present day.

Ethnomusicology

the study of music in its cultural context, exploring how music functions within different societies.

Jazz

a genre of music that originated in the African American communities of New Orleans, characterized by swing and blue notes, call and response vocals, polyrhythms, and improvisation.

Syncopation

a musical technique that emphasizes off-beats or weak beats, creating a rhythmic contrast.

Popular Music

a genre encompassing a variety of styles that are widely enjoyed and commercially successful, often characterized by catchy melodies and relatable themes.

Emile Jaques-Dalcroze

a Swiss composer and music educator known for developing the Dalcroze Eurhythmics method, which emphasizes movement and physical expression in music education.

Eurhythmics

is a music education method that integrates movement with musical concepts to enhance the understanding of rhythm, dynamics, and structure.

Carl Orff

was a German composer and music educator known for his influential Orff Approach to music education, which emphasizes active music-making and playful learning through movement and rhythm.

Zoltan Kodaly

was a Hungarian composer and music educator known for the Kodály Method, which emphasizes vocal training and the teaching of music literacy through singing and folk music.

Edwin Gordan

was an American music educator known for his work in music learning theory, which emphasizes the importance of audiation and the development of musical understanding through listening and active participation.

Audiation

is the cognitive process of hearing music in one's mind, allowing for the understanding and internalization of musical concepts even in the absence of sound.

Comprehensive Musicianship

is an educational approach that integrates various aspects of music learning, including performance, theory, history, and creativity, to develop well-rounded musicians.

Integrated Instruction

is a teaching method that combines different subjects or areas of study, emphasizing connections between them to enhance student learning and comprehension.

Thematic Approach

is a teaching method that revolves around a central theme, linking various subjects and activities to this theme to enhance students' engagement and understanding.

Parallel Concepts Approach

is an educational strategy that emphasizes the simultaneous exploration of multiple concepts or skills, allowing students to make connections and understand relationships between different musical ideas.

Staff

is a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces used in musical notation to represent different pitches.

Notes

are symbols placed on the staff to indicate the pitch and duration of a sound in music.

Whole Note

is a musical note that lasts for four beats in common time.

Half Note

is a musical note that lasts for two beats in common time.

Quarter Note

is a musical note that lasts for one beat in common time.

Dotted Half Note

is a musical note that lasts for three beats in common time, extending the duration of a half note by half its value.

Eighth Notes

are musical notes that last for half a beat in common time.

Treble Clef

is a symbol used to notate higher pitch ranges in music, indicating the notes on the staff corresponding to the G note above middle C.

Measure

is a segment of time in music, defined by a specific number of beats that are indicated on the staff by vertical lines.

Bar Line

is a vertical line on the musical staff that separates measures, helping to organize beats and rhythms in a piece of music.

Double Bar Line

is a set of two vertical lines on the staff that indicates the end of a section or piece of music.

Time Signature

is a notation at the beginning of a piece of music that indicates how many beats are in each measure and which note value is equivalent to one beat.

4/4

is a common time signature indicating four beats per measure, with the quarter note receiving one beat.

2/4

is a time signature indicating two beats per measure, with the quarter note receiving one beat.

3/4

is a time signature indicating three beats per measure, with the quarter note receiving one beat.

Breath Mark

is a symbol in music notation indicating a short pause or breath in playing or singing.

Repeat Signs

are symbols in music notation that instruct the performer to repeat a section of music.

Tempo Markings

indicate the speed at which a piece of music is to be played, often expressed in beats per minute or descriptive terms such as Allegro or Andante.

Moderato

is a tempo marking indicating a moderate speed of music, typically faster than Andante but slower than Allegro.

Allegro

is a tempo marking that signifies a fast, lively pace in music, often used to convey an energetic and joyful character.

Andante

is a tempo marking that indicates a moderately slow speed in music, typically ranging from 76 to 108 beats per minute, conveying a gentle, flowing character.

Tie

is a musical notation that connects two notes of the same pitch, allowing them to be played as a single sustained note.