CSU MU100 Elements (Chapters 1, 2, 3)

Genre

A broad style or category of music; example jazz, rock, or classical

Genres

Broad styles or categories of music; example jazz, rock, or classical

Accent

notes that are played with stress and emphasis

Adagio

slow tempo of music

Allegretto

medium fast tempo of music

Allegro

fast tempo of music

Andante

medium slow tempo of music

Articulations

the variety of styles in which a note can be played (accent, staccato, slur)

Beat

the predominant pulse of the music

Crescendo

to gradually get louder

Decrescendo

to gradually get softer

Dynamics

the volume of music

Forte

loud

Fortissimo

very loud

Harmony

the concurrent use of multiple pitches to create chords that support the melody

Largo

very very slow tempo of music

Legato

notes that are played in a connected and smooth manner

Lento

very slow tempo of music

Measures (bars)

notational markings in the musical staff that divide the music into segments with regular numbers of beats defined by the time signature

Meter

see time signature

Mezzo-Forte

medium loud

Mezzo-Piano

medium soft

Moderato

medium tempo of music

Pianissimo

very soft

Piano

soft

Polyphonic

two lines of music being played

Presto

very fast tempo of music

Rhythm

the flow of music through time

Slur

notes that are played without any separation

Staccato

notes that are played in a detached manner

Tempo

the speed of music

Texture

the number of lines of music used in a musical composition; texture increases with the number of musical lines added

Timbre

the color and quality of sound

Time signature

the notation marking that indicates how many beats are found in every measure of music

Tone color

see timbre

Vivo

very very fast tempo of music

Alto

the vocal range below soprano; medium high range

Baritone

a low vocal range (male)

Bass

very low vocal range (male)

Basso buffo

low voice, comic roles, rapid singing in opera

Basso profundo

the lowest vocal role in opera

Brass

instruments that generate sound by vibrating air through a mouthpiece (trumpet, trombone, horn, tuba)

Coloratura soprano

very high range, rapid scales and trills; vocal designation for opera

Definite

a percussion instrument that plays a definable pitch

Dramatic soprano

full and powerful voice, passionate vocal designation for opera

Dramatic tenor

powerful voice, heroic roles in opera

Indefinite

a percussion instrument that plays no definable note or pitch

Keyboard

instruments that use a manual to organize the pitches that are played

Lyric soprano

light voice, graceful and charming character, usually the main female love interest; vocal designation for opera

Lyric tenor

bright and light voice, usually the main male love interest in opera

Percussion

instruments that generate sound by being struck

Reed

a soft bamboo reed that is made singularly or in pairs that vibrates with air pushed through it (clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone)

Soprano

the highest vocal range (female voice)

Stops

the knobs that are engaged on an organ that change the sound through the redirection of air through pipes; double stops is the ability to play two notes at once on a violin, viola, cello or bass; triple stops are three notes played at once by those same instruments

String Instruments

instruments that generate sound through the vibration of strings (violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, harp)

Tenor

a medium low vocal range

Woodwind

instruments that generate sound by air (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon)