Studied by 2 people
Altered notes
notes in a chord that have been sharpened or flattened by a semitone, such as a flattened fifth.
Antiphonal
Music performed by two groups which are physically separated
Arpeggiated
Chord is spread, normally from bottom to top note
Answer
in a fugue, the subject repeated in response to its initial appearance, usually a fourth or fifth lower or higher than the preceding subject.
Anthemic, anthem
a song with a strong, memorable melody which has rousing or uplifting characteristics
Appoggiatura
Ornament often referred to as 'leaning in' note. It leans on the main note, commonly taking half its value and starting a semitone or tone higher
Added notes
notes that are added to a basic triad, such as a seventh or a ninth
Added sixth chord
a common chord in jazz and popular music, a triad with the sixth added above the tonic
Affection
the prevailing mood in a Baroque movement
Alberti bass
An accompaniment derived from broken chords
Articulation
the manner in which a note is performed, e.g, staccato, legato, etc
Atonal
music that lacks a tonal center; absence of key
Attack
How the note sounds when it comes in
Augmented chord
a triad built on two major thirds, such as A♭-C and C-E.
Background music, underscore, underscoring
non-diegetic music adding to the mood of the scene, reinforcing dramatic developments and aspects of character
Bar lines
the vertical lines that indicate bars
Bare fifth
chords lacking the third and therefore ambiguous in terms of major/minor tonality
Bars
the manageable chunks into which music is divided
Basso continuo
a continuous bass line that provided an underlying structure for the harmonies and was usually played by the cello, or bassoon, or double bass and harpsichord in the Baroque period
Binary form
a musical form consisting of two units (A and B) constructed to balance and complement each other
Bitonal
refers to music in two keys at the same time
Breakdown
when many of the parts drop out of the musical texture for a short period of time
Bridge passage
a linking passage often used to change the key of the music (to modulate) in preparation for the second subject.
Broken chord
when the notes of a chord are played one at a time rather than being sounded simultaneously.
Build
The gradual introduction of more instruments
Cadential
Progression of chords forming a cadence
Canon
Parts copy each other in exact intervals, often at a fifth or an octave
Cantata
An extended piece in several movements, comprising chorus, recitative, chorale and aria with an orchestral accompaniment
Capo
A clamp fastened across all the strings on a neck of a stringed instrument to raise their pitch
Chopin
Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era, who wrote primarily for the solo piano
Chromatic
Ascending or descending by semitones
Circle of fifths
A chord progression moving down a fifth or up a fourth each time
Classical era
1750-1820
Clave
The rhythm closely associated with the Latin percussion instrument known as 'claves'
Coda
A section added at the end of a composition or passage as a conclusion
Codetta
a short coda
Colla voce
Instruction to the band to follow the vocalists tempo
Compound interval
distance between two notes that exceeds an octave
Compound metre
a metre in which the beat is dotted and subdivides into groups of three.
Compound time signature
when the bar feels like it needs to be split into groups of three (having a group of three 'mini' beats in a 'big' beat).
Concertino
The smaller group of soloists in a concerto grosso
Concerto grosso
A concerto for more than one soloist
Conjunct
Movement by step
Consonant
Intervals in chords that sound pleasant
Contrapuntal
when two melodies are played 'against' each other and interweave - almost the same as 'polyphonic'; written in counterpoint.
Counterpoint
The simultaneous combination of two or more melodies with independent rhythms
Countersubject
The melody played after the subject or answer has been sounded
Cover
A new version of an existing song
Crescendo
gradually louder
Cross rhythms
rhythms that cross the usual pattern of accented and unaccented beats, creating irregular accents and syncopated effects.
Cue
A section of music in film
Da capo aria
ABA Ternary form
Decay
How the note does away after being sounded
Dialoguing
instruments literally 'in dialogue', playing one after the other, swapping ideas.
Diatonic
Notes that belong to the key of the piece
Diegetic music
In film, music that is heard or performed by the characters themselves
Diminished seventh
a four-note chord made up solely of minor-third intervals.
Diminuendo
gradually quieter
Disjunct
movement by leap
Dissonant intervals
the intervals that are dissonant (clashing) are the minor and major second, the minor and major seventh and the tritone (augmented fourth or diminished fifth).
Distortion
An effect that increases the volume and sustain on electric guitar
Dominant preparation
A passage focused on the dominant chord to create expectation for a return to the tonic.
Dominant seventh
chord V with added minor seventh.
Drone
Continuously held note, usually low in pitch
Drum loop
Pre-recorded drum pattern repeated on a loop
Dynamics
Degrees of loudness or softness
Effects
Electronic devices designed to enhance or alter the basic sound quality
Enharmonic Equivalent
The equivalent sharp note as a flat and vice versa: e.g. F# is also Gb
Extended chord
a chord with at least one added note, such as the ninth.
Fanfair
A celebratory brass piece often marking the opening of an important event
Figured bass
in musical notation, a numerical shorthand that tells the player which unwritten notes to fill in above the written bass note
First subject
the first theme or melody
Flanger
an effect creating a swirling or swooshing sound
Fortissimo
(ff) very loud
Forte
loud
Fugal exposition
The initial statements of the subject and answer
Fugue
A musical form comprising an exposition, middle section and final section. The music is contrapuntal
Fusion
The blending of two or more musical styles, usually from different cultures
Gavotte
A medium-paced French dance in 4/4 time beginning on the third beat of the bar. It was popular in the 18th century.
Glam/hair metal
A genre of rock known for over the top, glamorous dress sense.
Gospel
A musical style with roots in the black oral tradition in which vocal harmonies play a prominent role.
Groove
Rhythmic feel
Harmonic rhythm
Rate at which chords change
Harmonic sequence
when a chord sequence is immediately repeated at a higher or lower pitch.
Heterophonic
Two or more instruments playing the same melody at the same time, with each embellishing it in a slightly different way.
Hi-hat
a pair of cymbals mounted on a special stand so that they can be sounded by pressing a pedal that clamps them together as well as by striking.
Homophonic
Melody with accompaniment
Imperfect cadence
Cadence ending of chord V
Independent parts
The instruments or voices are each doing different things. Note that a part that is simply harmonising another (e.g. in thirds) throughout the piece is not considered independent.
Interrupted cadence
V-VI
Interval
The distance between two notes
Inversions
major or minor triads with either the third (first inversion) or the fifth (second inversion) in the bass.
Jukebox musical
when the score for a musical is made up of existing songs, usually all by the same artist or with a strong thematic link.
Key signature
a series of sharp or flat signs placed next to the clef sign on every stave, which tells us the key of the music in the following bars.
Kick drum
the biggest drum in a drum kit, set sideways-on to the audience and drummer. It is played by pressing a pedal which moves a beater to strike the drum skin.
Lament
A song with a sorrowful mood
Ledger lines
lines that extend the stave
Legato
smooth
Leitmotif
A recurring musical idea that is associated with a particular theme character or place
Loop
A short repeated passage, often involving electronic drums.
Note 
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