Music Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards based on musical terms and definitions from lecture notes.

Accelerando

Gradually increasing in tempo or speed.

Accidentals

Symbols that indicate a note is to be raised or lowered in pitch.

Adagio

A slow tempo.

Alignment

The correct posture and positioning of the body for singing or playing an instrument.

Allegro

A fast tempo.

Andante

A moderately slow tempo.

Articulators

Parts of the body used to pronounce words: Jaw, lips, tongue, teeth, hard palate.

Articulation

How a note is sung or played (e.g., tenuto, marcato, staccato, legato).

Balance

The equilibrium achieved between different musical lines or sections.

Bass Clef

A musical symbol used to indicate the pitch of notes in the lower range.

Blend

The unification of sound within an ensemble.

Call and Response

A musical form where a phrase is stated and then answered by another phrase.

Chant

A simple song in which the same short phrase is repeated.

Chest Voice

A lower vocal register.

Chromatic

A scale that includes all twelve pitches within an octave.

Circle of Fifths

A visual representation of the relationships between musical keys.

Coda

The concluding section of a musical piece.

Common Time

4/4 time signature.

Contemporary Choral

Choral music from the present time.

Crescendo

Gradually increasing in volume.

Cut Time

2/2 time signature.

Decrescendo

Gradually decreasing in volume.

Diction

The clarity and pronunciation of words in singing.

Dynamics

The loudness or softness of music.

Fermata

A symbol indicating a note or rest should be held longer.

Flat

A symbol that lowers the pitch of a note by a half step.

Focused Tone

Tone quality achieved with a forward placement ('singing into the mask').

Form

The structure of music (e.g., ABA, VCVCBCC).

Forte

Loud.

Gospel

Music Genre characterized by dominant vocals, often with strong use of harmony with regard to melodies and Christian lyrics.

Half Note

A note that receives half the duration of a whole note.

Half Rest

A rest that receives half the duration of a whole rest.

Homophonic

One melody at a time in harmony (e.g., hymns).

Improvisation

The act of creating music spontaneously.

Interpretation

The performer's understanding and expression of the music.

Intonation

The accuracy of pitch in singing or playing an instrument.

Italian

Language of origin for musical notation (e.g., mezzo forte, adagio, etc.).

Jazz

A genre of music characterized by improvisation, syncopation, and a strong rhythmic pulse.

Leap

Interval larger than a second.

Ledger Line

A line extending the staff to notate pitches outside of it.

Legato

To be performed smoothly and connected.

Lip Trills

Warm-up used for effective breath support and intonation. Voiced and unvoiced.

Marcato

Marked; with emphasis.

Melody

A sequence of single notes that is musically satisfying. A tune.

Mezzo forte

Moderately loud.

Mezzo piano

Moderately soft.

Middle C

The note C located in the middle of the piano keyboard.

Minor Scale

A scale with the pattern WHWWHWW.

Moderato

A moderate tempo.

Monophonic

One melody at a time in unison; all unison singing is monophonic.

Natural

A symbol that cancels a sharp or flat.

Pentatonic Scale

A five-note scale.

Perfect 4th

An interval spanning four diatonic scale degrees.

Perfect 5th

An interval spanning five diatonic scale degrees.

Perfect Octave

An interval spanning eight diatonic scale degrees.

Piano

Soft.

Polyphonic

Two or more melodies at the same time.

Presto

A very fast tempo.

Quarter Note

A note that receives one beat in 4/4 time.

Quarter Rest

A rest that receives one beat in 4/4 time.

Rallentando

Gradually slowing down.

Range

The distance between the highest and lowest notes of a melody or voice.

Renaissance

Period of music characterized by sacred motets, secular madrigals, and use of polyphony.

Repeat Sign

Indicates a section of music should be repeated.

Resonance

The amplification and modification of sound by vocal tract cavities.

Rhythm

The pattern of sounds and silences in music.

Ritardando

Gradually slowing down.

Round

A song in which two or more voices sing the same melody, entering at different times.

Rubato

Flexible tempo; robbing time from one note to give to another.

Sacred

Written for use in a church context or using text from a religious context.

Scale in Thirds

A scale with notes that are performed in intervals of a third.

Scat

Improvised jazz singing in which the voice is used in imitation of an instrument.

Secular

Written for use outside of a church context or using text from a non-religious context.

Segno

A musical symbol used as a reference point for repeats.

Sharp

A symbol that raises the pitch of a note by a half step.

Skip

An interval of a third or more.

Slur

A curved line indicating notes should be played legato.

Soft Palate

The fleshy part of the roof of the mouth.

Solfege

A system of assigning syllables to notes of a scale.

Spiritual

A genre of religious folk song, most closely associated with the enslavement of African people in the United States.

Staggered Breathing

When singers in a choir take breaths at slightly different times to create the illusion of one continuous, unbroken sound.

Step

An interval of a second

Subito

Suddenly.

Tenuto

Hold the note for its full value.

Tie

A curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch, indicating they should be played as one continuous note.

Tone Quality

The characteristic sound of a voice or instrument.

Treble Clef

A musical symbol used to indicate the pitch of notes in the higher range.

Triplet

Three notes played in the space of two.

Unvoiced Consonants

Consonants produced without vibration of the vocal cords.

Vibrato

A slight, rapid variation in pitch used to add warmth and expression to a note.

Voiced Consonants

Consonants produced with vibration of the vocal cords.

Waltz

A piece of music with a rhythm of three beats in each bar.