Music vocab

Rhythm

the sensation of motion in music regulated by the duration and grouping of sounds

Texture

the way in which the individual parts of music are layered and woven

Melody

a series of consecutive pitches with a recognizable shape or tune

Harmony

the simultaneous sounding of pitches

Beat

the underlying basic rhythmic pulse

Tempo

the speed of the beats in a piece of music

Meter

the pattern created by stressed and unstressed beats

Pitch

the perceived highness or lowness of a musical sound, determined by the number of vibrations per second

Form

the structure or plan of a composition

Timbre

tone color or tone quality that distinguishes one sound source, instrument, or voice from another

Dynamics

level or range of loudness of a sound or sounds

Composition

original piece of music that can be repeated, typically developed over time, and preserved either in notation or in a sound recording.

Improvastion

music created and performed spontaneously or "in-the-moment," often within a framework determined by the musical style

Elements of music

basic characteristics of sound (pitch, rhythm, harmony, dynamics, timbre, texture, form, and style/articulation) that are manipulated to create music