OCR GCSE Music Key Terms

Solo

A single voice or instrument.

Unison

More than one instrument playing the same music at the same time.

Monophonic

One melody line playing without harmony.

Homophonic/ chordal

More than one part moving in chords / harmony.

Polyphonic

Two or more different melodies playing at the same time. (Eg contrapuntal / counterpoint)

Contrary motion

Two (or more) parts moving in the opposite direction.

Melody and Accompaniment

A clear tune being supported by other instruments.

Heterphonic

Different versions of the same melody played at the same time.

Thick/thin

Different ways to describe dense or sparse textures.

Anacrusis

An up-beat at the start of a piece of music.

Off-beat / syncopation

Accents on weaker beats.

Metre/Pulse

The repeating pattern of strong and weak beats in music.

Rest/Silence

The gaps between the sound.

Cross-rhythms, Polyrhythm

Many different rhythms played at the same time.

Swung/Swing rhythm

Jazz rhythm where notes are performed with unequal durations.

Tala

Rhythmic pattern in Indian music.

Clave

Two bar rhythmic pattern found in salsa (son) music.

Chaal

The dotted rhythm found in Bhangra.

Staccato

Detached, short notes.

Pizzicato

A Plucking technique used by string players to add accents to individual notes.

Arco

A technique used by string players. Notes played with the bow.

Tremolo

A rapid trembling effect by string players.

Accent

A stress placed on particular notes.

Sforzando

A heavy accent. A very loud 'forced' note.

Legato/slurred

Music that is played smoothly, without gaps between notes.

Fortissimo

Very Loud

Forte

Loud

Mezzo forte

Moderately Loud

Mezzo Piano

Moderately Quiet

Piano

Quiet

Pianissimo

Very Quiet

Crescendo

Getting Louder

Diminuendo

Getting quieter

Sforzando

Forced. A Sudden accent

Ostinato

A repeated pattern in classical music.

Drone

A continually sounding (long held) note.

Riff

A repeated pattern in pop/rock/blues/jazz

Sequence

A musical phrase repeated at a different pitch.

Letimotif

A short melody used in film or programme music.

Walking bass

Steady bassline moving by step - popular in Jazz, Blues and Pop.

Imitation

Where one voice (instrument) copies music played by another.

Repetition

A recurring musical phrase.

Retrograde

A musical phrase played backwards.

Improvisation

Music created as it is played. Common in Jazz or a classical concerto Cadenza.

Stabs

Short, accented notes by the horn section (brass) in disco, salsa and Jazz.

Call and response

Question and answer phrases between instruments.

Lento

Slow

Largo

Broadly, slow

Andante

Walking pace

Moderato

At a moderate tempo

Allegro

A brisk and lively tempo. Fast

Vivace

Lively

Presto

At a very fast tempo (faster than allegro)

Accelerando

Gradually faster

Rallentando / Ritenuto

Gradually getting slower.

Rubato

Flexible time

A Tempo

Return to the original tempo

Pause

Holding on to a note / extending a rest

Brass

Trumpet, Trombone, French horn, Tuba

Woodwind

Piccolo, Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon

Strings

Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass

Percussion

Timpani, Bass Drum, side (snare) drum, Triangle, Xylophone

Continuo

Chordal and bass instruments common in Baroque music - Harpsichord or organ with a cello

String Quartet

Violin, Violin, Viola, Cello. Important chamber group in the classical period

Duet

Music for two instruments

Trio

Music for three instruments

Pop Instruments

Lead / rhythm guitar, Bass guitar, Drum kit, Keyboard / Synthesiser

Indian Classical ensemble

Sitar, Tabla drums, Tambura

Gamelan ensemble

Gongs, Metallophones, Rebab (stringed). Suling (Flute)

Choir

Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass

Pitch

How high or low the music is.

Scalic

Rising or falling passages up (or down) a scale

Passing note

Notes that link two harmony notes

Leap

A jump in a melody of several notes

Intervals

The distance between notes (e.g. unison, 2nd, octave)

Tone

Two half steps (two semi-tones)

Semitone

One half step. The interval to an adjacent note. Chromatic movement.

Scales

Major, minor, chromatic, blues scale, (Indian Raga, Gamelan pelog and slendro

Range

The distance between the highest and lowest notes

Bend

The technique used by guitarists /sitar players to alter the pitch of a note by bending the string

Glissando

Sliding between notes

Binary

A, B. (AA, BB)

Ternary

A, B, A (AA, BB, AA)

Rondo

A, B, A, C, A, D, A etc

Theme and Variation

A, A1, A2, A3 etc

Strophic

Repeating verses with the same melody. Often used in hymns and Lieder.

Through composed

A structure that changes throughout the piece

Ground Bass

A repeating bassline that provides the harmonic structure to a piece

Canon, Round

A melody started in different parts at set intervals. (Similar to fugue)

Cadenza

A solo section in a classical concerto. - Improvised virtuosity.

Verse and chorus

Popular song structure (Also includes intro, bridge and middle 8)

Large structures

Concerto, symphony, sonata, oratorio

Chamber music

String quartet, wind quintet, concerto grosso

Major

- Generally thought to sound happy, positive and uplifting. Victory, Triumph, Happiness, Joy, Hope etc.

Minor

Generally thought to sound sad, dark and melancholic. Sadness, loneliness, fear, horror, danger etc

Atonal

No sense of key