Music Theory Key Terms: Dynamics, Timbre, and Musical Forms

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts in music theory including dynamics, timbre, instrument families, melody, meter, texture, and text-setting techniques.

Timbre (tone color)

what sets ine instrument off from another

Dynamics

the volume or the relative loudness and softness of a musical sound

Crescendo/decrescendo

music gets louder and softer

Chordophone

string

Aerophone

woodwind/brass

Membranophone

Percussion

Idiophone

Percussioni

Consonant

sounding pleasant together, "in agreement" stable

Dissonant

tense/unstable/sometimes clashing

Major

scale chord or key in which the 3rd not is a major 3rd above the tonic

Minor

sadder

Range

how far apart are the highest and lowest notes

Conjunct

melody moves mostly stepwise/pitches are close to eachother

Disjunct

melody includes many jumps

Phrase

a musical sentence

Motive

very short musical idea that is repeated/varied/or developed in a piece

Tempo

speed

Pulse

underlying steady beat

Free rhythm

absence of steady pulse

Meter Duple

pulse is organized in groups of 2 or 4

Meter Triple

pulse is organized in groups of 3

Accent

emphasis

Syncopation

emphasis is "off" the main pulse

Monophonic

one musical line, without accompaniment

Homophonic

one primary part with supporting accompaniment

Polyphonic

consisting of multiple independent parts going on simultaneously

Imitation

a type of polyphony in which 2 or more parts perform the same melody in succession, each parts continuing as the others enter in turn

Syllabic

one note per syl lable

Melismatic

many notes per syl lable

Word painting

depicting specific images in music

Declamatory

melody fol lows the rhythm + inflections of the words (like talking)