Chapter 1: The Elements of Music

Vocabulary flashcards covering the basic elements of music, dynamics, tempo, harmony, texture, form, historical style periods, and Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra.

Rhythm

The element of 'TIME' in music, involving the structural rhythmic pulse and aspects such as duration, tempo, and meter.

Duration

How long a musical sound (or silence) lasts.

Tempo

The speed of the beat in a piece of music.

Largo

A tempo indication meaning 'large' or labored (slow), typically between 40-65 beats per minute.

Adagio

A slow tempo indication, typically between 66-75 beats per minute.

Andante

A steady 'walking' tempo indication, typically between 76-107 beats per minute.

Moderato

A moderate tempo indication, typically between 108-119 beats per minute.

Allegro

A fast ('happy') tempo indication, typically between 120-167 beats per minute.

Presto

A very fast tempo indication, typically between 168-208 beats per minute.

Meter

Beats organized into recognizable/recurring accent patterns, visible through conductor patterns such as duple, triple, and quadruple meters.

Syncopation

An 'off-the-beat' accent occurring between the counted numbers.

Ritardando

Gradually SLOWING DOWN the tempo.

Accelerando

Gradually SPEEDING UP the tempo.

Rubato

Freely and expressively making subtle changes in the tempo, commonly encountered in music of the Romantic era.

Dynamics

All musical aspects relating to the relative loudness (or quietness) of music.

Pianissimo (pp)

An Italian dynamic term meaning very quiet.

Piano (p)

An Italian dynamic term meaning quiet.

Mezzo-piano (mp)

An Italian dynamic term meaning moderately quiet.

Mezzo-forte (mf)

An Italian dynamic term meaning moderately loud.

Forte (f)

An Italian dynamic term meaning loud.

Fortissimo (ff)

An Italian dynamic term meaning very loud.

Crescendo

Gradually getting LOUDER in dynamic level.

Diminuendo (or decrescendo)

Gradually getting QUIETER in dynamic level.

Accent

'Punching' or 'leaning into' a note harder to temporarily emphasize it.

Melody

The LINEAR/HORIZONTAL presentation of pitch.

Pitch

The word used to describe the highness or lowness of a musical sound.

Theme

A melody that is the basis for an extended musical work.

Conjunct

A melodic movement that is smooth and easy to sing or play.

Disjunct

A melodic movement that is disjointedly ragged or jumpy and difficult to sing or play.

Harmony

The VERTICALIZATION of pitch, often thought of as combining pitches into chords.

Chord

Several notes played simultaneously as a 'block'.

Chord Progression

Sentence-like patterns formed by arranged chords.

Dissonance

A harsh-sounding harmonic combination that produces musical 'tension'.

Consonance

A smooth-sounding harmonic combination that 'releases' musical tension.

Modality

Harmony created out of the ancient Medieval/Renaissance modes.

Tonality

Harmony that focuses on a 'home' key center.

Atonality

Modern harmony that AVOIDS any sense of a 'home' key center.

Tone Color (or Timbre)

The unique sound quality of a musical instrument or voice determined by its characteristic pattern of overtones.

Register

A specific portion of the range or compass of an instrument or voice.

Texture

The number of individual musical lines (melodies) and the relationship these lines have to one another.

Monophonic Texture

Music with only one note sounding at a time, having no harmony or accompaniment.

Homophonic Texture

Music featuring a prominent melody in the upper part supported by a less intricate harmonic accompaniment underneath.

Polyphonic Texture

Music with two or more independent melodies sounding simultaneously.

Counterpoint

The manner of writing intricate polyphonic texture with multiple independent melodies sounding simultaneously, as seen in canon and fugue.

Imitative Texture

A type of polyphonic texture produced whenever a musical idea is ECHOED from 'voice' to 'voice'.

Musical Form

The large-scale structure of a musical composition, primarily associated with the order of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic events or text.

Strophic Form

A vocal music design in which the same music is used for several different verses (strophes) of words.

Through-composed

A musical structure in which there is no repeat or return of any large-scale musical section.

Binary Form

A two-part form based on contrast, in which both main sections are repeated (indicated by repeat marks).

Ternary Form

A three-part form featuring a return of the initial music after a contrasting section (A B A) to achieve symmetry and balance.

Expressive Cycle of Western Art-Music Styles

The historical progression of musical styles alternating between levels of expressiveness and restraint from Ancient Greek/Roman to Modern eras.

Middle Ages (450-1450)

An era dominated by Catholic sacred music, starting as simple chant and evolving in complexity through harmony and rhythm, represented by Pérotin and Machaut.

Renaissance (1450-1600)

The 'golden age of vocal music' focused on Humanism, represented by leading composers Josquin Desprez, Palestrina, and Weelkes.

Baroque (1600-1750)

An era of ornate arts, the rise of instrumental music, creation of the modern violin family and first orchestras, featuring Vivaldi, Handel, and J.S. Bach.

Classic (1750-1820)

An era focusing on structural unity, clarity, and balance, featuring composers Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.

Romantic (1820-1900)

An era of flamboyance, nationalism, superstar performers, and personal expression, represented by Berlioz, Chopin, and Wagner.

Modern (1900-present)

An era marked by daring experimentation, musical technology, and non-Western/popular influences, represented early by Debussy, Schoenberg, and Stravinsky.

Benjamin Britten

The most important British composer of the 20th century (1913–1976), known for operas, chamber works, and The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34.

Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34

A 1934 sixteen-minute orchestral work by Benjamin Britten featuring a theme, 13 variations, and a fugue to introduce listeners to orchestra instruments.

Henry Purcell

The English Baroque composer whose theme from the incidental music to Abdelazar ('The Moor's Revenge') was used as the basis for Britten's Op. 34 work.