Music - chapter 1

chord

A harmony of three or more notes played together.

bass

The lowest part in a musical piece.

accompaniment

The support of the melody, mostly by instruments.

line up

The instruments in a musical piece.

composition

Musical piece.

contrast

The opposite.

dynamics

The difference between soft and loud in music.

unison

One melody.

tone colour

The particular sound of an instrument by which it can be recognized.

harmony

Multiple melodies, played or sung at the same time.

melody

A musical element with lower and higher pitches.

motif

A small piece of music consisting of a few tones, which serves as a base for a composition.

musical sentence

A melody consist of different musical phrases/sentences. A musical sentence consists of an opening phrase and an answering phrase.

upbeat

An incomplete bar at the start of a muscial piece: the melody doesn't start at the first beat.

ostinato

The continual repetition of a motif.

part

A section in a musical piece, assigned to a particuliar instrument or voice.

score

A printed view of all the parts in a musical piece.

rhythm

The variety of long and short notes. There is no change in pitch.

tempo

The speed; how slow or fast a musical piece is played

tutti/solo

tutti = everyone plays, solo = only one instrument (or voice) plays

theme

The most important musical phrase.

variation

A small change in the original motif.