Chapter 3

Dynamics: The various levels of volume, loud and soft, at which sounds are produced in a musical composition

Forte (f): In musical notation, a dynamic mark indicating "loud"

Piano (p): In musical notation, a dynamic mark indicating "soft"

Crescendo: A gradual increase in the intensity of sound

Decrescendo (Diminuendo): A gradual decrease in the intensity of sound

Colour (Timbre): The character or quality of a musical tone as determined by its harmonics and its attack and decay

Soprano: The highest female vocal part

Alto (Contralto): The lower of the two female voice parts, the soprano being higher

Tenor: The highest male vocal range

Bass: The lowest male voice range

Mezzo Soprano: A female vocal range between soprano and alto

Baritone: A male voice part of a middle range, between the higher tenor and the lower bass

Chorus: Many voices joined together

Overtone: Extremely faint sound, in addition to the fundamental sound of an instrument, caused by fractional vibrations of a string or air column within a pipe

Symphony Orchestra: The large instrumental ensemble that plays symphonies, overtures, concertos and the like

Vibrato: A slight and continual wobbling of the pitch produced on a string instrument or by the human voice

Pizzicato: The process whereby a performer plucks the strings of an instrument rather than bowing them

Tremolo: A musical tremor produced on a produced on a string instrument by repeating the same pitch with quick up and down strokes of the bow

Trill: A rapid alternation of two neighbouring pitches

Glissando: A device of sliding up or down the scale very rapidly

Arpeggio: the notes of a triad or seventh chord played in direct succession and in a direct line up or down

Mouthpiece: A detachable portion of a brass instrument into which the player blows

Mute: Any device that muffles the sound of a musical instrument

Stop: A knob (or key) on a pipe organ that, when pulled (or pushed), allows a particular group of pipes to sound, thereby creating a distinctive tone colour

Orchestral Score: A composite of the musical lines of all the instruments of the orchestra and from which a conductor conducts

Texture: The density and disposition of the musical lines that make up a musical composition; monophonic, homophonic and polyphonic are the primary musical textures

Monophony: A musical texture involving only a single line of music with no accompaniment

Unison: Two or more voices or instrumental parts singing or playing the same pitch

Homophony: A texture in which all the voices, or lines, move to new pitches at roughly the same time; often referred to in contradistinction to polyphony

Polyphony: A musical texture involving two or more simultaneously sounding lines; the lines are often independent and create counterpoint

Counterpoint: The harmonious opposition of two or more independent musical lines

Form: The purposeful organization of the artist's materials; in music. the general shape of a composition as perceived by the listener

Statement: Presentation of an important musical idea

Repetition: A process employed by a composer to validate the importance of a section of music by repeating it

Contrast: A process employed by a composer to introduce different melodies, rhythms, textures, or moods in order to provide variety

Variation: A process employed by a composer to alter melody or harmony in some way

Strophic Form: A musical form often used in setting a strophic, or stanzaic, text, such as a hymn or carol; the music is repeated anew for each successive strophe

Chorus (Refrain): A stanza that gets repeated

Theme and Variations: A musical form which a theme continually returns but is varied by changing the notes of the melody, harmony, rhythm, or some other feature of the music

Binary Form: A musical form consisting of two units (A and B) constructed to balance and complement each other

Repeat: A section of music is played again

Ternary Form: A three-part musical form in which the third section is a repeat of the first; hence ABA

Rondo Form: Classical form with at least three statements of the refrain (A) and at least two contrasting sections (at least B and C); placement of the refrain creates symmetrical patterns such as ABACA, ABACABA. or even ABACADA

	Created by leftielulu1995 about 10 years ago

Music (History of Western Classical Music) Note on Definitions, created by leftielulu1995 on 26/02/2014.

Definitions