GCSE Music Vocab

A note given special emphasis, either because of it's prominent position, or because it is marke with a symbol (such as >) to indicate that it should stand out.

An ornament, printed as a small not with a slash through its tail, which is played as quickly as possible before the main note that follows it.

A sharp, flat or natural sign used during the course of a composition rather that as part of the key signature.

An instrument with hand-operated bellows that force air to vibrate with metal reeds. The sound is controlled from small buttons on both sides of the bellows, although piano accordions have a small vertical keyboard on the right-hand side instead of buttons. This instrument is often used in folk music.

A chord formed from a triad plus a 6th above the root.

The slow introductory section in a performance of North Indian rag. The soloist introduces the notes of the rag in free time, accompanied by a drone.

A low female voice. Alto parts can also be performed by men singing  falsetto.

A clef which indicates that middle C is on the middle line of the stave.

One or more weak-beat notes before the first strong beat of a phrase. Often called "pick up" in jazz and pop music.

An instruction for a string player to use the bow, usually after playing pizzicato.

A chord played as succesive rather than aimultaneous notes.

The precise way in which notes are played, such as legato, staccato or accented.

Western music that is not in a key or a mode and that is often dissonant.

A proportionate increase in the note lenghts of a melody.

Opposite of diminution

A chord consisting of two majoy 3rds stacked above eachother (e.g. C-E-G#)

A term used in pop music to describe accenting the normally weak second and fourth beats in 4/4 time.

Sung parts that accompany the main singer in a pop song. Sometimes labelled in scores as bvox.

A west-African xylophone with wooden bars and resonators made from bottle-shaped gourds.

A large bamboo flute with fingerholes but no keys. One of the oldest Indian instruments.

A small drum from west africe, made from a gourd, with a head of thin goatskin.