Music Key Terms

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A capella
Unaccompanied vocal music
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Anacrusis
One or more weak-beat notes before the first strong beat of a phrase
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Anticipation
A note played immediately before the chord to which it belongs, creating a dissonance with the current chord
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Antiphony
Performance by different instrumentalists in alteration
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Appogiatura
Ornamental note that falls on the beat as a dissonance and then resolves by step onto the main note
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Articulation
The manner in which notes are played with regards to separation or connection
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Atonal
Music that does not use a key or modes
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Augmentation
Lengthening of rhythmic values of a previously heard melody
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Cadance
Pair of chords signifying the end of a phrase
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Cadenza
A showy passage for a soloist
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Canon
A form of imitation where the second part is an exact copy of the first
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Chorale
A German hymn of the kind sung in the church at the time of JS Bach
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Circle of 5ths
A harmonic progression in which the roots of the chords move by descending 5ths (and/or descending 4ths)
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Coda
A passage concluding a piece of music
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Codetta
A passage concluding one section of a piece of music
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Col legno
String technique of playing with the wood of the bow
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Conjunct
Melody that moves by step rather than larger intervals
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Countermelody
independent melody that complements a more prominent theme
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Counterpoint
Simultaneous combination of two or more melodies that usually have different rhythms
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Cross rhythm
The use of 2 or more very different rhythms simultaneously in different parts
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Development
Central section of a sonata-form movement which elaborates on material stated in the exposition
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Diatonic
Using notes that belong to the current key
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Diminished 7th
Dissonant 4 note chord made up of superimposed minor 3rds
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Diminution
Shortening of rhythmic values of previously heard melody
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Disjunct
Moves by large intervals larger than a 2nd
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Dissonance
2 or more sounds that give the effect of a clash
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Dominant
Fifth degree of a scale
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Dominant 7th
4 note chord built on dominant (V) note of the scale including triad plus a minor 7th above root
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Enharmonic equivalent
Same pitch notated in 2 different ways (eg Bb and A#)
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Exposition
First section of a sonata-form movement which establishes key and states musical material to be developed later in movement
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Fugue
Type of piece where the theme is treated in imitation by all the parts
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Glissando
A slide between 2 notes
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Harmonics
Lightly touching a string to produce an artificial high sound
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Harmonic rhythm
The rate at which the harmony changes in a piece
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Hemiola
The articulation of 2 units of triple time (strong-weak-weak, strong-weak-weak) as 3 unis of duple time (strong-weak, strong-weak, strong-weak)
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Homophonic
Texture in which one part has a melody and other parts accompany.
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Imperfect cadence
An open-ended or inconclusive cadence ending with dominant chord (V) with the preceding chord usually I, II or IV
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Interrupted cadence
A cadence intended to create surprise or suspense, usually consisting of chord V followed by chord VI
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Leading note
7th degree of the scale
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Leger lines
Additional lines used above or beneath the stave to represent notes that fall outside of its range
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Libretto
Script or words for a dramatic work that is set to music
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Mediant
3rd degree of scale
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Melisma
In vocal music a single syllable sung to several notes
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Modal
Music that uses the notes of one of the Western modes
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Modulation
Process of changing key within a single work or movement
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Monophonic
Texture that consists of a single melodic line
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Motif
Short but distinctive musical idea developed in various ways to create a longer passage of music
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Oratorio
A concert piece for choir, soloists and orchestra
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Ostinato
A repeating melodic, harmonic or rhythmic motif heard continuously throughout part or the whole of a piece
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Passing note
Non-harmony note approached and quitted by step in the same direction
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Perfect cadence
Chord V or V7 followed by chord I at the end of a phrase
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Periodic phrasing
Balanced phrases of regular lengths
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Pizzicato
Direction to pluck, instead of bow, strings
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Plagal cadence
Chord IV followed by chord I at the end of a phrase
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Polyphonic
Texture consisting of 2 or more equally important melodic lines heard together
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Recapitulation
Final section of a sonata-form which restates material from exposition in tonic key
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Recitative
Movement for solo voice in opera which clear projection of words is the main concern
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Register
Specific part of the range of a voice or instrument
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Relative minor and major
Keys that have the same key signature but different scale. Relative minor is 3 semitones lower than its relative major
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Scherzo
Fast piece usually in triple time
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Sequence
immediate repetition of melodic or harmonic idea at a different pitch or succession of different pitches
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Serialism
System of composing atonal music using a ore-determined series of the 12 chromatic notes to guarantee equality of all pitches
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Sonata form
Form in 3 sections - exposition, development and recapitulation often based on 2 contrasting groups of material (1st and 2nd subject). Typical of classical or romantic period
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Subdominant
4th degree of scale
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Submediant
6th degree of scale
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Suspension
Occurs at change of chord when one part hangs on to a note from the old chord, creating dissonance, after which the delayed part resolves (usually by step) to the new chord
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Syncopation
Placing accents in parts of the bar that are not usually emphasised
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Tierce de Picardie
A major 3rd in the final tonic chord of a passage in minor
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Transposition
Writing or performing music at a different pitch than the original
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Tremolo
Rapid and continuous repetition of a single note or 2 alternating notes
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Trill
Ornament where 2 adjacent notes rapidly and repeatedly alternate
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Tritone
Interval that is equivalent to 3 tones
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Tutti
Full ensemble
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Unison
Simultaneous performance of the same note or melody by 2 or more players
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Vibrato
Small but fast fluctuations in pitch of a note to add warmth and expression
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Whole-tone scale
A scale in which the interval between every successive note is a whole tone
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

One or more weak-beat notes before the first strong beat of a phrase

Back

Anacrusis

Card 3

Front

A note played immediately before the chord to which it belongs, creating a dissonance with the current chord

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

Performance by different instrumentalists in alteration

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Ornamental note that falls on the beat as a dissonance and then resolves by step onto the main note

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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