Vocabulary 1
- ABA Form - Ternary form, in music, a form consisting of three sections, the third section normally either a literal or a varied repeat of the first.
- Allegro - Fast
- Andante - rather slow, at a moderate walking speed
- Anacrusis – upbeat or pickup
- Cadence - a combination of chords that bring a section, a movement, or an entire piece of music to a close.
- Chord - three musical notes played simultaneously
- Closed Cadence - chord progression that is typically a V - I progression
- Coda - a passage that brings a piece of music to its conclusion; an ending
- Deceptive/False Cadence - a chord other than the tonic chord usually the sixth chord (V-VI), but sometimes something else
- Descant – a high obligato part above the melody
- Form – the organization and structure of a composition
- Grandioso – grand, majestic
- Homophonic Texture - all parts have the same rhythm
- Improvisation – music that is created spontaneously
- Ledger lines – short horizontal lines used to extend a staff either higher or lower
- Melody - a memorable series of pitches in a song
- Motive/Motif - a short musical idea or melodic theme, usually shorter than a musical phrase
- Open/Half Cadence - chord progression that is typically a I - V progression (like a musical comma)
- Plagal Cadence - chord progression that is typically a IV - I progression
- Polyphonic Texture - the simultaneous performance of multiple melodies.
- Rondo Form - a piece of music where the musical material stated at the beginning of the piece keeps returning.
- Sonata Allegro Form - a type of composition in three sections (exposition, development, and recapitulation) in which two themes or subjects are explored according to set key relationships. It forms the basis for much classical music, including the sonata, symphony, and concerto
- Theme - a prominent or frequently recurring melody or group of notes in a composition.
- Theme and Variation Form - a melody followed by one or more changes in that melody
- Timbre - the character or quality of a musical sound or voice as distinct from its pitch and intensity.