VOCABULARY - 1st/4th MP

 

A Cappella - term referring to music that is sung without instrumental accompaniment     (unaccompanied vocal music)  

 

Antiphonal - style of music that consists of two or more groups of performers (instrumental     or vocal) that answer each other back and forth. Similar to a Call and Response form. 

 

Chanson - the French word for “song”.

 

Chant - a melody that was used in connection with early Christian music. It was liturgical,     non-metric and monophonic.

 

Chorale - a Protestant hymn tune.

 

Chord - a group of notes (at least 3) that are sounded simultaneously.

 

Chromatic - refers to notes that add “color” to music. These would be notes that do not     necessarily belong to the tonal center of the melody - i.e. notes that are not based on the     scale that the melody is based on.     

 

Counterpoint - the technique used in combining two or more melodies to create a     polyphonic texture.

 

Crescendo - term that refers to the gradual increase of volume in a piece of music.

 

Diminuendo - term that refers to the gradual decrease of volume in a piece of music.

 

Dynamics -  term that refers to the loudness and softness of music.

 

Figured Bass - technique of writing music from the Baroque period. Consisted of numbers,     or “figures”, below a melody that indicated the harmonies to be used in accompanying     the melody.

 

Form - refers to the structure of a piece of music - how the music is put together (intro,     verse, chorus, another verse, another chorus; or, Section A followed by Section B,     then a return to Section A).

 

Fugue - a polyphonic composition consisting of a series of successive melodic imitations.

 

Harmony - refers to the use of chords to accompany a melody and also to notes     simultaneously added to a melody that are not part of the melody.

 

Homophony (homophonic) - texture of music that consists of a principal melody and     accompanying harmonic support (which is different from polyphony).

 

Libretto - the text (or words) of an opera, oratorio, cantata, operetta, or musical.

 

Lied - the German word for “song”.

 

Liturgical - term that refers to the Catholic church service.

 

Media (medium) - the instruments and/or voices required for the performance of a given     composition.

 

Melody - a succession of musical tones of different pitch and different duration.

 

Monophony (monophonic) - texture of music which consists of a single melodic line with     no accompaniment.

 

Notation - the graphic representation of music by using symbols that indicate pitch and     duration of tones.        

 

Overture - an orchestral composition which serves as an introduction to an opera, ballet, or     similar type of musical presentation.

 

Polyphony (polyphonic) - texture of music in which several melodies sound at the same     time.

 

Rhythm - the organization of music in time.

 

Suite - a group (resembling several movements) of related instrumental compositions; also     refers to a group of instrumental dances.

 

Timbre - the aspect of music that allows us to distinguish one instrument from another.