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

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Music (History of Western Classical Music) Notiz am Definitions, erstellt von leftielulu1995 am 26/02/2014.

Definitions