Vocabulary
Definition
Symbol
Diaphragm
An upside-down bowl-shaped muscle used for breathing.
Rhythm
The pattern of notes and rests in music.
Beat
The underlying pulse - what you clap or tap your foot
with.
Melody
The main "tune" of the music - the most
familiar part of a song.
Round/Canon
A song in which one voice begins the melody and other
voices enter in sequence.
Time Signature
Looks like a fraction at the beginning of the music.
The top number indicates the number of beats per measure. The bottom number
indicates what kind of note gets one beat.
Measure
The distance between two bar lines. Every song is
made up of small units called measures.
Barline
The vertical lines that separate the staff into measures.
Double Bar Line
Indicates the end of the song.
Staff
The system of five lines and four spaces on which
music is written.
Unison
Everyone singing the same melody at the same time.
Scale
A pattern of eight notes that moves by step either
up or down.
Ascending
Moving upward - pitches get higher.
Descending
Moving downward - pitches get lower.
Interval
The distance between two notes.
Octave
The interval of eight notes - ex: from C to C is an
octave.
Repeat Sign
Indicates to go back to the beginning of the song
or to the last repeat sign.
Piano
Soft
Forte
Loud
Mezzo Piano
Medium Soft
Mezzo Forte
Medium Loud
Pianissimo
Very Soft
Fortissimo
Very Loud
Legato
Smooth and connected
Conductor
The person who directs the beat, gives cues, and is
responsible for keeping the ensemble together.
Tempo
How fast or slow the music is sung.
Crescendo
To gradually get louder.
<
Decrescendo
To gradually get softer.
>
Harmony
The music underneath the melody.
Pitch
Used interchangeably with "note." The frequency
of a note - how fast or slow the sound waves travel. Higher pitches have
faster waves.
Form
The pattern the music follows.
Binary
Two-part form = AB
Ternary
Three-part form = ABA
Intonation
The ability to sing pitches accurately solo or in
a group.
Sacred
Music intended for performance in church. The text
of the song is usually taken from the Bible.
Secular
Music intended for performance outside the church
and has nothing to do with God or the Bible.
Coda
The ending section of a song.
Sharp
Raises the pitch a half step.
Flat
Lowers the pitch a half step.
Natural
Cancels a sharp or flat.
Accent
Located above a pitch and indicates to put stress
on a specific pitch or word.
Slur
Connects two different pitches and indicates that
they should be sung in a connected (legato) style.
Tie
Connects to pitches that are the same and adds their
rhythmic values.
Treble Clef
Also called the G-Clef. Higher pitched voices sing
in this clef.
Bass Clef
Also called the F-Clef. Lower pitched voices sing
in this clef.
