Glossary of music

Glossary of music and music theory.

music

organisation of time and sound

pitch

highness or lowness of a sound (frequency)

register

refers to a specific area within the range of human hearing, often classified by voice type (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass)

melody

coherent succession of pitches

harmony

relationship of simultaneous pitches

chord

more than one pitch played simultaneously

rhythm

general term used to refer to the time element of music

beat

basic pulse of a musical passage

polyrhythm

simultaneous occurrence of several rhythms

tempo

the rate at which the basic pulse (beat) occurs

meter

pattern in which a steady succession of beats are organized

  • Beats are grouped into measures (bars)

  • Beats are usually divided by two (simple) or three (compound) equal parts

  • Duple, triple, quadruple, etc. refer to the number of beats in each measure

polymeter

simultaneous occurrence of several meters

syncopation

accent that conflicts with beat or meter

time signature

symbol that indicates two things: beats per measure, what note value represents one beat

  • Usually 4/4, 3/4, or 6/8, odd times are possible

dynamics

variations in volume, degrees of loudness

accent

Emphasizing a note by increasing its volume

interval

distance between two notes within a specific music-culture

scale

organized (by interval) group of notes

tonic

focal pitch of a scale, the first note, label, key

tonal music

uses one note as reference pitch

phrase

a short musical thought, very much like a portion of a sentence

musical form

the ways in which a composition is shaped, the creation and order of sections of music, organization of musical elements in time

  • Often repetition of sections will occur within the form

  • Common forms in Western music often include the following sections

    verse

    typically repeated music with different/evolving text, a group of lines making up a unit of a poem- also called strophic

    chorus (refrain)

    typically repeated music and text, the “hook,” often where the title of a work occurs

    bridge

    a transitional passage whose primary function is to connect two sections of greater importance, provides relief/contrast from verse/chorus, often occurs only once

  • Intro and ending

  • Usually capital letters are assigned to different sections within the form of a piece (A, B, C, etc.) to describe the form quickly

  • Other forms might include binary (two-part), ternary (three-part), theme and variation

instrumentation

the combination of instruments being used to perform the piece

common instruments in western music

guitar (electric or acoustic), drum set, vocals, bass guitar, piano, electronic keyboards, synthesizers, various percussion, woodwinds (saxophone, clarinet, flute), brass (trumpet, trombone, tuba), strings (violin, cello, viola)

  • Classification of instruments is done according to the way in which each instrument produces sound

  • Wind, String, Percussion is common today

  • Hornbostel-Sachs system is also widely used

idiophones

vibrate themselves (xylophone, vibraphone)

membranophones

have a vibrating membrane (snare drum, bass drum)

chordophones

have vibrating strings (guitar, cello)

aerophones

use vibrating columns of air (pipe organ, saxophone)

timbre (tone color)

character of a sound that distinguishes one instrument from another

  • Largely determined by relative strength of harmonics/overtones

  • Pronounced /ˈtæm.bəɹ/.

texture

general pattern of sound created by the elements of a work or passage

  • Possibilities are sparse, thin, dense, thick

  • Mostly about how "busy" the music is.

monophonic

when the texture contains one melody only

polyphonic

when the texture contains two distinct melodies

  • Polyphonic music was popular in the late renaissance era. Not so much nowadays.

heterophonic

when the texture contains two voices (parts, instruments) elaborating on the same melody at roughly the same time

homophonic

when the texture contains two voices, one is dominant and the other accompanies the lead voice

Part/Line/voice

music played by one individual

often discussed by register

Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass

orchestration

technique and artistry of assigning musical parts for instruments in various combinations

  • All of these elements combine to create tension and resolution

    • soundscape

    the characteristic sounds of a place

    culture

    the way of life of a people, learned and transmitted from one generation to the next

    music culture

    a group’s total involvement with music: ideas, actions, institutions, material objects, etc.