Langston Harris

Mr. Menzies
Adv. Orchestra
4/1/2016
accelerando - gradually accelerating or getting faster
accent - a stress or special emphasis on a beat to mark its position in the measure; the mark in the
written music indicating an accent. There are five basic accents, staccato accents, staccatissimo
accents, normal accents, strong accents, and legato accents with several combinations possible.
The principle of regularly recurring stresses which serve to give rhythm to the music.
accidentals - marks placed before a note that indicates that the previously understood pitch of
the note should be altered by one or two half steps
accompaniment - the additional but subordinate music used to support a melodic line al fine - an
indication to the performer to repeat a composition either from the beginning (da capo) or from
the dal segno symbol to the place marked fine (the end of the composition)
allegro - a fast tempo marking between allegretto and vivace; a composition in fast tempo,
especially the first and last movements of a sonata or symphony
andante - a moderate tempo marking between largo and moderato; typically has between 76 and
108 beats per minute. A movement written in a moderately slow tempo, frequently the second
movement of a larger composition.
antiquity - quality of being old
articulation - technique for keeping up with the continuity of a note or notes
balance - properly using dynamics
band - group of instrumental musicians who perform music from early music through the modern
era; typically limited to wind and percussion instruments, but can include other instruments
including voice
bar - lines drawn perpendicularly across the staff to divide it into measure; also means measure
in common usage, but the bar is strictly the line itself, and not the measure it defines
baritone - most common range of male voice pitched between the tenor and bass. Usually a
baritone has a range of the low G in the bass clef to an F1 above the bass clef.
Baroque Period - music of the period c. 1600 - 1750 C.E., directly following the Renaissance and
preceding the Classical era; main composers of this era include Giovanni Gabrieli, Claudio
Monteverdi, Antonio Vivaldi, Dominico Scarlatti, Johann Sebastian Bach, and George Frederick
Handel
beat - regular pulse of music which may be dictated by the rise or fall of the hand or baton of the
conductor, by metronome, or by accents in music
blues - American form of folk music related to jazz; based on a simple, repetitive, poetic-musical
structure
brass instruments - the family of wind instruments which are made of a brass that flares into a
bell at the end, have cupped mouthpieces similar to that of a trumpet, and usually have valves or
slides. The members of this family include the trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba and their families.

breath mark - directive to the performer to break the phrase at that point in the composition and
breathe, assisting in the production of a smooth phrase consistent with the composer's wishes;
looks like a large comma or apostrophe; should always be located at the end of the phrase above
the staff
choir - group of singers who usually sing in parts with several voices on each part; group of
homogeneous instruments which perform together
choral - belonging to the choir; full, or for many voices
chord - sounding of two or more notes (usually at least three) simultaneously
chorus - fairly large company of singers who perform together, usually in parts
chromatic scale - scale which divides the octave into its semitones
Classicism - genre of classical music
Classical Period - music which was written in the late 18th and early 19th centuries; chief
composers of this style of music are Haydn, Mozart, and early Beethoven.
clef - symbol placed at the beginning of the staff to denote which notes are indicated by the lines
and spaces.
climax - most intense point of a composition; peak
coda - closing few measures of a composition, usually not a part of the main theme groups of the
standard form of a composition; finishing theme added to the end to give the composition
closure
crescendo - directive to a performer to smoothly increase the volume of a particular phrase or
passage
diminuendo - directive to a performer to smoothly decrease the volume of the specific passage of
a composition
dissonance - two or more notes sounded together which are discordant, and, in the prevailing
harmonic system, require resolution to a consonance
dot - mark that represents a duration directive in musical notation; when placed to the right of the
notehead, the dot indicates that a note should have half again its original duration
dotted rhythm - rhythms that consist basically of a dotted note and a neighboring note worth one
third the duration of the entire duration of the dotted note
double bar - set of two vertical lines drawn perpendicularly through the staff to indicate the end
of one section and the beginning of another in a larger composition
duet - composition to be performed by two musicians
duple meter - rhythmic pattern with the measure being divisible by two
dynamics - loudness or softness of a composition
eighth note/rest - note having the time duration of one eighth of the time duration of a whole
note; a rest having the time duration of one eighth of the time duration of a whole rest
embouchure - position of the lips and mouth when playing a wind instrument; mouthpiece of a
wind instrument
ensemble - group of musicians that perform as a unit

fermata - notation marking directing the performer or ensemble to sustain the note of a
composition affecting all parts and lasting as long as the artistic interpretation of the conductor
allows; marked above the note or rest to be held
fifth (interval) - interval of five diatonic degrees, counting the first and last degree
flat sign - accidental symbol placed to the left of a note, indicating that its pitch should be
lowered by a half step
form - structure of a composition; frame upon which it is constructed
forte - directive in music to perform a certain passage loudly
fortissimo - directive in music to perform a certain passage very loudly
fourth (interval) - interval of four diatonic scale tones, counting the first and last tone
glissando - rapid ascending or descending of the scale
half note/rest -note that has half the duration of time of a whole note; a rest in a composition
having the time duration of one half of the time duration of a whole rest
harmony - combination of notes sounded simultaneously to produce chords; countermelodic
notes to accompany a tune.
harmonic progression - natural pure sounds that are a part of any musical tone.
homophonic - style of composition in which there is one melody, and all the voices and
accompaniments move rhythmically together.
imitation - repetition in a second voice or part of a theme, motif, or phrase presented by a first
voice or part.
instrument - any device used to create music.
intensity - force with which a note is played.
interval - distance between two pitches.
intonation - referring to the proper production of a tone so that it is exactly in tune.
introduction - preparatory movement, usually in a slow tempo, to introduce a larger composition
jazz - style of music originating in the 20th century in New Orleans which combined elements of
European-American and African music. It is an improvisational, expressive style of music,
characterized by syncopated rhythms, 'blue notes' and the use of seventh and ninth chords.
key - specific scale or series of notes defining a particular tonality.
key signature - the sharp, flat, or natural signs placed at the beginning of a staff indicating the
tonality of the composition.
keyboard - manual of an organ, piano, harpsichord, clavichord, etc; part of the instrument that
contains the keys which the performer depresses to produce sounds.
keynote - note upon which a scale or mode is based or around which a composition is centered.
largo - slow and solemn tempo marking; between 40 and 60 beats per minute.
ledger line - short, horizontal lines added to the top or the bottom of a staff for the reception of
notes too high or too low to be represented on the staff properly.
legato - directive to perform a certain passage of a composition in a smooth, graceful, connected
style, as opposed to staccato.
lento - slow.
major - referring to a sequence of notes that define the tonality of the major scale.

major scale - series consisting of seven tones: the tonic, followed by the next note a whole step
up from the tonic, third is a whole step from second, fourth is a half step from third, fifth is a
whole step from fourth, sixth is a whole step from fifth, seventh is another whole step, followed
by the tonic, a half step above the seventh; first and eighth tones are exactly an octave apart
major-minor system - serve to create chords and scales.
measure - smallest metrical divisions of a composition, containing a fixed number of beats,
marked off by vertical lines on the staff.
melody - tune; a succession of tones comprised of mode, rhythm, and pitches so arranged as to
achieve musical shape, perceived as a unity by the mind; melody is the dominant tune of the
composition.
meter - organization of rhythmic patterns in a composition in such a way that a regular, repeating
pulse of beats may continue throughout the composition.
metronome - mechanical or electronic device that keeps a regular beat and adjusts to any desired
speed (tempo).
marks - any symbol within the music with means of directing how the composition is played.
middle C - note that has the pitch value of 261.63 Hz.
minor - series of tones that defines a minor tonality.
minor scale - natural minor scale has the same tones as the major scale, but uses the sixth tone of
the major scale as its tonic; semitones between the second and third tones and the fifth and sixth
tones.
monophonic - music written for only one voice or part.
Monophonic Period - during the Medieval times when music primarily had one part
musical alphabet - A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
natural sign - symbol placed by a note signifying that the note should be played unaltered as
opposed to the sharp or flat of the note.
ninth (interval) - interval of nine diatonic degrees, counting the first and last degree.
note - notational symbol used to represent the duration of a sound and, when placed on a music
staff, to also indicate the pitch of the sound.
octave (interval) - interval spanning seven diatonic degrees (eleven semitones).
orchestra - group of musicians who perform on a variety of instruments.
part - each separate voice or line of music in a composition.
percussion - instruments that are sounded by striking, shaking, plucking, or scraping.
phrase mark - mark that signifies the beginning of a new phrase.
phrase - musical unit, often a component of a melody.
phrasing - art of performing music in a way that allows each phrase to be conceived as a single
unit; involves breathing in the correct places, crescendoing and decrescendoing in the correct
places, and using rhythm, dynamics, and musicianship to give the music shape.
pianissimo - directive to a musician to perform a certain passage very softly, even softer than
piano.
piano - dynamic meaning quiet.

pitch - specific quality of a sound that makes it a recognizable tone; defines the location of a tone
in relation to others, giving it a sense of being high or low.
quadruple meter - metrical pattern with four beats to the measure; 4/4 or common time.
quarter note/rest - note having the time duration of one fourth of the time duration of a whole
note; a rest having the time duration of one fourth of the time duration of a whole rest.
quartet - ensemble of four musicians who perform quartets.
rallentando -directive to perform a certain passage of a composition with gradual slowing of
tempo.
range - scope of notes that an instrument or a voice can produce.
register - division of the range of an instrument or singing voice.
repeat signs - sign that signifies a series of notes or section of the music must be replayed.
repetition - when a phrase or note is played over and over again.
rest - symbol standing for a measured break in the sound with a defined duration.
rhythm - subdivision of a space of time into a defined, repeated pattern.
rhythm patterns - rhythmic variations within a passage.
ritardando - gradually slow the tempo of a passage.
rock - popular music of the late 20th century.
root - tonic or fundamental note of a chord
round - part song or instrumental piece which starts off with a single voice or instrument on the
melody, followed at intervals by the other voices which enter individually and perform exactly
the same melody, forming a polyphonic harmony out of a simple melody.
scale- series of notes in ascending or descending order that presents the pitches of a key or mode,
beginning and ending on the tonic of that key or mode.
Scientific Period - music made during the 20th century while many scientific breakthroughs were
occurring.
second (interval) - interval of a step.
semitone - half step.
seventh (interval) - interval that is one step smaller than an octave.
sforzando - directive to perform a specific note or chord of a composition with particular
emphasis; performed as if it had an accent and performed at the dynamic level indicated
sharp sign - symbol placed in front of a note-head implying that the performer should raise the
pitch of that particular note by a semitone.
sixteenth note/rest - note having the time duration of one sixteenth of the time duration of a
whole note; rest in a composition having the time duration of one sixteenth of the time duration
of a whole rest.
sixth (interval) - interval spanning five steps.
song - composition designed to be sung, either accompanied or unaccompanied.
soprano - highest pitched vocal range.
staccato - style of playing notes in a detached, separated, distinct manner, as opposed to legato.
staff - set of five, horizontal lines joined together by a brace; to communicate musical notation.
stringed instruments - musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings.

synthesizer - electronic instrument developed in the1960's that produces a wide variety of sounds
by combining sound generators and sound modifiers in a single unit with a unified control
system.
technique - mechanical aspect of performing a composition.
tempo - speed of the rhythm of a composition; measured according to beats per minute.
tempo rubato - slight deviations from strict tempo made at the performer's discretion, shortening
one note or lengthening another without drastically altering the overall tempo of the composition.
tenor - male voice which has a range of C below middle C to G above middle C.
theme - musical basis upon which a composition is built.
theory of music - study of the structure of constructed music.
tie - curved line drawn over or under the heads of two notes of the same pitch indicating that
there should be no break between them but they should be played as a single note.
timbre - quality of a sound; component of a tone that causes different instruments to sound
different from each other while they are both playing the same note
time signature - symbol placed at the left side of the staff indicating the meter of the
composition.
time - tempo, meter, duration.
tonality - principle of organization of a composition around a tonic based upon a major or minor
scale.
tone - interval consisting of two semitones, whole step; particular sound of an instrument or
voice, as well as the performer's particular coloring of that sound.
tonguing - technique of using the tongue to produce certain sounds and effects.
treble - highest part of a polyphonic composition.
triad - chord made up of three notes based on the interval of a third; can be major, minor,
augmented, or diminished.
trill - ornament that consists of rapid alternation between one tone and another tone either a step
or a semitone away from the first tone.
trio - composition for three solo voices or instruments.
triple meter - metrical pattern having three beats to a measure.
triplet - three notes of equal length to be performed in the duration of two notes of equal length.
unison - interval of zero; same pitch.
up-beat - last beat of any measure.
vibration - rapid, repeating undulatory or tremulous movement.
voice - production of sound from the vocal cords, often used in music.
volume - loudness of a sound, measured in decibels.
waltz - extremely popular ballroom dance of the 19th century in triple meter.
whole note/rest - note having the time duration of half the time duration of a double whole note;
a rest in a composition having the time duration of a whole note.
wind instruments - any of several families of instruments which produce sound by means of a
column of air.
woodwind - instruments that are made of wood and sounded by means of air.