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fva 2011-2012 All state musicianship
high school terms study guide
80
Music
11th Grade
09/25/2012

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Term
A tempo
Definition
return to the original tempo after some deviation
Term

Accidentals

 

Definition
symbol used to raise or lower a given pitch by 1 or 2 semi-tones or to cancel a previous sign or part of a key signature
Term
Adagio
Definition
slow, seisurely tempo
Term
Al fine
Definition
to the end, generally used after a repetition
Term
Allargando
Definition
slowing of tempo, usually with increasing volume; most frequently occurs toward the end of a piece
Term
Allegretto
Definition
slightly slower than allegro, often implying lighter texture and character as well 
Term
Allegro
Definition
fast
Term
Allegro con spirito
Definition
fast tempo with spirit
Term
amabile 
Definition

sweet, loveable

 

 

Term
Ancora meno mosso
Definition
once more, but a little slower
Term
Adante
Definition
rather slow, at a moderate walking speed
Term
Arpeggio 
Definition
the notes of a chord played in succession to one another, rather than simultaneously; a broken chord
Term
Art song
Definition
a composed song in which the text, melody, and accompaniment, are interrelated to create a unified effect. 
Term
Atonal
Definition
music that lacks a tonal center; absence of key
Term
Augmented 
Definition
raised or enlarged. Generally refers to the raising of a pitch by one half-step 
Term
Cadenza
Definition
an improvised or written-out ornamental passage performed by a soloists usually near the final cadence
Term
Cantabilie
Definition
in a singing style; singable
Term
Catch breath
Definition
a short or partial breath to renew lung supply quickly
Term
Chord 
Definition
3 or more pitches sounded simultaneously or functioning as if sounded simultaneously
Term
Chromatic 
Definition
motion by half steps; also describes harmony or melody that employs some of the sequential 12 pitches (semi-tones) in an octave
Term
Coda 
Definition
a passage that brings a piece of music to its conclusion; an ending
Term
Concerto 
Definition
Compositon for instruments in which a solo instrument is set against an orchestral ensemble.
Term
D.c. or Da Capa
Definition
repeat from the beginning of the composition
Term
D.S. or Dal Segno
Definition
repeat from the sign
Term
Diminished 
Definition
lowered, or reduced; generally fefers to the lowering of a pitch chromatically by one half step
Term
Diminuendo 
Definition
gradually reduce volume, getting softer
Term
Divisi
Definition
performers singing the same part are divided to sing different parts.
Term
Dolce 
Definition
Sweetly,usually also softly
Term
Embellishment 
Definition
Ornamentation added to music to make it more beautiful  or effective, or to demonstate the abilities of the performer
Term
Falsetto
Definition
type of vocal phonation that enables the singer to sing notes beyond the normal vocal range
Term
Fermata 
Definition
a pause or hold
Term
Fortessimo
Definition
very loud
Term
Forward tone
Definition
focused tone; a tone with major frontal resonance of the mouth and vocal mask
Term
Grave 
Definition
solemn, with dignity
Term
Grazioso
Definition
graceful
Term
Gruppo ad lib
Definition
a group of notes played or sung at the will or pleasure of the singer
Term
Half-step-a semi-tone.
Definition
There are 12 half-steps in octave
Term
Harmony
Definition
any collection of pitches as they sound simultaneously, or when pitches are in agreement
Term
Interval
Definition
the relationship between two pitches, the distance between an upper and a lower pitch
Term
Key
Definition
the pitch relationships that establish a tonal center
Term
Key signature
Definition
sharps or flats at the beginning of each staff to indicate which pitches are to be raised or lowered from their natural state during the piece
Term
Largo
Definition
very slow and broad
Term
Leading tone
Definition
the seventh degree of the diatonic scale, when it is only a half-step below the tonic, gives the feeling of wanting to move up to the tonic
Term
Ledger lines
Definition
lines written above or below the staff representing a continuation of the staff, used to indicate pitches above or below the staff
Term
Leggiero
Definition
lightly
Term
Lunga
Definition
a long pause that is determined by the performer or director
Term
Major Scale
Definition
A diatonic scale where the half-steps fall between the third and fourth, and the seventh and octave
Term
Marcato
Definition
marked, stressed 
Term
Meter 
Definition
indicated bya time signature, can be simple or compound 
Term
Mezzo
Definition
piano-medium soft
Term
Misterioso
Definition
play or sing in a mysterious manner
Term
Motif
Definition
a short musical idea or melodic theme, usually shorter than a musical phrase
Term
Natural 
Definition
a note that is not affected by either a sharp or a flat, a natural sign cancels a previous sharp or flat
Term
Niente
Definition
dying away to nothing
Term
Octave 
Definition
an interval eight diatonic scale degrees a pitch. Two notes an octave apart have the same letter name, and form the most consonant interval possible.
Term
Oratorio
Definition
large scale musical composition on a sacred subject
Term
Pesante
Definition
heavy, ponderous
Term
Perdendosi
Definition
gradually dying away, softer and slower
Term
Phrase 
Definition
a single misical idea or element which is often defined by a repeated rhymic pattern or a melodic contour
Term
Portamento 
Definition
a special manner of singing where the voice glideds from one tone to the next through all the intermediate pitches
Term
Prestissimo
Definition
as fast as possible
Term
Presto
Definition
very fast, faster than allegro
Term
Primo
Definition
first or upper part
Term
Rallentando
Definition
graduallyslowing down
Term
Rubato
Definition
making the established pulse flexible by accelerating and slowing down the tempo, an expressive device
Term
Sempre
Definition
always
Term
Senza 
Definition
without
Term
Sequence
Definition
the repetition of a phrase at different pitch levels using the same or similar intervals
Term
Sforzando
Definition
strongly accented, forced
Term
Simile
Definition
continue to perform in a similar manner
Term
Sotto voce
Definition
Softly; with subdued sound; performed in an undertone
Term
Staccato
Definition
detached, crisply played
Term
Stringendo 
Definition
pressing forward, becoming faster and usually louder, in a hurrying manner
Term
Strophic
Definition
describes a song where the stanzas are all sung to the same music
Term
Subito 
Definition
suddenly, quickly
Term
Tacet 
Definition
indicates that a particular voice or instrument is silent for an extened passage or movement
Term
Tenuto
Definition
fully sustained, occasionally even a bit longer than the note value requires
Term
Tessitura
Definition
most widely used range of pitches in a piece of music
Term
Tonic
Definition
the key center, the foundation of a scale or melody
Term
Vivace
Definition
lively, briskly
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