Organisation of pitch (melodically and harmonically – pitch refers how high or low a sound is)
Cadence
The chords that conclude a musical phrase (e.g. a perfect cadence with chords V‒I or an imperfect cadence with I (or other non-dominant chord) and V)
Chord
The simultaneous sounding together of two or more notes
Circle of fifths
A chord progression where the root of each chord is a 5th lower (or a 4th higher) than its predecessor (e.g. in C major with chords of C F Bdim Em Am Dm G C). In practice, segments of the circle of 5ths (rather than complete circles) are often used
Chord sequence
A series of chords, usually repeated (e.g. in a 12-bar blues)
Diminished 7th chord
A chord consisting of three superimposed minor 3rds (e.g. C sharp, E, G, B flat)
Drone
Especially in non-classical genres, the extended sustaining or repeating of a note or a harmonic interval (notably a perfect 5th)
Harmony
Successions of chords (or sometimes refers to single chords)
Melody
A melody (or ‘melodic line’) is a succession of single sounds – most frequently an individual strand or part within a fuller musical texture. A melody is usually ‘tuneful’ or otherwise prominent or memorable
Neapolitan 6th chord
The first inversion of the triad on the flattened supertonic (usually in a minor key – as, for example, D, F, B flat in A minor)
Ornamentation
The process of elaborating or decorating musical material (particularly a melody). Includes conventional ornaments such as trills and turns
Ostinato
A short musical pattern repeated throughout a section or complete piece
Pedal (or Pedal point)
A note (usually in the bass, and generally either the tonic or dominant of the key) which is sustained or repeated while chords change, often resulting in dissonance
Riff
Similar to ostinato, but applied to popular styles of music
Sequence
Repetition of a melody (or an harmonic progression) but at different pitch level(s) rather than at the same pitch
Theme
A melody (or occasionally some other form of musical material) on which part or all of a piece is based
Tonality (The relationship of notes within a scale or mode to a principal note (the tonic or final). A wider term than key, but often used synonymously with it)
Atonal
Absence of tonality or key
Chromatic
Chromatic notes are those progressing by semitones, especially to a tone having the same letter name, e.g. C to C sharp
Chromatic/Non-diatonic
Chromatic notes are those outside a particular major or minor key (e.g. G sharp in G major). Notes belonging to the scale of the key are ‘diatonic’
Key
A form of tonality based on major and minor scales
Major
Based on major scales, with a major 3rd between scale degrees 1 and 3
Minor
Based on minor scales, with a minor 3rd between scale degrees 1 and 3
Modal
Tonality based on modes (precursors of modern scales – of several types, each with a different series of tones and semitones)
Pentatonic
Based on a five-note scale (often equivalent to scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 of a major scale, or 1, 3, 4, 5, (flat)7 of a minor scale)
Arch form
A form which is broadly symmetrical. In a sense ternary (ABA) is an arch form, but the term is normally applied to longer patterns such as ABCBA
Da capo
A da capo song or aria is ternary (ABA), the second A being signalled by the words ‘da capo’ (= ‘from the beginning’), with ‘Fine’ marking its end
Sonata form
A large-scale form which evolved in the Classical period. It combines elements of binary form, and (in having exposition, development and recapitulation) ternary form
Strophic
A strophic song has the same (or very similar) music for each stanza of the poem being set. (A song in which some or all stanzas are set differently is ‘through-composed’)
Verse/chorus
A common pattern in popular songs particularly. There are ‘verses’ (with different text but the same or similar music) and a ‘chorus’ repeated after some or all verses with recurring text, and usually a different melody and/or different scoring
Sonority
The nature and quality of musical sounds
Articulation
The degree to which a note is separated from the note that follows it (ranging from minimal (legato) to much greater (staccato or staccatissimo))
Timbre
The particular tone colour of an instrument or voice
Accompaniment
Musical background to a principal part or parts (e.g. piano accompanying a solo singer)
Heterophony
Where two or more parts play the same melodic line simultaneously, but there are small individual variations
Homophony
A widely-used type of texture consisting of a melody part and other subsidiary (accompanying) parts moving together
Monophony
Music in which only one note is heard at a time – a single melodic line
Polyphony
In one sense any texture with two or more parts, but commonly used as a synonym for ‘counterpoint’ where there are two or more simultaneous and largely independent melody lines
Imitation
Two or more parts share the same melodic idea (not necessarily in full, exactly or at the same pitch). Each new part enters separately, the preceding one continuing with shared or new material
Cross rhythm
Cross rhythm is the effect produced when two conflicting rhythms are heard together
Dotted rhythm
The term ‘dotted rhythm’ is usually applied to a pair of notes consisting of a dotted note and a shorter note (the two making up a complete beat or number of beats), or to several successive such pairs of notes
Duration
Two notes of the same value (usually quavers) are played with the first lengthened and the second correspondingly shortened (as often in jazz)
Swung rhythm
Two notes of the same value (usually quavers) are played with the first lengthened and the second correspondingly shortened (as often in jazz)
Syncopation
A ‘strong’ or stressed note occurs on a part of a bar or beat that would normally be ‘weak’ or unstressed
Triplets
Three notes of equal value taking the time normally occupied by two notes of the same written value (or by one undotted note of the next highest value)
Subito
Suddenly (subito forte – suddenly loud)
Crescendo
Get gradually louder
Diminuendo
Get gradually quieter
Accent (written directly over or under a notehead)
.
Staccato/detached note (written directly over or under a notehead)
Other terms (performance, composition, presentation of scores)
Backing track
A recorded musical accompaniment, especially one for a soloist to play or sing along with
Con sordini
With the use of a mute
DJ performances
D[isc] J[ockeys] use special musical performance techniques (e.g. use of multiple turntables, turntable scratching) that are acceptable under the scheme of assessment
Double (verb)
Doubling occurs where one performer consistently plays or sings the same notes as another – strictly speaking at the same octave, but duplication at the octave may be involved
Flutter-tonguing
Almost self-explanatory: wind players (especially flautists) produce a special ‘whirring’ effect by fluttering the tongue
Forces
The instrument(s) and/or voice(s) that perform the music
Graphic score
Graphic scores, particularly used in experimental music, employ visual symbols of the composer’s choice instead of (or sometimes together with) the traditional musical symbols of staff notation
Improvisation
A piece composed as it is performed, although frequently based on a pre-conceived ‘stimulus’ such as a melodic theme or chord scheme
Lead sheet
An outline form of notation for popular styles of music, with the melody (in staff notation), lyrics, and chord symbols
Live electro-acoustic sound diffusions
Electro-acoustic music involves sounds not available from acoustic instruments, accessed via electronic technology. It may, however, be performed live via a sound diffusion system
MIDI
Acronym (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). A means whereby devices such as electronic musical instruments and computers can connect and communicate with one another
Phrasing
The correct observance of divisions between whole phrases and sometimes shorter groups of notes (often to accord with a composer’s phrase markings)
Professional reference recording
A recording of a piece submitted for Component 1 in lieu of a score – with the performance and the recording of professional standard
Screenshot
A recorded image from a computer screen – normally requiring some form of labelling or annotation if displaying the operations of sequencing software
Sequenced compositions
Compositions produced mainly or entirely via electronic sequencing software
Solo
A complete piece (or a section) for one player or singer with no accompaniment, or for one player or singer with accompaniment
Sul ponticello
A direction for stringed instruments to play with the bow kept near to or on the bridge
Tab(lature)
Notation other than staff notation with letters, numbers or other conventional signs – today used particularly by guitarists
Tone quality
The quality of a performer’s sound (which may be ‘rich’, ‘rounded’, ‘thin’, etc.)
Underscoring
In films, the provision of music to accompany dialogue or visual scenes and emphasise moods and enhance atmosphere
Vocal score
For a work for voices and orchestra, a vocal score has the voice parts and a keyboard reduction of the orchestral part (the latter often annotated to give some indication of the scoring)
Aleatoric
In aleatoric (or aleatory) music aspect(s) of composition normally under the composer’s control (e.g. aspects of pitch, rhythm or even form) are left to chance and/or to the choice of the performer(s)
Ballade
A type of virtuosic one-movement composition for piano pioneered by Chopin
Baroque
Refers to music in the Western Classical Tradition from c1600 to c1750
Bhangra
Strictly relates to music and dance from the Punjab, but is also applied to some related styles of popular music that may show the influence of reggae and electronic dance music
Cantata
A work (sacred or secular, and particularly associated with the baroque period) in several movements for singer(s) and instruments
Chorale
A type of hymn traditionally sung in Lutheran churches in Germany. Harmonising chorale melodies has long been an academic discipline in music
Classical (with upper-case C)
Refers to music in the Western Classical Tradition from c1750 to c1820
classical (with lower-case c)
Describes music from the Western Classical Tradition generally (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, etc.)
Electronic music
Music produced by and for electronic musical instruments and other forms of electronic technology, including computers
Expressionist
Adjective describing an early 20th-century movement in the arts (chiefly in Austria and Germany). Expressionist music portrayed extravagant (often dark) emotional states, and is often associated with free atonality
Fusion
The blending of more than one musical style or culture to create a new ‘fused’ sound (e.g. Afro-Cuban)
Gamelan
Term applied to Indonesian orchestras (largely consisting of gongs and metallophones) and to the music composed for them
Jazz
Originally a fusion of African and North American styles. A number of varieties of jazz have developed over time, including New Orleans, swing, bebop
Lied
Art song with German text, chiefly from the Romantic period. Plural: ‘Lieder’
Mélodie
Art song with French text, composed chiefly from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century
Musical theatre
Musical theatre integrates songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance, within a popular idiom. ‘Musicals’ are extended pieces of musical theatre from which favourite songs are often performed separately
Oral tradition
Music learnt by listening and repeating, and passed on orally
Oratorio
A multi-movement work for soloists, choir and orchestra, on a religious text
Programmatic music
A type of art music (sometimes known as ‘programme music’) characteristic principally of the Romantic period, and generally for orchestra, in which the composer depicts a pre-conceived series of extra-musical events or ideas. (The opposite of ‘absolute’ music, which is non-representational)
Rag
(Or ‘raga’/’raag’.) In Indian classical music a melodic framework on which improvisations and compositions are based (not to be confused with ‘rag’ or ‘ragtime’ in Western music)
Rock
Emerged in the 1950s as ‘rock and roll’, and subsequently developed into a range of different popular styles
Romantic
Refers to music in the Western Classical Tradition from c1820 to c1900
Serial
In a serial composition the composer manipulates a set of notes (often all twelve notes of the chromatic scale) to establish thematic unity, within a piece, most commonly one without a clear sense of traditional tonality. The term originated in the early 20th century
Sonata
A composition for one or more solo instruments, usually in three or four movements
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