A list of technical musical terms and the correct definition
Musical Term | Description |
---|---|
Accelerando | Increase of speed in music |
Accent | Stress of one tone over others, making it stand out |
Accompaniment | Music that goes along with a more important part |
Adagio | Slow, leisurely |
Allegretto | Moderately fast, lively. Faster than Andante, slower than allegro |
Allegro | Lively, brisk, rapid |
Andante | Moderately slow, a walking speed |
Baroque | Relating to the period from about 1600 - 1750, characterized by grandeur and heavy elaboration of design in music |
Binary Form | the structure of a musical composition consisting of two main sections |
Cadence | Closing of a phrase or section of music |
Cantata | A short lyric form dealing with secular or sacred subjects |
Chord | Three or more tones combined and sounded simultaneously |
Classical | Referring to that period from approximately 1750 - 1800, characterized musically by objectivity of the composer, emotional restraint, and simple harmonies |
Consonance | A simultaneious sounding of tones that produces a feeling of rest |
Crescendo | Gradually growing louder |
Da Capo | From the beginning |
Diminuendo | Gradually growing softer |
Dissonance | A simultaneous sounding of tones that produces a feeling of tension or unrest and a feeling that further resolution is needed |
Dolce | Sweetly, softly |
Dynamics | Varying intensities of sound throughout a given musical composition |
Espressione | Expressively |
Fermata | A pause, stop, or interruption |
Fine | The end of a musical piece |
Forte | Loud, strong |
Fortissimo | Very loud |
Grave | Heavy, slow, pondereous in movement |
Gusto | In good taste, tasteful |
Harmony | The sound resulting from the simultaneous sounding of two or more tones consonant with each other |
Interval | The distance between two tones |
Istesso Tempo | The same tempo |
Legato | Smooth, flowing |
Largo | Large, broad, slow and stately |
Legato | Smooth and connected |
Lento | Slow |
Melody | An arrangement of single tones in a meaningful sequence |
Maestoso | Majestic, dignified |
Meno | Less |
Mezzo Forte | Moderately loud |
Mezzo Piano | Moderately soft |
Molto, Molta | Much |
Obbligato | Required, indispensable |
Ostinato | A repeated melodic or rhythmic fragment |
Piano | Softly |
Pianissimo | Very soft |
Presto | Fast |
Phrase | A section of a composition comprising a musical thought |
Polyphonic | Two or more melodies sound simultaneously |
Polyrhythms | Two or more keys are used simultaneously |
Ritardando | Gradually slower |
Retrograde | melody is played backwards |
Romantic | 19th century musical period characterized by subjectivity on the part of the composer, emotionalism in music, longer musical forms, and richer harmonies |
Root | The tone of the scale upon which a chord is built |
Root Position | The postion of a chord in which the root appears as the lowest tone |
Rubato | a modification of the strict rhythmical flow |
Scale | A series of tones in a specified order |
Scherzo | A sprightly movement |
Sforzando | Explosively |
Slur | two or more notes executed in a smoothly connected manner without a break |
Sostenuto | Sustained |
Spirito | Spiritedly |
Staccato | Sounded in a short, detached manner |
Syncopation | The rhythmic result produced when a regularly accented beat is displaced onto an unaccented beat |
Tempo | The rate of speed at which a musical compostion is performed |
Theme | A short musical passage that states an idea |
Timbre | The quality of a musical tone |
Tone | 1. A musical sound 2. The quality of a musical sound |
Tutto, Tutta | All, whole |
Vivace | Spirited, bright, rapid, equalling or exceeding allegro |