the language of music
DESCRIPTION
GCSE Music Edexcel vocabularyTRANSCRIPT
The Language of Music
Melody Rhythm Structure Harmony Instrumentation Texture Tempo
(Notation)
MELO
DY
Pitch names: A – G
Sharp/ flat: up/down a semi-tone
Intervals: distance between two notes
Range: total amount of notes a singer/instrument can play (high-low)
Register: relative ‘height’ of a set of notes (pitches)
Diatonic/ Chromatic: in the key/ notes added outside the key
Tonic: home key (I)
Subdominant: on chord IV of the home key
Dominant: on chord V of the home key
Pentatonic: scale 5 notes
Raga: Indian scale system
Note row: Serialism
Moving by step/ leap: 2nd/ 3rd & more
Scalic: by step
Scales: major & minor keys – set of musical notes set by increasing/decreasing pitch
Note values: semi-breve, minim, crotchet, quaver, semi-quaver
Pulse / Beat: The regular division of time in music Triplet: 3 notes played in the space of 2. Swing tempo Dotted rhythm: Add ½ of the preceding note’s value Simple Time: The beat divides in two (2/4) Compound Time: The beat divides into three (6/8) Duple Time: Two beats in the bar 2/4 or 6/8 Triple Time: Three beats in the bar 3/4 or 9/8 Quadruple Time: Four beats in the bar 4/4 or 12/8 Irregular Time: Where the number of beats in a bar
keeps changing Tala: A rhythmic phrase or pattern in Indian music Syncopation: Accenting against the beat (= off-beat) Cross-rhythm: 2 different rhythms used simultaneously
RH
YTH
M
Phrase :A unit of music often ending with cadence
Ground Bass: A repeated bass pattern
Variations: Theme played in altered forms
Rondo form: ABACADA etc
Sonata form: wide-scale in three main sections: exposition, development and recapitulation (2 themes)
Binary form: AB
Ternary form: ABA(‘)
Strophic form: verse-repeating (i.e. there is no chorus; ex. ‘Away Manger’)
Call and Response: 2 phrases with a call (leader) & response (chorus)
Aleatoric: music by chance
Sequence: A phrase repeated higher or lower in pitch
Ostinato/ Riffs: Repeated pattern in music/ in rock & jazz music
Canon: A melody which can be repeated, delayed and layered; comes to an end
Motivic Development: Short musical idea which is developed
STR
UC
TU
RE
Consonance/Dissonance: Sounds pleasant/ sounds tension (clash)
Major: A scale running: tone tone semitone tone tone tone semitone
Minor: A scale with a flattened third and alternative 6th and 7th notes
Modal: A scale system not major/minor: folk & world music
Atonal: Music without a key centre
Cadences:
- Perfect: V - I Full close
- Plagal: IV - I Amen cadence
- Interrupted: V - not I Interrupted (often goes to VI)
- Imperfect: ? - V Half close
Modulation: A change of key during a passage of music
Transpose: Change the pitch of the music
Pedal: Single sustained note for a short period of time
Drone: Single sustained note or multiple notes often through-out
Arpeggio/Broken Chord: Spread out notes of a chord
HA
RM
ON
Y
Vocal Sounds:
Female: Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Alto, Contralto
Male: Tenor, Baritone, Bass & Falsetto
Choir/ Chorus/ A cappella/ Backing vocals
Instrumental Sounds:
Brass: trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba
Woodwind: flute (piccolo), oboe (English horn), clarinet, bassoon, saxophone
String: violin, viola, cello, bass, harp, guitar
Keyboards: piano, celesta, harpsichord, organ, synthesizer
Percussion: timpani, snare, bass, cymbals, tambourine, xylophone, glockenspiel
Orchestra/ Chamber Orchestra/ Wind Band/ Brass Band/ Chamber Music
World instruments:
India: sitar, tabla, tambura
Africa: djembe, talking drum (dundun), mbira, kora
INS
TR
UM
EN
TA
TIO
N
Monophonic: ‘One sound’ – single melodic line
Heterophonic: ‘Difference of sounds’ – 2+ similar melodies at the same time
Homophonic: ‘Same sounds’ – melody & accompaniment
Polyphonic: ‘Many sounds’ - 2+ melodies in clear layers or strands
Counterpoint: In Baroque music, polyphonic e.g. Fugue
Solo: One performer
Unison: All performers using same notes
Doubling: Playing the same notes as another instrument
Tutti: All performers together
Counter-melody: A melody that goes against the main melody
Descant: A counter-melody above the other voices
Sparse or dense: often varied to give variety & interest
TEX
TU
RE
Largo – broadly
Adagio – slow and stately (literally, "at ease")
Andante – at a walking pace
Moderato – moderately
Allegro – fast, quickly, and bright
Vivace – lively and fast
Presto – extremely fast
Tempo changes:
Accelerando – getting faster
Ritardando/ Rallentando – slowing down
Allargando – broadening out
Rubato – not in strict tempo
TEM
PO
Clefs: Treble & Bass
Stave (staff): 5 horizontal lines & 4 spaces on which music is written
Bar/ double bar lines: vertical lines that split the music in divisions of time (double = final)
Key signature: sharps & flats that inform which major/minor key
Time signature: simple (i.e. 2/4; 3/4; 4/4 ) & compound (i.e. 6/8; 9/8; 12/8)
Note values: semi-breve, minim, crotchet, quaver, semi-quaver/ . = add ½
Articulation marks: legato (smooth), staccato (short), tremolo (trembling), pizzicato (plucked)
Dynamics signs: fortissimo, forte, mezzo-forte, mezzo-piano, piano, pianissimo, crescendo, diminuendo, subito, sforzando
Ornament signs: appoggiatura, acciaccatura, trill, mordent
Graphic score: music represented with visual signs
Non-standard notation
Oral tradition: example Scottish folk music (not written down)
NO
TA
TIO
N
Basic: Explain the following in your performance:
M: Melody
R: Rhythm
S: Structure
H: Harmony
I: Instrumentation
T: Texture
T: Tempo
(D: Dynamics)
Intermediate: Apply some of the elements in your performance (dynamics, change tempo or texture…)
Advanced: Apply minor details to your performance (different articulation, adding a counter-melody, changing the key…)
MR
S H
ITT