Musical Terminology

You should be familiar with all of the following terms by the time you come to
do your exam familiar means not just knowing the definition but being able
to recognise them in a musical context. Try to fill in the definitions regularly.
MELODY
Staccato
Legato
i!!icato
"rco
#uted
$onjunct
%isjunct
"ngular
Syllabic
#elismatic
&eumatic
$antus firmus
'stinato
(iff
)ook
$ontour
Arched/Inverted Arch/Wave/Pivotal
Triadic
%iatonic
$hromatic
entatonic
*hole tone
(aga
Tone row
+lue notes
"ugmentation
%iminution
,ragmentation
-n.ersion
(etrograde
Se/uence
#oti.ic de.elo0ment
Slide10ortamento
2lissando
'stinato
ORNAMENTATION
Trill
"cciacatura
#ordent
"00ogiatura
Turn
RHYTHM AND METRE
(egular1irregular1free1additi.e rhythm 3be able to recognise these4
-sorhythm
)ocket
Tala
"ugmentation
%iminution
"ccentuation
)emiola
$ross5rhythm
Synco0ation
%otted rhythm
olyrhythm
TONALITY
Tonal
&on5tonal
"tonal
+itonal
#odal
#odulation
$ircle of fifths
HARMONY
%iatonic
$hromatic
,unctional
&on5functional
%issonant
$onsonant
6uartal
)armonic rhythm
7ssential1unessential notes
assing notes
&eighbour note
Sus0ension
"00oggiatura
edal 1 0edal 0oint
-n.erted 0edal
%rone
,alse relation
Tierce de icardie
Se.enth chord
"dded note chords
(oot 0osition
,irst in.ersion
Second in.ersion
%iatonic discord
$hromatic discord
&ote clusters
$hordal
"r0eggiated
Similar motion
$ontrary motion
'bli/ue motion
arallel motion
8ertical
)ori!ontal
- tonic
ii su0ertonic
iii median
-8 subdominant
8 dominant
8i submediant
8ii leading tone
CADENCES
erfect
lagal
-m0erfect
-nterru0ted
%ouble leading tone cadence
FORM
+inary
Ternary
Sonata form
(itornello
%a $a0o "ria
8ariations 3including grounds9 :; bar blues4
(ondo
,ugue
Stro0hic
Through5com0osed
$yclic
+lock form
#oment form
Genre
2regorian chant1 0lainchant 1 0lainsong
'rganum
$anso
7stam0ie
#ass
#otet
#adrigal
Lute song
$hanson
'0era
'ratorio
Suite 1 artita
$antata
Solo concert<
$oncert< 2rosso
Sonata
Sym0hony
6uartet
&octurne
relude
"rt song
Lied
Serialism
Style
Serialist
-m0ressionist
7x0ressionist
,uturist
#inimalist
$hance
"leatoric
INSTRUMENTATION AND TEXTURE
Synthesised and com0uter5generated sounds 3recognise them4
Sam0ling
Timbre
)omo0honic
$ontra0untal
oly0honic
)etero0honic
-mitati.e
,ugal
Layered
$anonic
=nison
'cta.es
#elody with accom0animent 1 melody dominated homo0hony
Tasto solo
%ynamic markings 3"llegro9 "llegretto9 #oderato9 "ndante9 Largo at least4
Terraced dynamics
Sturm und %rang
UNDERSTANDING MUSICAL CONTEXT
=nderstand the following about music>
-ts intention9 use9 0ur0ose 3sacred1secular1utility? %ance music? ,ilm
music?4
-ts language
-ts stimulus 3what ins0ired it?4
$ommission 30aid? *ritten for a major e.ent?4
atronage 30aid for1commissioned by a 0ri.ate 0atron4
The technical1emotional demands 3amateur10rofessional?4
The audience 3then and now4
The .enue 3where was it designed to be 0erformed? *here is it
0erformed now?4
erformance 0ractice 3how inter0retation of the 0iece has changed o.er
time9 e.olution of instruments used4
%esigned to be im0ro.ised?
'ccasion9 time and 0lace of 0erformance
ri.ate10ublic use?
-ntended for use in some kind of media? $oncert? Li.e1recorded?
-nternet?