The Language of Music

Melody Rhythm Structure Harmony Instrumentation Texture Tempo

(Notation)

MELODY

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 (highlow)
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

RHYTHM

Note values: semi-breve, minim, crotchet, quaver, semiquaver

Pulse / Beat: The regular division of time in music
Triplet: 3 notes played in the space of 2. Swing tempo
Dotted rhythm: Add of the preceding notes 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

STRUCTURE

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

HARMONY

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

INSTRUMENTATION

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

TEXTURE

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

TEMPO

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

NOTATION

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

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)

Basic: Explain the following in your performance:

M: Melody
R: Rhythm
S: Structure
H: Harmony
I: Instrumentation
T: Texture
T: Tempo
(D: Dynamics)

MRS HITT

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)