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Victor Petersen

Period 6
Music Theory Definitions
Melismatic- Melisma, in music, is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several
different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referred to as melismatic, as opposed to syllabic,
where each syllable of text is matched to a single note.

Stanza- The division of a poem that consists of a series of lines arranged together. This is usually in the
form of a recurring pattern of meter and rhyme. In music, a stanza, or verse, is a poem set with a recurring
pattern of both rhyme and meter. A "strophic" song (as opposed to a "through-composed" song) has
several stanzas or verses set to music that remains the same or similar with each stanza.
Many hymns follow this pattern.

Alberti Bass-
A stereotyped accompaniment played on a keyboard instrument with the left hand. The chords of
the Alberti Bass are played as arpeggios, orbroken chords. Named for Domenico Alberti ca. (1710 - 1740)
who used them extensively, they are quite common to the works of Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart, and early Ludwig van Beethoven.
The Alberti Bass pattern uses a three pitch chord with the pattern - lowest pitch - highest pitch -
middle pitch - highest pitch. The example shows the pattern of B - G-sharp - D - G-sharp (lowest pitch -
highest pitch - middle pitch - highest pitch). This example is also in triple meter, so the thirdbeat repeats the
pattern of the second beat. A duple meter would employ the pattern as described. Alberti Bass refers only
to this pattern and not to any arpeggiated pattern or broken chords played in the left hand.

Syllabic- The style of chant which sets one note to each syllable of text.

Canon-Strict counterpoint in which each voice exactly imitates the previous voice at a fixed distance.

Contrapuntal- Using counterpoint. Any music that contains two or more voices heard simultaneously.

Counterpoint- The art of combining two or more melodies to be performed simultaneously and musically.
In counterpoint, the melody is supported by another melody rather than by chords.

Imitation-

1. The repetition in a second voice or part of a theme, motif, or phrase presented by a


first voice or part. The first presentation of the theme is called the antecedent, the answer is called
the consequent, and is usually a different pitch from the antecedent. The antecedent usually
continues while the consequent is coming in, and the consequent need
not imitate the antecedent exactly, but may vary the tune slightly.
2. The imitation by music of natural sounds such as bird songs, rain, thunder, etc.

Countermelody- A second but subordinate melodic line sometimes found in music which has a melody and
an accompaniment.

Heterophony/Heterophonic- The practice of two or more musicians simultaneously performing slightly


different versions of the same melody. Each version would be characterised
as improvised or ornamented versions of the melody as opposed to harmonized versions of a melody as
in polyphonic music. The term heterophony was coined by Plato and is practiced in many areas of the
world today including China, Japan, and Java.

Homophonic/Homophony- A style of composition in which there is one melody, and all


the voices and accompaniments move rhythmically together. This is opposed to polyphonic, in which
each voice may move independently. Homophony is not to be confused with monophony, in which all
thevoices and accompanying instruments are performing exactly the same notes, in homophony there is a
distinct melody with accompanying harmony, but all move in the same rhythmic pattern.

Continuo- A continuous accompaniment found in Baroque music normally consisting of a bass-


pitched instrument (such as cello, bassoon, or double bass) and a keyboard instrument (typically
the harpsichord). This practice was eventually abandoned after the Baroque period.

Monochord- An ancient instrument used for performing and teaching as well as tuning and
experimentation. The monochord is said to have been invented by Pythagoras. It consists of a
single string stretched between two fixed bridges. A third, movable bridge is placed between the two
fixedbridges which can adjust the length of the vibrating string, thus changing the pitch produced
by plucking the string.

Monophonic- Music that is written for only one voice or part is said to be monophonic (the music itself is
called "monophony"). This is in contrast topolyphonic music, which has more than one part or voice

Obbligato- An accompanying, yet very important part of the music that that should not be omitted, such as
a countermelody.

Ostinato- A short melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic pattern that is repeated throughout an


entire composition or some portion of a composition.

Polyphonic- A style of composition that has many voices, each with its own melody, thus creating a
rich texture of sound.

Tessitura-The general range of a composition (usually vocal) or of a particular voice of a composition.

Walking Bass-

1. Term used in Baroque music for a bass line that moves steadily in a rhythm contrasting to that of
the upper parts.
2. In jazz, a walking bass usually moves by steps played on bass or piano, with each note usually
having the duration of a quarter note.

Polyrhytm- The use of several patterns or meters simultaneously, a technique used in 20th
century compositions.

Hemiola- In early music, this term meant the ratio of 3:2, employed musically in two senses: the ratio of
the perfect fifth, whose musical value is 3:2, and the rhythmic relation of three notes in the time of two, i.e.,
the triplet. In the Baroque era hemiola was used in dance music in the sense that it denoted
the articulation of two measures of triple meter as if they were three measures of duple meter. In
later music, especially Viennese waltzes the use of hemiola was common, in the sense of playing duplets in
one part of the music, over which another part of the music is playing triplets.

Diminution- A Renaissance and Baroque ornamentation which consists of the restatement of a melody in
which the note values are shortened, usually by half.

Anacrusis- An Upbeat or a pickup note(s); a term used for unstressed notes at the beginning of
a phrase of music.

Augmentation- Statement of a melody in longer note values, often twice as slow as the original.

Antiphonal- A performance style in which an ensemble is divided into two or more groups, performing
alternately as separate groups and in unison.
Call and Response- Performance style with a singing leader who is imitated by a chorus of followers;
also responsorial singing.

Terrace Dynamics- Expressive style typical of some early music in which volume levels shift abruptly from
soft to loud and back without gradualcrescendos and decrescendos.

Adagio-

1. A slow tempo marking between Largo and Andante.


2. A composition written in a slow tempo, frequently the second movement of sonatas, symphonies,
etc.

Allegro-

1. A fast tempo marking between Allegretto and Vivace.


2. A composition in fast tempo, especially the first and last movements of a sonata, symphony, etc.

Andante-
1. A moderate tempo marking between Largo and Moderato. This tempo typically has between 76
and 108 beats per minute.
See also [Fr.] allant; [Ger.] gehend; [It.] andante.

2. A movement written in a moderately slow tempo, frequently the second movement of a


larger composition.

Andantino- A moderate tempo marking slightly faster than Andante and slower than Moderato.
Although andantino is the diminutive form of Andante and should designate a slower tempo than Andante,
it actually came to mean the opposite. Prior to the late 18th century, andantino may have actually meant
slower than Andante.

Grave-

1. The slowest tempo in music.


2. A directive to perform a certain passage of a composition in a solemn, grave, or slow manner.
3. An extremely low pitch.

Largo- A slow and solemn tempo marking, having between 40 and 60 beats per minute.

Lento- Slow.

Moderato- A directive to perform the designated passage of a composition in a moderate tempo;


moderately, restrained.

Presto- A directive to perform the indicated passage of a composition very quickly.

Vivace- A directive to perform a certain passage of a composition in a lively or brisk manner.

Accelerando- Gradually accelerating or getting faster. Abbreviated by accel..

Ritardando- A directive to perform a certain passage of a composition with a ritard the tempo, to gradually
delay the tempo. The abbreviation is rit.
Ritenuto- A directive to perform a certain passage of a composition with a slowing of the tempo more
suddenly and extremely than a ritardando. The abbreviation is riten.

Rubato- A practice common in Romantic compositions of taking part of the duration from one note and
giving it to another. It involves the performertastefully stretching, slowing, or hurrying the tempo as she/he
sees fit, thus imparting flexibility and emotion to the performance.

Strophic Form- Song structure in which every verse (strophe) of the text is sung to the same musical tune.

Coda-

1. The closing few measures of a composition, usually not a part of the main theme groups of the
standard form of a composition, but a finishingtheme added to the end to give
the composition closure; in sonata form, the coda is anything that occurs after the recapitulation.
The coda is sometimes indicated with the notation of a "0" with two intersecting lines (as shown
below). This is typically used in compositions that employ ada capo (D.C.) or dal segno (D.S.).
Often the terms "D.S. al coda" or "D.C. al coda" are also used which indicate that the performer is
to perform the coda portion of the composition after repeating to either the sign (D.S.) or to the
beginning of the composition (D.C.).
2. Anything after the last entry of the theme or subject in a fugue.

Codetta-

1. A passage within a composition of sonata form which resembles a coda, but occurs at the end of
the exposition rather than at the end of thecomposition.
2. In a fugue, a codetta is the linking passage between the entries of the subject or theme.

Canonic- Technique related to canon

Chordal Accompaniment- A vocal or instrumental part that supports another, often solo, part.

Imitative Polyphony- A musical texture featuring two or more equally prominent, simultaneous melodic
lines, those lines being similar in shape and sound.

Nonimitative Polypony- simultaneous melodic lines that show little or no resemblance to each other

Fugal Imitation- Imitation of the subject which enters at a different pitch level, usually the fourth or fifth.

CHORDAL HOMOPHONY/ HOMORHYTHMIC- The same, or almost the same rhythm is applied to all
voices of the musical texture, like a hymn.
Polyphony- more than one independent line occurring at the same time

Asymmetrical meter- combinations of simple and compound macrobeats within a measure (5/8,7/8)

Contour- the overall “shape” of a melody, detailing movement up or down over time

Elision- a. Omission of a final or initial sound in pronunciation.


b. Omission of an unstressed vowel or syllable, as in scanning a verse.

Fragment-????

Jazz and Pop Terms

Bridge-

1. Transitional passage connecting two sections of a composition.


2. That part of a stringed instrument which supports the strings.

Chorus-

1. A fairly large company of singers who perform together, usually in parts.


2. A composition to be performed by a chorus.
3. The refrain of a song.

Conjunct- Smooth, connected melody that moves principally in stepwise motion.

Disjunct- A melodic line that moves by leaps and skips rather than in steps.

Inversion- 1)The position of a chord when the fundamental (or base pitch of a chord) is not the lowest note.
When the lowest note is the fundamental, the chord is said to be in root position. When the third of
the chord is in the lowest voice of the music, the chord is a "first inversion", when the fifth of the chord is
in the lowest voice, the chord is said to be a "second inversion".

1. The complement of an interval. Within an octave, the inversion of a second is a seventh,


the inversion of a third is a sixth, the inversion of afourth is a fifth.
2. The mirroring of a tune about a fixed note. This is to say, the imitation of the melody performed
upside-down from the original. This is used inMedieval and Renaissance counterpoint,
in Baroque fugues, and in 20th century twelve-tone music.

Retrogade- Moving backwards; A device used by composers where a series of notes (comprising
a figure or theme) is brought back later in thecomposition, but written backwards. This device is essential
in twelve-tone music. Also, twelve-tone music allows any note in the series to be placed in any octave, so
the retrograde form of a serial melody does not necessarily match the contour of the original melody.

Sequence-

1. A style of chant used in the Medieval Church. It was usually syllabic, and the text, which was in
Latin, was wide-ranging and extensive.
2. A progression of chords which ends in a cadence.
3. A restatement of an idea or motif at a different pitch level from the original.

Aria- Originally an air; a song; a tune; sung by a single voice with or without accompaniment. Now taken
to mean a lyric song for solo voice generally having two contrasting parts (I and II), ending with a literal
or elaborated repeat of part I. The aria first developed into this form in the early operas; the arias found in
an opera, cantata or oratorio usually express intense emotion.

Concerto- This term was originally applied to almost any kind


of concerted music for voices and instruments of the Baroque era. Today it is taken to mean
a composition that shows off a specific instrument (or instruments) with the orchestra used
as accompaniment.

Fugue- A form of composition popular in, but not restricted to, the Baroque era, in which
a theme or subject is introduced by one voice, and isimitated by other voices in succession. Usually only
the first few notes of the subject are imitated exactly, then each voice deviates slightly until the next time it
enters again with the subject. Generally the voices overlap and weave in and out of each other forming a
continuous, tapestry-like texture.

Opera- A drama set to music, usually sung throughout, originating in 17th century Italy. Opera is a
combination of music, drama, scenery, costumes,dance, etc., to create a complete art form.

Prelude-

1. An instrumental composition intended to introduce a larger composition or a set of compositions.


2. A short composition for piano.
3. A composition which establishes the key for a composition that immediately follows.

Sonata- An instrumental genre in several movements for a soloist or an ensemble. The original usage for
the term "sonata" implied a composition that was to be played rather than sung. Later, the term "sonata"
came to be understood as a four movement piece: slow, fast, slow, fast, as was used in the church
sonata (sonata da chiesa), or allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue, as was used in the chamber
sonata (sonata da camera). As thesonata developed, it became longer and adopted the sonata-allegro
form for the first movement, which was generally fast. The following movementwas generally somewhat
slower, and the number of movements varied, but was generally about three.

Variation- A deviation from a theme that uses the same bass pattern or harmonic progression that
the theme used, and usually having the same number of measures as the theme. Generally, a variation is
played after a theme with the variation being slightly more ornate; in several cases there are
many variations upon a single theme. Variations are often used as accompaniments to songs that are
several verses long, or as dance music. In both cases, the repeating structure is beneficial to the nature of
the function.

Turnaround- a turnaround is a passage at the end of a section which leads to the next section.

Twelve-bar blues- A progression type used in the Blues and Jazz genres. This type of progression will be
twelve bars in length and will usually use the I - IV - V progression in its construction.

Fragmentation- division of musical idea into segments

Internal expansion- phrase extends beyond the expected phrase length

Melodic inversion- The inverse of a given fragment of melody is the fragment turned upside down—so if
the original fragment has a rising major third, the inverted fragment has a falling major (or perhaps minor)
third, etc. (Compare, in twelve tone technique, the inversion of the tone row, which is the so-called prime
series turned upside down.) (Note: in invertible counterpoint, including double and triple counterpoint, the
term inversion is used in a different sense altogether. At least one pair of parts is switched, so that the one
that was higher becomes lower. It is not a kind of imitation, but a rearrangement of the parts.)

Motivic transformation- rhythmic theme is changed

Rhythmic transformation- when there is a striking difference between the beginning and the end of a piece.

Sequential Repetiton- Transposing a longer sequence to a different scale degree; may be diatonic or
intervalically exact.

Art Song- An art song is a vocal music composition, usually written for
one voice with piano or orchestral accompaniment. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the
genre of such songs.

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