Essential Music Vocabulary

Review

Directions:
Identify the music vocabulary
word that matches
the given definition.
Students will be called at random so
everyone should be prepared to
answer. Please respect your classmates
right to think and avoid blurting.

From the Italian

word meaning time,
this refers to the
pace or speed of
the piece of music.

Tempo

A low pitched sound

or the tones in the
lowest range of a
voice or instrument.

Bass

This is musical color. Each

instrument or voice has its
own color and produces its
own mood or emotion.
Varying combinations of
instruments produce different
textures and distinctive
colors.

Timbre

The flow of music through

time. It has several
interrelated aspects:
beat, meter, accent,
syncopation, and tempo.

Rhythm

The volume or loudness of a tone.

It can range from very quiet/soft
(pianissimo) to very loud
(fortissimo) and contains words
and symbols like crescendo
(gradually becoming louder) and
decrescendo (gradually becoming
softer).

Dynamics

The part of music that we sing

or play on an instrument. It is
a series of notes arranged in
a particular rhythmic pattern
and divided up into smaller
units called phrases. It is the
horizontal structure of music.

Melody

The organization of musical

elements in time. In a
musical composition, pitch,
tone color, dynamics, rhythm,
melody, and texture interact
to produce a sense of shape
and structure.

Form

The part of music that

combines two or more notes
to produce new sounds
called chords. It is the
vertical structure of music. It
adds depth and texture to
the piece.

Harmony

Monophonic (one melody

without accompaniment),
homophonic (one melody
accompanied by chords), and
polyphonic (many different
sounds) describe the way
sounds are combined in music.

Texture

The flow of music through

time. It has several
interrelated aspects:
beat, meter, accent,
syncopation, and tempo.

Rhythm

The organization of musical

elements in time. In a
musical composition, pitch,
tone color, dynamics, rhythm,
melody, and texture interact
to produce a sense of shape
and structure.

Form

This is musical color. Each

instrument or voice has its
own color and produces its
own mood or emotion.
Varying combinations of
instruments produce different
textures and distinctive
colors.

Timbre

The part of music that

combines two or more notes
to produce new sounds
called chords. It is the
vertical structure of music. It
adds depth and texture to
the piece.

Harmony

From the Italian

word meaning time,
this refers to the
pace or speed of
the piece of music.

Tempo

The volume or loudness of a tone.

It can range from very quiet/soft
(pianissimo) to very loud
(fortissimo) and contains words
and symbols like crescendo
(gradually becoming louder) and
decrescendo (gradually becoming
softer).

Dynamics

A low pitched sound

or the tones in the
lowest range of a
voice or instrument.

Bass

The part of music that we sing

or play on an instrument. It is
a series of notes arranged in
a particular rhythmic pattern
and divided up into smaller
units called phrases. It is the
horizontal structure of music.

Melody

Monophonic (one melody

without accompaniment),
homophonic (one melody
accompanied by chords), and
polyphonic (many different
sounds) describe the way
sounds are combined in music.

Texture

The flow of music through

time. It has several
interrelated aspects:
beat, meter, accent,
syncopation, and tempo.

Rhythm

From the Italian

word meaning time,
this refers to the
pace or speed of
the piece of music.

Tempo

The organization of musical

elements in time. In a
musical composition, pitch,
tone color, dynamics, rhythm,
melody, and texture interact
to produce a sense of shape
and structure.

Form

Monophonic (one melody

without accompaniment),
homophonic (one melody
accompanied by chords), and
polyphonic (many different
sounds) describe the way
sounds are combined in music.

Texture

A low pitched sound

or the tones in the
lowest range of a
voice or instrument.

Bass

The part of music that

combines two or more notes
to produce new sounds
called chords. It is the
vertical structure of music. It
adds depth and texture to
the piece.

Harmony

The volume or loudness of a tone.

It can range from very quiet/soft
(pianissimo) to very loud
(fortissimo) and contains words
and symbols like crescendo
(gradually becoming louder) and
decrescendo (gradually becoming
softer).

Dynamics

The part of music that we sing

or play on an instrument. It is
a series of notes arranged in
a particular rhythmic pattern
and divided up into smaller
units called phrases. It is the
horizontal structure of music.

Melody

This is musical color. Each

instrument or voice has its
own color and produces its
own mood or emotion.
Varying combinations of
instruments produce different
textures and distinctive
colors.

Timbre