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scale degrees - the labels used to designate the specific steps of a major or minor scale. 1 (and 8) = tonic; 2 = supertonic; 3 = mediant; 4 = subdominant; 5 = dominant; 6 = submediant; 7 = subtonic/leading tone
score - the written melodies / notes of music (created by a composer)
second inversion - a triad or seventh chord arranged so that the fifth is the lowest pitch
septet - a number featuring seven performers
sequence - a melodic phrase which is repeated at higher or lower pitch levels
seventh - the highest note of a seventh chord
seventh chord - a chord of four notes in which the interval between each pair of notes is either a major or minor third
sextet - a number featuring six performers
simple subdivision - a way of dividing the main/global beats into two equal parts. In 4/4, the eight 8th notes are generally grouped into four groups of two. Each quarter-note beat is comprised of two 8th notes, usually beamed together.
slur - a curved line used to group two or more notes together; it can indicate that an instrumentalist should glide smoothly between the notes without clear distinctions between them, or that a singer should stretch a single syllable of text over the group of slurred notes.
solo - a number featuring one performer
song form - a form that conforms to the pattern A A B A' (sometimes called "32-bar form," "popular song form," or "pop song form")
strophic form - a form that follows the pattern A A A (etc.).
subdominant - the fourth scale degree
submediant - the sixth scale degree
subtonic - the seventh scale degree; also called the "leading tone"
supertonic - the second scale degree
syllabic - a text setting that has one note per syllable of text
syncopation - a rhythmic effect in which notes on weak beats (or between the beats) are emphasized; a common jazz technique.
staff - the set of five parallel horizontal lines used for music notation
stem - the vertical line attached to a notehead; if the stem goes upward, it is attached to the right-hand side of the notehead; if the stem goes downward, it is attached to the left-hand side of the notehead
tempo - the speed of the music. Some common labels are:
- adagio - slow
- andante - walking speed
- moderato - moderate
- allegro - fast
- presto - very fast
Music can change its tempo in the course of a piece. Growing faster is called accelerando (pronounced "a-CHELL-er-AWN-doe"); growing slower is called ritardando (pronounced "RE-tar-DAWN-doe").
ternary form - a form that has an opening section, a contrasting section, and then returns to the opening section, i.e. A B A. Sometimes called "da capo form" or "3-part form."
text setting - words and music can correspond in various ways. Two of the most common types are:
- syllabic - one note per syllable of text
- melismatic - several (or sometimes many!) notes per syllable of text; often associated with operatic singing
texture - the way that melody is used in a piece
- monophony - a melody with no accompaniment
- homophony - a melody with accompaniment
- polyphony - two or more melodies heard simultaneously
• imitative - a melody starts in one performer (or group of performers) and is then overlapped by a second performer(s) performing the same melody delayed in time
• non-imitative - two or more different melodies performed at the same time
third - the second lowest note of a triad or seventh chord
third inversion - a seventh chord arranged so that the seventh is the lowest pitch
through-composed - no clear repetition in a piece (it has no form)
tie - a curved line used to connect two notes of the same pitch; the notes become "one" note equalling the value of both notes combined.
time signature - a symbol at the start of a piece of music, usually consisting of two numbers, which indicates the piece's meter. The upper number indicates how many beats will be in each bar or measure, while the lower number indicates the kind of note to be used as the beat unit. Two other symbols (non-numeric) are also often used as time signatures in music:
- C - indicating "common time"; equalling 4/4
- ¢ - indicating "cut-time"; equalling 2/2
tonic - the first (and eighth) scale degree
triad - a chord of three notes in which the interval between each pair of notes is either a major or minor third
triple meter - the beats are arranged in groups of three (1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3, or strong-weak-weak-strong-weak-weak)
triplet - a grouping of three notes that occupy the same amount of times that two notes of the same value normally take. A small numeral "3" will be placed above the three-note grouping to indicate that it is a triplet.
Twentieth-Century - the term for the musical era ranging from approximately 1900 to the present (for the time being!).
Back to the Topup-beat - see anacrusis.
voice type - the classification given to a singer's voice, based primarily on its range. The most common voice types are:
- soprano - a high-pitched woman's voice
- alto - a low-pitched woman's voice
- tenor - a high-pitched man's voice
- bass - a low-pitched man's voice
Two other voice type labels are often used. These are:
• mezzo-soprano - a female voice type midway between soprano and alto
• baritone - a male voice type midway between tenor and bass
whole-step - the interval (distance) spanned by two adjacent half-steps on a keyboard
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