THE EDEXCEL GCSE MUSIC VOCABULARY With definitions
PITCH Pitch names A-G Sharp / Flat Semitone higher / semitone lower Octave Twelve semitones apart Range Highest to Lowest note on instrument Register Tonal quality of instrument or voice at different pitches
Diatonic Keys Music that sticks to the notes of one key Tonic Key note Sub Dominant 4th note of scale Dominant 5th note of scale
Blues Scale A jazz scale in which the third and seventh notes are blue notes Blue notes A note bent downwards by a semitone during performance Pentatonic 5 note scale. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th degrees of major scale Slendro and Pelog A five note and seven note scale respectively. In Gamelan music Raga Indian scale, basis of improvisation. Associated with time of day, season, etc. Series/note row The order of the twelve chromatic notes as used in Serial music
MELODY Movement by: Step Melody going up or down by one note Leap Movement by intervals of more than one note Scalic A melodic passage moving by step
Chromatic Use of all semitones in scale and opposite of Diatonic Glissando Slide up or down a series of notes
HARMONY Consonance/Dissonance Sound good/bad together 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 White note scale not starting at C. i.e. the order of tones and semitones is different from major Atonal Music without a key centre Cadences: Perfect – V to I Full close Plagal – IV to I Amen cadence Interrupted – V to VI Interrupted to a minor chord 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 Drone Single sustained note or Multiple notes Arpeggio/Broken Chord Spread out notes of a chord
NOTATION All the usual western notation
DURATION AND TEMPO Note values or note lengths Pulse / Beat The regular division of time in music Triplet 3 notes played in the space of 2. Swing tempo Dotted rhythm Jagged and uneven effect Phrase A unit of music often ending with cadence (Traditionally of 4 bars) Phrase Structure The way phrase build into complete pieces
Simple Time The beat divides in two eg ? Compound Time The beat divides into three eg ?? as in 6/8 Duple Time Two beats in the bar Triple Time Three beats in the bar Quadruple Time Four beats in the bar 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 Like syncopation – notes playing across the beat Cross-rhythm Another form of notes playing across the beat Counterpoint Where the rhythms are in layers of texture, often imitatively
Adagio Largo Andante Moderato From very slow to very fast Allegro Vivace Presto
Accelerando Getting faster Ritardando/rallentando Getting slower Allargando Much slower Rubato With a flexible tempo Silence Pause
DYNAMICS AND ARTICULATION Fortissimo Very loud Forte Mezzoforte Mezzo Piano Piano Pianissimo Very soft Crescendo Getting louder Diminuendo Getting quieter Subito Suddenly Sforzando Accent Legato Smoothly Staccato Short and sharp Tremolo Rapid repetition of a note
TIMBRE Recognise: Orchestral Instruments Band Instruments Keyboard Instruments Guitars – must specify which type
Voices: Soprano Female high Alto Female low Tenor Male high Bass Male low
A Capella Unaccompanied voices Choir A group of singers Chorus A large group of singers Backing vocals In pop and jazz, the singers supporting the soloist
Orchestra The western classical large ensemble Chamber Orchestra A small orchestra Gamelan A musical ensemble from Java or Bali in Indonesia Wind band Woodwind and Brass Brass Band Brass family of conical bored instruments. Mellow sounding
Electronic: Sampler A device which takes acoustic sounds and reproduces them electronically Synthesizer A device which manufactures sounds artificially and electronically Drum machine A device which plays synthesized and sampled drum patterns
TEXTURE Monophonic One sound at a time Heterophonic Different sounds played together Homophonic In chords. Notes at same time Polyphonic Many sounds in clear layers or strands Counterpoint In Baroque music, like polyphony eg Fugue
Solo One performer Unison All performers using same notes Doubling Playing the same notes as another instrument Tutti All performers together
Countermelody Goes against the main melody Descant A countermelody above the other voices
STRUCTURE Ground Bass A repeated bass pattern especially in Baroque Music Rondo form ABACADA etc. 1750 onwards. Rondo theme recurs Variations Theme played in altered forms Ternary ABA form 12 bar blues Jazz with the chord sequence: I I I I IV IV I I V IV I V. Minuet and Trio
Repetition Music repeated unchanged Recapitulation The return of the opening passage towards the end of a piece Decoration Ornaments and additional notes added to melody Sequence A phrase repeated higher or lower in pitch Imitation Voices and instruments copying one another usually after a short gap Canon A melody which can be repeated, delayed and layered over itself Ostinato Repeated pattern in music Riff An ostinato in Jazz and Pop Motive Short musical idea which can be developed Episode A passage of music which moves away from the main theme
Introduction The opening passage, often at a slow tempo Coda Italian for tail – the end section Ternary ABA form Strophic form Verse and Chorus ABABABA etc Ritornello In Baroque music a recurring section played Tutti Sequence A phrase repeated higher or lower in pitch
Through composed Starts and keeps going with little clear structure Aleatoric Music of chance. Cage experimental music
Raga Indian music built over a particular scale (rag) Alap The opening section in an indian rag, usually in free time and improvisatory Jhor The next section in a rag where the tempo becomes more clearly defined Jhala The main and final section in a rag where the tempo increases and the tabla plays.
Middle Eight A contrasting section in a pop song
Tape loop A repeated passage of recorded music Improvised Made up, without notation. Spontaneous
STYLES Trad. Jazz New Orleans early jazz. Small combos Blues Follows 12 bar pattern. Deals with social problems. Rock and Roll An electric guitar form of blues with a driving straight beat. 1950s Reggae Bob Marley – Jamaican music emphasising off beat Ska Faster form of reggae
Serialism Atonal music built using a series of 12 notes of the chromatic octave Minimalism Highly repetitive tonal music. Late 20th century Experimental music Music which challenges the concept of what constitutes music Performance Art A staged performance of contemporary music, drama and art Banghra Anglo/Indian pop style with a heavy beat of Punjabi origin
Chamber Small-scale western ensembles Orchestral Large scale western ensembles Symphonic Orchestral compositions