THE EDEXCEL GCSE MUSIC VOCABULARY With definitions

PITCH Pitch names - Sharp / Flat higher / semitone lower Octave Twelve 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 scale in which the and 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 and 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 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 . i.. 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 – 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