- The musical pitch relating to 440 oscillations per second of vibration, or any octave transposition of that pitch.
- The key of A.
Music without associations outside of itself, in contrast to program music.
see perfect pitch.
“In the manner of the chapel.” Sung music without instrumental accompaniment.
A vocal or instrumental part that supports or is background for a solo part.
Any instrument that produces sound by means of physical vibrations, without the use of electronic amplification.
- The science of sound.
- The physical properties of an instrument or a room as they relate to sound.
In a slow manner
Moderately slow —usually used as a direction in music
“Arrival.” The four weeks immediately preceding Christmas.
(ay-Oh-lee-an): A medieval mode whose half- and whole-step pattern is that of playing A to A on the white keys of the piano (same as the natural minor scale).
A song or melody.
Accompanying bass figures consisting of broken chords, generally in the pattern low-high-middle-high.
(Ger., AHL-boom-blot): A page or leaf from a book, or a short, easy piece.
A piece of music that is played or performed in a quick and lively way.
(Fr., ahl-le-MAW[N]D): “German.” A stately 16th-century German dance, initially in moderate duple meter. In 17th and 18th centuries, it was usually the first movement of the suite. By 19th century it becamse a brisk dance in 3/4 time.
A chord in which a note(s) has been raised or lowered chromatically.
- The lowest female singing voice and highest male singing voice.
- An instrument in the alto range.
- A viola.
The study of the form and structure of music.
A choral composition, most often with religious lyric, with or without accompaniment, written either for performance in a church.
A short aria.
The notes of a chord played in successsion, (harp-like); a broken chord.
An adaptation of a composition.
“Old Art.” Refers to music of the 12th and 13th centuries.
“New Art.” Referes to music of the 14th century.
A serious vocal composition, generally for voice and piano. Denotes a self-contained work (contrast with aria).
Music that lacks a tonal or key center.
Lengthening the duration of notes in a theme.
augmented sixth chord
A kind of chord in which the interval of an augmented sixth resolves outward to an octave. Contains an augmented sixth above the bass, in addition to various other tones, which determine whether the chord is a German Sixth Chord, French Sixth Chord, Italian Sixth Chord, Neopolitan Sixth Chord, or Doubly Augmented Sixth Chord.
A cadence with a progression from the dominant (V) chord to the tonic (I) chord.