Download KEY TERMINOLOGY AT GCSE Texture Unison A simple texture with

KEY TERMINOLOGY AT
GCSE
Texture
A simple texture with all instruments or
voices playing the same note.
Unison
A simple texture with all instruments or
voices singing a pitch note in different
octaves.
Octaves
A texture where there is one clear
melodic line with a distinct
accompaniment.
Melody and Accompaniment
A texture where two or more parts move
at the same time usually creating
harmony.
Homophonic
A texture in which two or more lines are
weaved together but do not necessarily
move at the same time.
Polyphonic
Textural Devices
The performance of musical phrases in
alternation by different voices or distinct
groups.
Call and Response
Harmony and Harmonic
Devices
Cadence
A point of rest at the end of a phrase:
Perfect
V-I
Imperfect
I-V
Interrupted
V - ? (VI is the most common)
Plagal
IV - I
Pedal
A held note under changing harmonies,
a pedal is usually named after the
degree of the scale it is held on eg.
Tonic or Dominant.
Drone
A held note usually the Tonic held
throughout a piece or a large section to
form a very simple accompaniment.
Tonality
Major
Music based on a Major scale for its
melody and harmony.
Minor
Music based on a Minor scale for its
melody and harmony.
Modal
Music characterised by the use of
modes. Usually found in ancient,
medieval and renaissance music.
Modulation
The gradual change from one key to
another in a composition.
Melody, Melodic Devices
and Ornamentation
Sequence
The immediate repetition of a melodic
pattern up or down a pitch.
Melody in 3rds or 6ths
A melodic line harmonised in 3rds or
6ths by another voice or instrument.
Conjunct
A melody that moves mainly by steps.
Disjunct
A melody that moves mainly by leaps.
Triadic
A melody that moves mainly in thirds
outlining a chord or arpeggio.
Passing Note
An unessential (not harmonically
important) note that fills the gap between
two notes a third apart.
Acciaccatura
An ornament that is crushed in before a
main melody note.
Appoggiatura
A dissonant note, usually approached by
a leap and resolved by step.
Trill
An ornament created by a rapid
alternation between two notes a step
apart.
Turn
A four note ornament comprising the
note a step above the written note, the
written note, the note below the written
note and the written note again.
Mordent
Lower mordent: An ornament where you
hear the written note, the note below the
written note and the written note again.
Upper mordent: An ornament where you
hear the written note, the note above the
written note and the written note again.
Glissando
A slide between two different pitch notes.
Instrumental Techniques
Pizzicato
The technique where you pluck the
string.
Con Arco
The technique where you bow the string.
A Capella
Unaccompanied singing.
Muted
Technique where the sound is softened
by adding a mute. On brass instruments
this is out in the bell and on string
instruments this is clipped on to the
bridge. This changes the volume but
also the sound.
Vibrato
Sung or played with a wobble in pitch,
this is done for expression.
Staccato
Sung or played in a detached manner.
Legato
Sung or played in a smooth manner.
Rhythm and Metre
Hemiola
A temporary change of meter from 3 to 2
without changing the time signature.
Polyrhythm
The use of different rhythms in separate
parts of the musical texture at the same
time.
Accentuation
The use of accents to emphasise certain
notes above others.
Syncopation
An offbeat rhythm.
Simple Time
A musical meter whose main beats are
devisable by two e.g. 2/4 and 4/4.
Compound Time
A musical meter whose main beats are
devisable by three e.g. 6/8 and 9/8.
Structure and Form
Binary
A two part structure with two contrasting
ideas AB.
Ternary
A three part structure represented as
ABA where the first idea is revisited at
the end.
Rondo
A structure with a returning idea
represented as ABACAD etc.
Theme and Variations
A form in which a theme is repeated and
changed someway with each repeat.
Strophic
Form of a song in which the same music
is repeated, perhaps with a very minor
change for each verse or stanza of a
poem.
Through Composed
Any composition that does not rely on
repeating sections for its form. Usually
applied to a song in which the music for
each verse or stanza is different.
Verse - Chorus
The most common song structure in
which there are two main melodic ideas
which alternate one for the verse and
one for the chorus.
Dynamics
pp
Stands for pianissimo which means very
quiet.
p
Stands for piano which means quiet.
mp
Stands for mezzo piano which means
fairly quiet.
mf
Stands for mezzo forte which means
fairly loud.
f
Stands for forte which means loud.
ff
Stands for fortissimo which means very
loud.
Crescendo
A gradual increase of volume.
Diminuendo
A gradual decrease of volume.
Sforzando (sfz)
A strongly accented note