A cappella
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Choral music sung without an accompaniment.
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AB
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A two-part compositional form in which the second part differs from the first.
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ABA
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A three-part compositional form in which the first and last parts are the same and the middle part is different.
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ABACA
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Rondo form in which a section alternates with two other contrasting sections.
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Accelerando
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Gradually becoming faster.
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Accent
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A stress or emphasis on a specific beat, tone, or chord.
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Adagio
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A slow tempo, between largo and andante; literally, "at ease."
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Aesthetics
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The philosophy or study of the nature of beauty, the value of art, and the human responses to those topics.
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Allegretto
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A fast and lively tempo; quicker than andante, but not as fast as allegro.
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Allegro
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Literally, "cheerful or lively;" generally taken as a fast tempo, although not as fast as vivace or presto.
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Alto
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A low female voice in choral music or part songs.
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Alto clef (C clef)
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Used to notate the middle voices (such as viola); the arrow contained in the symbol indicates the third line of the staff is middle C.
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Andante
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Literally, "at a walking pace"; a moderately slow tempo, between allegretto and adagio.
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Arco
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Played by drawing the bow across the strings.
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Aria
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A composition for solo voice and accompaniment, usually within the context of an opera, oratorio, or cantata.
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Arpeggio
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A chord the pitches of which are sounded successively rather than simultaneously.
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Articulation
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The deliberate attack (clarity of production) of a note when it is played or sung and the degree to which notes are separated or connected, such as staccato or legato.
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Atonality
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Avoidance of centering the pitch around a specific note or key.
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Audience
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A group of people who participate in an experience or encounter a work of art; a gathering of spectators or listeners at a performance.
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Audition
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A performance for a judge that will determine the performer's placement in or eligibility for an activity.
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Balance
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The adjustment of volume throughout an ensemble to achieve the desired blend.
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Band
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An instrumental ensemble, usually made up of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments, and no strings.
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Bar/bar line
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A vertical line on the staff separating one measure from the next.
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Baroque period (1600—1750)
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Time period during which music became more showy, ornate, and complicated.
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Bass
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A low male voice; the lowest part in choral music or part songs; the lowest range of pitches of an instrument.
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Bass clef (F clef)
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Used to notate the lowest sounding notes and pitch; the two dots surrounding the fourth line indicate a note written on that line is F.
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Beat
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The steady pulse in music; the basic unit of time and the underlying pulse in music; the basic unit within a measure.
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Bending notes
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Starting a note at the correct pitch and bending it downwards or upwards.
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Bluegrass
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An early form of country music that combines the gospel vocals of the Blue Ridge Mountain region with folk melodies.
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Blues
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A style of music, characterized by slow tempo and flatted thirds and sevenths, that evolved from southern African-American secular songs.
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Body percussion
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Sounds made using parts of the body (for example, hand clapping, finger snapping, foot stamping, and thigh slapping).
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Bordun
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A repetitive melodic or rhythmic pattern that is based on the harmony of the first and fifth notes of a scale and creates a drone (types of borduns: simple, complex, broken, crossover).
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Brass
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A group of wind instruments made of brass and other metals and played by blowing through a cup-shaped or funnel-shaped mouthpiece; the chief brass instruments of the orchestra are the trumpet, trombone, French horn, and tuba.
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Cadence
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A melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of repose or resolution.
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Call and response
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A musical form featuring a solo phrase that is answered by a larger group.
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Cambiata
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A pedagogical approach (applied to choral literature) that addresses the changing adolescent female and male voice.
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Canon
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A contrapuntal piece of music in which a melody in one part is imitated in other parts.
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Chant
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To recite with musical intonation; a short, simple series of syllables or words that are sung or intoned to the same note or a limited range of notes.
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Choir
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A group of people who sing together.
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Choral
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Related to, written for, or performed by a chorus or choir.
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Chord
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Two or more pitches that sound simultaneously.
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Chromatic
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A twelve note scale that moves in half steps.
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Circle of fifths
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The graphic representation of the relationship of the key signatures in music.
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Classical period (1750—1820)
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A period during which music was orderly, uncluttered, well planned, and precise. The piano replaced the harpsichord as the primary and/or most important keyboard instrument.
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Coda
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The last section of a musical composition, added to create an ending that is clear and final.
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Compose
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The act of intentionally arranging the elements of music to create a musical piece; to create music.
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Composition
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An arrangement of the elements of music to create a musical piece.
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Compound time signature (compound meter)
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A means of showing the number of notes in every measure rather than the number of beats; for example, 6/8 means six eighth notes in each measure, but these are usually counted as two dotted quarter-note beats in each measure.
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Conduct
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To lead a group of musicians in the performance of a composition.
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Contralto
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The lowest range in the female singing voice.
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Counterpoint/contrapuntal
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A texture in which two or more melodic voices proceed simultaneously and relatively independently.
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Creativity
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The quality of using imagination rather than imitating something; the ability to produce something new or to generate unique approaches and solutions.
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Crescendo (cresc.)
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Indicates that the music should gradually get louder.
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Critique
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To review or discuss critically.
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Culture
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The combined characteristics (arts, customs, languages, traditions, and so on) that define a society or civilization.
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Da capo (D.C.)
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Indicates that the music is to be repeated from the beginning.
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Da capo al fine
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Indicates that the music is to be repeated from the beginning to the word fine (ending).
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Dal segno (D.S.)
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Indicates that the music is to be repeated from the sign.
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Dal segno al fine
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Indicates that the music is to be repeated from the sign to the word fine (ending).
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Decrescendo (decresc.)
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Indicates that the music should gradually get quieter.
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Descant
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A melodic part that is pitched higher than and concurrent with the melody.
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Diatonic
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The tones of the major or minor scale; distinct from chromatic.
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Diction
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Clear, exact pronunciation of vowels and consonants when singing.
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Diminuendo
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Decreasing loudness; getting softer.
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Dominant
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The fifth note of a musical scale and the chord that is built upon that note.
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Dotted rhythm
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Uneven rhythm that is usually long-short and is produced when a note (notated with a dot) is succeeded by another of one-third the value of the first note.
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Down bow
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To move the bow down across the strings.
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Duet
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An ensemble of two solo performers.
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Duple meter
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A time signature for which the basic unit of pulse recurs in groups of two.
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Dynamics
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The loudness and quietness of sound.
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Echo song
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A type of song in which the singer repeats the same musical pattern that was sung by the leader.
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Elements of music
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The basic components that make up a musical work: beat, rhythm, pitch, melody, harmony, texture, timbre/tone color, form, and expression (dynamics, style, tempo, phrasing).
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Ensemble
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Two or more singers or instrumentalists performing together.
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Exposition
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1. In sonata form, the part of a work in which the principal themes are first stated; 2. in a fugue, the part of a work in which the voices first enter.
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Expression
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The use of the elements of music (such as dynamics, style, tempo, and phrasing) to create a mood or feeling.
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Fermata
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A symbol placed over a note to indicate that the note is to be held longer than its normal metrical value.
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Flat
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A symbol indicating that a tone is to be lowered one half-step.
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Folk music
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Traditional music that has evolved through the process of aural transmission; music that originates among the common people of a nation or region, is transmitted or passed down orally, and is characterized by simple melodies.
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Form
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The basic structure and design of a musical composition.
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Forte (f)
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Loud.
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Fortissimo (ff)
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Very loud.
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Fugue
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A type of contrapuntal composition that generally opens with one main theme (subject), which then sounds successively in each voice in imitation.
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Fundamentals
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The basic components or principles from which other truths can be derived.
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Funk
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A type of popular music that combines the elements of jazz, blues, and soul and is characterized by syncopated rhythm and a heavy, repetitive bass line.
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Fusion
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A musical genre that combines two or more genres; for example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel, and country.
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Genre
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In a broad sense, a particular branch or category of art; a type or category of art marked by certain shared features or conventions. Each general genre can be subdivided into more specific genres and subgenres.
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Glissando
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A sliding movement from one pitch to another that includes all the pitches in between.
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Haiku
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A poetic form and a type of poetry from the Japanese culture that combines form, content, and language in a meaningful, yet compact poem. Usually, the poet uses simple words and grammar and addresses the themes of nature, feelings, or experiences. The most common form of haiku is three short lines: The first line usually contains five (5) syllables, the second line seven (7) syllables, and the third line five (5) syllables. Haiku is unrhyming verse form. A haiku must "paint" a mental image in the reader's mind.
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Half step
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The smallest interval between two tones of a scale in Western music.
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Harmonic progression
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The succession of chords in a piece of music.
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Harmony
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Sounding two or more tones at the same time.
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Historical periods
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Categorized periods of time in history that have relatively stable characteristics and/or are marked by particular events; for example, ancient, medieval, Renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, impressionist, modern periods-modern, contemporary, and neo-classical, all of which refer to the 20th century, and electronic and digitized music, which refer to the 21st century.
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Homophonic
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Music that has one melodic line at a time, with the other voices or parts serving as accompaniment.
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Imitation
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When a musical idea is repeated later in a different form, and still retains its original character.
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Improvisation
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The act of making up music on the spot.
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Improvise
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To make up music in an instant, usually with a purpose, by using guidelines, and also retaining an element of chance.
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Innovation
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The creation or introduction of something new; the act of starting something for the first time.
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Instrument
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A musical device that produces musical tones or sounds and requires skill for proper use.
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Instrumental
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All of the music produced by musical instruments; a musical composition or recording without lyrics or any other sort of vocal music.
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Interlude
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A section of music between themes.
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Interval
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The distance between two pitches.
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Intonation
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The degree to which a performer sings or plays in tune; the accuracy of pitch in a musical performance.
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Introduction
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A musical passage that precedes the main theme.
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Jazz
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A form of American music born from African rhythms and slave chants.
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Jingle
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A musical advertisement.
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Key
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Pitch relationships that establish a tonal center or tonic.
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Key signature
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The sharps or flats that appear on the left side of each staff to show the scale in which the music is written.
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Largo
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Very slow.
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Leading tone
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The seventh note of a musical scale.
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Leap
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An interval larger than a whole step; motion from one pitch to another that is more than a whole tone away.
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Legato
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Smoothly; opposite of staccato.
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Lento
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A slow tempo, usually between a largo and an adagio.
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Major and minor
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Terms used to describe the sound of music based on the intervals used.
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Major scale
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A scale built on the formula of an ascending pattern of two whole steps, one half-step, three whole steps, and one half-step.
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Marching band
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A group of performers that consists of instrumental musicians and dance teams and/or a color guard and that generally performs outdoors and incorporates some type of marching (and possibly other movements) into the musical performance.
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Measure
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The segment of music contained between two bar lines.
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Melody
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The horizontal dimension in music (as opposed to the vertical dimension: harmony); a succession of organized pitches that have a definite rhythm, the vertical dimension of which arises from the harmony.
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Meter
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The grouping of beats in a measure determined by the time signature.
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Mezzo-forte (mf)
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Medium loud.
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Mezzo-piano (mp)
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Medium quiet.
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Minor scale
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A diatonic scale with a third scale degree at an interval of a minor third above the tonic.
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Mirroring
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A partnering activity that involves simultaneously following a leader's movement while facing that leader.
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Modal/modality
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A musical system—popular in Renaissance, medieval, and folk music—that contains altered tones that color the perception of the scale.
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Moderato
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A medium tempo.
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Modern (1910—present)
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A time period, also known as the 20th century, during which composers found entirely new ways to express themselves through music.
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Modulation
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the process of changing from one key or tonic to another in a musical composition.
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Motif/motive
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A short rhythmic or melodic passage that is repeated or evoked in various parts of a composition; the shortest musical idea that retains unique identity when elaborated or transformed.
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Music
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Organized sound and the written representation of those sounds.
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Music elements
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See elements of music. (The basic components that make up a musical work: beat, rhythm, pitch, melody, harmony, texture, timbre/tone color, form, and expression {dynamics, style, tempo, phrasing}.)
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Musical (musical theatre)
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A form of theatre that combines music, songs, spoken dialogue, and dance.
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New Age
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A modern style of music that is characterized by quiet improvisation on the acoustic piano, guitar, and synthesizer and that usually has a dreamy, relaxing sound.
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Notation
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A system of visual symbols used when writing music to indicate pitch, duration, and expression.
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Note
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A symbol used to indicate a musical tone and designated period of time.
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Note values
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A symbol used to show how long a tone should be held; expressed as a whole and its parts, including half note, quarter note, and eighth note.
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Octave
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A series of two notes occupying the interval between eight pitches that seem to sound at the same pitch, one having twice or half the frequency of vibration of the other.
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Onomatopoeia
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A word or a group of words that imitates the sound being described; for example, quack, tick-tock, and clang.
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Orchestra
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An instrumental ensemble that consists primarily of musicians who play string instruments, and also includes musicians who play woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments.
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Ostinato
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A repeated melodic or rhythmic pattern.
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Paired eighth notes
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Two eighth notes barred together.
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Part song
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A song with two or more voice parts.
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Partner song
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Two or more different songs that can be sung at the same time to create harmony.
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Pattern
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A combination of melodic and/or rhythmic elements that form a model that can be used for imitation.
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Pentatonic
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A five-note scale; music based on such a scale.
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Percussion
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Instruments that are played by striking, shaking, or scraping.
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Perfect
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A term used to describe the intervals of a fourth, fifth, and octave.
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Perform
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The process of presenting—in a concert or recorded format—a musical work (composition) to an audience.
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Performance
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The act of presenting a piece of music or other entertainment to an audience.
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Phrase/phrasing
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A natural division of the melodic line, comparable to a sentence of speech.
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Pianissimo (pp)
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Very quiet.
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Piano (p)
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Quiet (soft).
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Pitch
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The highness or lowness of a tone or sound.
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Pizzicato
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Played by plucking the string.
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Polyphonic/polyphony
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Music that simultaneously combines two or more melodic lines.
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Presto
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Very fast.
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Program music
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Instrumental music associated with nonmusical ideas, often inspired by nature, art, or literature and representing a scene, image, or mood.
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Quartet
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An ensemble of four solo performers.
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Rallentando
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Gradually slowing in tempo; synonymous with ritardando, and frequently occurring over a longer period of time.
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Rap
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Urban music that features spoken lyrics and reflects current social or political issues.
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Recapitulation
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A part of a work in sonata form in which the material introduced in the first section, and then developed in the second section, returns.
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Recorder
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A tubular wind instrument with eight finger holes and a fipple mouthpiece.
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Refrain
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A section of a song that recurs at the end of each verse; sometimes called a chorus.
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Register
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The range and manner of production of the human voice or a musical instrument.
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Renaissance (1450—1600)
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A time period that saw the rebirth of ideas and the appreciation of music in the lives of everyday people. Instrumental and accompanied music became as common as a cappella music.
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Repeat sign
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A symbol that indicates that certain measures or passages are to be sung or played twice.
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Repeated notes
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The recurrence of a tone at the same pitch level.
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Repertoire
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A collection of music that is familiar or preferred by an individual or group.
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Rest
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A symbol that is used to mark silence for a specific amount of time.
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Rhythm
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The way a pattern of sound moves through time.
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Rhythm instruments
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Pitched and unpitched percussion instruments the primary function of which is often rhythmic; for example, hand drum, claves, maracas, and cymbals.
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Rhythmic value
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Note value and rest value.
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Ritardando (rit.)
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Gradually getting slower.
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Rock music
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A form of music that combines African-American rhythms, urban blues, and the folk and country music of the rural South and that has developed since the early 1950s into hundreds of subgenres; simple chord progressions accompanied by a steady driving beat.
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Romantic period (1820-1910)
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A time period during which music was based on emotion, adventure, and imagination.
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Rondo
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A composition that consists of one main theme that reappears several times in alternation (back and forth; taking turns) with other contrasting themes (ABACA).
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Round
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A part song in which the melody is performed by individuals and/or groups starting and ending at different times.
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Scale
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In any system of music, an arrangement of notes in ascending or descending order of pitch.
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Score
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Musical notation that shows all the parts arranged one underneath the other.
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Sforzando
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A sudden stress or accent on a single note or chord, indicated in the musical score by the marking sf or sfz.
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Sharp
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A symbol that indicates that a tone is to be raised by one half-step.
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Sight reading
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The act or skill of performing unfamiliar written music on sight, without previously having studied it.
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Sight-sing
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To sing music at first sight without preparation.
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Simple meter
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A time signature with a beat-unit that is divisible by two.
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Sing
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To produce tones with the voice.
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Skill
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Ability or proficiency; expertise that comes from training or practice; knowledge of facts or principles related to a particular subject area.
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Slur
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A curved line drawn over or under a group of notes to indicate that the notes are to be connected and smooth.
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Solfège/solfa/sol-fa
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A system of syllables (do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do) that is used to represent the tones of a musical scale and that is used to practice singing and train the ear.
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Solo
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A musical piece or passage played or sung by one person, with or without accompaniment.
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Sonata-allegro
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A movement that consists of three sections: the exposition (principal subject or second subject in a new key), development (development of the themes or episodical material, or both combined), and recapitulation (principal subject and second subject, usually transposed into the tonic key), often followed by a coda.
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Soprano
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A high female voice; the highest part in choral music or part songs; the highest range of pitches of an instrument.
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Staccato
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Detached, short, disconnected; the opposite of legato.
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Staff
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A set of lines and spaces used in writing music to show the pitches; usually five lines and four spaces; also referred to as a stave.
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Step
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Motion from one scale-degree to the next, whether by a semitone or a whole tone.
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String
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Instruments (such as violins, violas, cellos, or double bass) on which vibrating, stretched strings are the sound-producing agents.
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Style
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The distinctive character or technique of an individual musician, group, or period.
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Subject
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The musical theme.
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Syncopation
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the process of displacing the expected beats by anticipation or delay of half a beat.
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Technique
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The method or way of creating music; the skill that a musician employs to achieve an expressive effect.
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Tempo
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The pace at which a piece of music is performed.
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Tenor
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A high male voice; the third highest part in choral music or part songs.
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Texture
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The character of music that results from the ways in which the vertical and horizontal elements are combined.
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Theme
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A prominent or frequently recurring melody or set of notes.
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Theme and variations
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A musical form in which a fundamental musical idea is performed and then repeated with a series of modifications.
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Tie
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A curved line that joins two successive notes of the same pitch and that indicates that the second note is a prolongation of the first and should not be sounded separately.
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Timbre/tone color
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The tone quality of a singing voice or a musical instrument.
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Time signature
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Figures written on the staff at the beginning of the composition that indicate the meter or the number of beats used in a measure and what type of note equals one beat.
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Tonal/tonality
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The organization of the melodic and harmonic elements to give a feeling of a key center or a tonic pitch.
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Tonic
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The first note of a musical scale; the chord built upon that note.
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Treble clef (G clef)
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Used to notate the highest sounding notes and pitch; the curl of the clef surrounding the second line indicates a note written on that line is G.
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Tremolo
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Rapidly moving the bow back and forth in very short strokes.
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Triad
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A chord made up of three tones: one (root), with two others in the intervals of a third and a fifth above.
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Trio
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An ensemble of three solo performers.
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Triple meter
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A time signature in which the basic unit of pulse recurs in groups of three.
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Unison
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A combination of notes, voices, or instruments all singing or playing the same pitch.
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Unpitched instrument
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Percussive instruments without a definite pitch; for example, a bass drum, guiro, or rhythm sticks; usually notated by a symbol (typically an "X") on a line.
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Variation
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Repetition of a theme in new and varied ways.
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Verse
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A repeating melody with different sets of lyrics.
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Vibrations
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The motion of a string, a struck surface, or a column of air that produces musical sounds.
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Vibrato
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A repeated fluctuation of pitch used to impart more warmth or emotion.
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Vivace
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Lively, brisk; generally faster than allegro, but not as fast as presto.
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Vocal
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Relating to or using the singing voice; music intended to be performed by one or more singers.
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Whole step
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Two half-steps.
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Whole-tone scale
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A scale made up only of whole-step intervals; for example, intervals that span two half-steps.
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Woodwind
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A term used to refer to wind instruments that were originally and may continue to be made of wood; instruments played by blowing across a mouth hole or into a whistle mouthpiece or reed; principal members are the flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, saxophone, and bassoon.
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World language songs
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Music with lyrics that combine influences from more that one cultural tradition, languages from indigenous cultures, and non-traditional types of instrumental accompaniment, melodic forms, and rhythms.
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World music
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Folk, indigenous, or roots music created by indigenous musicians of any culture.
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