Music gcse key terms (edexcel)

notes in a chord that have been sharpened or flattened by a semitone, such as a flattened fifth.

Music performed by two groups which are physically separated

Chord is spread, normally from bottom to top note

in a fugue, the subject repeated in response to its initial appearance, usually a fourth or fifth lower or higher than the preceding subject.

a song with a strong, memorable melody which has rousing or uplifting characteristics

Ornament often referred to as 'leaning in' note. It leans on the main note, commonly taking half its value and starting a semitone or tone higher

notes that are added to a basic triad, such as a seventh or a ninth

a common chord in jazz and popular music, a triad with the sixth added above the tonic

the prevailing mood in a Baroque movement

An accompaniment derived from broken chords

the manner in which a note is performed, e.g, staccato, legato, etc

music that lacks a tonal center; absence of key

How the note sounds when it comes in

a triad built on two major thirds, such as A♭-C and C-E.

non-diegetic music adding to the mood of the scene, reinforcing dramatic developments and aspects of character

the vertical lines that indicate bars

chords lacking the third and therefore ambiguous in terms of major/minor tonality

the manageable chunks into which music is divided

a continuous bass line that provided an underlying structure for the harmonies and was usually played by the cello, or bassoon, or double bass and harpsichord in the Baroque period

a musical form consisting of two units (A and B) constructed to balance and complement each other

refers to music in two keys at the same time

when many of the parts drop out of the musical texture for a short period of time

a linking passage often used to change the key of the music (to modulate) in preparation for the second subject.

when the notes of a chord are played one at a time rather than being sounded simultaneously.

The gradual introduction of more instruments

Progression of chords forming a cadence

Parts copy each other in exact intervals, often at a fifth or an octave

An extended piece in several movements, comprising chorus, recitative, chorale and aria with an orchestral accompaniment

A clamp fastened across all the strings on a neck of a stringed instrument to raise their pitch

Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era, who wrote primarily for the solo piano

Ascending or descending by semitones

A chord progression moving down a fifth or up a fourth each time

1750-1820

The rhythm closely associated with the Latin percussion instrument known as 'claves'

A section added at the end of a composition or passage as a conclusion

a short coda

Instruction to the band to follow the vocalists tempo

distance between two notes that exceeds an octave

a metre in which the beat is dotted and subdivides into groups of three.

when the bar feels like it needs to be split into groups of three (having a group of three 'mini' beats in a 'big' beat).

The smaller group of soloists in a concerto grosso

A concerto for more than one soloist

Movement by step

Intervals in chords that sound pleasant

when two melodies are played 'against' each other and interweave - almost the same as 'polyphonic'; written in counterpoint.

The simultaneous combination of two or more melodies with independent rhythms

The melody played after the subject or answer has been sounded

A new version of an existing song

gradually louder

rhythms that cross the usual pattern of accented and unaccented beats, creating irregular accents and syncopated effects.

A section of music in film

ABA Ternary form

How the note does away after being sounded

instruments literally 'in dialogue', playing one after the other, swapping ideas.

Notes that belong to the key of the piece

In film, music that is heard or performed by the characters themselves

a four-note chord made up solely of minor-third intervals.

gradually quieter

movement by leap

the intervals that are dissonant (clashing) are the minor and major second, the minor and major seventh and the tritone (augmented fourth or diminished fifth).

An effect that increases the volume and sustain on electric guitar

A passage focused on the dominant chord to create expectation for a return to the tonic.

chord V with added minor seventh.

Continuously held note, usually low in pitch

Pre-recorded drum pattern repeated on a loop

Degrees of loudness or softness

Electronic devices designed to enhance or alter the basic sound quality

The equivalent sharp note as a flat and vice versa: e.g. F# is also Gb

a chord with at least one added note, such as the ninth.

A celebratory brass piece often marking the opening of an important event

in musical notation, a numerical shorthand that tells the player which unwritten notes to fill in above the written bass note

the first theme or melody

an effect creating a swirling or swooshing sound

(ff) very loud

loud

The initial statements of the subject and answer

A musical form comprising an exposition, middle section and final section. The music is contrapuntal

The blending of two or more musical styles, usually from different cultures

A medium-paced French dance in 4/4 time beginning on the third beat of the bar. It was popular in the 18th century.

A genre of rock known for over the top, glamorous dress sense.

A musical style with roots in the black oral tradition in which vocal harmonies play a prominent role.

Rhythmic feel

Rate at which chords change

when a chord sequence is immediately repeated at a higher or lower pitch.

Two or more instruments playing the same melody at the same time, with each embellishing it in a slightly different way.

a pair of cymbals mounted on a special stand so that they can be sounded by pressing a pedal that clamps them together as well as by striking.

Melody with accompaniment

Cadence ending of chord V

The instruments or voices are each doing different things. Note that a part that is simply harmonising another (e.g. in thirds) throughout the piece is not considered independent.

V-VI

The distance between two notes

major or minor triads with either the third (first inversion) or the fifth (second inversion) in the bass.

when the score for a musical is made up of existing songs, usually all by the same artist or with a strong thematic link.

a series of sharp or flat signs placed next to the clef sign on every stave, which tells us the key of the music in the following bars.

the biggest drum in a drum kit, set sideways-on to the audience and drummer. It is played by pressing a pedal which moves a beater to strike the drum skin.

A song with a sorrowful mood

lines that extend the stave

smooth

A recurring musical idea that is associated with a particular theme character or place

A short repeated passage, often involving electronic drums.