Musicology Midterm: Terminology

The temporal aspect of sound; can be described as the pattern of “on” and “off” states exhibited by and sound as time passes.

The grouping of pulses into stable units usually containing two, three, or four pulses.

The “highness” or “lowness” of a sound; can be represented as a frequency or a note name.

A coherent sequence of notes that, if embedded in a complex texture, is clearly of primary importance.

The distance between two pitches.

A collection of pitches, usually three or four, that belong to the same mode, are separated by intervals of a third, and are often sounded simultaneously to support a harmony.

A sequence of chords; certain chord progressions are common, while others are unusual and might sound displeasing.

The pitches that support the melody; can refer generally to non-melodic voices or specifically to chords.

The loudness or quietness of a sound; can be specified in terms of amplitude (specific) or dynamic marking (contextual).

The loudness or softness of a musical passage.

The manner in which a pitch is begun, sustained, and released.

Describes the quality of a sound.

The rate at which the pulse is felt.

A regularly-spaced rhythmic emphasis; synonymous with “beat.”

An organized group of pulses that contains both strong and weak beats.

In notated music, vertical lines that indicate the beginning and end of each bar.

The distance between low and high pitches.

A part of an instrument or vocalist’s range; can be high, middle, or low.

How music unfolds over time.

A song structured as if it’s only made up in verses. Same melody but different lyrics every time.

A song structured by a Verse: has same melody different lyrics, Chorus: has same melody same lyrics, then Verse again.

A song that revolves around a short repetitive tune or ostinato phrase.

A song that is structured to change all the way through. An example would be Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.

A repetitive musical idea/motive in a song.

A sequence of pitches containing the principle notes that can be used to compose or improvise in a given key. A scale is characterized by the intervals between the notes, which are usually major or minor seconds but can also be thirds.

A key is based on a scale and is often labeled as the tonic/starting pitch.

The contents of and interactions between various layers or voices in a musical work.

Music that has a single melody, typically performed by a soloist or in unison with no accompaniment.

Music that has a single melody with an accompaniment that has different pitches (probably chords) but that is secondary to the melody.

Music where every voice is independent but equally important, and there is no distinction between melody and harmony.

Music with multiple instruments or voices each perform a unique version of the same melody, such that unison is not achieved.