BGCSE Music (0617) key terms

How high or low a sound is, determined by the frequency of its vibration. Musicians describe pitch using letter names and note positions on a staff.

The pattern of sounds and silences in time, including how long each note lasts and how accents fall. Rhythm gives music its sense of movement.

The regular grouping of beats into bars, such as two, three or four beats per bar. The metre is shown by the time signature.

The speed at which a piece is performed. It may be shown by words such as allegro (fast) or by a beats-per-minute mark.

How loud or soft music is played, from pianissimo (very soft) through to fortissimo (very loud). Composers mark dynamics to shape expression.

The tone colour that lets a listener tell one instrument or voice from another, even when both play the same pitch at the same loudness.

How musical lines are combined: one line alone (monophonic), a melody with chords (homophonic), or several independent lines (polyphonic).

The sound of notes sounded together, and the way chords follow one another. Harmony supports a melody and can create tension or rest.

Two or more notes sounded together. A common type is the triad, built from a root with a third and a fifth above it.

A short chord progression that ends a phrase or section. A perfect cadence sounds final; an imperfect or interrupted cadence leaves the music open.

A set of notes arranged in rising or falling steps that a piece draws on. Major and minor scales are common in Western music; pentatonic scales are widely used in African music.

The distance in pitch between two notes, measured in steps such as a third or a fifth. Intervals may be described as major, minor or perfect.

The set of five parallel lines on which notes are written, with pitch fixed by a clef at the start. Notes sit on lines or in spaces.

A symbol at the start of the staff that fixes which lines and spaces stand for which pitches. The treble clef is used for higher parts and the bass clef for lower parts.

The length of a note, shown by its shape: semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver and so on, each half the length of the one before.

A written silence of a stated length, matching the note values. Rests are counted in the same way as notes when reading rhythm.

Two numbers at the start of a piece. The top number gives how many beats are in a bar, and the bottom number gives which note value counts as one beat.

A vertical line across the staff that marks the end of one bar and the start of the next, helping players see the metre.

Sharps or flats written at the start of each staff to show which key the music is in and which notes are to be played sharp or flat throughout.

A sharp, flat or natural sign written beside a note to raise, lower or cancel its pitch for that bar, apart from the key signature.

Rhythm that places accents on weak beats or between beats, so the music seems to push against the regular pulse. It is common in African and popular styles.

Two or more contrasting rhythms played at the same time, each with its own accent pattern. Polyrhythm is a feature of much African drumming and dance music.

A pattern in which a leader sings or plays a phrase and a group answers with a shorter reply. It is central to many African songs and to gospel and work songs.

A scale of five notes within the octave, often leaving out the fourth and seventh degrees. It appears in many African melodies and in folk music worldwide.

Music passed down within a community over generations, learned by ear and shaped by local instruments, languages and ceremonies rather than by a written score.

The handing on of music, stories and knowledge by word of mouth and by imitation rather than through notation. Most African traditional music is transmitted this way.

A lamellophone played in parts of southern and central Africa, with metal tongues fixed to a board and plucked by the thumbs to produce a buzzing, repeating pattern.

A West African stringed instrument with a large gourd body and many strings, plucked by a hereditary musician who often accompanies praise songs.

A West African goblet-shaped hand drum with a skin head, played in ensembles. Different strokes near the rim and centre give high and low sounds.

A group of performers playing or singing together, such as a choir, a drum group or a school band. Members must listen and keep a shared pulse.

How accurately pitches are tuned, both by an individual and between players in a group. Poor intonation makes chords sound sour.

Adjusting an instrument so its notes match an agreed reference pitch. Players tune before performing and check tuning as they play.

The sensible blending of volume between parts in an ensemble, so that melody, harmony and accompaniment can all be heard clearly.

How a note is started and finished, for example legato (smooth), staccato (short and detached) or accented. Articulation shapes the character of a phrase.

A short musical idea that sounds complete, like a sentence in speech. Phrases are often balanced by another phrase and end with a cadence.

Inventing music in performance rather than playing it from a written score. Improvisers work within a key, mode or rhythmic pattern they already know.

A series of notes heard as a single line of music, with shape and direction. A melody is usually what a listener remembers and can sing back.

A large ensemble of string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments led by a conductor. Its sections are grouped by family of instruments.

The person who leads an ensemble by beating time, cueing entries and shaping dynamics and expression, usually with a baton.

The art of combining two or more independent melodic lines so that they sound well together. Each line keeps its own shape while fitting the harmony.

A device that ticks a steady number of beats per minute, used to set and practise tempo. A marking such as crotchet equals 100 refers to it.

The skill of hearing and identifying musical features such as pitch, intervals, chords, rhythm patterns and instruments, without relying on a score.