MATSEC IM Music key terms

How high or low a sound is heard, determined mainly by the frequency of the vibration producing it. Pitch is what we name with notes such as C or G.

The pattern of sounds and silences organised in time, including how long each note lasts and where stresses fall. Rhythm gives music its movement and pulse feel.

The regular grouping of beats into bars, such as two, three or four beats per bar, with strong and weak positions. The time signature shows the metre.

The two numbers at the start of a piece showing how many beats are in each bar and which note value counts as one beat, for example 4/4 or 6/8.

A vertical line drawn across the staff to mark where one bar ends and the next begins, helping performers see the metre clearly.

The speed at which music is performed, often shown by words such as allegro (fast) or adagio (slow), or by a metronome mark giving beats per minute.

A device that clicks or ticks at a steady, adjustable rate, used to set and practise a tempo. Its markings are given in beats per minute.

The distance in pitch between two notes, measured in steps of the scale, such as a third or a fifth, and described as major, minor or perfect.

The interval between a note and the next note of the same name above or below it. Notes an octave apart sound alike and share a letter name.

An ordered set of notes moving step by step within an octave, such as major, minor or chromatic. Scales supply the pitch material from which melodies are built.

The home note and scale around which a piece is organised, giving a sense of resting point. A key may be major or minor and is named after its tonic.

A change of key within a piece, often prepared by a chord that belongs to the new key. Modulation creates contrast and moves the music forward.

The sound of notes played together and the way chords follow one another. Harmony supports the melody and shapes the sense of tension and rest.

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

A chord of three notes built in thirds above a root, such as C-E-G. Triads may be major, minor, diminished or augmented.

A short chord pattern at the end of a phrase that gives a feeling of closing or pausing, such as perfect, imperfect, plagal or interrupted.

A single line of notes heard one after another that forms the tune. Melody combines pitch and rhythm and is often the part listeners remember.

A short musical idea or melodic line that sounds complete in itself, much like a sentence in speech. Phrases are usually separated by breaths or cadences.

The loudness or softness of music, shown by markings such as piano (soft), forte (loud) and crescendo (gradually louder).

How individual notes are played or sung, for example smoothly (legato) or short and detached (staccato). Articulation affects the character of a line.

The tone colour or quality that makes one instrument or voice sound different from another, even when they play the same pitch at the same loudness.

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

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 in which one voice or part repeats a melodic idea shortly after another has played it, often at a different pitch. It is common in polyphonic writing.

A contrapuntal form in which a short subject is stated by one voice and then taken up by others, with entries woven together through imitation and episodes.

The overall shape or plan of a piece, created by the arrangement and repetition of sections, such as binary, ternary, rondo or sonata form.

A musical idea, usually a melody, that a piece presents and then develops, varies or repeats. Themes give listeners something to recognise and follow.

A form or technique in which a theme is presented repeatedly, each time changed in melody, rhythm, harmony, texture or instruments while remaining recognisable.

A decorative addition to a melody, such as a trill, mordent or turn, written in small notes or symbols to embellish a main note.

Moving music to a different pitch level so that it sounds higher or lower while keeping the same intervals and shape. It changes the key but not the tune.

The set of five parallel lines on which notes are written, with the vertical position of a note showing its pitch. A clef at the start fixes the note names.

The symbol at the beginning of a staff that fixes which lines and spaces stand for which pitches, for example the treble clef or bass clef.

A large work for orchestra, usually in four movements, each with its own character and tempo. The symphony is a central form of orchestral music.

A large ensemble of instruments, typically grouped into strings, woodwind, brass and percussion, directed by a conductor. Its size and make-up vary by period and work.

Music written for a small group of players, one to a part, such as a string quartet, and usually performed without a conductor in a smaller room.

A dramatic work in which the story is sung to orchestral accompaniment, combining music, text, acting and staging. It usually includes arias, recitatives and choruses.

A solo song in an opera or oratorio that expresses a character's feelings, often in a set form and with orchestral accompaniment, pausing the action.

The text or words of an opera, oratorio or musical, written by a librettist. The libretto supplies the story and the words that are set to music.