NCEA L1 Music key terms

How high or low a sound is, determined by the frequency of the vibration producing it. Musicians describe pitch with letter names such as A, C or F sharp.

The pattern of sounds and silences organised in time. Rhythm gives music its sense of movement and is notated using note values and rests within a metre.

The regular underlying pulse that listeners feel in a piece of music. Beats are grouped into bars and can be counted aloud to keep performers together.

The way beats are grouped into recurring patterns of strong and weak pulses, such as groups of two, three or four. The time signature shows the metre.

Two numbers at the start of a staff showing how many beats are in each bar and which note value equals one beat, for example 4/4 or 3/4.

A section of music containing a fixed number of beats, marked off by vertical bar lines on the staff. Bars make counting and rehearsing easier.

The symbol that shows how long a note lasts, such as semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver or semiquaver. Each value is half or double another in the series.

A written symbol indicating a period of silence in a part. Rests have the same duration values as notes and are essential to shaping musical phrasing.

Accenting notes on weak beats or between beats so the expected pulse is disrupted. It is common in jazz, funk and much popular music.

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

A device that clicks or beeps at a steady rate set in beats per minute, used to establish and practise tempo. Digital metronomes are common in rehearsal.

The set of five horizontal lines on which notes are written. The position of a note on the staff shows its pitch, read with reference to a clef.

A symbol at the start of a staff that fixes which lines and spaces represent which pitches. Treble and bass clefs are the most common in Western notation.

A short line drawn above or below the staff to extend its range for notes that fall outside the five lines. Several may be stacked for very high or low pitches.

The distance in pitch between two notes, described by number and quality, such as a perfect fifth or minor third. Intervals underpin melody and harmony.

An ordered set of pitches spanning an octave that forms the melodic and harmonic material of a key. Major, natural minor and pentatonic scales are frequently studied.

The tonal centre a piece revolves around, named after its tonic note and whether it is major or minor. The key signature shows which sharps or flats apply.

The group of sharps or flats placed after the clef at the start of each staff, showing which notes are consistently raised or lowered throughout the piece.

A sharp, flat or natural sign written beside a note that alters its pitch for that bar, overriding the key signature. It applies until the next bar line.

The smallest standard interval in Western music, equal to one adjacent key on a piano keyboard, such as C to C sharp or E to F. Two semitones make a tone.

The interval between a note and the next note of the same letter name, higher or lower. Notes an octave apart sound very similar and share a letter name.

Two or more notes sounded together. Common chords such as major and minor triads are built from stacked intervals and form the basis of harmony.

A three-note chord built from a root plus the notes a third and a fifth above it. Major, minor, diminished and augmented triads differ by their interval qualities.

The combination of pitches sounded together and the way chords progress through a piece. Harmony supports melody and helps define the key.

A sequence of single pitches heard as a coherent musical line, often the part a listener remembers or sings. Melody is shaped by contour, rhythm and phrasing.

A short musical idea that sounds complete or partly complete, comparable to a sentence in speech. Phrases are separated by breathing points and shape the melody.

The loudness or softness of music and the markings that indicate it, such as piano (soft), forte (loud), crescendo and diminuendo. Dynamics shape expression.

How individual notes are sounded and joined, for example staccato (short and detached) or legato (smooth and connected). Articulation marks shape phrasing and style.

The tone colour or quality that distinguishes one instrument or voice from another, even when they play the same pitch at the same volume.

How musical lines are combined and layered, described as monophonic (one line), homophonic (melody with accompaniment) or polyphonic (independent interweaving lines).

The overall structure of a piece, such as binary, ternary, verse-chorus or rondo, created by the arrangement and repetition of sections.

A recognisable musical idea or melody that a piece builds on, often varied, repeated or developed. Themes help listeners follow the form of a work.

The way sections of a piece are organised and ordered over time, including introductions, verses, choruses, bridges and codas. It is closely related to form.

The particular instruments or voices chosen for a piece or section. Instrumentation strongly affects timbre, texture and the overall style of a performance.

A group of musicians performing together, such as a string quartet, concert band, choir or rock band. Ensemble skills include balance, blend and listening to others.

The relative volume and prominence of the parts in a performance, so no line overwhelms another unintentionally. Good balance is a key ensemble skill.

The sense of a piece being organised around a central key or tonal centre. Music may be tonal, modal, atonal or bitonal depending on how pitch is organised.

Moving a piece or part to a different key, or writing a part at a different pitch from where it sounds. Transposing instruments such as clarinets rely on this.

Relating to hearing and listening skills, such as recognising intervals, chords, rhythms or instruments by ear. Aural perception is assessed alongside written theory.