Kerianne

Brennan

Word
Pitch
Dynamic
Timbre

Definition
The specific quality of a sound that makes it
recognizable
Loudness of softness of a piece

Duration

Component of a tone that causes different

instruments to sound different when they are
playing the same note

Octave Designation

Length of time a note is sounded

Chromatic

The several methods used to correctly identify

every possible note from the lowest to highest
pitches

Enharmonic

Music that proceeds in half steps, notes that are

one half step interval apart

Whole
Step

When the same pitch frequency is written in two

different notations. Ex: A sharp and B flat

Flat
Sharp

A Major second interval, notes that are two half

steps apart are one whole step apart

Natural

Accidental that lowers a note one half step

Accidental that raises a note one half step

Double Flat
Double Sharp
Accidental

Symbol that indicates that a note should be

played unchanged(no sharps or flats)
Accidental sign that lowers a note by two half
steps
Accidental sign that raises a note by two half
steps

Key Signature

Alla Breve

Mark placed before a note indicating that the

note should be altered depending on the sign.
Carries through the measure
The sharp, flat, or natural signs at the beginning
of a staff that show what key the piece is in

Tempo marking indicating Pickup note(s) at the beginning of a phrase of

that the half note gets the music
beat instead of the quarter
Time signature that has beats divisible by three
note (2/2 instead of 4/4)
instead of two (Ex: 6/8)
Anacrusis
Compound Meter

Simple Time
Hemiola

Asymmetrical Meter

Time signature in which the beats are divisible

by two (Ex: 4/4)
The rhythmic relation of three notes in the time
of two such as the triplet
Meter with an odd number of subdivisions,
meaning the measure cannot be divided into
equal beats
When a note or accent is on the off-beat,
upsetting the meter/pulse of a piece
Speed of the rhythm of a piece, expressed in
beats per minute

Syncopation
Tempo

Scale degree names and solfege:

1- Do: Tonic
2- Re: Supertonic
3- Mi: Mediant
4- Fa: Subdominant
5- Sol: Dominant
6 minor6 major- La: Submediant
7 minor7 major- Ti: Leading Tone

Church Modes:
MajorIonian: WWHWWWH, 1, major
Lydian: WHWWWHW, 4, major with raised 4th
Mixolydian: HWWWHWW, 5, major with lowered 7th

MinorAeolian: WHWWHWW, 6, natural minor

Dorian: WWHWWHW, 2, natural minor with raised 6th
Phrygian: HWWWHWW, 3, natural minor with lowered 2nd

Altered:
Locrian: HWWHWWW, 7

Circle of
Fifths

Modality

Parallel Key

Relative Key

Scalar Variance

Tonality

Two keys, one major and one minor,

that have the same tonic (ex: C major
and C minor)
Keys that share the exact same key
signature (ex: C major and A minor)
Use of natural, harmonic, and melodic
scales within one piece

The organization of a piece around a

tonic based on a major or minor scale