GENERAL MUSICAL TERMS
Glossary
Audience- The audience is the group of people that listen to the performance. The audience is an important aspect of the performance because
without people to listen to the performers, there would be no reason to put
on performances. It is important to remember that the audience does not
have to be large to serve its purpose. As long as there is at least one person to serve as an audience member then the performers can do their job.
Baroque- The period in music history called “Baroque” is from around 16001750. Music of this time period has lots of melodies that were then decorated to make them fancier by adding more notes called ornaments.
Brass- Most often, instruments in the brass family are made of brass. To
create a sound, the musician uses a cup-shaped mouth-piece that vibrates
against their lips. The sound then gets amplified in the body of the instrument.
Chamber music- Chamber music is a little bit like a mini orchestra. It is
written for a small group of performers where there is one kind of instrument per part. Chamber music is mostly played for parties and during the
time of Mozart and Beethoven, was played at balls for the kings and queens.
Classical- The period in music called “Classical” is from around 1750-1830.
Music of this time often starts with a tune called a „theme‟ and then is developed throughout the piece into different variations.
GENERAL MUSICAL TERMS
Glossary
Concerto- A concerto is a piece of music that has a solo instrument that
plays the melody or tune, and then the whole orchestra acts as the accompaniment.
Conductor- The conductor is the person who leads the orchestra or chorus
of singers by communicating through hand motions. The conductor will often
use a stick called a baton to act as an extension of their hand so that everyone in the orchestra or chorus has a clear view.
Composition- A composition is a fancy word for a piece of music. It could be
a song, or something that a that a group or instruments play together .
Crescendo- When the music grows gradually louder.
Decrescendo- When the music becomes gradually softer.
Duet- A duet is when two instruments or voices play together either at the
same time, or by taking turns.
Forte- When forte is marked in the music, it tells the musicians to play loud.
Harmony- Harmony is when more than one note come together creating a
certain sound and color for the listener.
GENERAL MUSICAL TERMS
Glossary
Melody- A melody is a tune that you can easily sing or hum back. In choir
music the tune is most frequently found in the top voice called the soprano, and in orchestral pieces, the tune is most often carried by the string
section.
Musicians- Musicians are anyone that make music with either their voice
or another instrument. Professional musicians make money by playing or
singing music and spend many hours practicing and going to rehearsals to
become a better player or singer.
Opera- An opera is like a play where all the lines are sung. There is an
orchestra that plays for the singers and there are costumes and sets.
Orchestra- An orchestra is a large group of musicians that play together
using different instruments. Most of time an orchestra has instruments
in the string family, brass family, woodwind family, and percussion family.
Another name for an orchestra is a symphony.
Percussion- Instruments in the percussion family make sounds when the
body of the instrument is hit, shaken, tapped, or rubbed by another object. Instruments in the percussion family are made of materials that are
naturally resonant such as wood, metal, and skin.
Quartet- A quartet is when four instruments and/or singers are playing
together.
GENERAL MUSICAL TERMS
Glossary
Quintet- A Quintet is when five instruments and/or singers are playing
together.
Rhythm- Rhythm is found in everything in life. It is the pace at which
your heart beats and the ticking of a clock. In music, the rhythm is
the pattern played over the constant beat.
Romantic- The period of music called “Romantic” is from around 18301910. Music in this period often tells a story from other forms of art,
writings, or important things that happened in history. Music from the
Romantic period also tries to express human feelings like being happy,
sad, or in love.
Score- The score is what the musicians use to read the music; it is the
written down version of the music.
Solo- A solo is when a single instrument or voice is playing alone.
Sonata- A sonata is a piece of music for one or two instruments that
has different sections. Each section has a different feeling such as
being fast and then slow, or sad sounding and happy sounding.
GENERAL MUSICAL TERMS
Glossary
Strings-The string family is made up of the violin, viola, cello, and double
bass. A bow is used on these instruments made of horse hair that glides
across the strings and creates sound. The harp and guitar are also stringed
instruments and the strings are plucked to create a sound.
Symphony- A symphony is a large group of musicians that play together using different instruments. Most of the time, an orchestra has instruments
in the string family, brass family, woodwind family, and percussion family.
Another name for a symphony is an orchestra.
Trio- A trio is when three instruments and/or voices are playing together.
Woodwinds- Instruments in the woodwind family are mostly made of wood;
however, they can sometimes be made of metal or plastic. The musician
blows into the instrument, sometimes through a reed, and a sound is created
by the air resonating in the body of the instrument. The player presses
keys on the body of the instrument that they press with their fingers to
block the air and create differ notes.