SIHS Band Vocabulary
Week 1 2/4/15
1.
2.
accelerando (accel.): gradually quickening the tempo
accent (>): putting emphasis on a specific tone, beat, or
chord
3. accidental: sign that calls for altering the pitch of a note;
either a sharp, flat, or natural sign
4. adagio: slow; faster than lento but slower than andante
5. allargando: becoming gradually slower
6. allegro: fast
7. andante: walking tempo; moderately slow
8. arpeggio: the playing of a chord in broken fashion, usually
from the bottom note up,
scale degrees 1, 3, 5, 8
9. articulation: the use of tongue and air to create a
particular sound effect
10. attack: the beginning of a sound
Week 2 2/11/15
11. accompaniment: vocal or instrumental parts that
accompany a melody
12. aerophone: an instrument where the sound is produced
by a vibrating column of air
13. allegretto: moderately quick tempo slightly slower than
allegro
14. anacrusis: an upbeat or pick-up note at the beginning of a
piece
15. aperture: the hole or opening formed by the lips after an
embouchure is set
16. bar line: a vertical line that divides measures or bars
17. beam: the horizontal line that connects groups of eighth
notes, sixteenth notes, etc. in place of flags
18. beat: unit of measurement of rhythmic time
19. caesura (//): symbol which indicates a sudden pause in the
music
20. chordophone: an instrument where the sound is
produced by a tightly strung string
Week 3 2/18/15
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Week 4 2/25/15
31. decrescendo (decresc.): decreasing in loudness
32. diminuendo (dim.): gradually decreasing in loudness
33. divisi (div.): divided; indicates the temporary division of a
section into two or more parts
34. double bar (||): two vertical lines drawn through the staff
that indicate the end of a section, movement, or piece
35. duple meter: a time signature with two beats to the
measure in a strong-weak pattern
36. duration: the length or amount of time a sound lasts
37. dynamics: variations in levels of loudness or softness, or
intensity
38. embouchure: the position and shape of the mouth and lips
of a wind player
39. fermata: “bird’s eye” symbol over a note signifying that it
should be held indefinitely
40. fine: the end
Week 5 3/4/15
41. key: the tonal center of a composition
42. key signature: the group of sharps or flats that appear at
the beginning of a staff which indicate the key
43. ledger lines: short horizontal lines used to extend a staff
either higher or lower
44. legato: in a smooth, connected style
45. marcato (^): emphasis at the beginning of a note, short
note value; short heavy accent
46. measure: a unit of musical time set off by bar lines,
consisting of a given number of beats
47. melody: a succession of tones perceived as a coherent line
(horizontal/ linear aspect)
48. meter: recurring patterns of strong and weak beats
49. mezzo: medium
50. natural: the symbol that indicates a note is neither sharp
nor flat
Week 6 3/11/15
51. pianissimo (pp): very softly
cantabile: in a singing or lyrical manner
52. piano (p): softly
chamber music: music for a small ensemble where each
53. pitch: the location of a note related to its highness
part is played by one performer
lowness
chord: the effect produced by the sounding of two or
54. quadruple meter: a time signature with four beats to the
more notes
measure in a strong-weak-strong-weak pattern
chromatic scale: a scale composed of all twelve half steps 55. range: the notes that an instrument or voice is capable of
of an octave
producing, from lowest to highest; a span of notes as in
circle of fifths: the clockwise arrangement of successive
the range of a melody
keys arranged in order of ascending fifths
56. register: the high, middle, or low section of the vocal or
composition: the art of putting together sounds to create
instrumental range
a musical work
57. repeat sign (:||): indicates a musical selection should be
con: with; in style and expression of
repeated
consonance: the absence of tension or discord in music
58. rhythm: the organization of music in time using long and
corpophone: an instrument where the sound is produced
short note values
by the human body
59. ritardando (rit.): get slower gradually
clef: symbol written on a staff that indicates where specific 60. sforzando (sfz): accented (literally, “forcing”)
notes are on the staff
SIHS Band Vocabulary
Week 7 3/18/15
61. sharp (#): symbol that indicates for a note to be raised
one half step; when a pitch is higher than normal
62. simple meter: a time signature where each beat is divisible
by two (i.e. 2/4, 3/4, 4/4)
63. slur: a curved line notated above two or more notes that
indicates they are two be played legato
64. staccato: detached, short, light
65. staff/staves: the five horizontal lines on and between
which notes are written
66. stem: a line that extends vertically from a note head
67. subdivide: to breakdown a beat into smaller parts
68. subito (sub.): suddenly
69. tempo: speed of performance, or relative pace of the
music
70. tenuto (–): to hold a note for its full value
Week 8 3/25/15
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Week 10 4/15/15
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100.
espressivo: expressively
glissando: to slide from one note to the another
grace note: a small note quickly played before the beat
grand staff: the combination of the bass and treble staves,
which is commonly used to notate piano music
grave: as slow as possible
grosso: large, great
half step: the interval between two successive notes on
the piano keyboard; half of a whole step
idiophone: an instrument where the sound is produced by
the instrument itself
interval: distance in pitch between two notes
largo: very slow and broad
Week 11 4/22/15
101. lip trill: a trill performed on a brass instrument without
tie: a curved line that joins two or more notes of the
the use of valves
same pitch that last the duration of the combined note
102. l’istesso: the same
values
103. maestoso: majestic
timbre: the characteristic color or sound of an instrument 104. membranophone: an instrument where the sound is
or voice
produced by a tightly stretched membrane, natural or
time signature: a sign placed at the beginning of a piece,
synthetic
section, or measure to indicate the meter
105. meno: less
tone: a sound of definite pitch; the quality of sound of a
106. meno mosso: less motion
voice or instrument (as in tone color)
107. mixed meter: meter in which the basic beat changes
triple meter: a time signature with three beats to the
frequently
measure in a strong-weak-weak pattern
108. moderato: moderate in tempo
Tempo I: return to the original tempo
109. tutti: the entire ensemble or section (literally, “all”)
texture: the way melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic
110. molto: much, very
materials interact in a composition
triad: a three-note chord usually built in thirds, consisting
of a root, third, and fifth
Week 12 4/29/15
trill: rapid alternation between a note and another half
111. mosso: movement, motion (literally, “moved”)
step or whole step above
112. con moto: with motion
trio: a composition for three performers
113. octave: the interval of eight diatonic steps or twelve half
steps
Week 9 4/1/15
114. piu mosso: a little more motion
degree: the notes/tones of a diatonic scale
115. poco: a little (as in poco a poco, “little by little”)
diatonic: the notes found within a major or minor scale
116. prestissimo: as fast as possible
dissonance: two or more notes that when played together 117. presto: very fast
cause tension or require resolution
118. simile (sim.): continue to perform in the same style
dolce: gently and sweetly
119. rubato: a gradual fluctuation of the tempo, usually in slow
duet: a composition for two performers
movement (literally, “robbed”)
intonation: the degree to which pitch is accurately
120. run: a rapid scale passage
produced in performance with others
ear training: the process of learning how to recognize and
notate pitches, intervals, and rhythms by ear
electrophone: an instrument where the sound is
electronically produced
enharmonic: two pitches that are notated differently but
sound alike when played (i.e. G#, Ab)
etude: an instrumental piece designed to develop a
particular skill or performing technique
SIHS Band Vocabulary
Week 13 5/6/15
121. scale: a series of three or more different pitches arranged
in a specific pattern in ascending or descending order
122. semitone: a half step
123. soli: several players on one part; to play a solo in unison
with others
124. solo: a piece or section of music where a performer plays
alone or with accompaniment
125. style: the particular character of a musical work,
performance, or a historical period
126. syncopation: to shift the accent of a note or chord to a
weak beat or the weak part of a beat
127. unison: two or more performers sounding the same note
or melody
128. vibrato: varying the pitch slightly to create a wavering or
pulsating tone effect
129. voicing: how notes are arranged in a chord
130. vivace: fast and lively
Week 14 5/13/15
131. whole step: interval equivalent to two half steps (or
semitones); represented on the piano keyboard by the
distance between two white or two black successive keys
132. coda: a supplementary ending to a composition or
movement
133. common time: same time signature as 4/4
134. compound meter: a time signature where each beat is
divisible by three (i.e. 6/8, 6/4, 9/8, 9/4, 12/8)
135. countermelody: a secondary melodic pattern used at the
same time as the principal melody
136. crescendo (cresc.): gradually increasing in loudness
137. cut time: 2/2 time; 4/4 time cut in half
138. da capo (D.C.): return to the beginning (literally, “from
the head”)
139. Da capo al segno: return to the beginning and play until the
sign (literally, “from the head to the sign”)
140. decay: the resolution of a sound
Week 15 5/20/15
141. flat (b): symbol that indicates for a note to be lowered
one half step; when a pitch is lower than normal
142. forte (f): loud
143. fortissimo (ff): very loud
144. forzando (fz): sharply marked or emphasized
145. harmony: vertical aspect of music that pertains to
simultaneous combinations of notes
146. triplet: three notes played in the time of two notes of the
same value
147. animato: in an animated style
148. augmentation: elongating the duration of notes
149. cadence: the melodic or harmonic ending of phrase,
section, movement, or complete composition
150. modulation: a change in key within a composition