Essential Music Vocabulary
Review
Directions:
Identify the music vocabulary
word that matches
the given definition.
Students will be called at random so
everyone should be prepared to answer.
Please respect your classmates right to
think and avoid blurting.
From the Italian word
meaning time, this
refers to the pace or
speed of the piece of
music.
Tempo
A low pitched sound or
the tones in the lowest
range of a voice or
instrument.
Bass
This is musical color. Each instrument
or voice has its own color and
produces its own mood or emotion.
Varying combinations of instruments
produce different textures and
distinctive colors.
Timbre
The flow of music through
time. It has several
interrelated aspects: beat,
meter, accent,
syncopation, and tempo.
Rhythm
The volume or loudness of a tone.
It can range from very quiet/soft
(pianissimo) to very loud
(fortissimo) and contains words
and symbols like crescendo
(gradually becoming louder) and
decrescendo (gradually becoming
softer).
Dynamics
The part of music that we sing or
play on an instrument. It is a
series of notes arranged in a
particular rhythmic pattern and
divided up into smaller units
called phrases. It is the
horizontal structure of music.
Melody
The organization of musical
elements in time. In a
musical composition, pitch,
tone color, dynamics,
rhythm, melody, and texture
interact to produce a sense
of shape and structure.
Form
The part of music that
combines two or more notes
to produce new sounds
called chords. It is the
vertical structure of music. It
adds depth and texture to
the piece.
Harmony
Monophonic (one melody
without accompaniment),
homophonic (one melody
accompanied by chords), and
polyphonic (many different
sounds) describe the way
sounds are combined in music.
Texture
The flow of music through
time. It has several
interrelated aspects: beat,
meter, accent,
syncopation, and tempo.
Rhythm
The organization of musical
elements in time. In a
musical composition, pitch,
tone color, dynamics,
rhythm, melody, and texture
interact to produce a sense
of shape and structure.
Form
This is musical color. Each instrument
or voice has its own color and
produces its own mood or emotion.
Varying combinations of instruments
produce different textures and
distinctive colors.
Timbre
The part of music that
combines two or more notes
to produce new sounds
called chords. It is the
vertical structure of music. It
adds depth and texture to
the piece.
Harmony
From the Italian word
meaning time, this
refers to the pace or
speed of the piece of
music.
Tempo
The volume or loudness of a tone.
It can range from very quiet/soft
(pianissimo) to very loud
(fortissimo) and contains words
and symbols like crescendo
(gradually becoming louder) and
decrescendo (gradually becoming
softer).
Dynamics
A low pitched sound or
the tones in the lowest
range of a voice or
instrument.
Bass
The part of music that we sing or
play on an instrument. It is a
series of notes arranged in a
particular rhythmic pattern and
divided up into smaller units
called phrases. It is the
horizontal structure of music.
Melody
Monophonic (one melody
without accompaniment),
homophonic (one melody
accompanied by chords), and
polyphonic (many different
sounds) describe the way
sounds are combined in music.
Texture
The flow of music through
time. It has several
interrelated aspects: beat,
meter, accent,
syncopation, and tempo.
Rhythm
From the Italian word
meaning time, this
refers to the pace or
speed of the piece of
music.
Tempo
The organization of musical
elements in time. In a
musical composition, pitch,
tone color, dynamics,
rhythm, melody, and texture
interact to produce a sense
of shape and structure.
Form
Monophonic (one melody
without accompaniment),
homophonic (one melody
accompanied by chords), and
polyphonic (many different
sounds) describe the way
sounds are combined in music.
Texture
A low pitched sound or
the tones in the lowest
range of a voice or
instrument.
Bass
The part of music that
combines two or more notes
to produce new sounds
called chords. It is the
vertical structure of music. It
adds depth and texture to
the piece.
Harmony
The volume or loudness of a tone.
It can range from very quiet/soft
(pianissimo) to very loud
(fortissimo) and contains words
and symbols like crescendo
(gradually becoming louder) and
decrescendo (gradually becoming
softer).
Dynamics
The part of music that we sing or
play on an instrument. It is a
series of notes arranged in a
particular rhythmic pattern and
divided up into smaller units
called phrases. It is the
horizontal structure of music.
Melody
This is musical color. Each instrument
or voice has its own color and
produces its own mood or emotion.
Varying combinations of instruments
produce different textures and
distinctive colors.
Timbre