Rhythm

&
Metre
 Metre
Rhythm The pattern of the beats
The combination and pattern Pulse Can be regular, irregular or free
of sounds around the beat The steady beat

Duration
The length of the
notes

Semibreves 4 beats
Minims 2 beats Time signature
Crotchets 1 beat Shows how many beats, and what
Quavers a beat type of beat is in a bar
Semiquavers of a beat
Triplets
3 notes played where 2 notes
should be.
 Compound time Simple time
Hemiola
Has 6, 9, or 12 as number of Has 2, 3 or 4 as number of
A rhythm which has a
beats in a bar (top number of beats in a bar (top number
three against two
time signature) of time signature)
feel. Used in Baroque
music
Dotted rhythms
Adds half the original value to
a note. Tempo
The speed of
music

Cross-rhythm
2 contrasting rhythms played at
the same time, sound like they
dont fit together.

Polyrhythm
Rubato
More than 2 rhythms played at the
When the performer speeds up or
same time. It sounds like they fit
slows down for extra expression.
together.
 Augmentation
To make bigger
Diminution
To make smaller

Drum fills
Short drum solos to join up
sections of music, or for the
drummer to show off.
Bi-rhythm
Two different rhythms
from the same time
signature played at the
same time.

Syncopation
The strong notes are on expected
beats, sounds off- beat. Used a lot
in jazz music.
Harmony
&
Tonality
 Key signature Tonal
The group of sharps of flats Music is tonal that is built around a
written at the start of a piece major or minor key.
of music.
Music in a major key sounds happy
Music in a minor key sounds sad
Modal music is built around ancient
scales called modes. It sounds weird.

Diatonic
Harmony When the notes belong
The combination of to the main key.
different sounds,
accompanies the Chromatic
melody. When the notes dont
belong to the main key.

Sharp #
A sharp raises a note by a semi tone
Flat
A flat lowers a note by a semitone
 Modulation
When a piece of music changes key
Modulation to dominant key
When a piece of music changes to
the key of the 5th chord. E.g. music
in C major would modulate to G
major. G is the 5th chord of C
major.
Modulation to subdominant key
When a piece of music changes to
the key of the 4th chord. E.g. music
in C major would modulate to F
major. F is the 4th chord of C
major.
Modulation to relative major or
minor
When a piece of music goes to the
key which shares the same key
signature. E.g. A piece of music in
C major could modulate to A
minor- both keys have the same
key signature- they are relative.
Cadence
Two chords that mark the end of a
phrase, or the end of the piece of
music.
Perfect cadence
Dominant (V) - Tonic (I).
Sounds completely finished, like a
full stop.
Plagal cadence
Subdominant (IV) - Tonic (I) chord.
A full stop but not as strong as
perfect cadence. Sounds gentler.
Used at the end of hymns.
Imperfect cadence
Any chord - Dominant (V) chord. A
musical comma, sounds unfinished,
more music will follow.
Interrupted cadence
Dominant (V) chord - Submediant
(VI). A musical comma, also known
as surprise cadence.
 Consonant Drone Chords
Chords (two or more notes) and A long, held note(s) in Major chords sound happy
intervals (the gap between notes) the bass. Minor chords sound sad
that sound nice. Dominant 7th chords- the 5th chord
Consonant intervals = 3rds, 4ths, of a scale, with an extra note (7th
5ths,Dissonant
6ths, octaves. note of the scale) added on top.
Chords and intervals that dont
sound nice, they clash. Creates
tension which is released when the
music becomes consonant.
Dissonant intervals = 2nds, 7ths.

Pedal
Tirce de Picardie Long repeated notes
Music in a minor key, that ends on a in the bass part.
major chord. Used by a lot of
Baroque composers.
Texture
&
Melody
 Unison texture Texture Imitative texture
Everyone sings/plays exactly the How the different layers of One part copies or
same thing at the same time. the music weave together repeats what another
musical part has just done.

Harmonic/homophonic
texture
Octave texture The different parts of the
The pitch of the instruments or singers is music move together.
an octave apart. (E.g. C and C
above/below)

Octave Octave
 Layered texture Heterophonic texture Canonic texture
Sections of music that are Each part is the same and overlaps,
Two or more slightly
repeated again and again are but they start at different times (at
different versions of the
loops. When lots of loops are regular intervals).
played at the same time this is same melody played at
layered texture. the same time

Antiphonal texture Polyphonic/contrapuntal

Two groups of musicians who take texture
it in turns to play in a kind of The different parts of the Monophonic texture
musical conversation. No accompaniment or
music are interwoven and are
harmony, just one line of
equally important. Different
melody
sounds at the same time.
 Melody with accompaniment Disjunct melody
Melody with instruments or Melody Lots of jumps and leaps
singers accompanying to provide The tune!
harmony.

Modal melody
Conjunct melody Uses notes from the
ancient scales called
Smooth, moves by step
modes

Melodic sequence
When a melody is repeated
at different pitches

Whole tone melody

Uses notes from the whole tone
scale- no semitones
 Arpeggio Triadic melody
The first chord of a key, with Uses notes of a
the last note played on top. triad, e.g. CEG
E.g. in the key of C major,
this would be C E G C.

Aciaccaturas
and Ornamentation
Appoggiaturas The decoration of the melody, e.g.
Ornaments- used Diminution trills
to decorate the When a melody is made
melody. Short shorter by taking notes
notes played away of making them
quickly before shorter
the main notes
of the melody.

Passing notes
Chromatic melody
Notes in between the
Uses some notes that dont belong
main notes.
to the scale
.
 Inversion Pentatonic melody Harmonic sequence
When a melody is turned Uses notes from the pentatonic When a pattern of chords is
upside down. scale (5 notes within an octave) repeated

Improvisation
Creating new music, on the
Phrasing/articulation
spot. Make it up as you go
Describes how the melody should
along. Used a lot in jazz
sound.
Legato smoothly

Staccato- shorted and detached

(dots above notes)
Ostinato/ riff
Slur- very smooth, no gaps
Short repeated pattern
Short repeated pattern Sforzando- suddenly and quickly
Short repeated pattern strong and loud
Short repeated pattern Slide/glissando/portamento
These words all describe
sliding from one note to
Augmentation
Pitch bend another, used by singers and
When a melody is made
When the pitch of a note is raised instruments. Sometimes the
longer by adding notes or
or lowered slightly, e.g. on a guitar notes in between are played
making the notes longer
during the slide.
Intervals Distance between the pitch of two
different notes
Minor 2nd Jaws
Major 2nd Happy Birthday
Minor 3rd Smoke on the water
Major 3rd While Shepherds
Perfect 4th Amazing Grace
Tritone The Simpsons (The Sim..)
Perfect 5th Twinkle twinkle/ baa baa black sheep
Minor 6th The Entertainer (3rd and 4th notes of
the melody)
Major 6th Dash---ing through the snow
Minor 7th Somewhere- West side story
Major 7th Almost an octave
Octave Somewhere over the rainbow
 Timbre
&
Dynamics
 Indian Timbre
The unique quality of sound produced
by different instruments. What
makes instruments sound different.

Portamento

Sliding between two notes

rather than sudden change
of pitch

Reverb.
Sitar Bansuri Electronically adding an echo
effect
Distortion
Electronically making the timbre
sound aggressive and harsh
Chorus
Electronically manipulating the
sound to give the impression of
many sound sources
 African Vocal techniques
Zurna Oud Falsetto
Very high adult male
voice
Vibrato
Variation of pitch,
sounds intense, used
a lot in opera and on
string instruments

Mbira
Kora

Doumbek Djembe
 Dynamics
How loud or soft the music is
pp Pianissimo Very quiet

P Piano Quiet

mp Mezzo piano Fairly quiet

mf Mezzo forte Fairly loud

f Forte Loud
ff Fortissimo Very Loud

crescendo Gradually
getting louder

diminuendo Gradually
getting quieter

sfz sforzando Strong attack

to a note, or
suddenly loud
 Vocal music Caribbean
Soprano
Alto
Tenor Steel pans Congas
Bass

String instrumental techniques

Con arco
With the bow
Pizzicato
Plucked
Con sordino Guiro Tres
With the mute
Double-stopping
Playing more than one string with
the bow to produce chords
Tremolo
Bowing the string rapidly to
produce shimmering sound
 Strings

Violin, Viola, Cello,

Double-Bass Harp,
Mandolin, Lute, Guitars Mandolin
Lute
Woodwind

Flute, Clarinet, Oboe,

Bassoon, Saxophone,
Piccolo

Brass

Trombone, Trumpet

French horn, Tuba

Percussion

Triangle, Timpani,
Xylophone, Glockenspiel,
Cymbols, Bass drum,
Tambourine, Snare drum
Piccolo
Structure
&
Form
 Structure Sonata form
The overall shape of the music, Exposition, Development,
how the sections are put together Recapitualtion.
Often used in first movement of
symphonies or concertos
Ternary form
Music with three sections, 1st Rondo form
section repeated at the end. The main theme is repeated after contrasting
ABA sections.
ABACAD

Theme & variations

Music with a main idea with is then varied.
A A1 A2 A3 A4
Binary form
Music with two contrasting
sections, each repeated.
AABB

Main theme Variation 1 Variation 2 Variation 3

 Ground bass
Repeated bass part, usually 8 bars
long. The melody above play a
theme and lots of variations. No
gaps between variations
Cadenza Cyclic
Music at the end of a Common themes in all
section or piece, where movements that link the
the soloist shows off movements together

Pachelbel used ground bass in

his famous Canon in D.
da capo aria
32-bar song form Instruction of da
Four x 8 bar sections capo means repeat
Sections 1, 2 and 4 = main theme section A with
Section 3 contrast decoration
AABA structure
Somewhere over the rainbow is a 32 bar song A B A1
 Arch-shape Call & response Through-composed
A shape of a melody, it finishes A musical conversation, question Each verse has
how it starts. Symmetrical, adds and answer. different music, no
balance. repetition.

Twinkle twinkle little star in an

arch shape melody.

Pop ballad Continuo Bohemian rhapsody

Songs that tell stories, each
verse has same rhythm and
same melody
Continuous bass part. One by Queen is an
instrument plays the chords. Uses
example of a through
figured bass notation. Often played
composed song.
by a harpsichord.

Vesre/Chorus

Verse same melody

different lyrics
Chorus main part,
catchy, same melody,
same lyrics.
Take a bow by Rihanna is a pop
ballad.
 Strophic form
Each verse has the same melody but
different lyrics.
Amazing Grace is an example of a strophic
form song.
Coda/Outro
The ending, can be
dramatic and sudden or
fade out
Minuet & trio
Minuet is elegant dance in
time in binary form. Middle 8
The trio contrasts in key, 8 bar contrasting
and has 3 instruments section so
playing. verse/chorus
The minuet plays again after doesnt get boring
the trio to finish the piece.
Scherzo & trio
A scherzo means joke in Italian, it sounds faster and
lighter.