MELODY
Octave – An interval of eight notes between two of the same note name (e.g., C to C).
Syllabic – One note per syllable.
Melismatic – Several notes over one syllable.
Anacrusis – An upbeat; a note or group of notes before the first strong beat of a phrase.
Conjunct (stepwise) – A melody that moves in small steps.
Disjunct (angular) – A melody that leaps between notes.
Arpeggio/Broken chord – Notes of a chord played separately in succession.
Scalic (ascending/descending) – A melody moving up or down in step (scale).
Semitone – The smallest interval in Western music (e.g., E to F).
Low pitch – Notes that sound low.
High pitch – Notes that sound high.
Range – The distance between the lowest and highest note in a melody.
Sequence – Repeating a melodic phrase at a different pitch.
Imitation – A melody repeated in another part, often shortly after.
Repetition – Reusing the same musical idea.
Contrast – Introducing a new idea different from previous material.
Leitmotif – A recurring theme associated with a character or idea (often in film).
Motif – A short melodic or rhythmic idea.
Ornamentation – Notes added to embellish the melody.
Ostinato – a repeated musical idea.
Countermelody – A secondary melody played alongside the main one.
Answering phrase – A phrase that responds to a preceding musical phrase.
Improvisation – made up on the spot.
Fanfare – A short, lively passage for brass, often to announce something.
Chromatic movement – Movement in semitones.
METRE
Regular – A clear and consistent time signature.
Irregular – Uneven beats (e.g., 5/4, 7/8).
Accent – Emphasis on a note or beat.
Simple time (e.g., 2/4, 3/4, 4/4) – Each beat divides into two.
Duple/Triple/Quadruple – Time signatures with 2, 3, or 4 beats per bar.
Compound time (e.g., 6/8) – Each beat divides into three.
, TEMPO
Adagio/Lento/Largo – Slow.
Allegro/Vivace – Fast/lively.
Moderato/Andante – Moderate walking pace.
Accelerando – Getting faster.
Rallentando – Getting slower.
Rubato – Flexible tempo; expressive slowing or speeding up.
Pause – A note or rest held longer than written.
DYNAMICS
Fortissimo (ff) – Very loud.
Forte (f) – Loud.
Mezzo forte (mf) – Moderately loud.
Mezzo piano (mp) – Moderately soft.
Piano (p) – Soft.
Pianissimo (pp) – Very soft.
Crescendo – Gradually getting louder.
Diminuendo – Gradually getting quieter.
Sforzando (sfz) – Sudden, strong accent.
FORM & STRUCTURE
Binary – Two-part form (A–B).
Ternary – Three-part form (A–B–A).
Minuet and Trio – Dance in triple time (ABA form).
Theme and Variations – A theme followed by altered versions.
Strophic – Same music for each verse.
12 Bar Blues – Chord progression of 12 bars, usually I–IV–V.
Verse-Chorus – Structure alternating verses and choruses.
Middle 8 – A contrasting 8-bar section.
Break – A short solo section in jazz/pop.
Bridge – A contrasting section linking two others.
Outro – Concluding section.
Coda – Ending passage.
Riff – Repeated pattern, often in rock.
Improvisation – Music made up on the spot.
Repetition – Reuse of ideas.
Contrast – Introducing different material.
Phrasing – Musical sentences; regular or irregular.
Call and response – One phrase answered by another.
Octave – An interval of eight notes between two of the same note name (e.g., C to C).
Syllabic – One note per syllable.
Melismatic – Several notes over one syllable.
Anacrusis – An upbeat; a note or group of notes before the first strong beat of a phrase.
Conjunct (stepwise) – A melody that moves in small steps.
Disjunct (angular) – A melody that leaps between notes.
Arpeggio/Broken chord – Notes of a chord played separately in succession.
Scalic (ascending/descending) – A melody moving up or down in step (scale).
Semitone – The smallest interval in Western music (e.g., E to F).
Low pitch – Notes that sound low.
High pitch – Notes that sound high.
Range – The distance between the lowest and highest note in a melody.
Sequence – Repeating a melodic phrase at a different pitch.
Imitation – A melody repeated in another part, often shortly after.
Repetition – Reusing the same musical idea.
Contrast – Introducing a new idea different from previous material.
Leitmotif – A recurring theme associated with a character or idea (often in film).
Motif – A short melodic or rhythmic idea.
Ornamentation – Notes added to embellish the melody.
Ostinato – a repeated musical idea.
Countermelody – A secondary melody played alongside the main one.
Answering phrase – A phrase that responds to a preceding musical phrase.
Improvisation – made up on the spot.
Fanfare – A short, lively passage for brass, often to announce something.
Chromatic movement – Movement in semitones.
METRE
Regular – A clear and consistent time signature.
Irregular – Uneven beats (e.g., 5/4, 7/8).
Accent – Emphasis on a note or beat.
Simple time (e.g., 2/4, 3/4, 4/4) – Each beat divides into two.
Duple/Triple/Quadruple – Time signatures with 2, 3, or 4 beats per bar.
Compound time (e.g., 6/8) – Each beat divides into three.
, TEMPO
Adagio/Lento/Largo – Slow.
Allegro/Vivace – Fast/lively.
Moderato/Andante – Moderate walking pace.
Accelerando – Getting faster.
Rallentando – Getting slower.
Rubato – Flexible tempo; expressive slowing or speeding up.
Pause – A note or rest held longer than written.
DYNAMICS
Fortissimo (ff) – Very loud.
Forte (f) – Loud.
Mezzo forte (mf) – Moderately loud.
Mezzo piano (mp) – Moderately soft.
Piano (p) – Soft.
Pianissimo (pp) – Very soft.
Crescendo – Gradually getting louder.
Diminuendo – Gradually getting quieter.
Sforzando (sfz) – Sudden, strong accent.
FORM & STRUCTURE
Binary – Two-part form (A–B).
Ternary – Three-part form (A–B–A).
Minuet and Trio – Dance in triple time (ABA form).
Theme and Variations – A theme followed by altered versions.
Strophic – Same music for each verse.
12 Bar Blues – Chord progression of 12 bars, usually I–IV–V.
Verse-Chorus – Structure alternating verses and choruses.
Middle 8 – A contrasting 8-bar section.
Break – A short solo section in jazz/pop.
Bridge – A contrasting section linking two others.
Outro – Concluding section.
Coda – Ending passage.
Riff – Repeated pattern, often in rock.
Improvisation – Music made up on the spot.
Repetition – Reuse of ideas.
Contrast – Introducing different material.
Phrasing – Musical sentences; regular or irregular.
Call and response – One phrase answered by another.
