8/25/2023
MUS 103 Definitions
TERM: DEFINITION:
Accompaniment An instrumental or vocal part designed to
support or complement a melody
Alto A member of a family of instruments
having a lower range than that of the
treble or soprano
Choir An organized company of singers
Chord Three or more musical tones sounded
simultaneously
Chromatic A musical scale with twelve pitches, each
a semitone, also known as a half-step,
above or below it’s adjacent pitches
Composition The act of conceiving a piece of music,
the art of creating music, or the finished
product
Improvisation The process of making music
spontaneously, without prior rehearsal
Interval A space of time between events or states
Key The main group of pitches, or notes, that
form the harmonic foundation of a piece
of music
Measure A segment of time within a piece of music
defined by a number of beats
Phrase A sequence of notes that are related to
one another
Realization A musical composition that has been
completed or enriched by someone other
than the composer
Rhythm An ordered recurrent alternation of strong
and weak elements in the flow of sound
MUS 103 Definitions
TERM: DEFINITION:
Accompaniment An instrumental or vocal part designed to
support or complement a melody
Alto A member of a family of instruments
having a lower range than that of the
treble or soprano
Choir An organized company of singers
Chord Three or more musical tones sounded
simultaneously
Chromatic A musical scale with twelve pitches, each
a semitone, also known as a half-step,
above or below it’s adjacent pitches
Composition The act of conceiving a piece of music,
the art of creating music, or the finished
product
Improvisation The process of making music
spontaneously, without prior rehearsal
Interval A space of time between events or states
Key The main group of pitches, or notes, that
form the harmonic foundation of a piece
of music
Measure A segment of time within a piece of music
defined by a number of beats
Phrase A sequence of notes that are related to
one another
Realization A musical composition that has been
completed or enriched by someone other
than the composer
Rhythm An ordered recurrent alternation of strong
and weak elements in the flow of sound
