A
accompaniment – material in a musical texture that provides background support for the main melody or part.
articulation – an indication or realization of how a note or group of notes is played e.g., legato (connected), staccato (unconnected).
B
Baroque era – a period of European art music from roughly 1600 to 1750.
C
cadence – the final gesture of a musical phrase, movement, or piece.
cadenza – a rhythmically free, virtuosic solo passage inserted near the end of a concerto movement or aria.
Classical era – a period in European art music from roughly 1720 to 1815.
coda – a concluding section of a piece that has been added on to a standard form; in sonata form, this includes any material that comes after the end of the recapitulation.
concertmaster – the first violinist in an orchestra, generally considered a leadership position for the strings and the orchestra as a whole.
concerto – a work featuring one of more instrumental soloists with orchestra.
concerto grosso – a type of concerto, most prevalent during the Baroque, featuring a small group of soloists and orchestra.
conductor – the leader of an ensemble, responsible for all aspects of the performance.
contrapuntal – the adjective formed from "counterpoint."
counterpoint – a musical texture with more than one distinct melodic line.
D
dance suite – a composition, common during the Baroque, containing several movements based on popular dance types.
development – the process of reshaping material from a previously heard theme or subject; also used to designate the second section of sonata form, where this occurs.
duple meter – a recurring pattern of strong and weak beats that occurs in groups of two.
dynamics – the volume at which music is played.
E
eingang (German: “entrance”) – a brief improvisatory passage that introduces thematic material.
episode – in rondo form, a thematically contrasting section between a recurring main section or refrain; in a fugue, the section between entries of the subject.
exposition – in sonata form, the opening section in which important themes for the movement are presented according to a specific plan; in fugue, the opening section in which each voice successively states the principal theme or subject.
F
fanfare – a ceremonial flourish or short melody, typically played by brass instruments.
fugato – a fugal passage in an otherwise non-fugal movement or a piece similar to a fugue but less strict.
fugue – a contrapuntal piece in which a specified number of parts or "voices" successively enter in imitation of each another.
G
genre – a type or category of music, which can refer to instrumentation (e.g., string quartet) or other defining features and conventions.
H
harpsichord – a keyboard instrument popular in the Baroque era; a forerunner of the piano.
I
imitation – exact or inexact melodic repetition of one part by another, often at a different pitch.
M
meter – a pattern of strong and weak beats that recurs with each measure in a piece of music. Meter is indicated by the time signature.
motive (or motif) – a short musical idea derived from a larger phrase or theme.
movement – a section of a larger work, usually self-contained.
O
orchestra – an instrumental ensemble featuring a string section with an uneven distribution of players, along with varying numbers of wind, brass, and percussion instruments.
orchestration – the art of writing music for orchestra, or of arranging a pre-existing work in another medium (e.g., piano) for orchestra.
overture – an instrumental work usually composed as an introduction to a larger dramatic work such as an opera or ballet; or, in the Baroque, as the opening movement of a suite.
P
primary theme – the first theme presented in a sonata form exposition (also known as the main theme or principal theme).
R
range – the span from lowest to highest note that a voice or instrument can reach.
recapitulation – the third section of a movement in sonata form, in which the material from the exposition is restated.
recitative – a rhythmically free, speech-like style of singing associated with opera and oratorio.
refrain – in instrumental music, a recurring section of a piece.
Romantic era – the time period in music roughly from 1815 to 1910.
rondo – a type of composition characterized by the alternation of a main theme or refrain with contrasting sections, called episodes.
S
scherzo – a quick movement or piece, generally in triple meter and three-part form with a contrasting middle section, or trio.
secondary theme – the theme presented in contrast to the primary theme in a sonata form exposition.
sonata form – a musical structure consisting of three main parts: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation, with optional coda; frequently found in first movements of sonatas, symphonies, and concertos as well as other movements.
symphonic poem – an orchestral piece, often in one movement, that is based on an extra-musical source or idea.
T
tempo – the speed at which a musical composition is performed.
theorbo – an instrument belonging to the lute family.
timbre (or tone color) – the quality of an instrumental or vocal sound.
trio – a group of three performers or piece written for them, or the middle section of a dance movement (e.g., minuet – trio – minuet).
triple meter – a recurring pattern of strong and weak beats that occurs in groups of three.
V
variations – a composition or movement that uses a familiar or easily remembered tune as the basis for variations.