Fundamentals of Music (CBH)

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Accent: To stress or emphasize a note.
:
Type 	Stressed by
Dynamic	Volume
Tonic 	Pitch
Agogic 	Value (see Value )
Beat: Unit of measure that sets the tempo. Beats are measured by tapping one's foot, the stroke of the conductor's baton, etc.
Compass: The range of a voice or instrument.
Dynamics: The gradations of loudness or softness with which music is performed.
:
Term 	Meaning
Pianissimo 	very soft
Piano 	soft
Mezzo piano 	moderately soft
Mezzo forte 	moderately loud
Forte 	loud
Fortissimo 	very loud
Forte piano 	loud, then soft
Sforzando, sforzato	sharply accented
Forzando, forzato 	sharply accented
Crescendo 	gradually louder
Decrescendo 	gradually softer
Diminuendo 	gradually softer
Form: Musical structure and how the musical elements are put together. The basic elements are individual pitches (notes), how they sound together (harmony), and how much time they take up in relation to one another (rhythm).
Frequency: Sound wave crests per second, which determines pitch.
Intonation: A performer's accuracy with respect to pitch.
Measure or bar: The base grouping of beats (usually there are 2, 3, or 4 beats per measure).
Melody: A group of musical tones in sequence making up a meaningful whole.
Meter: The number of beats per measure and the type of note that defines a beat. Common meters are 2/2 (two beats based on half notes), 2/4 (two beats based on quarter notes), 3/4 (three beats based on quarter notes), and 4/4 (four beats based on quarter notes).
Motion: The musical pattern created by successive notes. The motion might rise and fall smoothly or jump around.
Pitch: The highness or lowness of a musical tone. Pitch is determined by a note's frequency.
Range: The entire series of notes (from lowest to highest) that a voice or instrument can produce.
Rhythm: The movement of musical tones with respect to time. Rhythm combines the aspects of tempo (speed) and value (length of notes).
Style: The manner in which music is treated. A few of the numerous stylistic directives and their meanings are listed below.
:
Style 	Meaning
Affabile 	smoothly and graceful
Affettuoso 	tenderly with feeling
Agilmente 	lightly and smoothly
Agitato 	restlessly, in an excited manner
Angstlich 	fearfully, in an anxious manner
Animato 	lively, in a spirited manner
Appasionato	with intense feeling
Brillante 	in a showy, brilliant manner
Brusco 	abruptly, with harsh accents
Tempo: The speed at which a piece is played or sung.
:
Tempos 	Order of Speed
Adagissimo 	Very slow
Largo 	
Lento 	
Adagio 	
Adagietto 	
Andante or Moderato	Moderate
Andantino 	
Allegretto 	
Allegro 	
Presto 	Very fast
Changing Tempos 	Meaning
Allentando 	Slow down
Ritardando 	Gradually slow down
Rallentando 	Gradually slow down
Allargando 	Slow down and play louder
Rubato 	Free tempo
Accelerando 	Gradually speed up
Calcando 	Speed up
Tone: Any sound of definite pitch. Also refers to the quality of sound.
Value: The duration of a note.
Voice Range: Range of voice. Each bard can be classified as one of the following:
:
Voice 	Range
Soprano 	Highest female range
Mezzo soprano	Mid female range
Alto 	Lowest female range,highest male range
Tenor 	High male range
Baritone 	Mid male range
Bass 	Lowest male range
Volume: Loudness.