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Vocabulary – Part 27

Countermelody or descant  Sometimes a piece of music that is basically melody-with-accompaniment (homophonic) will include a single part that is truly independent of the melody. For example, a choral piece might be chordal for a few verses and then, to

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Vocabulary – Part 25

Sonata From Latin, “to sound”, is a composition for an instrumental soloist, often with a piano accompaniment, typically in three or four movements of contrasting forms and keys.   Sonata means a piece played as opposed to a cantata (Latin and Italian cantare, “to

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Vocabulary – Part 23

Arco To use a bow. Aria In music, was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term became used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without orchestral accompaniment, normally part of

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Vocabulary – Part 24

Pre-Chorus A two or four line section, rarely exceeding four bars musically, immediately preceding the chorus. It is intended to propel the listener, both melodically and lyrically, into the chorus.  The pre-chorus is optional. However, if the first verse includes a pre-chorus,

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Vocabulary – Part 22

Im Anfang Shr Gemaechlich “To go faster, like you are going slower.”  A term used by composers to confuse string sections.  Used by the German composer, Gustav Mahler. A Triplet Three notes in the space of two, not three in the

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Vocabulary – Part 20

Pad 1. An attenuator circuit used to reduce the signal from certain microphones to prevent clipping in the pre-amp. The circuit might be part of the microphone, a separate component, or built into the pre-amp. An electronic circuit designed to attenuate

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Vocabulary – Part 16

Hurdy Gurdy: An instrument similar to a violin but played by a rosined wheel turned by a crank.  Notes are changed by pressing keys that depress the strings.  Multiple drone strings make it sound similar to bagpipes. Scale Degree: A

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Vocabulary – Part 15

Vocal Bridge : Also known as Passaggio or sometimes a vocal break, these are pitch ranges where a singer has to shift between registers. Sometimes this will coincide with a noticeable pitch gap, change in tone, temporary jump beyond the

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Vocabulary – Part 14

Canon: A canon in music is a device in counterpoint in which a melody announced by one voice or instrument is imitated by one or more other voices or instruments, entering after the first has started, in the manner of

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Vocabulary – Part 13

Timbre: Anything other than pitch and loudness that distinguishes one sound from another. AKA: color, tone quality, texture It has been subdivided differently by different folks. For example: tone/noise, spectrum (harmonics), ADSR, changes in envelopes, prefix. Formant: “Harmonic augmented by

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