Glossary of musical terms
Content
Glossary
Accompaniment
Angular
Anticlimactic
Arch-Like Contour
Arpeggiated
Ascends
Aspect
Atonal
Augmented
Articulation
Balanced
Canon/Canonic
Cascading
Chaotic
Character
Chordal
Chromatic/chromati
cism
Climax/Climactic
Compliment
Consecutive
Consonance
Contour
Contrast
Conversational
Descends
Desolate
Diatonic
Diminished
Dissonant/Dissonan
ce
Dramatic
Drone
Elated
Elongated
Embellished
Erratic
Expand
Fanfare-like
Flowing
Foreboding
Fragmented
Grace note
Highlight
Imply
Improvisatory
Intensity
Interval/Intervallic
Irregular
Jagged
Juxtaposed
Legato
Lilting
Linear
Lyrics
Lyrical
Meandering
Melancholy/melanch
olic
Melisma/melismatic
Melody
Menacing
Modal
Modulate
Mood
Motif
Motivic
Non-western scale
Octave (8ve)
Ominous
Ornamentation
Parallel intervals
Pentatonic
Phrase
Pulse
Range
Recurring
Register
Regular
Reinforced
Repetition
Resolved
Rubato
Scalic
Sequence/sequentia
l
Serene
Sombre
Stagnant
Stepwise
Subtle
Syllabic
Texture
Tonality
The sum of relat
Tranquil
“the slow guitar, flutes and chimes gave the piece a very
tranquil feel.”
The rapid alternation between 2 notes, usually a semitone
or tone apart.
A group of 3 notes made up of thirds.
Trill
Triad
Triadic
Triumphant
Unconfined
Unfolding
Unpredictable
Variation
Virtuosic
Walking bass
Whole tone
Whole tone scale
A piece based on chords of 3 notes stacked on top of each
other in 3rds.
“The symphony came to a triumphant conclusion.”
To not be restricted by the traditional musical rules of the
period or style.
the implication of more than one melody or line by a
single voice through skipping back and forth between the
notes of the two melodies
Something that is impossible to predict. “That surprise
oboe solo in that funk piece was unpredictable.
A movement of a piece that derives from the original
melody, but is changed in rhythm or speed.
To have special knowledge in a field, especially one area of
music.
A bass line which is played in 4/4 time, where the bass
plays on each beat of the bar going up and down scale or
arpeggio patterns in the respective chord.
A whole tone is made up of 2 semi tones. C to D is a whole
tone, whereas E to F isn’t.
A whole tone scale is a scale made up of entirely whole
tones, and no semi tones.
Accompaniment
Angular
Anticlimactic
Arch-Like Contour
Arpeggiated
Ascends
Aspect
Atonal
Augmented
Articulation
Balanced
Canon/Canonic
Cascading
Chaotic
Character
Chordal
Chromatic/chromati
cism
Climax/Climactic
Compliment
Consecutive
Consonance
Contour
Contrast
Conversational
Descends
Desolate
Diatonic
Diminished
Dissonant/Dissonan
ce
Dramatic
Drone
Elated
Elongated
Embellished
Erratic
Expand
Fanfare-like
Flowing
Foreboding
Fragmented
Grace note
Highlight
Imply
Improvisatory
Intensity
Interval/Intervallic
Irregular
Jagged
Juxtaposed
Legato
Lilting
Linear
Lyrics
Lyrical
Meandering
Melancholy/melanch
olic
Melisma/melismatic
Melody
Menacing
Modal
Modulate
Mood
Motif
Motivic
Non-western scale
Octave (8ve)
Ominous
Ornamentation
Parallel intervals
Pentatonic
Phrase
Pulse
Range
Recurring
Register
Regular
Reinforced
Repetition
Resolved
Rubato
Scalic
Sequence/sequentia
l
Serene
Sombre
Stagnant
Stepwise
Subtle
Syllabic
Texture
Tonality
The sum of relat
Tranquil
“the slow guitar, flutes and chimes gave the piece a very
tranquil feel.”
The rapid alternation between 2 notes, usually a semitone
or tone apart.
A group of 3 notes made up of thirds.
Trill
Triad
Triadic
Triumphant
Unconfined
Unfolding
Unpredictable
Variation
Virtuosic
Walking bass
Whole tone
Whole tone scale
A piece based on chords of 3 notes stacked on top of each
other in 3rds.
“The symphony came to a triumphant conclusion.”
To not be restricted by the traditional musical rules of the
period or style.
the implication of more than one melody or line by a
single voice through skipping back and forth between the
notes of the two melodies
Something that is impossible to predict. “That surprise
oboe solo in that funk piece was unpredictable.
A movement of a piece that derives from the original
melody, but is changed in rhythm or speed.
To have special knowledge in a field, especially one area of
music.
A bass line which is played in 4/4 time, where the bass
plays on each beat of the bar going up and down scale or
arpeggio patterns in the respective chord.
A whole tone is made up of 2 semi tones. C to D is a whole
tone, whereas E to F isn’t.
A whole tone scale is a scale made up of entirely whole
tones, and no semi tones.
