A
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A
The musical pitch relating to 440 oscillations per second of vibration, or any octave transposition of that pitch. The key of A.
absolute music
Music without associations outside of itself, in contrast to program music.
absolute pitch
see perfect pitch.
a cappella
“In the manner of the chapel.” Sung music without instrumental accompaniment.
accelerando
Accelerando (Italian: becoming faster) is a term in general use to show that the music should be played at an increasing speed.
accidentals
Sharps, flats, or natural signs that raise or lower a given diatonic pitch to deviate from its key signature.
accompaniment
A vocal or instrumental part that supports or is background for a solo part.
achromatic
See diatonic.
acoustic
Any instrument that produces sound by means of physical vibrations, without the use of electronic amplification.
acoustics
The science of sound. The physical properties of an instrument or a room as they relate to sound.
Adagio
In a slow manner
Advent
“Arrival.” The four weeks immediately preceding Christmas.
Aeolian
(ay-Oh-lee-an): A medieval mode whose half- and whole-step pattern is that of playing A to A on the white keys of the piano (same as the natural minor scale).
Agnus Dei
(Lat. AH-nyoos DAY-ee): “Lamb of God.” In the Mass, the fifth part of the Ordinary.
air
A song or melody.
Alberti bass
Accompanying bass figures consisting of broken chords, generally in the pattern low-high-middle-high.
Albumblatt
(Ger., AHL-boom-blot): A page or leaf from a book, or a short, easy piece.
alla
The Italian alla means 'in the manner of' (= French: la) and may be found in titles like that of Mozart's 'Rondo alla turca', Rondo in the Turkish Style.
Allegro
A piece of music that is played or performed in a quick and lively way.
Allegretto
Faster than andante but not so fast as allegro —used as a direction in music
allemande
(Fr., ahl-le-MAW[N]D): “German.” A stately 16th-century German dance, initially in moderate duple meter. In 17th and 18th centuries, it was usually the first movement of the suite. By 19th century it became a brisk dance in 3/4 time.
alteration
The raising or lowering of a note by means of a sharp or flat.
altered chord
A chord in which a note(s) has been raised or lowered chromatically.
alto
The lowest female singing voice and highest male singing voice. An instrument in the alto range. A viola.
alto clef
The C clef falling on the third line of the staff. Used almost exclusively by the viola.
analysis
The study of the form and structure of music.
Andante
Moderately slow —usually used as a direction in music
answer
In a fugue, the second entry of the subject.
antecedent
The first phrase of a musical period. In a fugue, the subject.
anthem
A choral composition, most often with religious lyric, with or without accompaniment, written either for performance in a church.
antithesis
In the fugue, the answer.
Arabesque
The word 'arabesque' originally indicated a decorative pattern in Arab style found in painting or architecture. Its most common use in music has been as a descriptive title of short decorative piano pieces of the 19th or early 20th century. There are two well known Arabesques by the French composer Debussy.
arco
Arco (Italian: bow) is used as an indication to string-players that they should use the bow, rather than pluck with the fingers.
aria
An air or song for solo voice within an opera or oratorio.
arietta
A short aria.
arpeggio
The notes of a chord played in successsion, (harp-like); a broken chord.
arrangement
An adaptation of a composition.
ars antiqua
“Old Art.” Refers to music of the 12th and 13th centuries.
ars nova
“New Art.” Referes to music of the 14th century.
art song
A serious vocal composition, generally for voice and piano. Denotes a self-contained work (contrast with aria).
assai
Assai (Italian: very) appears often in indications to performers of the speed of a piece of music, as in allegro assai, very fast, or allegro assai moderato, very moderately fast.
atonal
Music that lacks a tonal or key center.
aubade
An aubade is a morning-song. A well known example is the Siegfried Idyll, a work written by Richard Wagner to be played for his second wife Cosima on the morning of her birthday.
augmentation
Lengthening the duration of notes in a theme.
augmented
Raised, enlarged.
augmented chord
A triad composed of a root, a major third, and an augmented fifth.
augmented sixth chord
A kind of chord in which the interval of an augmented sixth resolves outward to an octave. Contains an augmented sixth above the bass, in addition to various other tones, which determine whether the chord is a German Sixth Chord, French Sixth Chord, Italian Sixth Chord, Neopolitan Sixth Chord, or Doubly Augmented Sixth Chord.
authentic cadence
A cadence with a progression from the dominant (V) chord to the tonic (I) chord.