Essentials of Music

ONLINE GLOSSARY

Click on a letter above to look up terms in the online glossary

cadence Resting place in a musical phrase; music punctuation.

Example: Beethoven, Symphony No.9, fourth movement "Ode to Joy"
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This melody features four phrases, each of which ends in a cadence. The resting places, or cadences, after the first and third phrases are inconclusive (like a comma in a sentence); those after the second and fourth phrases sound final (like a period closing a sentence).

cadenza Virtuosic solo passage in the manner of an improvisation, performed near the end of an aria or a movement of a concerto.

cakewalk Syncopated, strutting dance of nineteenth century origin; developed among Southern slaves in a parody of white plantation owners.

call and response Performance style with a singing leader who is imitated by a chorus of followers. Also responsorial singing.

canon Type of polyphonic composition in which one musical line strictly imitates another at a fixed distance throughout.

Example: Mahler, Symphony No.1 "Titan", third movement
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In this instrumental canon, the double bass presents a melody that is imitated exactly by the bassoon at a fixed distance in time.

cantabile Songful, in a singing style.

cantata Vocal genre for solo singers, chorus and instrumentalists based on a lyric or dramatic poetic narrative. It generally consists of several movements including recitatives, arias and ensemble numbers.

cantor Solo singer or singing leader in Jewish and Christian liturgical music.

cantus firmus "Fixed melody", usually of very long notes, often based on a fragment of Gregorian chant that served as the structural basis for a polyphonic composition, particularly in the Renaissance.

capriccio Short lyric piece of a free nature, often for piano.

carol English medieval strophic song with a refrain repeated after each stanza; now associated with Christmas.

cassation Classical instrumental genre related to the serenade or divertimento and often performed outdoors.

castanets Percussion instruments consisting of small wooden clappers that are struck together. They are widely used to accompany Spanish dancing.

castrato Male singer who was castrated during boyhood to preserve the soprano or alto vocal register, prominent in seventeenth and early eighteenth century opera.

celesta Percussion instrument resembling a miniature upright piano, with tuned metal plates struck by hammers that are operated by a keyboard.

cello See violoncello

Example: Saint-Saëns, Carnival of the Animals, "The Swan"
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The cello is noted for its dark resonance and singing quality, as heard in this example.

celtic harp See Irish harp.

chaconne Baroque form similar to the passacaglia, in which the variations are based on a repeated chord progression.

chamber choir Small group of up to about twenty-four singers, who usually perform a cappella or with piano accompaniment.

chamber music Ensemble music for up to about ten players, with one player to a part.

chamber sonata See sonata da camera.

chanson French polyphonic song, especially of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, set to either courtly or popular poetry. See also Burgundian chanson.

chart Colloquial or jazz term for a score or arrangement.

chimes Percussion instrument of definite pitch that consists of a set of tuned metal tubes of various lengths suspended from a frame and struck with a hammer. Also tubular bells.

Chinese block Percussion instrument made from a hollowed rectangular block of wood that is struck with a beater.

choir A group of singers who perform together, usually in parts, with several on each part; often associated with a church.

Example: Josquin, Tu solus qui facis
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This example features an unaccompanied (a cappella) chorus singing Latin-texted church music.

chorale Baroque congregational hymn of the German Lutheran church.

chorale prelude Short Baroque organ piece in which a traditional chorale melody is embellished.

chorale variations Baroque organ piece in which a chorale is the basis for a set of variations.

chord Simultaneous combination of three or more tones that constitute a single block of harmony.

Example: Chopin, Prelude in E minor, Op.28, No.4
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In this example, the melody is accompanied by repeated chords, or blocks of harmony (each made up of three tones).

chordal Texture comprised of chords in which the pitches sound simultaneously; also homorhythmic.

chordophone World music classification for instruments that produce sound from a vibrating string stretched between two points which is bowed, struck or plucked. The most common Western instruments of this category belong to the string family (violin, harp). The koto (Japan), erhu (China) and the sitar (India) are examples of non-Western chordophones.

chorus Fairly large group of singers who perform together, usually with several on each part. Also a choral movement of a large-scale work. In jazz, a single statement of the melodic-harmonic pattern.

Example: Beethoven, Symphony No.9, fourth movement "Ode to Joy"
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In this example, the four-part chorus (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) is heard with orchestra.

chorus (men's) Choruses can be restricted to either men's or women's voices. In early times, church music, including Gregorian chant, was traditionally sung by a men's chorus, as heard here.

Example: Gregorian chant, "Kyrie eleison"
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chromatic Melody or harmony built from many if not all twelve semitones of the octave. A chromatic scale consists of an ascending or descending sequence of semitones.

Example: Bach, Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor, Fugue theme
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This winding melody makes use of many half steps from the chromatic scale.

church sonata See sonata da chiesa.

clarinet The wooden clarinet produces sound via a single reed; a small, thin piece of cane attached to its mouthpiece.

Example: Ravel, Bolèro
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This example demonstrates the clarinet's smooth, liquid sound.

clavecin French word for harpsichord.

claves A Cuban clapper consisting of two solid hardwood sticks; widely used in Latin-American music.

clavichord Stringed keyboard instrument popular in the Renaissance and Baroque that is capable of unique expressive devices not possible on the harpsichord.

clavier Generic word for keyboard instruments, including harpsichord, clavichord, piano and organ.

closed ending Second of two endings in a secular medieval work, usually cadencing on the final.

coda The last part of a piece, usually added to a standard form to bring it to a close.

codetta In sonata form, the concluding section of the exposition. Also a brief coda concluding an inner section of a work.

collage A technique drawn from the visual arts whereby musical fragments from other compositions are juxtaposed or overlapped within a new work.

collegium musicum An association of amateur musicians, popular in the Baroque era. Also a modern university ensemble dedicated to the performance of early music.

comic opera See opéra comique.

commedia dell'arte Type of improvised drama popular in sixteenth and seventeenth century Italy; makes use of stereotyped characters.

common time See quadruple meter.

compound meter Meter in which each beat is subdivided into three rather than two.

computer music A type of electro-acoustic music in which computers assist in creating works through sound synthesis and manipulation.

con amore With love, tenderly.

con fuoco With fire.

con passione With passion.

concert band Instrumental ensemble ranging from forty to eighty members or more, consisting of wind and percussion instruments. Also wind ensemble.

concert overture Single-movement concert piece for orchestra, typically from the Romantic period and often based on a literary program.

concertante Style based on the principle of opposition between two dissimilar masses of sound; concerto-like.

concertina Small, free-reed, bellows-operated instrument similar to an accordion; hexagonal in shape, with button keys.

concertino Solo group of instruments in the Baroque concerto grosso.

concerto Instrumental genre in several movements for solo instrument (or instrumental group) and orchestra.

concerto form Structure commonly used in first movements of concertos that combines elements of Baroque ritornello procedure with sonata-allegro form. Also first-movement concerto form.

concerto grosso Baroque concerto type based on the opposition between a small group of solo instruments (the concertino) and orchestra (the ripieno).

conductor Person who, by means of gestures, leads performances of musical ensembles, especially orchestra, bands or choruses.

conga Afro-Cuban dance performed at Latin-American Carnival celebrations. Also a single-headed drum of Afro-Cuban origin, played with bare hands.

conjunct Smooth, connected melody that moves principally by small intervals.

Example: Beethoven, Symphony No.9, fourth movement "Ode to Joy"
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This joyful tune moves in small, connected intervals (mostly seconds), making it conjunct.

consonance Concordant or harmonious combination of tones that provides a sense of relaxation and stability in music.

Example: Brahms, Symphony No.1, fourth movement
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This majestic passage is harmonious, or consonant, providing a sense of stability in the music.

continuous bass See basso continuo.

continuous imitation Renaissance polyphonic style in which the motives move from line to line within the texture, often overlapping one another.

contrabass See double bass

contrabassoon Double-reed woodwind instrument with the lowest range in the woodwind family. Also double bassoon.

contralto See alto.

contrapuntal Texture employing counterpoint, or two or more melodic lines.

contrast Contrast of musical materials sustains our interest and feeds our love of change; it provides variety to a form.

Example: Corelli, Suite for Strings, "Badinerie"
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In this example, the first musical idea (heard twice at a fast tempo) is balanced by a contrasting idea, which is also repeated.

cool jazz A substyle of bebop, characterized by a restrained, unemotional performance with lush harmonies, moderate volume levels and tempos, and a new lyricism; often associated with Miles Davis.

cornet Valved brass instrument similar to the trumpet but more mellow in sound.

cornetto Early instrument of the brass family with woodwind-like finger holes. It developed from the cow horn, but was made of wood.

Council of Trent A council of the Roman Catholic Church that convened in Trent, Italy from 1543 to 1565 and dealt with Counter-Reformation issues, including the reform of liturgical music.

counterpoint The compositional art of combining two or more simultaneous melodic lines (polyphonic texture); term means "point against point" or "note against note."

countermelody An accompanying melody sounded against the principal melody.

Example: Sousa, The Stars and Stripes Forever, Trio
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In this famous march, we hear the high piccolos playing a countermelody against the main melody.

countersubject In a figure, a secondary theme heard against the subject; a countertheme.

country-western Genre of American popular music derived from traditional music of the rural South, usually vocal with an accompaniment of banjos, fiddles and guitar.

courante French Baroque dance, a standard movement of the suite, in triple meter at a moderate tempo.

cover Recording that remakes an earlier, often successful, recording with a goal of reaching a wider audience.

cowbell Rectangular metal bell that is struck with a drumstick; used widely in Latin-American music.

Credo A section of the Mass; the third musical movement of the Ordinary.

crescendo The dynamic effect of gradually growing louder, indicated in the musical score by the marking "<".

Example: Mendelssohn, Symphony No.4 "Italian", fourth movement
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This energetic theme is repeated in various combinations of instruments as the dynamic level gradually grows from p (piano, or soft) to ff (fortissimo, or very loud).

crossover Recording or artist that appeals primarily to one audience but becomes popular with another as well (e.g., a rock performer who makes jazz recordings).

crotales A pair of small pitched cymbals mounted on a frame; also made in chromatic sets.

crumhorn Early woodwind instrument, whose sound is produced by blowing into a capped double reed and whose lower body is curved.

cut time A type of duple meter interpreted as 2/2 and indicated as ¢; also called alla breve.

cyclical form Structure in which musical material, such as a theme, presented in one movement returns in a later movement.

cymbals Cymbals are two circular brass plates of equal size, which when struck together produce a shattering sound, as heard in this example.

Example: J.F. Wagner, Under the Double Eagle
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Click on a letter above to look up terms in the online glossary