Essentials of Music

ONLINE GLOSSARY

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

habanera Moderate duple meter dance of Cuban origin, popular in the nineteenth century; based on characteristic rhythmic figure.

half step Smallest interval used in the Western system, the octave divides into twelve such intervals; on the piano, the distance between any two adjacent keys, whether black or white. Also semitone.

harmonica Mouth organ; a small metal box on which free reeds are mounted, played by moving back and forth across the mouth while breathing into it.

harmonics Individual pure sounds that are part of any musical tone; in string instruments, crystalline tones in the very high register, produced by lightly touching a vibrating string at a certain point.

harmonium Organ-like instrument with free metal reeds set in vibration by a bellows; popular in late nineteenth century America.

harmony The simultaneous combination of notes and the ensuing relationships of intervals and chords. Not all musics of the world rely on harmony for interest, but it is central to most Western music.

Example: Mozart, Piano Concerto in C major, K.467, second movement
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In this example, the piano melody is supported by a simple harmonic accompaniment.

harp The harp's strings are plucked, and its pitches are changed by means of pedals. Its ethereal tone is easily recognizable. The harp frequently plays broken chords called arpeggios.

Example: Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker, "Waltz of the Flowers"
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harpsichord Early Baroque keyboard instrument in which the strings are plucked by quills instead of being struck with hammers like the piano. Also clavecin.

Example: Bach, Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor, Fugue
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haunt Medieval category of loud instruments, used mainly for outdoor occasions, as distinct from bas, or soft, instruments.

heavy metal Rock style that gained popularity in the 1970s, characterized by simple, repetitive ideas and loud, distorted instrumental solos.

heptatonic scale Seven-note scale; in non-Western musics, often fashioned from a different combination of intervals than major and minor scales.

heterophonic Texture in which two or more voices (or parts) elaborate the same melody simultaneously, often the result of improvisation.

homophonic Texture with principal melody and accompanying harmony, as distinct from polyphony.

Example: Mozart, Piano Concerto in C Major, K.467, second movement
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In this example, the principal melody is heard in the upper range of the piano, while the chordal accompaniment is subordinate.

horn See French horn.

hornpipe Country dance of British Isles, often in a lively triple meter; optional dance movement of solo and orchestral Baroque suite; a type of duple meter hornpipe remains popular in Irish traditional dance music.

hymn Song in praise of God; often involves congregational participation.

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