Fundamentals

Pitch (Frequency) : refers to how often particles of a medium vibrate when a sound
wave passes through it.
: measured in cycles per second, Hz.
Higher pitch/Higher frequency

Lower pitch/Lower frequency

Dynamics (Amplitude): the energy contained in the sound wave.

Louder/Higher amplitude

very loud
loud
medium loud
medium soft
soft
very soft

fortissimo
forte
mezzo forte
mezzo piano
piano
pianissimo

Softer/Lower amplitude

ff
f
mf
mp
p
pp

gradually getting louder: crescendo

(cresc.)
gradually getting softer: decrescendo
(decresc.)

Overtones: One of the frequency components of a sound other than that of lowest
frequency.
: Combinations of different overtones create different timbres, the
characteristic sound quality of an instrument.
Interval: pitch distance between two notes
-large / small
-2nds, 3rds, octaves etc...
-consonant / dissonant
Melody: a series of pitches that are organized across time; horizontal, linear aspect
of music
-tunes: easily sing-able melodies
-motives: melodic fragments that are short and repetitive
-themes: the basic subject of a longer work
: melodies may be conjunct or disjunct
: melodies may have wide or narrow ranges
Harmony: the vertical aspect of music; simultaneously sounded pitches

Scale: collection of pitches

Chromatic scale: collection of all 12 pitches in an octave
Diatonic scale: collection of 7 pitches in the octave
Mode: Major / Minor:
-Major Scale: T, T, S, T, T, T, S
-Minor Scale: T, S, T, T, S, T, T
Texture: interplay between the horizontal and vertical aspects of music; the way in
which different musical parts fit together
-monophony
-homophony
-polyphony
-imitative polyphony
Meter: grouping of strong and weak beats
: Duple, S-w-S-w
: Triple, S-w-w-S-w-w
Tempo: the rate of the beats
Adagio / Largo Very slowly
Andante Slowly
Moderato Moderate pace
Allegro Quickly
Vivace Quickly, vivaciously
Presto/Prestissimo Very quickly / as quickly as possible
Accelerando accelerating
Ritardando slowing down

Rhythm: durational values of individual notes

Form
There once was a man from Nantucket A
Who kept all his cash in a bucket.
A
But his daughter, named Nan,
B
Ran away with a man
B
And as for the bucket, Nantucket.
A
Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are
Up above the sky so high Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are