Arts Education
Music
Glossary (Kindergarten to Grade 8)
The following terms are provided for clarification and understanding of selected terminology used in Manitoba's Kindergarten to Grade 8 music curriculum and resources. These terms are not intended to be exhaustive. Educators are encouraged to consult the recommended music resources for additional and alternative terminology.
12-bar blues: An african-american song form characterized by a 12-bar structure in 4/4, use of blues notes, three-line verses, and I–IV–V harmonic progression (I–I–I–I; IV–IV–I–I; V–IV–I–I).
ABA form: A sequential compositional form with three distinct parts in which a music theme (a) is followed by a contrasting but related music theme (B) and ends with a repeat of the initial music theme (a). AB form a sequential compositional form with two distinct parts in which a music theme (A) is followed by a contrasting but related music theme (B).
accelerando: A gradual increase in tempo, resulting in getting faster.
accent: A note performed with emphasis or stress.
allegro: A lively and quick tempo.
andante: A moderate tempo or walking pace.
articulation: A performance technique affecting the musical line by the way notes are attacked and spaces are formed between notes. The two basic articulations are legato and staccato.
ascending contour: The shape of a melody established by its upward movement.
a tempo: A return to the original tempo.
aural music system: A rote process for learning music by listening and reproducing, often described as learning by ear.
balance: Maintaining proper emphasis between parts of an ensemble.
beat: The underlying pulse of music.
blend: Merging and unifying parts within an ensemble.
body percussion: Use of the body to make sounds (e.g., snap, clap, patsch, stamp).
call and response: A sequential compositional form in which a lead musician calls orperforms a music phrase, while another musician or group responds by imitating the same phrase or performing a related one.
canon: An overlapping compositional form in which two or more musiciansor groups imitate a melody after a given interval (e.g., four beats).
chaconne: A compositional form of Baroque origin consisting of variations built upon a short, repeated harmonic progression.
coda: The concluding part of a music composition.
complementary rhythms: Interlocking layered rhythms that are related but contrasting (e.g., long sound durations in one part against short sound durations in another).
crescendo: a gradual increase in dynamics, or getting louder.
da capo (DC): A direction to perform again from the beginning.
dal segno (DS): A direction to perform again from a sign indicated in a score.
decrescendo (diminuendo): A gradual decrease in dynamics, or getting quieter.
descending contour: The shape of a melody established by its downward movement.
diction: Clear articulation of words in speaking and singing through effective pronunciation of vowels and consonants.
dynamics: The overall volume (loudness or quietness) of music.
first and second endings: Repeated sections of a music composition with two different endings indicated by brackets and numbers in a score.
forms: Designs or structures for organizing music.
forte (f): Loud dynamics.
fortissimo (ff): Very loud dynamics.
fugue: An overlapping form in which a music theme is introduced and then extended and developed by other parts after a given interval; like a canon, but uses a more complex mix of counter-melodies.
genres: Broad categories of musical forms (e.g., popular, art, folk).
harmonic progressions: A series of chords.
harmony: a vertical element of music created by two or more pitches sounding simultaneously.
homophonic music: Texture created by a melody with a chordal accompaniment; two or more parts moving together rhythmically in a chordal style.
improvise: Making music "in the moment" with intent to explore.
interlude: A short section or bridge between two main sections of a music composition.
intonation: Singing or playing in tune by producing accurate pitches.
introduction: The opening part of a music composition.
invented music notation: Non-standard sound-symbol representations
irregular metre: Combinations of duple and triple metres resulting in metrical patterns such as 5/4 (3 + 2/4) or 7/8 (4 + 3/8).
legato: A smooth, connected style of articulation.
melodic contour: The shape of a melody established by its upward, downward, or horizontal movement.
melody: A horizontal element of music created by a sequence of pitches resulting in a tune.
metre: A regular pattern of accented (stronger) and unaccented (weaker) beats.
metric accents: Beats felt and heard in a metrical context that have a stronger accent than others.
mezzo-forte (mf): Moderately loud dynamics.
mezzo-piano (mp): Moderately soft dynamics.
non-pitched instruments: Percussion instruments producing one or more indefinite pitches used to perform rhythms.
ostinato: A short, repeated musical phrase or pattern often used as an accompaniment.
partner songs: Two or more different songs sharing the same chord structure that can be sung simultaneously to produce harmony.
pentatonic scale: A simple five-tone scale.
phrase: A music sentence or a series of sounds that connect and have a clear beginning and end.
pianissimo (pp): Very soft dynamics.
piano (p): Soft dynamics.
pitch: The highness or lowness of a tone determined by its frequency.
pitched instruments: Instruments producing more than one definite pitch used to perform melodies and/or harmonies.
polyphonic music: Texture created by two or more independent melodies performed simultaneously.
release: The manipulation of one or more music elements to create a sense of relaxation, resolution, or stability after building tension in music.
rhythm: The time element of music consisting of a sequence of sound and/or silence durations.
ritardando: A gradual decrease in tempo, or getting slower.
rondo form (ABACA . . .): A sequential compositional form with several distinct parts in which a music theme (A) is alternated with contrasting music themes (B, C, D . . .) and ends with a repeat of the initial music theme (A).
serendipitous discoveries: Imaginative, productive insights that happen by chance and contribute to resolving creative problems.
slur: A curved line above or below notes in a score that are to be performed legato.
staccato: A detached, disconnected style of articulation.
standard music notation: Written symbols for representing sounds widely used and understood by musicians (e.g., staff lines, notes, rests, time and key signatures).
style: Characteristic use of music elements producing distinctive ways of making music identified with particular performers, composers, cultures, or historical periods.
syncopation: The rhythmic effect produced by unexpectedly shifting accents from strong to weak beats.
tempo: The overall pace or speed of music.
tension: The manipulation of one or more music elements to create points of intensity, suspense, or instability in music.
texture: The fabric of music created by layering and interrelating rhythms, melodies, harmonies, and/or timbres.
theme and variations (A1A2A3A4 . . .): A sequential compositional form with several distinct parts in which a music theme (A) is repeated in modified forms (e.g., altering the style, tempo, rhythm, scale).
timbre: The tone colour or distinctive quality of a sound source.
traditions: Music of a culture passed, over time, from one generation to another.
transition: A compositional feature that contributes to the continuity of music by ensuring smooth connections between its parts.
verse-chorus: A song in which the main section (verse) is followed by a refrain (chorus); the chorus is repeated after every verse.
verse-chorus-bridge: An extension of the verse-chorus form that incorporates one or more interludes.
visual music systems: Systems using graphic, pictorial symbols or gestures, such as shapes, colours, and/or icons, to represent sounds.
written music systems: Systems using written symbols, such as those used in standard notation, to represent sounds.
