Music

• Melody


  A succession of single pitches heard in sequence.
• Harmony


  The combination of multiple pitches sounding simultaneously.
• Rhythm


  The pattern of durations and accents in music.
• Timbre


  The unique "color" or "tone quality" of a sound source.
• Texture


  The layering of multiple melodies or harmonies.
• Form


  The overall structure or organization of a musical composition.
• Dynamics


  The variation in loudness and softness of music.
• Articulation


  The way notes are attacked and released.
• Legato


  Smooth, connected playing or singing.
• Staccato


  Short and detached playing or singing.
• Sforzando (sfz)


  A sudden, strong accent.
• Fermata


  A pause or hold on a note.
• Accent


  Emphasis on a particular note or rhythm.
• Tremolo


  A rapid, repeated playing or singing of a single note.
• Fortissimo (fff)


  Very loud.
• Forte (f)


  Loud.
• Mezzo-forte (mf)


  Moderately loud.
• Mezzo-piano (mp)


  Moderately soft.
• Piano (p)


  Soft.
• Pianissimo (pp)


  Very soft.
• Crescendo (cres.)


  Gradually getting louder.
• Decrescendo (decres.)


  Gradually getting softer.
• Monophony


  A single melody.
• Polyphony


  Multiple melodies sounding simultaneously.
• Homophony


  A single melody with accompaniment.
• Heterophony


  Multiple melodies with slight variations.
• Counterpoint


  Interweaving of multiple independent melodies.
• Binary Form


  A structure consisting of two contrasting sections.
• Ternary Form


  A structure consisting of three sections: A-B-A.
• Rondo Form


  A structure consisting of a recurring theme (A) alternating with contrasting sections (B).
• Sonata Form


  A structure consisting of three main sections: Exposition, Development, and Recapitulation.
• Theme and Variations


  A structure consisting of a theme repeated and varied throughout the piece.
• Perfect Cadence


  A cadence that ends on the tonic chord, creating a sense of finality.
• Plagal Cadence


  A cadence that ends on the subdominant chord, often used in hymns and chorales.
• Imperfect Cadence


  A cadence that ends on a chord other than the tonic, creating a sense of uncertainty.
• Interrupted Cadence


  A cadence that is interrupted by a chord other than the expected tonic chord.
• Deceptive Cadence


  A cadence that ends on a chord other than the expected tonic chord, often used to create surprise or tension.