mapeh

• a cappella


  A Latin term, applied to vocal music without accompaniment
• aerophone


  Any musical instrument that produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes
• absolute music


  Music with no extra-musical association such as words, visual imagery, or emotion: the opposite of program music
• alternative music


  An underground independent form in the 1980's that became widely popular in the 1990's for defying the excesses of "mainstream" rock music; it became known for its unconventional practices such as distorted guitar sounds, oppressive lyrics, and defiant attitudes
• beat


  Regular, current pulsation that divides music into equal units of time
• avant-garde


  A French term used to describe composers (also artists and writers) whose works are radical and dissonant
• atonality


  A term used for music without a central key, thereby producing dissonant harmonies and disjoint melodies
• ballad


  An expressive folksong in narrative verse whose text deals typically about love
• ballet


  An artistic dance form performed to music, using precise and highly formalized set steps and gestures
• aria

  A song for solo voice with orchestra, usually part of an opera, cantata, or oratorio
• art song


  Short stylized song dealing with such subjects as love, nature, and life; usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment
• alto


  1. A female voice with a range lower than a soprano, but higher than the male tenor. 2. A term used for an instrument whose range is analogous to the alto voice
• bebop


  A modernist jazz style of music during World War II whose jazz spirit is coupled with the harmonic standard structure as a new pattern to base its improvisation
• big band


  A large ensemble form originating in the United States in the mid 1920's closely associated with the Swing Era with jazz elements; it relied heavily on percussion (drums), wind, rhythm section (guitar, piano, double bass, vibes), and brass instruments (saxophones), with a lyrical string section (violins and other string instruments) to accompany a lyrical melody
• bodabil


  A genre of Philippine stage entertainment, styled after the American vaudeville, composed of songs, dances, comedy routines, magic acts, and chorus girls
• bossa nova


  A radical change in the classic Cuban samba, originating in 1958-59. The word "bossa" comes from the Brazilian capital of Rio de Janeiro, which means either 'trend' or 'something charming', integrating melody, harmony, and rhythm into a "swaying" feel, where the vocal production is often nasal; it means "new"
• blues


  A type of black American folk music of the 20th century related to jazz, that is associated with one's state of mind
• blues ballad


  A fusion of Anglo-American and Afro-American music styles from the 19th century that deals with the anti-heroes resisting authority
• cha cha


  A ballroom dance originating in Cuba in 1953, derived from mambo and its characteristic rhythm of 2 crochets - 3 quavers - quaver rest with a syncopation on the 4th beat
• call and response method


  A succession of two distinct musical phrases usually rendered by different musicians, where the second phrase acts as a direct commentary on or response to the first, much like the question and answer sequence in human communication; it also has a strong resemblance to the verse-chorus form in many vocal compositions
• chance music


  Music in which chance or randomness of performance is an element of the composition
• chord


  The simultaneous sounding of two or more tones
• chamber music


  Music for a chamber (or small room) rather than a hall; hence music played by small groups-duos, trios, quarters, etc
• chordophone


  Any musical instrument that produces sound primarily by vibrating strings
• chromatic


  An interval based on an octave of 12 semitones rather than a diatonic scale