Music Theory 21c
by Stefanie Acevedo & Toby W. Rush

Glossary

Terms in the text are generally linked to the English version of Wikipedia; while Wikipedia is a user-editable resource and often has errors, biases and inaccuracies, pages there — especially those with reference sections — can serve as effective springboards for further study.

Terms which are defined more specifically for the purposes of this site are included below.

accelerando
An increase of tempo within a piece.
add2 chord
A triad with an additional second added above the root.
add4 chord
A triad with an additional fourth added above the root.
add6 chord
A triad with an additional sixth added above the root.
ADHSR envelope
A type of envelope based on the ADSR envelope but which adds a hold value, which determines how long the sound should stay at full volume before beginning its decay.
altered root chord
A chord which has a root that is not diatonic to the current key, such as bVI.
alternative technique
A non standard mode of playing an instrument which is common enough to have an accepted notational custom.
anti-charm song
A piece in a musical theatre production that serves establish the singer as an antagonistic character.
asynchronous performance
Musical performance involving collaborating musicians playing and recording their parts separately.
attack (sampling)
The initial part of a sample, which is played once when the note is first played.
attack (synthesis)
An envelope setting that determines the amount of time a sound should take to reach full volume when a key is pressed.
audio development environment
A system which allows the development of audio- or music-related software.
audio isolation
The process of preventing background sound from interfering with a recording process.
augmented interval
An interval which is a half step larger than a perfect interval or major interval.
basic form
A chord voicing where notes are stacked as compactly as possible with no doubling.
bass (chord)
The chord tone that has a lower pitch than any other note in the chord.
body (sampling)
The middle part of a sample, which is played after the attack and repeated while the key is held down.
book (musical theatre)
A term used in musical theatre to refer to the story of the musical, somewhart equivalent to an opera's libretto.
boost (signal processing)
The process of amplifying a particular element of a signal.
bowed chordophone
A chordophone, or string instrument, which is most commonly played by drawing a bow across the strings.
charm song
A piece in a musical theatre production that serves establish the singer as a sympathetic character.
changes
A chord progression in a jazz chart, or the section during which musicians improvise over a particular repeated chord progression.
chord type
The intervallic construction of a chord that gives it a distinctive harmonic quality.
chromatic interval
An interval that consists of both interval distance and interval quality.
clickwheel
A touch-sensitive circular control surface designed by Apple and used on early models of their iPod music players.
closed position (turntablism)
The state of a crossfader on a DJ mixer in which the manipulated record is completely muted.
closed voicing
An arrangement of notes within a chord that are spread out from one another.
col legno tratto
An extended technique on bowed string instruments which involves drawing the wood of the bow across the strings.
color tone
A note in a particular key or mode which delineates it tonally from another, more common, key or mode.
Comedy song
A piece in a musical theatre production that serves as comic relief, sometimes sung by a character who serve a comedic role in the drama.
composer's copy
An early version of a film or television episode which has been edited for timing which a composer uses to score the soundtrack.
console synthesizer
A synthesizer designed as an individual component, often in rack-mountable form, which can be controlled by a computer or keyboard controller.
contrasting section
A section of music which is completely different from another section.
court composer
A member of a royal court who writes music for all musical functions.
Cue
An individual piece of music in a film or television episode.
DADSR envelope
A type of envelope based on the ADSR envelope but which adds a delay value, which determines how long after the key is pressed the attack portion should begin.
danzón mambo
The form derived from the danzón, which adds an improvisatory section to the end of the previous structure.
decay (synthesis)
An envelope setting that determines the amount of time a sound should take to reach the sustain volume level after a key is pressed.
decelerando
A decrease of tempo within a piece.
delay (synthesis)
An envelope setting that determines how long after the key is pressed that the attack portion should begin.
delivery (rap)
The tone, affect and accent of a rapper's vocal performance.
diatonic interval
An interval within the context of a key or scale, generally without consideration of interval quality.
diffuseur
A specialized speaker designed for use with an ondes Martenot.
diminished interval
An interval which is a half step smaller than a perfect interval or minor interval.
direct string manipulation
An extended technique in which the strings of a piano or other keyboard instrument are struck, plucked, rubbed or scraped directly by the performer.
directionality
The strongest area of sensitivity for a microphone, often described by use of a variable polar pattern diagram.
dominant seventh (euroclassical music)
A seventh chord whose root is the dominant scale degree of the current key.
dominant seventh (popular music)
A chord type which corresponds to the major-minor seventh chord, containing a major triad with an added minor seventh above the root.
doubling (chord)
The use of pitch classes in more than one octave within the same chord.
doubly augmented
An interval quality that is a half-step larger than augmented.
doubly diminished
An interval quality that is a half-step smaller than diminished.
downward compression
A type of dynamic range compression in which levels above a particular amplitude threshhold are reduced.
downward expansion
A type of dynamic range compression in which levels below a particular amplitude threshhold are reduced.
enharmonic respelling
The process of rewriting a chord using enharmonically equivalent notes to simplify analysis or performance.
enneatonic
having nine notes.
fall
A playing technique where the pitch of a note is lowered just before the release.
feature
A piece in a musical theatre production which is sung by a particular character, similar to an aria in an opera.
filter sweep
An effect in which a filter is gradually applied or removed over a spectrum of frequencies.
first act finale
The piece in a stage musical that occurs before the intermission.
floating room
A room that is architecturally separate from the surrounding building as a means of extreme soundproofing.
french augmented sixth chord
One of three common augmented sixth chords, which traditionally contains the notes 1, #4, b6 and 2.
gate (synthesis)
A simple envelope in which playing a key results in a full-volume sound, and releasing the key immediately ends the sound..
genre map
A diagram showing how genres relate to one another through similarities and general characteristics.
german augmented sixth chord
One of three common augmented sixth chords, which traditionally contains the notes 1, #4, b6 and b3.
"golden age" musical
One of many stage musicals written and first produced in the 1940s, 1950s or 1960s which continue to be regularly performed today.
hamster style
A method of turntablism in which the directionality of the crossfader is switched, allowing certain techniques to be performed more easily.
Hanson analysis
In set theory, a method of labelling the intervals present in a pitch-class set using letters — P for perfect fourths, M for major thirds, N for minor thirds, S for major seconds, D for minor seconds and T for tritones — in that order, and with superscripted numerals to indicate multiple intervals of particular types.
hard knee
An abrupt change in the response curve of an audio compressor around the threshhold point.
harmonic interval
An interval consisting of notes which are played simutaneously.
hexal harmony
A theoretical system of harmony where chords are built from major and minor sixths; because these intervals invert to thirds, the result is actually identical to tertial harmony.
hexatonic pole
In neo-Riemannian theory, a secondary transformation, comprising L, then P, then L again.
hit
An event in a film or television episode that a composer synchronizes with a significant musical moment.
hold (synthesis)
An envelope setting that determines the amount of time a sound should remain at full volume between the attack and decay portions.
house (theatre)
A term for the audience seating area of an auditorium, as opposed to the stage or other locations used by cast, crew and staff.
"I am" song
A piece in a musical theatre production, usually sung as a solo feature, in which a character introduces themselves to the audience.
"I want" song
A piece in a musical theatre production, usually sung as a solo feature, in which a character expresses their desires relative to their current situation.
imagined music
A type of quasi-diegetic music in which a perceives a musical reality that other characters cannot.
imperfect interval
An interval which is not among the first three intervals in the harmonic series, often considered to less consonant than perfect intervals.
improvisation (musical form)
A type of piece that feels improvisatory in nature, often having no overall form or structure.
instrument body percussion
An extended technique in which a percussive sound is made by tapping or slapping the resonant body of a non-percussion instrument.
interval distance
A characteristic of an interval that corresponds to the number of scale degrees it spans.
interval quality
A characteristic of an interval that corresponds to the accidentals present on the component notes.
inversion (tone row)
In twelve-tone row technique, a row created by inverting each of the intervals of an original row.
isochronous beat
A beat with consistently equal rhythmic durations.
isolation booth
A recording chamber, separate from a main recording space, designed for individual performance.
italian augmented sixth chord
One of three common augmented sixth chords, which traditionally contains the notes 1, #4 and b6.
jogwheel
A rotating platter or touch-sensitive surface used as a control device, commonly used to mimic a vinyl record for turntablism.
key mapping
The process of applying recorded samples to specific pitches, as well as adjoining pitches for which the original sample will be pitch-shifted, as a means of creating a sample for use in a sampler.
key slap
An extended technique in which a thumping sound is made by loudly striking a woodwind instrument's pads against their respective holes.
keyboard synthesizer
An electronic musical instrument which combines a synthesizer and a keyboard controller into a single unit.
knee
The amplitude threshhold point of an audio compressor.
large ensemble music
Music written for more than about ten performers; used to distinguish from chamber music, which is written for smaller ensembles.
lead sheet chord symbols
A system of macroanalysis used on lead sheets that uses letters, numbers and symbols to show the chord's root and type.
leading-tone exchange
In neo-Riemannian theory, the process of moving the root of a major triad down a half-step to create a minor triad, or vice versa.
macroanalysis
The process of analyzing chords using note names, rather than doing a tonal analysis with roman numerals in a particular key.
major interval
An interval which occurs between the root and the second, third, sixth or seventh of the major scale.
major mode
A mode which has a major tonic triad, like lydian or mixolydian.
mallet controller
A MIDI controller which is designed to mimic a mallet instrument like a marimba or vibraphone.
matrix (tone row)
In twelve-tone row technique, a 12x12 table showing all 48 permutations of a tone row.
melodic interval
An interval consisting of notes which are not played simutaneously.
men's choir
A choir comprised of people with lower-ranged voices.
measured rhythm
Sound which is created with a specific rhythm in mind.
microform
A formal structure that comprises a small section of a piece, as opposed to describing the piece as a whole.
midi interface
A computer peripheral that allows the operating system to communicate with attached MIDI instruments and controllers.
military march form
A musical form used by American composers like John Philip Sousa, which varies the through-composed nature of regimental march form by alternating the C and D sections during the trio.
minor interval
An imperfect interval which is a half step smaller than a major interval.
minor mode
A mode which has a minor tonic triad, like dorian or phrygian.
modulation wheel
A controller included on many keyboard controllers to the left of the keyboard which is generally set to control a setting that alters the sound by adding vibrato, resonance or some other expressive characteristic.
mouthpiece buzzing
An extended technique in which a brass instrument mouthpiece is played while separate from the rest of the instrument, creating a buzzing sound.
musical reality
A type of quasi-diegetic music which takes place in a world where spontaneous, coordinated musical numbers are normal.
musical stage production
A standalone musical work that includes individual dramatic roles. Such productions can be staged with actors and sets, as with opera or musical theatre; interpreted through dance, as with ballet, or presented as a choral concert, as with oratorio.
mute button
A control which temporarily silences a particular channel or device.
nebenverwandt
In neo-Riemannian theory, a secondary transformation, comprising R, then L, then P.
non-isochronous beat
A beat comprised of different rhythmic durations, often in a consistent pattern.
normal form
In set theory, the ordering of a pitch-class set that is the most compact; that is, the ordering in which the smallest intervals are between the first items of the set.
open fifth chord
A chord consisting of only a perfect fifth, with one or both notes reinforced at the octave. In popular styles, this chord is generally called a power chord.
open position (turntablism)
The state of a crossfader on a DJ mixer in which the manipulated record is played at full volume.
open voicing
An arrangement of notes within a chord that are close to one another.
opening number
The first vocal piece in a stage musical, often featuring the show's full cast.
overdrive
The process of amplifying a signal to a point beyond an amplifier's capabilities, resulting in sound distortion.
pad (woodwind)
A disc, usually made of felt, lined with leather and operated by a key mechanism, which seals holes on a woodwind instrument.
pantriadicism
The juxtaposition of harmonically distant triads in a chord sequence.
parallel section
A section of music which is identical or nearly identical to another section.
parallel transformation
In neo-Riemannian theory, the process of changing the third of a triad to change from major to minor or vice versa.
parte de la flauta
The first main section of a danzón, usually featuring the flute.
parte del violin
The second main section of a danzón, usually featuring string instruments.
paseo
A short section of a danzón, where it serves as a refrain.
pegboard
A strip of wood on a piano into which tuning pegs are mounted.
perfect interval
One of the first three intervals in the harmonic series, often considered to be most stable or consonant.
phrase
A short passage of music, usually two to eight measures long, which comprises a standalone melodic, rhythmic or harmonic unit.
piano roll notation
A system of notation in which notes are represented as bars on a graph of pitch vs. time, similar to the rolls used to feed playback instructions to player pianos.
pitch bending
A playing technique where the frequency of a note is changed in a continuous motion while it is played.
pitched instrument
An instrument capable of producing tones of a clear, specifically controlled frequency.
plucked chordophone
A chordophone, or string instrument, which is most commonly played by plucking the strings with the fingers or with a plectrum such as a guitar pick.
primalism
A type of art which portrays human behaviour or emotion that is unconstrained by societal norms.
primary theme
In sonata form, the first main theme of the piece, presented in the global key of the piece. Also often called the A theme.
prime (tone row)
In twelve-tone row technique, the original, unaltered version of a row, or one of its transpositions.
prime form
In set theory, the most compact of the normal form of a pitch-class set and the normal form of its inversion, transposed to begin on 0.
production number
A piece in a stage musical that features all or most of the production's cast.
punchline
A pun or another form of wordplay included in a rap.
quasi-diegetic music
Music which blurs the lines between diegesis and non-diegesis.
quintal chord
A chord built from perfect fifths.
recording chamber
A space in a recording studio where music and other audio is performed.
reed squeak
An extended technique in the mouthpiece of a reed instrument is played separate from the rest of the instrument, creating a high-pitched squeak.
refrain form
A type of form which features a section, called a refrain, that is reprised after other sections.
regimental march form
A through-composed form comprising a short introduction followed by four repeated sections, favored by European march composers.
related section
A section of music which shares one or more similarities with another section without being identical or near-identical.
relative transformation
In neo-Riemannian theory, the process of moving the fifth of a major triad up a whole step to create a minor triad, or vice versa.
release (sampling)
The last part of a sample, which is played once when the key is released.
release (synthesis)
An envelope setting that determines the amount of time a sound should take to decay to silence after the key is released
retrograde (tone row)
In twelve-tone row technique, a row created by reversing the order of an original row.
retrograde inversion (tone row)
In twelve-tone row technique, a row created by reversing the order of an inversion of an original row.
rhythm generator
A device which can play simple rhythms and drum beats with little or no customization.
rote learning
The process of learning a piece of music by listening to a performance and committing it directly to memory without the use of musical notation.
scoop
A playing technique where a note is played by starting on a lower pitch and quickly raised to the target pitch.
secondary theme
In sonata form, the seconday main theme of the piece, first presented in a key that contrast's the piece's global key, and then in the global key for the recapitulation. Also often called the B theme.
self-accompaniment
A performance mode in which a single musician sings while playing an instrument, often keyboard or guitar.
sentence
A short passage of music, usually comprised of two or three phrases, that ends with some element of resolution.
septal harmony
A theoretical system of harmony where chords are built from major and minor sevenths; because these intervals invert to seconds, the result is actually identical to secundal harmony or tone clusters.
similar section
see related section.
simple interval
An interval with a distance less than or equal to an octave.
slide (transformation)
In neo-Riemannian theory, a secondary transformation, comprising R, then P, then L.
soft knee
A gradual change in the response curve of an audio compressor around the threshhold point.
solo button
A control which temporarily silences everything except a particular channel or device.
step sequencing
A method of creating a music sequence by enabling or disabling instruments at particular points in a system of measures.
stitching (sampling)
The process of combining portions of a sample together without any aural interruptions in the sound.
stolp notation
A type of neume notation used in the Znamenny Chant tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church.
string controller
A MIDI controller which is designed to mimic a bowed string instrument like a violin.
struck chordophone
A chordophone, or string instrument, which is most commonly played by striking the strings, often with a specially-designed hammer.
style parody
A piece of music which parodies a particular musical style, instead of a specific work.
sus chord
A triad with a fourth instead of a third above the root, also called a sus4 chord.
sus2 chord
A triad with a second instead of a third above the root.
sus4 chord
A triad with a fourth instead of a third above the root, also called a sus chord.
sustain (synthesis)
An envelope setting that determines the secondary volume level the sound lowers to after its initial attack.
synchronous performance
Musical performance involving collaborating musicians playing simultaneously.
tetratonic
having four notes.
topic
A concept represented through consistent musical characteristics in a way that audiences can understand the reference.
touch sensitivity
A feature of controller keyboards which allows them to detect the intensity with which keys are pressed, whcih is usually translated into relative volume of the resulting sounds.
tracking (film scoring)
The process of determining events in a scene of film or television with which the composer synchronizes the musical score.
traditional macroanalysis
A system of macroanalysis which uses letter names to identify roots and figured bass numerals to indicate inversion.
transport system
The portion of a tape player responsible for turning the spools to wind or unwind the tape for playback or cueing.
transposibility
the number of times a scale can be transposed by a semitone and yield a unique set of pitches.
triad transformation
A process in neo-Riemannian theory in which one note of a triad is changed to create a different triad.
trio (musical form)
A term for the B section in some Classical forms.
unary form
A musical form that has only one section, which is often repeated.
unmeasured rhythm
Sound which is created without a specific rhythm in mind.
unpitched instrument
An instrument which produces sounds that do not have a clear, specific, controlled frequency.
upward compression
A type of dynamic range compression in which levels below a particular amplitude threshhold are increased.
upward expansion
A type of dynamic range compression in which levels above a particular amplitude threshhold are increased.
women's choir
A choir comprised of people with higher-ranged voices.
zero point
The point in a sound wave where the waveform crosses the x axis, representing an amplitude of zero.