Music: Glossary
This glossary clarifies the meaning of selected key words and concepts as they are used in this curriculum statement. Not all music terms used in the statement are included; where a word is clearly defined in the dictionary, it has not been defined here.
art work a product of art-making activity (e.g., a song, symphony, rap, jazz performance)
balance the blend and positioning of voices, instruments, or other sounds in a musical work or performance
beat chart a grid in which each square represents a beat of a rhythm or of a musical phrase
body percussion sounds made using parts of the body (e.g., foot stamping, thigh slapping)
call and response a structural device that derives from the work songs of Afro-American slaves; a soloist sings or plays, and a group or second soloist replies
chord two or more notes sounding simultaneously
chord progression a series of chords sounding one after another
communication conveying or transmitting meaning within a particular context
compression an electronic sound-processing effect used in recording, mixing, or broadcasting to reduce the dynamic range of the music
conventions established procedures in creating, performing, and interpreting musical works
culture understandings, patterns of behaviour, practices, values, and symbol systems that are acquired, preserved, and transmitted by a group of people and that can be embodied in art works
dynamics the varying levels of loudness and softness in music; or the signs used to indicate such levels
elements of music the key ingredients of music (e.g., beat, rhythm, pitch, tempo, tone colour or timbre, dynamics)
EQ equalisation &; an electronic sound-processing effect in recording in which certain frequency ranges (e.g., bass, mid-range, treble) are enhanced to achieve a particular sound or tone for an instrument or voice; treble and bass controls and graphic equalisers are crude EQ devices
feel how a performer places notes in relation to the beat (e.g., on the beat for a "straight" feel; slightly before or behind the beat for a jazz feel)
form the compositional structure or structures that shape a musical work or section of a work; or a particular genre of music (e.g., the symphony)
found sounds sounds created from everyday objects (e.g., sticks, stones, hubcaps)
genre a broad category of music (e.g., rock, jazz, choral music); or a particular type of music that has a tradition or history and is identifiable by specific characteristics (e.g., the sonata, rock opera)
graphic notation notation in which sound or music is represented by shapes and lines
harmony the structure, progression, and interrelationship of chords
hook a memorable melodic or rhythmic motif, repeated several times; the device is common in rock music
idea a visual, auditory, or kinaesthetic concept, or a combination of these, within an arts discipline
improvisation spontaneous or semi-spontaneous musical creation; in jazz, improvisation is often based on the melody and harmony of an existing song or work
interpretation analysis or appreciation of meaning in an art work by a viewer or listener; or the particular meaning communicated by the performer of an existing art work
intonation the degree to which a performer sings or plays in tune; accuracy of pitch in musical performance
meaning what an artist expresses in an art work; or what a viewer or listener understands and interprets from an art work
metre the grouping of beats, usually in twos, threes, or fours; metre is usually indicated by a time signature (a fractionlike figure placed at the beginning of a piece of music)
MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface &; an international standard that allows electronic instruments and computers to interconnect and operate together
moteatea Māori songs or chants written to lament people who have died; or traditional Māori chants and waiata
motif a brief, identifiable musical idea that may be repeated or developed throughout a work; a famous motif is the opening "da-da-da-dum" of Beethoven's fifth symphony
musical devices see structural devices
notation the writing down of a piece of music; or the written form itself
oriori waiata for children that tell stories of journeys, tribal genealogies, the creation, and so on; Māori lullabies
ostinato a repeated accompaniment pattern that can be rhythmic or melodic and that is maintained throughout a section or piece
pakiwaitara a Māori story; or the Māori art of storytelling
pentatonic scale a five-note scale common to many cultures and open to several variations; the most commonly used pentatonic scale equates to the black notes on the piano
performance practice the performance conventions that are associated with a particular style of music and that affect how a musical work is interpreted and presented
phrase a group of notes forming a distinct unit or segment of a melody; the four-bar phrase is a common length in music
pitch the degree of highness or lowness of a note
representation using some form of notation to convey musical ideas or compositional intent
reverb an electronic sound-processing effect used in recording to create a sense that a sound is being made in a particular space; a large amount of reverb can give the impression of a performance in a huge cathedral, whereas a little amount may give the impression of a small nightclub
sasa a Samoan dance in which rows of (often seated) dancers perform rapid, synchronised movements in time to the beating of slit drums, tins, or rolled mats
sequence the repetition of a musical phrase at a higher or lower pitch
social text an art work that refers to the society or culture in which it is made and that reflects the dynamics within that society or culture
sound qualities characteristics of sounds (e.g., muted, harsh, mellow)
sound source the means by which a sound is produced (e.g., an instrument, voice, environmental object, electronic device)
structural devices devices used in constructing a piece of music (e.g., motif, phrase, sequence, repetition, variation, cadence)
structure the way in which the parts of a musical work, or of a section of a work, are arranged (e.g., in rondo form; as theme and variations; as a verse-and-chorus pop song)
style the recognised manner in which one or more composers organise the elements of music according to specific conventions; style determines how a work is performed or interpreted; it often relates to a historical period
(e.g., baroque, bebop) or composer (e.g., in the style of Mozart)
technologies equipment used to help create, present, explain, document, listen to or view, interpret, analyse, or learn about musical works, including electronic media (e.g., video, computers) and production technologies (e.g., mixing desks)
tempo the speed of the beat in music
text any expressive work (artistic or otherwise) that can be "read", whether it uses words, images, or sounds
texture a piece of music's "density" of sound, which may range from thin (e.g., a single strand or instrumental line) to thick (e.g., several strands or instrumental lines)
timbre see tone colour
tone colour the specific tone or sound quality of a musical instrument, combination of instruments, or sound source (e.g., a saxophone and a trumpet playing the same note each has its own distinctive sound); also called timbre
transcription notating music by listening to it and writing down what is heard
transposition notating or playing a melody, section of a piece, or complete work in a different key to that of the original
tuned percussion percussion instruments on which sounds of definite pitch can be played (e.g., the timpani, xylophone)
unison singing or playing at the same pitch or exactly an octave apart
untuned percussion percussion instruments on which only sounds of indefinite pitch can be played (e.g., the snare drum, wood block)
waiata a Māori song; more specifically, laments for the dead (waiata tangi) or love songs (waiata aroha or waiata whaiaipo); modern action songs may be called waiata-a-ringa (literally "hand" songs) or waiata kori, and their tunes are not necessarily Māori in origin
