NFMC Theory test study set

Conductor

A person who conducts an orchestra, chorus, opera company, ballet, or other musical group

common time

4/4 time signature, represented by C

Moderato

A moderate/ medium speed

Prelude

A musical composition played as an introduction to another, larger musical piece

music alphabet

ABCDEFG

Ornament

The embellishment of a melody, either by adding notes or by modifying rhythms

Dominant

The fifth tone or degree of a diatonic scale

Fugue

a contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a musical theme

interval

a difference in pitch between two sounds

grand staff

a pair of five-line staffs connected by a brace

major scale pattern

a pattern of whole and half steps that make a major scale WWH W WWH

circle of fifths

a sequence of keys graphically represented in a circle

accidental

a sharp or flat in the music that is not included in the key signature

crescendo (cresc.)

gradually growing louder

Diminuendo

gradually growing softer

decrescendo (decresc.)

gradually growing softer

ritardando

gradually playing slower

measure

a single unit of time featuring a specific number of beats

Minuet

a stately dance in triple time

baton

a stick used by conductors to enhance movements associated with directing a musical ensemble

consonant

agreeable effect produced by certain intervals, pleasing or restful sounds, repose

bass clef

also known as F clef, marks 4th line of music staff

treble clef

also known as G clef, marks second line in the music staff

natural

cancels a sharp or flat sign, play the white key

authentic cadence

close of a composition, ending with the I chord (V or V7 chord to I chord)

a tempo

in time, return to the original speed

beam

line connecting the top of two eighth notes

Ledger lines

lines used to notate pitches above or below lines and spaces of the music staff

Poco a poco

little by little

mezzo forte (mf)

moderately loud

mezzo piano

moderately soft

Pentatonic scale

Five note scale with the 4th and 7th tone omitted

tie

curved line (slur) joining two notes of the same pitch

slur

curved line joining two or more notes of different pitch, played legato

staccato

detached, short

dissonant

disagreeable effect produced by certain intervals, unpleasant or disturbing tones, tension.

octave

eight notes higher or lower than written

Fermata

pause or hold beyond the normal duration

Phrase

phrase is a musical thought, which ends with a cadence

Major chord

root, major 3rd and 5th

Minor triad

root, minor 3rd and 5th

repeated note

same note is played again

Enharmonic spelling

same tone, different name (example C# - Db)

legato

smooth, connected

piano

soft, quiet

time signature

specifies how many beats are in each measure, and which note value receives the beat

beat

the basic rhythmic unit of a measure

half step

the distance between any two adjacent keys, white or black

whole step

the distance between two notes that have one note in between them

Fine

the end

flag

the mark added to a note stem to indicate the beat division of that note

key signature

the number of sharps or flats in any key, written at the beginning of each line

note head and stem

the two parts of a note, the body and the vertical line

brace

the vertical curved line on the left of the grand staff

dominant triad

three note chord built off of the fifth tone or degree of a diatonic scale

chord

three or more notes played at the same time

accelerando

to increase the tempo

al fine

to the end

double bar line

two vertical lines at the end of the piece

step

two white keys that are nest to each other, 2nd

skip

two white keys with one key in between, 3rd

fortissimo (ff)

very loud

pianissimo

very soft

Con moto

with motion

dynamics

words or signs indicating loudness or softness of sound (pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff)

Melodic intervals

The distance in scale steps between two pitches, one note at a time

Motive

A leading phrase or figure that is reproduced and varied through a composition or movement

Opera

Art form in which singers and musicians perform work combining text and musical score

Harpsichord

Early keyboard instrument with a plucking action

Harmonic intervals

The distance in scale steps between two pitches, played at the same time

Concert Master

The lead violinist, who leads the orchestra in tuning

Minor 3rd

Two notes that are 3 half steps apart

Major 3rd

Two notes that are 4 half steps apart

pulse

a beat

arpeggio

a broken chord

allegretto

a moderately quick tempo but slower than allegro

triad

a three note chord

andante

a walking speed

forte (f)

loud

flat

lowers a note by one half step

staff

made up of 5 bar lines, where notes are either on lines or spaces

binary form(AB)

music that is written in two part form

whole note

note receiving four beats

Eighth note

note that is equal too 1/8 of the whole note and lasts for half of one beat

dotted half note

note that receives 3 beats

half note

note that receives two beats

allegro

quickly and bright

sharp #

raises the note one half step

quarter note

receives one beat

meter

recurring pattern of stresses that provide the pulse or beat of music, time signature

whole rest

rest receiving four beats

Eighth rest

rest that is equal to 1/8 of the whole note and lasts for half of one beat

quarter rest

rest that receives one beat

half rest

rest that receives two beats

Da Capo al Fine (DC al Fine)

return to the beginning and play to the word "Fine"

Dal Segno al Fine (DS al Fine)

return to the sign (%) and play to the word "Fine"

chromatic signs

sharp, flat, and natural signs

adagio

slowly

tonic

the keynote, first degree of the scale

key note

the leading note in a musical key