Music ch. 3 Terms

anacrusis

A beat that precedes a downbeat, sometimes shown in an incomplete measure. Also called an upbeat or pickup

flag

A short arc attached to the right side of a note stem, at the opposite end from the note head, each flag divided the duration of a note in half (e.g. a sixteenth note has two flags and is half of an eighth note which has one flag)

meter signature

A sign that appears at the beginning of a piece, after the clef and key signature that indicates the meter type (double, triple, quadruple) and beat division (simple, compound) also called time signature

conducting pattern

A specific pattern, one for each meter, that conductors outline by moving their arms in the air to help keep performers playing together in time

measure

A unite of grouped beats; beginning and ending with bar lines

bar line

A vertical line, extending from the top of the staff to the bottom, that indicates the end of a measure

temp

How fast or slow music is played

beam

a line that connects two or more note stems within a beat unit

dynamic level

the degree of loudness in performance Extends from ppp (very soft) to fff (very loud)

beat unit

the duration assigned to the basic pulse

dot

Rhythmic notation that adds half of a note's own value to its duration (e.g. the duration of a dotted half note equals a half note plus a quarter note)

accent

Stress given to a note or some other musical element that brings it to the listener's attention. Accents can be created by playing louder or softer, using a different timbre or articulation, speeding up or slowing down, or slightly changing rhythmic durations

upbeat

The beat that precedes a downbeat; named for the upward lift of the conductor's hand. Also known as an anacrusis

rhythm

The durations of pitch and silence (notes and rests) used in a piece

downbeat

The first beat of a measure,, which has the strongest accent or emphasis named for the downward motion of the conductor's hand

beat

The primary pulse in musical meter. Normally represents an even and regular division of musical time.

beat division

The secondary pulse in musical meter; beats my divided into two parts (simple meter) or three parts (compound meter)

rhythm clef

Two short, thick, vertical lines a the beginning of a single-line staff used to notate unpitched percussion parts

metrical accent

An emphasis on a note resulting from its placement on a strong beat