Math in Motion

accidental

A symbol placed to the left of a note used to alter the pitch of that note by one semitone, going either up or down. (ch1)

Figured bass

A system of numbers using Roman numerals to refer the type of chord inversion in a score (Ch. 11).

triad

A three-note chord written in thirds consisting of the root, third, and fifth. (ch9)

quadruple meter

A meter where the measure is divided into four beats. (ch4)

triple meter

A meter where the measure is divided into three beats.(ch4)

Duple meter

A meter where the measure is divided into two beats (Ch. 4).

rhythm

An element of music that measures musical movements in time. (ch3)

Dominant

The fifth scale degree, considered the second most important scale degree behind the tonic scale degree (Ch. 7).

tonic

The first scale degree of a scale; considered the key-note (ch5 and 7)

subdominant

The fourth scale degree, right below the dominant scale degree (ch7)

Meter

The grouping of musical rhythms similar to the grouping of long and short syllables in poetic meter (Ch. 3).

Measure

The grouping of notes in between two bar lines, usually depending on the time signature (Ch. 2).

augmentation dot (dotted note)

a symbol placed after a note increasing the timing of the note by half of the note. (ch3)

anacrusis

an upbeat beginning a verse, containing one or two unaccented syllables. (ch4)

chords

any combination of notes heard together. (ch9)

clef

characters set at the head of the staff to fix the pitch of the notes on the staff, usually treble clef or bass clef. (ch1)

simple meter

meter in which each beat in a measure can be divided by two. (ch4)

unison interval

An interval where the same note lies on the same line or space in a given staff

Diminished interval.

An interval where the top note is lowered by one semitone (Ch. 8).

augmented interval

An interval where the top note is raised by one semitone. (ch8)

staff

five horizontal lines and four spaces that represent different musical notes (ch1)

beat

the fixed, rhythmic pulse of a piece of music. (ch3)

Interval

The distance between two notes or two pitches (Ch. 8).

arpeggios

notes of a chord broken up and played one after another. (ch9)

octave

The distance between two notes with the same letter name (ch1)

natural minor scale

A series of eight notes containing the specific pattern of whole tones (W) and semitone (H) in ascending order. W-H-W-W-H-W-W (ch5)

Dissonance

A combination of two or more tones requiring resolution (Ch. 7).

consonance

A combination of two or more tones, harmonious and pleasing in itself, and requiring no further progression to make it satisfactory (Ch. 7).

Major scale

A series of eight notes containing the specific pattern of whole tones (W) and semitones (H = half step) in ascending order: W-W-H-W-W-W-H (Ch. 5).

slur

A curved line between two different notes indicating the notes are connected and should be played legato (smoothly) (ch2)

tie

A curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch that are to be sounded as one note equal to their united time value. (ch2)

Roman numeral analysis

A form of harmonic analysis where Roman numerals are used to represent different chords in a given score. (ch10)

scale

A series of musical notes organized by ascending or descending pitches that serves as a brief representation for a musical key (ch6)

Melody

A series of single notes used to express a musical idea (Ch. 2).

accent mark

A stress or emphasis placed on the note (ch2)

Interval triad

A triad where the lowest note of the triad is not the root (Ch. 10).

bar line

A vertical line dividing measures on the staff, indicating that the strong beat falls on the notes immediately following. (ch2)

staccato

Detached, separated; denoting a style in which the tones played are more abruptly disconnected (ch2)

middle C

In sheet music, the first line below the treble clef and the first line above the bass clef. On the piano, is is near the middle of the keyboard, with twenty-three notes to the left and twenty-seven notes to the right. (Ch1)

compound interval

Interval in a diatonic scale with the distance of more than an octave. (ch8)

Ledger lines

Lines below or above the five lines of the staff to show notes that go higher or lower than the five lines of the bass and treble clef (Ch. 1).

Diatonic scales

Major and minor scales consisting of seven different pitches and a repeated octave (Ch. 5).

Melodic interval

One note occurs after another note (Ch. 8).

second interval

One step between two notes that contain adjacent letter names (ch8)

relative key

Pairs of major and minor scales that share the same key signature. (ch6)

Enharmonic key signature

Pairs of scales with the same absolute pitches that can be called by two different names (Ch. 6).

natural sign

Sign used to cancel out either a sharp or flat so as to return the note to its natural state, signifying that it is neither sharp nor flat. (ch1)

Flat sign

Sign used to indicate the note is lower (moved left) a semitone (Ch. 1).

treble clef

Symbol used to notate pitches that are to be played with the right hand or higher pitched instrument (ch1)

Fermata

Symbol used to show the note should be held longer than the normal note value. The duration is usually up to the musician's discretion (Ch. 2).

musical key

The "space" where the music occurs. (Ch5 and 6)

pitch

The attribute of a musical tone produced by the number of vibrations generating it. (ch1)

whole tone

The distance of pitch between two semitones, often referred to as a whole step (ch1)

whole step

The distance of pitch equal to two semitones, also referred to as a whole tone (ch1)

tonality

The chords grouped around and attracted by one central tonic chord, and thus appears as founded upon the relations of chord independent (in a measure) of key (ch10)

Key signature

The organization of flats and sharps shown at the beginning of the staff that indicates in which key the music is written (Ch. 2).

natural interval

The major and minor second intervals represented in the major and minor scales. (ch8)

compound meter

The meter in which each beat is characterized by a dotted note and can be subdivided by three. (ch 4 and bonus)

quarter note

The most common component of musical time in a piece of music, written with a filled-in note had and a stem either extending up or down from the note head. (ch2)

scale degree

The name or number of a note in a scale (ch7)

natural notes

The notes A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Natural notes repeat themselves in alphabetical order up and down the keyboard. On a keyboard or piano, the natural notes are the white keys. (ch1)

Interval quality

The number of semitones in between two pitches, which can be minor major, perfect, diminished, or augmented depending on the interval size (Ch. 8).

Interval size

The number of steps the interval contains represented on the staff (Ch. 8).

time signature

The numbers or signs placed on the staff to indicate the meter of the measures, which are made up of two notes written in a vertical stack that indicate which type of note serves as the beat and how many beats are in each measure. (ch2)

transposition

The process of rewriting notes at a higher or lower pitch, often involving a change in the key signature (ch7)

Key(musical key)

The series of tones forming any given major or minor scale, considered with special reference to their harmonic relations, particularly the relation of the other tones to the tonic, or key-note (Ch. 5). See scale (Ch. 5).

subtonic

The seventh scale degree, a whole step down from the octave tonic in the minor scale. (ch7)

Leading tone

The seventh scale degree; only one semitone down from the octave tonic in the major scale (Ch. 7).

semitone

The shortest distance between two notes, often referred to as a half step. (ch1)

Half step

The shortest distance between two notes. A half step is also known as a semitone (Ch. 1).

submediant

The sixth scale degree; the "lower median" of the scale falling in the very middle between the subdominant and higher tonic scale degrees (ch7)

Mediant

The third scale degree; the very middle note between the tonic and dominant scale degrees (Ch. 7).

close harmony

The three highest notes of a triad contained within a single octave. (ch11)

Open harmony

The three highest notes of a triad spread beyond the compass of an octave (ch11)

notate

To write music on the staff (ch5)

augmented triad

Triad built with the major third an the augmented fifth. (ch9)

Major triad

Triad built with the major third and the perfect fifth (Ch. 9).

Diminished triad

Triad built with the minor third and the diminished fifth (Ch. 9).

minor triad

Triad built with the minor third and the perfect fifth. (Ch9)

second inversion triad

Triad where the fifth of the triad is the lowest note (ch11)

Root position triad

Triad where the root of the triad is the lowest note (ch11)

First inversion triad

Triad where the third of the triad is the lowest note (Ch. 11).

Harmonic interval

Two notes played at the same time (Ch.8).

Enharmonic equivalents

Two notes that have the same pitch or tone but have different names (Ch. 1).

sixteenth note

Written with a filled in note head and a stem that includes two flags on its stem that are always written to the right of the stem. Two sixteenth notes make up a single eighth note (ch2)

Eighth note

Written with a filled in note head and a stem with a single flag always written to the right of the stem. Two eighth notes make up a quarter note (Ch. 2).

Half note

Written with an open note head and a stem either extending up or down from the open note head. Two quarter notes make up one half note (Ch. 2).

whole note

Written with an open note head that does not have a stem. Two half notes make up one whole note (ch2)

simple interval

interval in a diatonic scale with the distance of an octave or less (ch8)

rest

requires a specific time of silence using symbols that correspond to note values (ch2)

sharp sign

sign used to indicate the note is raised (moved right) a semitone (ch1)

bass clef

symbol used to notate pitches that are to be played with the left hand on a keyboard or on a lower pitched instrument. (ch1)

repeat

symbol used to signify a repetition of a musical phrases (ch2)