Orchestra Semester Exam Review- Exam 1 7th Grade
Accent
(>) emphatic bow strokes
Clef Sign
(Bass Clef) located at the beginning of each line of music, the clef sign defines the letter names for the lines an spaces on the staff for your instrument. (F clef)
Pizzicato
(pizz.) pluck the string with the index finger of the right hand
Ritardando
(rit.) gradually getting slower
Accidentals
(♯,♮,♭) sharp, natural, and flat symbols for altering pitch
Tetrachord
4-note pattern of pitches that occurs in alphabetical order (up and down). For example, D-E-F#-G, G-F#-E-D
Staff
5 lines and 4 spaces, used for writing music
Caesura
a complete stop
Variation
altered melody
Spiccato
bouncing the bow near the balance point
Natural
cancels out a sharp or flat that is in the key signature, or a preceding sharp or flat in a measure
Détaché
change of bow direction
Slur
connecting different pitches on the same bow direction
Improvise
creating music spontaneously without using written notes
Minor Scale
eight notes using this pattern of whole and half steps (upwards): W-H-W-W-H-W-W
Major Scale
eight notes using this pattern of whole and half steps (upwards): W-W-H-W-W-W-H
Ledger Lines
extend the staff with small lines written above or below the staff
Repeat Sign
go back and play the section of music again
D.C al Fine
go back to the beginning, stop at Fine
Crescendo
gradually playing louder
Diminuendo
gradually playing softer
Martele
heavy bow strokes
Key Signature
identifies notes that are raised or lowered
Time Signature
indicates how many beats are in a measure (top number) and what kind of note gets one beat (bottom number)
Hooked Bowing
interrupted bow
Retake
lift the bow from the string and return to the frog on a circular motion
LH
lower half of bow
Flat
lowers a pitch by 1/2 step
Melody
main tune
Maestoso
majestically
Tie
marking that connects notes of the same pitch together without a break.
Mezzo
medium
Mezzo-forte
medium loud
Mezzo-piano
medium soft
Theme
melody
Syncopation
misplaced accent; emphasis is placed "off" the beat
Down Bow
moving bow from the frog to the tip
Up Bow
moving the bow from the tip to the frog
Shifting
moving the left hand to a new location on the fingerboard
Chromatic
moving up or down by half steps
Duet
music in two parts
Upbeat
note(s) that appear before the first barline. The upbeat is subtracted from the last measure of music
Arpeggio
notes of a chord played separately
Octave
pitch that is eight notes higher or lower and has the same letter
Harmony
pitches that accompany the melody or tune
Forte
play loudly, with a full sound
Piano
play softly
First ending
play this ending the first time through a piece
Second Ending
play this ending the second time
Legato
play with smooth bow strokes
Double Stop
playing two strings at the same time
Left-Hand Pizz.
pluck the string with the left hand
Bow Lanes
point of contact of the bow, near the bridge or near the fingerboard
Sharp
raises a pitch by 1/2 step
Tremolo
rapid bow changes on the same pitch
Glissando
sliding between pitches (use any finger)
Staccato
stopped bow stroke
Fermata
symbol indicating to hold a note longer
Dynamics
symbols indicating how loudly or softly to play
Scale
tetrachord + tetrachord. A scale begins and ends on the same letter
Interval
the distance between two notes
Harmonic
the pitch that is produced by lightly touching the string at the halfway point
Beat
the pulse of the music
Round
the same music starting at different times
Measure
the space between barlines
Triplet
three notes in one beat
Arco
to play using the bow
UH
upper half of bow
WB
whole bow
Con sordina
with mute