Theory Vocabulary List Grade 9
Accelerando: Increasing the tempo gradually
Accidental: A chromatic sign used in front of a note to change the note from what the key signature requires or from what has occurred previously in the measure
Ad Libitum: Freedom to improvise or vary the tempo
Adagio: A slow tempo
Andante: A walking tempo
al Fine: Play to the point marked fine; the end
Allegro: A fast tempo
Alto: In four-part harmony, the second highest voice
Animato: Animated, lively
Aria: A composition for solo voice from an opera or oratorio, and must be accompanied
Arpeggio: A chord whose pitches are sounded in succession, harp-like
Asymmetrical Meter: A meter which is a combination of an even and odd simple meter
Augmented Interval: A perfect or major interval that has been increased by a half step
Augmented Triad: A triad built with two major thirds
Bass: In four-part harmony, the lowest voice
Binary Form: A piece that has two sections: sections A and B
Cadence: A two-chord progression at the end of a phrase or a section in the music
Cantabile: In a singing style
Chord: Three or more tones sounding together
Chromatic Half Step: A half step using the same letter name (C-C#)
Chromatic Sign: The group name for sharps, double sharps, flats, double flats, and naturals
Compound Meter: A meter in which the beat can be divided into groups of three
Con Moto: With motion
Consonant: The mixing of sounds that blend together
Crescendo: Increasing in volume
Da Capo: A term to indicate a repeat from the beginning of the piece
Dal Segno: A term to indicate a repeat from the given sign
Decrescendo and Diminuendo: Decreasing in volume
Diatonic Half Step: A half step using two letter names; a minor second (C-Db)
Diminished Interval: A perfect or minor interval that has been decreased by a half step
Diminished Triad: A triad built with two minor thirds
Dissonant: The mixing of sounds that do not blend together
Dolce: Sweetly
Dominant: The fifth note of a scale, scale degree five, the fifth note above tonic
Dominant Triad: A triad built on the dominant/scale degree five
Double Flat: A chromatic sign that lowers a tone two half steps
Double Sharp: A chromatic sign that raises a tone two half steps
Enharmonic spelling: Using more than one spelling for the same pitch (C#-Db)
First Inversion Triad: A triad with its third as its lowest pitch
Fortissimo: Very loud
Half Cadence: Any cadence which ends on the dominant (V) triad
Half Step: The distance on the keyboard from one key to the very next key
Harmonic Interval: Two tones played or sung at the same time
Harmonic Minor Scale: A minor scale that raises scale degree 7 a half step
Imperfect Authentic Cadence: Any authentic cadence (V-I) which does not have the root in the bass on both chords and the soprano voice of the I chord is not tonic
Interval: The distance in pitch between two tones
Key Signature: Placement of sharps or flats at the beginning of each line of music indicating which notes are to be raised or lowered in performance of the music
Ledger Line: Lines above or below the five-line staff, to extend the staff
Legato: Play in a smooth and connected manner
Lento: A slow tempo
Major Interval: The set of intervals in the major scale, using scale degrees 1-2 (Major 2nd), 1-3 (Major 3rd), 1-6 (Major 6th), or 1-7 (Major 7th)
Major Scale: A scale made up of whole and half steps used in ascending order:
W W H W W W H
Major Third: An interval that has four half steps, and is spelled as a skip (C-E)
Major Triad: A triad with a major 3rd (four half steps) between the root and third of the chord and a minor 3rd (three half steps) between the third and fifth of the chord
Marcato: Marked, emphasized
Melodic Interval: The distance between two tones played or sung in succession
Melodic Minor Scale: A minor scale that raises degrees 6 and 7 when ascending to tonic, and uses the natural minor when descending
Melody: An organized group of tones, heard one at a time, which is divided into phrases; a tune
Meter: The organizing patterns of stronger and weaker beats
Mezzo Forte: Moderately loud
Mezzo Piano: Moderately soft
Minor Third: An interval that has three half steps, and is spelled as a skip (C-Eb)
Minor Triad: A triad that has a minor 3rd (three half steps) between the root and the third of the chord and a major 3rd (four half steps) between the third and the fifth of the chord
Moderato: A tempo a little faster than Andante
Motive/Motif: A repeated rhythmic or melodic idea, usually short and very distinctive
Names of Scale Degrees: Tonic (1), Supertonic (2), Mediant (3), Subdominant (4), Dominant (5), Submediant (6), Leading Tone/Subtonic (7)
Natural: A chromatic sign that cancels a sharp or flat
Natural (or Pure) Minor Scale: A scale made up of whole steps and half steps used in ascending order: W H W W H W W
Octave: An interval of two notes with the same letter name, but are eight steps (twelve half steps) apart
Ornament: A note or notes added to a melody to decorate or embellish the music
Parallel Keys: Major and minor keys that have the same tonic (keynote)
Pentatonic Scale: A scale that has only five pitches
Perfect Authentic Cadence: An authentic cadence (V-I) which has the root of both chords in the bass and tonic in the soprano of the I chord
Perfect Interval: The set of intervals in the major scale, using scale degrees 1-1 (Per. Unison), 1-4 (Per. 4th), 1-5 (Per. 5th), 1-8 (Per. Octave)
Phrase: Part of a melody which pauses or ends with a cadence
Pianissimo: Very soft
Piu Mosso: More motion; quicker
Poco a Poco: Little by little
Prelude: A smaller composition that is usually followed by a larger composition, in the same key.
Primary Triads: The triads built on tonic, subdominant, and dominant
Rallentando: Slowing the tempo
Relative Keys: Major and minor keys that share the same key signature
Root Position Triad: A triad with its root as the lowest pitch
Scale Degree: An Arabic number given to each note of the ascending scale
Second Inversion Triad: A triad with its fifth as the lowest pitch
Semplice: To play simply; without ornament
Sempre: Always
Simple Meter: A meter in which the beat can be subdivided into groups of two
Soprano: In four-part harmony, the highest voice
Subdominant: The fourth note of the scale, scale degree four, a fifth below tonic
Subdominant Triad: A triad built on scale degree four
Subito: Suddenly
Suite: A collection or set of pieces that are related to one another in some way
Syncopation: A rhythmic beat that does not follow the written pulse or meter; an off-beat
Tempo: The speed of steady beats, moving in time
Tenor: In four-part harmony, the third highest voice
Ternary Form: A piece that has three parts: sections A, B, and A
Theme and Variation: A piece that states a musical idea in the opening section and then alters it, usually rhythmically
Time Signature: Two numbers, one on top of the other, that indicate the number of beats in each measure and the type of note that receives one beat
Tonic: The first note of a scale, scale degree one, sometimes called a keynote
Tonic Triad: A triad built on the tonic/scale degree one
Transposition: To move music (melodic or chordal) to a different pitch level, keeping the pattern exactly the same
Triad: A three-note chord built of thirds
Triad Root: The note upon which a triad is built; the name of the triad
Triad Fifth: The highest pitch of a triad (a fifth above the root)
Triad Third: The middle pitch of a triad (a third above the root)
Unison: An interval that repeats the very same pitch
Whole Step: A combination of two half steps
Whole Tone Scale: A six-tone scale built only of whole steps
From the TMTA SA Theory Syllabus and Student Manual