Fourth Grade Music Vocabulary
Dotted half note -
A
note lasting three beats
Fa
-
A
long, long way to go; a half step above mi
Half
step -
The
smallest interval in Western music
Whole
step -
Two
half steps
Flat
-
A
symbol that lowers the note by half a step
Sharp
-
A
symbol that raises the note half a step
Natural
-
The
symbol that negates a flat or sharp
Key
signature-
Flats
or sharps at the
beginning
of the song that tell where
do
is
Slur
-
A
line connecting two notes of different pitches, indicating
there
is to be no articulation of the second pitch, but rather a
smooth
connection between the two
Ritardando
-
A
gradual slowing of the te
mpo
Accelerando
-
A
gradual increase of the tempo
Moderato
-
Medium
tempo
Meter
in 3 -
Beat
pattern in sets of threes (strong, weak, weak etc.)
Anacrusis
-
Internal:
a note (or notes) prior to the bar line or next phrase
within
a song to begin a musica
l
phrase. External: a note (or
notes)
prior to the bar line at the beginning of the song
Rondo
-
Form
in music where the A section recurs, normally after each
new
contrasting section (ABACADA..)
Theme
& Variation -
Form
in which the A section is changed a bit for each
subsequent
repetition (A A1A2A3...)
Interlude
-
New
music linking two sections of music in a longer piece
Duet
-
Performance
group consisting of two performers
Trio
-
Performance
group consisting of three performers
Quartet
-
Performance
group consisting of four performers
Ensemble
-
Performance
group containing more than one performer
Chorus/choir
-
A
fairly large group of singers who perform together, usually
singing
more than one part
Partner
song -
Two
or more songs which, having the same chord structure,
sound
pleasing when performed together
Countermelody
-
A
melody designed to compliment another melody when
performed
together, by creating polyphonic texture
Canon
-
A
round, often designed so that all parts end together, wherever they happen to
be in the song
Opera
-
A
play that is sung throughout
Musical
theatre -
A
play that is interspersed with songs that move the action
along
or provide insight into a character or situation
OPS MINI-SINGERS AUDITIONS
For students who were selected to audition for the OPS Mini-Singers Chorus: use the practice track below to help as you prepare for your audition!
Music Alone Shall Live Practice Track - YouTube