---
tags:
  - music
---
# music

## jargon

| Music Jargon      | Definition                                                                                                                      |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Sharp (#)         | A symbol that raises the pitch of a note by a half step                                                                         |
| Flat (b)          | A symbol that lowers the pitch of a note by a half step                                                                         |
| Key Signature     | A set of sharps or flats at the beginning of a staff that indicates the key of the piece                                        |
| Time Signature    | A symbol at the beginning of a staff that indicates the number of beats per measure and the type of note that receives one beat |
| Chord Progression | A series of chords played in a specific order, often used as the harmonic foundation of a piece                                 |
| Melody            | A sequence of single notes played in succession that forms a musical phrase                                                     |
| Harmony           | The simultaneous sounding of two or more notes to create chords and chord progressions                                          |
| Rhythm            | The pattern of sound and silence in a piece of music                                                                            |
| Dynamics          | The variation of loudness and softness in a musical piece                                                                       |
| Tempo             | The speed or pace of a piece of music                                                                                           |
| Timbre            | The quality of sound that distinguishes one instrument or voice from another                                                    |
| Crescendo         | A gradual increase in volume                                                                                                    |
| Decrescendo       | A gradual decrease in volume                                                                                                    |
| Legato            | A style of playing where notes are smoothly connected                                                                           |
| Staccato          | A style of playing where notes are played short and detached                                                                    |
| Arpeggio          | A chord where the notes are played in a sequence rather than simultaneously                                                     |

## composition

| Composition Technique       | Description                                                                                                                            |
| --------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Counterpoint                | The technique of combining two or more melodic lines in a musical composition                                                          |
| Harmony                     | The technique of combining two or more different pitches simultaneously to create chords or chord progressions                         |
| Form                        | The overall structure or organization of a musical composition, such as sonata form or rondo form                                      |
| Orchestration               | The technique of arranging musical works for different instruments or voices                                                           |
| Musical Analysis            | The process of breaking down a musical work into its constituent parts to better understand its structure, harmony, and other elements |
| Motivic Development         | The technique of taking a small musical motif or theme and developing it throughout a musical work                                     |
| Modulation                  | The technique of changing the key or tonal center of a musical composition                                                             |
| Variation                   | The technique of modifying a musical theme or motif to create a new version of the original                                            |
| Improvisation               | The technique of creating or performing music spontaneously without prior preparation                                                  |
| Electronic Music Production | The technique of creating and manipulating sounds using electronic devices and software                                                |

| Counterpoint Technique        | Description                                                                                                                                 |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Species Counterpoint          | A technique of composing counterpoint by following specific rules for each species or type, such as note durations and rhythmic patterns    |
| Fugue                         | A technique of composing counterpoint where a main theme, or subject, is introduced in one voice and then imitated by other voices          |
| Canon                         | A technique of composing counterpoint where a musical line is imitated exactly by one or more other voices at a fixed time interval         |
| Invertible Counterpoint       | A technique of composing counterpoint where two or more musical lines can be exchanged, with one line taking the role of the other          |
| Double Counterpoint           | A technique of composing counterpoint where two musical lines can be exchanged or inverted, while maintaining the same harmonic intervals   |
| Triple Counterpoint           | A technique of composing counterpoint where three musical lines can be exchanged or inverted, while maintaining the same harmonic intervals |
| Counterpoint with Pedal Point | A technique of composing counterpoint where a sustained note or chord is held in one voice while other voices create counterpoint above it  |
| Counterpoint with Sequence    | A technique of composing counterpoint where a melodic pattern is repeated at different pitch levels                                         |
| Counterpoint with Fughetta    | A technique of composing counterpoint where a shorter fugue-like section is included within a larger musical work                           |
| Counterpoint with Retrograde  | A technique of composing counterpoint where a musical line is played in reverse order                                                       |

| Harmony Technique      | Description                                                                                                                 |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Chord Progression      | The technique of creating a sequence of chords that provide a sense of harmonic movement                                    |
| Harmonic Rhythm        | The technique of varying the rate or speed of chord changes in a musical composition                                        |
| Non-functional Harmony | The technique of using chords that do not fit into traditional harmonic progressions or follow standard voice-leading rules |
| Modal Interchange      | The technique of borrowing chords from a parallel key or mode to create new harmonic possibilities                          |
| Extended Chords        | The technique of adding additional notes to chords beyond the traditional triad, such as seventh chords or ninth chords     |
| Secondary Dominants    | The technique of using dominant chords to lead to chords other than the tonic                                               |
| Chromatic Harmony      | The technique of using chords or notes that are outside of the composition's key or mode                                    |
| Polychords             | The technique of layering two or more different chords on top of each other to create new harmonic colors                   |
| Quartal Harmony        | The technique of building chords with intervals of fourths instead of thirds, creating a more open and modern sound         |
| Tone Clusters          | The technique of playing multiple adjacent notes or chords at the same time to create a dense, dissonant texture            |

| Form Technique        | Description                                                                                                                              |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Binary Form           | A musical form consisting of two main sections, often labeled A and B, with each section usually repeated                                |
| Ternary Form          | A musical form consisting of three main sections, often labeled ABA, with the A section repeated                                         |
| Sonata Form           | A musical form consisting of three main sections: exposition, development, and recapitulation                                            |
| Rondo Form            | A musical form where a recurring main theme alternates with contrasting sections, often labeled ABACADA                                  |
| Theme and Variations  | A musical form where a theme is presented and then followed by a series of variations, each of which changes some aspect of the original |
| Fugue Form            | A musical form where a main theme is introduced in one voice and then imitated by other voices                                           |
| Ground Bass           | A musical form where a repeating bassline is used as the foundation for the entire composition                                           |
| Chaconne              | A musical form where a repeating chord progression is used as the foundation for the entire composition                                  |
| Passacaglia           | A musical form where a repeating melodic pattern is used as the foundation for the entire composition                                    |
| Through-composed Form | A musical form where each section of the composition is unique and not based on any repeating patterns or structures                     |

| Orchestration Technique | Description                                                                                                                      |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Doubling                | The technique of using multiple instruments to play the same melody or harmony                                                   |
| Divisi                  | The technique of dividing a section of instruments into two or more smaller sections, creating a richer and more complex texture |
| Tutti                   | The technique of having the entire ensemble play together, creating a powerful and dramatic sound                                |
| Solo                    | The technique of featuring a single instrument or small group of instruments in a prominent and expressive manner                |
| Pizzicato               | The technique of plucking the strings of a stringed instrument instead of using a bow, creating a percussive and rhythmic sound  |
| Arco                    | The technique of playing a stringed instrument with a bow, creating a sustained and smooth sound                                 |
| Tremolo                 | The technique of rapidly repeating a note or chord on a stringed instrument with a bow, creating a shimmering and intense effect |
| Glissando               | The technique of sliding smoothly between two notes on a stringed instrument, creating a swooping and expressive effect          |
| Mute                    | The technique of using a device to dampen or muffle the sound of an instrument, creating a softer and more muted tone            |
| Orchestral Color        | The technique of blending and contrasting different instrument timbres to create a diverse and dynamic sound palette             |

| Motivic Development Technique | Description                                                                                         |
| ----------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Repetition                    | The technique of repeating a musical motif exactly                                                  |
| Sequence                      | The technique of repeating a musical motif at a different pitch level                               |
| Transposition                 | The technique of repeating a musical motif at a different pitch level                               |
| Inversion                     | The technique of playing a musical motif upside down                                                |
| Retrograde                    | The technique of playing a musical motif backwards                                                  |
| Augmentation                  | The technique of lengthening the duration of the notes in a musical motif                           |
| Diminution                    | The technique of shortening the duration of the notes in a musical motif                            |
| Fragmentation                 | The technique of breaking up a musical motif into smaller fragments                                 |
| Combination                   | The technique of combining multiple motifs into a larger musical idea                               |
| Development by Contrast       | The technique of varying a musical motif by changing its rhythm, harmony, or other musical elements |

| Modulation Technique                    | Description                                                                                                                             |
| --------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Common Chord Modulation                 | The technique of modulating to a new key by using a chord that is common to both keys                                                   |
| Pivot Chord Modulation                  | The technique of modulating to a new key by using a chord that functions in both the original key and the new key                       |
| Chromatic Modulation                    | The technique of modulating to a new key by using chromatic chords or chromatic scales                                                  |
| Enharmonic Modulation                   | The technique of modulating to a new key by using chords or scales that are spelled differently but sound the same                      |
| Circle of Fifths Modulation             | The technique of modulating to a new key by moving up or down a fifth or fourth from the original key                                   |
| Phrase Modulation                       | The technique of modulating to a new key at the end of a musical phrase                                                                 |
| Modulation by Change of Mode            | The technique of modulating to a new key by changing from major to minor or vice versa                                                  |
| Modulation by Change of Texture         | The technique of modulating to a new key by changing the texture of the music, such as moving from a homophonic to a polyphonic texture |
| Modulation by Change of Instrumentation | The technique of modulating to a new key by changing the instrumentation of the music, such as adding or removing instruments           |
| Modulation by Change of Dynamics        | The technique of modulating to a new key by changing the dynamics of the music, such as moving from a soft to a loud passage            |

| Variation Technique | Description                                                              |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Repetition          | The technique of repeating a musical idea exactly                        |
| Sequence            | The technique of repeating a musical idea at a different pitch level     |
| Transposition       | The technique of repeating a musical idea at a different pitch level     |
| Inversion           | The technique of playing a musical idea upside down                      |
| Retrograde          | The technique of playing a musical idea backwards                        |
| Augmentation        | The technique of lengthening the duration of the notes in a musical idea |
| Diminution          | The technique of shortening the duration of the notes in a musical idea  |
| Ornamentation       | The technique of adding decorative embellishments to a musical idea      |
| Harmonic Variation  | The technique of varying a musical idea by changing its harmony          |
| Rhythmic Variation  | The technique of varying a musical idea by changing its rhythm           |
| Melodic Variation   | The technique of varying a musical idea by changing its melody           |
| Timbral Variation   | The technique of varying a musical idea by changing its timbre           |
| Textural Variation  | The technique of varying a musical idea by changing its texture          |

| Improvisation Technique      | Description                                                                                                  |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Chord Tone Soloing           | The technique of improvising a solo by emphasizing the chord tones of the underlying harmony                 |
| Scale-Based Improvisation    | The technique of improvising a solo using a particular scale or mode                                         |
| Arpeggio-Based Improvisation | The technique of improvising a solo using arpeggios that outline the underlying harmony                      |
| Modal Improvisation          | The technique of improvising a solo using modes rather than traditional major or minor scales                |
| Free Improvisation           | The technique of improvising a solo without any preconceived ideas or harmonic structure                     |
| Call and Response            | The technique of improvising a solo by alternating between a "call" phrase and a "response" phrase           |
| Motivic Development          | The technique of improvising a solo by developing a short melodic idea throughout the course of the solo     |
| Harmonic Improvisation       | The technique of improvising a solo by manipulating the harmony, such as adding or substituting chords       |
| Blues-Based Improvisation    | The technique of improvising a solo using the blues scale and other typical blues phrasing                   |
| Double-Time Soloing          | The technique of improvising a solo by playing twice as many notes at twice the tempo                        |
| Outside Playing              | The technique of improvising a solo by intentionally playing notes outside of the underlying harmony         |
| Intervallic Soloing          | The technique of improvising a solo by using unusual or unexpected intervals between notes                   |
| Pedal Point Soloing          | The technique of improvising a solo by repeating a single note or pitch while changing the harmony around it |

| Electronic Music Production Technique | Description                                                                                                                   |
| ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Synthesis                             | The technique of creating sounds electronically using oscillators, filters, and other modules                                 |
| Sampling                              | The technique of recording and manipulating pre-existing sounds or music clips                                                |
| Sound Design                          | The technique of creating or modifying sounds to fit a specific musical context                                               |
| Arrangement                           | The technique of organizing musical elements to create a complete composition                                                 |
| Mixing                                | The technique of balancing and blending multiple audio tracks or sources                                                      |
| Equalization                          | The technique of adjusting the frequency content of an audio signal                                                           |
| Compression                           | The technique of reducing the dynamic range of an audio signal                                                                |
| Reverb                                | The technique of adding simulated room or space acoustics to a sound or mix                                                   |
| Delay                                 | The technique of creating a repeat or echo effect of a sound                                                                  |
| Modulation                            | The technique of using effects like chorus, flanger, or phaser to create movement or interest in a sound                      |
| Automation                            | The technique of programming changes to various parameters over time, such as volume or filter cutoff                         |
| Sidechain Compression                 | The technique of using one audio source to control the volume of another, often used for creating a pumping effect            |
| Sampling and Granular Synthesis       | The technique of manipulating samples by dividing them into small pieces called grains, then processing and reassembling them |
| Vocal Processing                      | The technique of manipulating and processing recorded vocal performances, such as pitch correction or vocoding                |
| Max/MSP Programming                   | The technique of using the Max/MSP visual programming language to create custom software instruments or effects               |
