Music

Since Many Analogy Questions feature technical terms from Music , which even students with strong general vocabulary, may not be aware of, this chapter gives such a list of words for the benefit of all the students.

Alto: male voice from low to high pitch in that order

Anthem: highly emotional or dramatic song

Arabesque: short, ornamented composition for piano

Aria: a solo song in an opera

Bagatelle: a short, simple composition for piano

Ballad: a song narrating story

Bar: measure of a set t number of beats

Bass: male voice from low to high pitch in that order

Baritone: male voice from low to high pitch in that order

Baton: music conductors light rod

Bravura: impressive virtuoso performance

Cadenza: virtuoso passage at the end of a solo

Cantata: vocal composition with instrumental accompaniment

Canto: part of choral work with melody

Choir: a group of singers especially in church services

Chord: two or more notes sounded together

Chorus: organized group of singers singing in unison

Composer: person who creates and writes down musical composition

Concert: live performance of music before audience

Concerto: composition for a solo instrument

Conductor: leader of an orchestra

Contralto: female voice from low to high pitch in that order

Crescendo: gradual, steady increase in volume

Diminuendo: gradual, steady decrease in volume

Dirge: slow, mournful music for funeral

Ditty: simple. Often humorous song

Duet: composition for two instruments or two voices

Dulcet: melodious

Ensemble: several musicians who perform together

Evensong: music for evening prayer

Falsetto: artificial method of singing used by males to obtain notes above their normal vocal ranges

Fanfare: trumpet flourish at dramatic entrance

Finale: closing part of a composition

Fusion: combination of jazz and electric rock

Hymn: religious or sacred song

Interlude: brief musical passage between parts of a larger piece or drama

Jazz: major modern popular music form

Libretto: words or text of an opera

Lullaby: song sung to lull a child to sleep

Maestro: respected composer or conductor

Minim: half note

Monody: elegy or dirge sung by one person

Motif: recurring subject or theme

Notation: standardized system of characters or symbols used to represent musical composition

Octave: interval of eight diatonic tones

Octet: composition for eight instruments or eight voices

Opera: drama in which the text is entirely sung and acted to the accompaniment of orchestra

Operetta: light, romantic, comic opera

Orchestra: group of instrumentalists playing together

Overtone: acoustical frequency higher in frequency than the fundamentals

Overture: musical introduction to an opera or a ballet

Philharmonic: symphony orchestra

Pit: sunken area in front of a stage in which the orchestra sit

Pitch: frequency of tonal vibrations per second

Prelude: a musical introduction

Quartet: ensemble of four instruments of four singers

Rap: dance oriented pop music

Refrain: regularly occurring music figure

Reprise: repetition of a musical phrase

Requiem: composition for a funeral mass

Rhythm: relationship of successive notes

Scale: series of notes arranged in equal intervals

Solo: composition for single instrument of single voice

Sonata: composition for contrasting notes or keys

Soprano: female voice from low to high pitch in that order

Staccato: with abrupt, distinct break between notes

Strain: melody

Symphony: composition for an orchestra

Tenor: male voice from low to high pitch in that order

Threnody: dirge, a song of lamentation at funeral

Timbre: characteristic quality of sound produced by an instrument

Tonic: first note of a scale

Tremolo: prominent vocal vibrato

Trio: composition for three instruments or voices

Virtuoso: performer with great technical skills

Waltz: music for German dance

GRE : Analogy Words Index

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