Music Concepts and Terminology

Front

Tone color in music is sometimes called timbre.

Back

Timbre refers to the quality or color of a musical sound.

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The softest musical dynamic marking is pianissimo.

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Pianissimo indicates a very soft volume in music.

Front

The accidental that raises a note’s pitch by one half-step is called a sharp.

Back

A sharp is used to increase the pitch of a note by a half step.

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Gospel is a musical genre that is secular rather than sacred.

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Gospel music often conveys messages of hope and inspiration.

Front

John Philip Sousa is most famous for composing marches.

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Sousa is known as the 'March King' for his military marches.

Front

A guiro is a percussion instrument that is not a kind of drum.

Back

The guiro is played by scraping a stick along its notched surface.

Front

A balalaika is a Russian folk instrument with a triangular body and three strings.

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The balalaika is traditionally used in Russian folk music.

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Australian Aboriginal musicians use circular breathing to play a long wooden trumpet called a didgeridoo.

Back

Didgeridoo is a traditional wind instrument.

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George Frideric Handel wrote Baroque works like Water Music and Royal Fireworks Music after immigrating from Germany to England.

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Handel is known for his contributions to Baroque music.

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is associated with the character Figaro.

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Figaro is a character from Mozart's opera.