Musical Terms and Concepts

Front

Melody

Back

A sequence of notes that are perceived as a single entity. The TUNE!

Front

Anacrusis

Back

A note or sequence of notes that precedes the first downbeat in a bar. A 'pick-up'.

Front

Conjunct (stepwise)

Back

Melodic movement that proceeds by step from one note to the next.

Front

Disjunct (angular)

Back

Melodic movement that proceeds by leap, skipping notes in between.

Front

Arpeggio/broken chord

Back

A chord in which the notes are played successively rather than simultaneously.

Front

Scalic (ascending/descending)

Back

A sequence of notes in a specific order, either moving upwards (ascending) or downwards (descending).

Front

Low pitch

Back

A sound that is perceived as having a low frequency.

Front

High pitch

Back

A sound that is perceived as having a high frequency.

Front

Range

Back

The distance between the lowest and highest notes that can be sung or played.

Front

Sequence

Back

A repetition of a motif or longer melodic passage at a higher or lower pitch in the same voice.