Addends – the numbers added together in an addition problem
Composer – a person who writes music
Composition – A piece of music
Consonance – a synonym for harmony. A blend of pleasing sounds.
Cycle – in a wave, the distance from one point on the wave to the next corresponding point; from one valley to the next (7-8)
Dissonance – if two sounds do not sound pleasant when heard together. Unpleasant combinations of sound.
Frequency – the number of times something happens in a given time period. In areas of science, the number of wave cycles in a given period of time, usually seconds. OR the number of times a motion repeats in a unit of time. In music, its the number of vibrations per second of a string or air column. (7-8)
Harmony – Sounds that fit together. It is a combination of tones that we hear simultaneously, all of which blend into a pleasing sensation.
Measure – the pace between 2 bars on a musical staff (5-8)
Melody – and arrangement of musical notes. Also referred to as a theme that is simple and easily sung.
Musical notation – a special language to write music. The notes used are like letters and numbers we use to write in the English language. Octaves – groups of 12 tones
Period – The time that is required for a vibration to repeat a single time. The period is the reciprocal of the frequency. For example, if the frequency is 6 hertz or 6 times a sec, it has a period of ⅙ of a second. (7-8)
Pitch – how high or low a sound is. It is a sensation produced in the brain of highness or lowness of a sound. Notes at the right end of a piano have high pitch and notes at the low end have low pitch.
Rest – A period of silence in a piece of music
Rhythm – the pattern of sounds in a piece of music. The time signature and the temp help create the pattern of sounds. Also known as a beat.
Scale – a musical structure that organizes sounds into a form that allows us to select sequences of notes to produce songs.
Staff – the 5 lines and 4 spaces on which music is written.
Theme – if the sequence of notes is pleasing, it is usually repeated or varied.
Time signature – numbers (displayed at the beginning of a musical composition) that tell us the number of beats in each measure and the type of note that gets 1 beat.
Tempo – the speed at which a piece of music is played– also known as the pace of a song
Vibration – a shaking. When something vibrates, it repeats the same motion over and over. It may do this many times a minute or many times a second. (5-8)Wave – an undulating form made up of peaks (crests) and valleys (troughs) (7-8)