Accent: A musical event that stands out from its neighbours because of a change in one or more musical elements. The most common sources of accent are intensity (the event is louder), duration (longer), density (the event contains more parts), or pitch (higher or lower).
Arpeggio: A chord whose pitches are performed one after the other instead of simultaneously. Also called a broken chord.
Bar: A consistent grouping of beats. A waltz has measure containing three beats; a march has measure with two beats. Also called a measure.
Backbeat: A percussive accent occurring regularly on the second beat – 1-2, 1-2 (in a two-beat rhythm), or 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4 (in a four-beat rhythm).
Beat: (1) The rhythmic quality of a piece of music that invites a physical response (“that song has a good beat”). (2) The (usually) regular marking of time at walking/dancing/moving speed (usually between 72 and 144 beats per minute). (3) The rhythmic foundation of a style of substyle, distinguished by the consistent use of regular rhythms and rhythmic patterns; a two-beat, a rock beat, a shuffle beat.
Chorus: (1) A large singing group. (2) In verse/chorus and rock songs, that part of a song in which both melody and lyrics are repeated. (3) In blues and Tin Pan Alley songs, one statement of the melody. Also called a refrain.
Chord Progression: A sequence of chords. Many of the chord progressions in popular music follow well-used patterns, such as the chord progressions for “Heart and Soul” and “La Bamba.”
Chords: A group of pitches considered as a single unit. The notes of a chord may be played simultaneously, or they may be played in a series as an arpeggio.
Duration: The length in time of a musical event.
Dynamics: Levels or changes in intensity. The dynamic level of a Ramones song is very loud.
Form: The organization of a musical work in time.
Four-beat Rhythm: A rhythmic foundation in which each beat receives equal emphasis; the common rhythmic basis for jazz.
Genre: Stylistic category.
Harmony: Chords and the study of chord progressions.
Inflection: Moment-to-moment changes in dynamic level. Aretha Franklin sings in a highly inflected style.
Instrumentation: Literally, the instruments chosen to perform a particular score; broadly, the instrumental and vocal accompaniment for a recording.
Intensity: The degree of loudness of a musical sound.
Mainstream: Prevailing styles (the most popular styles of the time).
Measure: A consistent grouping of beats. A waltz has measure containing three beats; a march has measure with two beats. Also called a bar.
Melody: The most musically interesting part of a musical texture. The melody is typically distinguished from other parts by the interest and individuality of its contour and rhythm.
Performance style: The way musicians sing and play their instruments.
Popular Music: Music that appeals to a mass audience, is intended to have wide appeal, and has a sound and a style distinct from classical or folk (ie. culturally traditional) music.
Refrain: (1) A large singing group. (2) In verse/chorus and rock songs, that part of a song in which both melody and lyrics are repeated. (3) In blues and Tin Pan Alley songs, one statement of the melody. Also called a chorus.
Riffs: A short, rhythmically interesting, melodic idea.
Rhythm: The time dimension of music. The cumulative result of musical events as they happen over time.
Rhythm Section: The part of a musical group that supplies the rhythmic and harmonic foundation of a performance. Usually includes at least one chord instrument (guitar, piano, or keyboard), a bass instrument, and a percussion instrument (typically the drum set).
Style: The set of those common features found in the music of a time, place, culture, or individual.
Style Beats: A distinctive beat which is associated with the music of a particular era.
Syncopation: Accents that come between the beats of a regular rhythm, rather than with them.
Tempo: The speed of the beat.
Texture: The relationship of the parts in a musical performance.
Timbre: The distinctive tone quality of a voice or an instrument.
Twelve-bar Blues Form: The most widely used form for one chorus of a blues song. It is defined principally by its chord progression, which features I, IV, and V in a consistent pattern over twelve bars: I(1), I(3) / IV(5), I (7) / V(9), I(11). The 12-bar blues form is used in both vocal and instrumental songs. In sung 12-bar bloes songs, the typical lyric is a rhymed couplet, with the first line repeated.
Two-beat Rhythm: The division of the measure into two primary beats or accents; the rhythmic basis of the fox trot and other early syncopated instrumental styles.
Verse/Chorus Form: The most popular song form of the late nineteenth century. The verse tells a story in several stages (this section is strophic, i.e., different words are set to the same melody), whereas the chorus, which comes at the end of each verse, repeats both words and melody to reinforce the main message of the song. In early verse/chorus songs, the chorus was often sung by a small group, usually a quartet.