Tempo means speed. Ask yourself is the music fast medium
or slow? Also, does it remain steady or change. For example, lots of music slows
down at the end. Be careful however not to mix up tempo with dynamics or
articulation. Sometimes music can appear to be faster when it’s louder or more
staccato.
Useful terms
Lento – Very slow
Adagio – Slow
Andante – At a walking pace
Moderato – Moderately
Allegro – Lively
Vivace – Fast
Ritardando (rit.) gradually slower
Accelerando (accel.) gradually faster
Allargando (Broadening out)
or slow? Also, does it remain steady or change. For example, lots of music slows
down at the end. Be careful however not to mix up tempo with dynamics or
articulation. Sometimes music can appear to be faster when it’s louder or more
staccato.
Useful terms
Lento – Very slow
Adagio – Slow
Andante – At a walking pace
Moderato – Moderately
Allegro – Lively
Vivace – Fast
Ritardando (rit.) gradually slower
Accelerando (accel.) gradually faster
Allargando (Broadening out)
Dynamics means loud and soft. Dynamic changes are a feature of Art music (classical music) but not usually in Pop/Rock or Trad.
Useful terms
pp – Pianissimo – very soft
p – Piano – soft
mp – mezzo piano – moderately soft
mf – mezzo forte – moderately loud
f – Forte – loud
ff – Fortissimo – very loud
Crescendo (cresc.) – gradually louder
Diminuendo (dim.) – gradually softer
Useful terms
pp – Pianissimo – very soft
p – Piano – soft
mp – mezzo piano – moderately soft
mf – mezzo forte – moderately loud
f – Forte – loud
ff – Fortissimo – very loud
Crescendo (cresc.) – gradually louder
Diminuendo (dim.) – gradually softer
Articulation basically means legato (smooth or joined) or staccato (detached).
Very often there is a mixture of both. There can also be different degrees of staccato.
Some instruments will naturally be less legato than others. Brass for example have an
attack at the start of most notes making them slightly detached
Very often there is a mixture of both. There can also be different degrees of staccato.
Some instruments will naturally be less legato than others. Brass for example have an
attack at the start of most notes making them slightly detached
Pitch is concerned with the actual notes being played.
Step movement or scales passages is notes moving to the note next to it etc.
Leap is when notes are skipped, like when notes of a chord are used in a melody.
Range is the distance from the lowest note in a tune to the highest.
A Sequence is a pattern of notes which repeats, but each repeat starts at a different pitch.
Ostinato is a repeated musical idea. It doesn’t have to involve pitch but often does.
Step movement or scales passages is notes moving to the note next to it etc.
Leap is when notes are skipped, like when notes of a chord are used in a melody.
Range is the distance from the lowest note in a tune to the highest.
A Sequence is a pattern of notes which repeats, but each repeat starts at a different pitch.
Ostinato is a repeated musical idea. It doesn’t have to involve pitch but often does.