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| ONLINE GLOSSARY |
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Total Number of Terms : 1069
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| Vago -- A directive to a musician to perform a certain passage in a vague, rambling manner; in a fashion that is uncertain in timing or expression |
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| Vamp -- Short passage with simple rhythm and harmony that introduces a soloist in a jazz performance
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| Variation -- A formal principle in which some aspects of the music are altered but the original is still recognizable; it falls between repetition and contrast
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| Varsovienne -- A French dance, named after the French word for "Warsaw" ("Varsovie "). It is in 3/4 time with a moderate tempo; the varsovienne originated in the 1850's and combined elements of the mazurka and the waltz |
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| Vaudeville -- Variety show with unrelated acts consisting of stand-up comedy, virtuoso intrumental and vocal performance, and song and dance acts |
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| Veloce -- A directive to a musician to perform a certain passage swiftly, with speed |
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| Verbunkos -- A Hungarian dance with elements of Gypsy violin playing and rhythm. It has several sections, each with a specific tempo |
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| Verbunkos -- A Hungarian dance with elements of Gypsy violin playing and rhythm. It has several sections, each with a specific tempo |
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| Verismo -- Operatic "realism", a style popular in Italy in the 1890s, which tried to bring naturalism into the lyric theater
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| Vers -- A style of troubadour song that has five to ten verses and one or two tornadas (verses of conclusion that are shorter than the rest and usually dedicatory) |
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| Verse -- In poetry, a group of lines constituting a unit. In liturgical music for the Catholic Church, a phrase from the Scriptures that alternates with the response |
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| Verse Anthem -- Anglican devotional composition for solo voices with a choral refrain. The verse anthem is similar to the Catholic motet |
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| Vespers -- One of the Divine Offices of the Roman Catholic Church, held at twilight |
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| Vibes -- (Or vibraphone). Similar to a xylophone but having metal bars and resonators that are driven by a motor. This motor helps to create vibrato sound. Played with mallets |
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| Vibraphone -- A percussion instrument with metal bars and electrically driven rotating propellers under each bar that produces a vibrato sound, much used in jazz |
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| Vibraslap -- An instrument of percussion used for sound effect. It is held in the hand or can be mounted. When the ball of the vibraslap is struck, it vibrates the metal teeth inside and makes a long rattling sound
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| Vibrato -- Small fluctuation of pitch used as an expressive device to intensify a sound
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| Vibrato -- The pulsating or vibrating element of some sounds that is produced by a full, resonant quality of tone. Vibrato is a very slight fluctuation of the pitch of a note; it was known as early as the 16th century, but until the 19th century it was used mainly as ornamentation. Since the 19th century, vibrato has been used almost constantly because of its enhancement of tone |
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| Vielle -- A Medieval a bowed stringed instrument of the upper classes, one of the ancestors of the violin. Also, a hurdy-gurdy |
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| Vif -- French tempo directive meaning lively as in "très vif" or very lively |
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| Vihuela -- A plucked stringed instrument of Spain popular in the 15th and 16th centuries. The vihuela was plucked like a guitar, but was of the viol family; it was tuned like a lute, but resembled the guitar in appearance |
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| Villanella -- A Renaissance polyphonic vocal form, usually with a simple tune in the top voice, and somewhat homophonic, regular rhythms in the lower voices. The villanella was popular especially in Italy, and retained its separate identity through concurrent evolution of the madrigal |
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| Villanelle -- A French term used in the 16th century for pastoral poems or songs. The term was later revived, and applied to compositions by composers such as Georg PhilippTelemann, Hector Berlioz, and Paul Dukas |
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| Viola -- The second highest pitched member of the violin family. The viol is similar to the violin in most respects, however, it is larger and is a fifth lower in range (whereas the violin has strings tuned to g, d', a', and e'', the viola has strings tuned to c, g, d', and a'). Thus, the range of the viola is from C below middle C to A an octave above the treble clef |
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| Violoncello -- Bowed-string instrument with a middle-to-low range and dark, rich sonority; lower than a viola |
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| Virelai -- Medieval and Renaissance fixed poetic form and chanson type with French courtly texts
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| Virtuoso -- Performer of extraordinary technical ability |
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| Virtuoso -- One who is extremely skilled at performing upon any certain instrument |
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| Vivace -- Direction to performer to play a composition in a brisk, lively, and spirited manner |
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| Vocal -- This term is used to refer to the voice as an instrument, or pertaining to the voice or music that is sung. For example, a piano/vocal score is sheet music with the piano part and voice part notated on the same score |
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| Vocalise -- A textless vocal melody, as in an exercise or concert piece |
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| Voice -- One of two or more parts in polyphonic music. Voice refers to instrumental parts as well as the singing voice |
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| Voice as an Instrument -- A practice of using a voice or a number of voices with an instrumental result rather than using the voice in the conventional sense. This practice is used in 20th century music and in new age music with a mysterious, soothing, beautiful effect |
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| Voice Leading -- Term used in America to refer to part-writing |
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| Voices -- The standard voice types, from highest to lowest, are: (female) soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto; (male) tenor, baritone and bass
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| Voicing -- Term referring to the adjustment of the sound-producing mechanisms in an instrument so that the tone, volume, attack, and timbre of the sound are given their desired quality |
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| Volte -- A court dance of the Renaissance originating in Province. The dance is characterized by three quarter turns, executed by jumps or by the male dancer lifting the lady dancer. The volte resembled the galliard and was in triple meter |
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| Volti Subito -- A musical directive to the performer to turn the page of music quickly |
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| Volume -- Degree of loudness or softness of a sound |
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| Voluntary -- A composition for organ usually to be performed in the context of a church service. The voluntary originated in the Renaissance, and could be either improvised or written out. Some voluntaries resembled fantasias, others were in a fugal style |
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| Vorspiel -- Prelude or introductory movement |
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