Page 151 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: The Arts, 2010

notation. A way of indicating pitch and rhythm in written form; for example, standard notation, tablature, and percussion notation, as well as written forms of oral syllables, such as the syllables used in the Indian tabla tradition
and the Griot tradition of Africa.
notation software. A computer application used to compose, arrange, and publish musical compositions. Most notation software is able to receive information from, and send information to, a MIDI-capable keyboard or synthesizer.
note. A musical sound or the symbol used to write it down.
ostinato. A continuous repeated rhythmic or melodic pattern.
pentatonic scale. A musical scale of five pitches or notes (e.g., C–D–E–G–A). See also scale.
phrase. (1) A group of sounds that has a begin- ning, a middle, and an end. (2) A musical sentence that is both rhythmic and melodic (often four to eight measures long).
pitch. The element of music relating to the highness or lowness of a tone.
polyphony (polyphonic music). Music consisting of two or more melodic lines that are performed simultaneously. Also called counterpoint.
ragas. Melodic modes used in North and South Indian music.
repertoire. The accumulated portfolio of pieces that a performer or group of performers are able to play or sing.
rhythm. An aspect of the element called duration. The pattern of long and short sounds or silences. See also beat.
riff. A repeated pattern (e.g., a rhythmic pattern, a chord progression, or a melodic pattern) often used in jazz. It is often the basis of the accom- paniment in an improvisation.
rondo. A form of music in which the main theme alternates with contrasting themes. It often consists of five sections, of which the first, third, and fifth are the same or almost the same (ABACA or ABABA). See also form.
round. A piece for three or more voices or instruments in which each sings or plays the same melodic material but starts one after the other at a set point (e.g., “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”, “Frère Jacques”). It is a kind of canon.
scale. A series of notes that go up or down, often stepwise (e.g., C–D–E–F–G–A–B). Chords based on the notes of the scale are referred to with roman numerals. See also chord; chromatic scale; major scale; minor scales; modes; pentatonic scale.
section. A part of a larger composition that is longer than a phrase (e.g., an introduction, a verse, a chorus, a coda). Musical forms, such as binary and ternary, are built from smaller musical units called sections.
sequencer. A computer program that records music on one or many tracks.
sight reading. Singing or playing notated music that one has not seen before.
style. Characteristic use of the elements of music by musicians of particular traditions. Often refers to music of a specific historical period (e.g., baroque style). Knowledge of aspects of the style of a particular time or tradition is essential for proper interpretation and performance of works in that style.
symbols. Conventional marks, signs, or charac- ters indicating how to perform musical notes.
syncopation. The displacement of beats or accents so that emphasis is placed on weak beats rather than on strong beats.
tablature. A form of notation used for guitar and other plucked instruments, such as the lute. See also notation.
GLOSSARY
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