AB Form
Musical form consisting of two sections, A and B, which contrast with each other.

ABA Form
Musical form consisting of three sections, A, B, and A; two are the same and the middle one is different.

Accompaniment Patterns
A musical part that supports or partners a melody line and repeats.

Arrangement
Setting or adaptation of an existing musical composition.

Articulation
Characteristic way in which musical tones are connected, separated, or accented; types of articulation include legato (smooth, connected tone) and staccato (short, detached tones).

Beat
Underlying steady pulse present in most music.

Composition
Original piece of music that can be repeated, typically developed over time, and preserved either in notation or in a sound recording.

Dynamics
Level or range of loudness of sound.

Form
Element of music describing the overall organization of a piece of music, such as AB, ABA, theme and variations.

Harmonic Accompaniments
Supports the melody: two or more parts sung or played simultaneously.

Harmonic Phrases
A musical harmony connected by a series of phrases.

Harmonic Sequences
Series of two or more chords commonly used to support melody(ies).

Iconic Notation
Representation of sound and its treatment using lines, drawings, pictures.

Melodic Line
A succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; ascending or descending.

Melodic Patterns
 Grouping, generally brief, of tones or pitches.

Melodic Phrase
A melody connected by a series of phrases.

Melodies
A sequence of sounds (pitches) and silences moving through time; the horizontal structure of music.

Meter
Grouping of beats and divisions of beats in music.

Motif/Motives
Brief rhythmic/melodic pattern that recurs throughout a composition as a unifying element.

Phrase
Musical segment with a clear beginning and ending, comparable to a simple sentence or clause in written text.

Phrasing
Performance of musical phrase that uses expressive qualities such as dynamics, tempo, articulation, and timbre, to convey a thought, mood, or feeling.

Pitch
Identification of a tone or note with respect to highness or lowness (e.g., frequency).

Rhythmic Pattern
Grouping, generally brief, of long and short sounds and silences.

Rhythmic Phrases
A rhythm connected by a series of phrases.

Rhythm
Duration or length of sounds and silences that occur in music; organization of sounds and silences in time.

Simple Chord Changes
A combination of chords in a certain key that repeats.

Standard Notation
System for visually representing musical sound (e.g., traditional music staff notation).

Structure
Tonality of a musical work.

Style
Label for a type of music possessing distinguishing characteristics associated with its historical period, cultural context, and/or genre.

Tempo
Rate of speed of the beat in a musical work or performance.

Theme and Variation
Musical form in which a melody is presented and then followed by two or more sections presenting variations of that melody.

Timbre
Tone color or tone quality that distinguishes one sound source, instrument, or voice from another.

Tonality
Key tone around which a piece of music is centered.

Voice Quality
One color or tone quality that distinguishes one sound source, instrument, or voice from another.