Chords
This is the word for a broken up chord.
Arpeggio
This is a non-chord tone that you PASS THROUGH on your way to the next chord tone.
Passing Tone
This is the most important note of the chord--the note the chord is built off of.
Root
This is when you see two notes, one on top of the other. The section is divided--half playing the top, half playing the bottom.
divisi
This is Italian for "EVERYBODY!"
Tutti
This is the proper name for the I chord.
Tonic
This is a non-chord tone that you step up or down to visit before returning back to the same note.
NEIGHBORING TONE
This is the MIDDLE note of the chord. It is only three notes away from the main note of the chord.
Third
This is when all of the notes appear in order, moving up or down in step-wise motion.
Scale
This is the plural of "solo" and means a group or section plays together.
Soli
This is the proper name of the five chord. It is important, because its job is to lead back to I.
Dominant
This is a Non-Chord Tone that is tied over the bar line into the next measure to create suspense.
Suspension
This is the top note of the chord. It is five notes away from the main note of the chord.
This is when AT LEAST THREE (3) notes are being played at the same time.
Chord
This means two people (or two different parts) play at the same time.
Duet
This is the proper name for the IV chord, and it means "below the five chord."
Subdominant
This is a Non-Chord Tone that you approach by skip, and leave by step.
Appoggiatura
Write the roman numeral for the FOUR chord.
IV
This is when everyone plays the SAME THING.
Unison
This is when two or more groups, play the SAME thing, but start at DIFFERENT TIMES.
Round or Canon
This is the term we use to describe when a piece of music is written with chords repeating in a certain pattern.
Chord Progression
What is the word for a note, ANY NOTE, that exists outside the given chord?
Non-Chord tone.
This is the proper name for the words we use when singing our scales and arpeggios. (Hint: we sometimes use this in our warm-up instead of scale degrees).
Solfege
This is the proper name for the roman numerals we use to label the chords in a piece of music.
Chord Symbols
This is when one person plays by themself