Building Blocks of Music
Time
Italian Terms
Vocal technique
Dynamics and Phrasing
100

This is the definition of Beat.

What is the steady underlying pulse within a piece of music?

100
These are the meanings of the top and bottom numbers in a time signature.

What is: the top number is the number of beats per measure, and the bottom number indicates which note value equals a beat?

100

This is the meaning of "poco a poco."

What is little by little?

100

This is how you properly sing the two vowels in diphthongs.

What is: Remain singing the first vowel as long as possible.

100

The degrees of music's intensity are called this:

What are Dynamics?

200

This is the definition of Tempo.

What is the Italian word for "time?" It tells us the speed of the beat.

200

The first beat in each measure is called this.

What is a downbeat?

200

This is the difference between legato and staccato.

What is: legato is smooth and connected, whereas staccato is short and detached?

200

Singers have different singing registers separated by breaks where their larynx switches muscle groups to produce higher or lower sounds. The lowest is chest voice, followed by mix, and the highest is this:

What is head voice?
200

These are the letters that make up the sforzando symbol?

what are sfz?
300

This is the definition of "note."

What is a symbol that tells you to make sound?

300

This symbol indicates to cut off and don't continue playing or singing until the conductor gives a cue. 

What is a caesura/grand pause?

300

Translate this direction: "subito piano"

What is "suddenly soft?"

300

This means to separate syllables or notes with an "h" sound.

What is aspiration.

300

Rank the dynamic levels from softest to loudest, starting with pianissimo.

What are pianissimo, piano, mezzo piano, mezzo forte, forte, fortissimo?

400
This is the definition of "rest."

What is the symbol that tells you to be silent?

400

This is the correct order of the following tempo markings from fastest to slowest.

-Andante

-Allegro

-Adagio

-Presto

-Moderato

What is Presto, Allegro, Moderato, Andante, Adagio?

400

A horizontal line directly above a note tells us to hold the note to its full value for emphasis. This is the name of this symbol.

What is tenuto?

400

An attack/onset is this:

What is the first component of a note or sound?
400
The purpose of shaping a phrase with crescendos and decrescendos is:

What is to create phrasing, or an expressive flow in your performance?

500

This is the definition of rhythm.

What is the pattern of sounds and silences created by the notes in your music?

500

This is what you do when you see a duplet in music.

What is: divide a beat that's usually divided by three into two?

500

Translate this direction into Italian: "get much slower"

What is "molto ritardando/rallentando?"

500

Seeing a > symbol above a note means this:

What is to "accent" the note, or give it added emphasis?

500

Translate: Fortississississississimo.

What is very very very very very very loud?

M
e
n
u