A214 - Musical definitions - C

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Musical definitions - 'C'
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Cadences

Definition: Cadence from the Latin cadere, to fall, can be defined as a logical ending to a phrase or movement based on certain accepted melodic and harmonic formulae

Cadences are the punctuation of music

See also: Pages on Cadences

Taken from: Unit 4, p.11 and Unit 8 p.31 and 37

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Canon

Definition: The canon is a musical genre where polyphony is created by having a single tune sung by several voices, which enter in turn in strict imitation

Examples: 'Three Blind Mice', 'Tallis's Canon', 'Pachelbel's Canon'

Taken from: Unit 4, p.7

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Cell

Definition: A particularly short motif, say of two or three notes, is sometimes called a cell.

Taken from: Unit 16, p.69

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Chord

Definition: A chord is produce when different pitches are sounded simultaneously.

See also: Pages on Chord cards and chord making

Taken from: Unit 5, p.39

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Chord notes

Definition: 'Chord I is held under the whole of these 2 bars, and that is possible because all the melody notes are found in I: C - E - G. We sometimes say that such a melody 'spells out' the chord, and logically, the E and the 2 Gs are called chord notes.

Chord notes occur when a melody moves up or down the notes of a chord.

Taken from: Unit 7, pp. 19 - 20

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Circle of fifths

Definition: if you start from C and go up by 5ths 12 times, you will eventually end up on another C, thus 'completing' the circle of fifths. When you move through the circle and extra sharp is needed for the leading-note of each new scale.

See also: Circle of fifths diagram

Taken from: Unit 6, p.75

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Clefs

Definition: from the Latin: Clavis. Clefs are placed at the beginning of staves to denote the pitch of a particular line and therefore the pitches of the other lines together with the spaces in between the lines. Three clefs are in current usage:

  • the treble clef, indicating the note G above middle C
  • the bass clef, indicating the note F below middle C
  • the C clef, indicating middle C itself

Taken from: Unit 3, p.57

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Cluster

Definition: Cluster is a group of three or more notes on adjacent lines and spaces

Taken from: Unit 14, p.9

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Coll' Ottava

Definition: As a time saver, the instruction coll' ottava (= with the octave) can be added to indicate that the lower octave is added to each individual note

Taken from: Unit 15, p.37

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Compound intervals

Definition: When an interval exceeds an octave it is called compound

Examples: Tenths are a third + an octave, Thirteenths are a sixth + an octave

Taken from: Unit 11, p.21

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Consequent

Definition: Consequent means resolution (or answer)

Further info: music moves to the tonic note

See also: Antecedent

Taken from: Unit 4, p.18

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Contrary motion

Definition: Contrary motion describes simultaneous movement in two parts where one rises and the other falls

...when adding a bass to a melody is to keep the two parts moving as far as possible in contrary motion, i.e. when the melody rises the bass falls and vice versa

Taken from: Unit 8, p.45 and Unit 11, p.21

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Counterpoint

Definition: independent strands, or 'parts' in the music... is a complex texture... there is a technical term for this sort of writing: this is counterpoint. The texture here can therefore be described as contrapuntal.

Taken from: Unit 9, p.10

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Definitions collated from those in the units of A214

Last updated: 21 May, 2004