composition
[noun]
the act or process of creating written works, such as essays, poems, or music
Ex:
Essential Vocabulary for the GRE - The World of Music
Here you will learn some English words about music, such as "acoustic", "duet", "measure", etc. that are needed for the GRE exam.
review
flashcard
spelling
quiz
ballad
[noun]
a tale that is narrated in the form of a song or poem
Ex:
The
folk
singer-songwriter
wrote
a
new
ballad
about
the
struggles
of
ordinary
people
in
modern
society
.
adagio
[noun]
a movement or composition intended to be played at a slow tempo
Ex:
The
composer
's
adagio
was
known
for
its
delicate
melodies
and
emotional
depth
.
instrumental
[adjective]
(of music) made only by instruments and without vocals
Ex:
The
instrumental
version
of
the
song
allowed
listeners
to
appreciate
the
intricate
arrangements
.
acoustic
[adjective]
(of a musical instrument) making a sound that is natural, not amplified
Ex:
He
enjoyed
the
acoustic
performance
in
the
intimate
setting
of
the
coffee shop
.
harmonic
[adjective]
having blended sounds or tones that combine in a pleasing way
Ex:
The
harmonic
structure
of
the
piece
was
complex
and
layered
,
making it
a
joy
to
listen
to
.
melodic
[adjective]
having a tuneful, harmonious quality or arrangement of sounds
Ex:
The
pianist
's
performance
was
marked
by
melodic
phrasing
and
expressive
dynamics
.
ambient
[adjective]
relating to the type of music that emphasizes on tone and atmosphere rather than traditional structure
Ex:
The
ambient
soundscape
provided
a
relaxing
backdrop
to
the
spa
's
massage
treatments
.
avant-garde
[adjective]
innovative, experimental, or unconventional in style or approach, especially in the arts
Ex:
The
avant-garde
composer
experimented
with
unconventional
instrumentation
and
avant-garde
techniques
,
producing
compositions
that
defied
conventional
musical
conventions
.
indie
[adjective]
(of a musical band) not associated with major labels or companies
Ex:
The
indie
band
gained
a
loyal
following
through
their
unique
sound
and
online
presence
.
solo
[noun]
a musical piece written for one singer or instrument
Ex:
He
practiced
his
guitar
solo
for
hours
to
perfect
every
note
.
duet
[noun]
a piece of music written for two performers
Ex:
She
looked
forward
to
singing
a
duet
with
her
favorite
artist
.
baritone
[noun]
a male singing voice that is classified between bass and tenor, characterized by a lower and richer tone
bar line
[noun]
an upright line that separates the bars in written music
Ex:
The
bar line
helped
the
musicians
keep
track
of
the
rhythm
.
movement
[noun]
one of the main parts that a long musical work is divided into, having its own structure
Ex:
He
studied
the
structure
of
each
movement
in
the
sonata
to
understand
its
musical
development
.
chord
[noun]
three or more musical notes that form a harmony when played together
Ex:
He
practiced
changing
from
one
chord
to
another
smoothly
.
measure
[noun]
any of the short sections consisting of musical beats located between two consecutive lines
Ex:
The
composer
added
an
extra
measure
to
create
a
dramatic
pause
.
scale
[noun]
an arrangement of a series of musical notes with specified intervals, in ascending or descending pitch order
Ex:
In this
composition
,
the
melody
moves
up and down
the
scale
,
creating
a
sense
of
tension
and
release
.
encore
[noun]
an additional or repeated piece that is performed at the end of a concert, because the audience has asked for it
Ex:
Fans
were
thrilled
when
the
singer
performed
an
encore
of
her
biggest
hit
.
discord
[noun]
an unusual combination of musical notes that sound strange when played
Ex:
A
moment
of
discord
disrupted
the
otherwise
harmonious
melody
.
dissonance
[noun]
a combination of notes or chords that sounds harsh or unstable
Ex:
The
sudden
dissonance
in
the
melody
surprised
the
audience
.
coda
[noun]
the final passage of an extended musical composition
Ex:
As
the
orchestra
reached
the
coda
,
the
conductor
emphasized
the
dynamics
,
guiding
the
musicians
to
a
thrilling
and
emphatic
finish
.
clef
[noun]
any of the signs written on the left-hand end of a staff indicating the pitch of the notes
Ex:
concerto
[noun]
a musical composition that is written for one or more solo instruments and accompanied by an orchestra with three movements
Ex:
The
cellist
's
performance
of
the
concerto
was
met with
enthusiastic
applause
from
the
audience
.
opus
[noun]
a musical piece or collection that is written by a famous composer followed by the date in which it was created
Ex:
discography
[noun]
all of the records or a list of the records that have been created by a particular singer, composer or musical band
Ex:
His
discography
spans
over
two
decades
of
influential
jazz
recordings
.
compilation
[noun]
something such as a book, record, etc. that consists of different pieces taken from several sources
Ex:
The
DJ
released
a
compilation
of
popular
tracks
from
the
80s
.
etude
[noun]
an instrumental composition that is usually short and is intended for practice or demonstration of a skill
Ex:
The
etude
focused on
complex
rhythms
to
enhance
the
drummer
's
timing
.
fingerboard
[noun]
a narrow flat part on the neck of a string instrument where the fingers press the strings to play various notes
Ex:
The
fingerboard
on
her
ukulele
was
adorned
with
intricate
inlays
.
to headline
[verb]
to be the star performer in a concert or performance
Ex:
He
headlined
the
comedy
show
,
delivering
a
memorable
and
hilarious
performance
.
to improvise
[verb]
to create and perform words of a play, music, etc. on impulse and without preparation, particularly because one is forced to do so
Ex:
During
the
comedy
show
,
the
comedian
would
often
improvise
jokes
based on
audience
reactions
.
major
[adjective]
based on a scale in which the interval between the third and the fourth notes and the seventh and the eighth notes is a half step
Ex:
minor
[adjective]
based on a scale in which the interval between the second and the third notes, the fifth and the sixth notes and the seventh and eighth notes is a half step
Ex:
interval
[noun]
a dissimilarity in pitch between two notes
Ex:
To
identify
intervals
,
the
musician
listened
carefully
to
the
pitches
.
pitch
[noun]
the degree of highness or lowness of a tone that is determined by the frequency of waves producing it
Ex:
tempo
[noun]
the speed that a piece of music is or should be played at
Ex:
The
tempo
of
the
music
gradually
slowed down
toward
the
end
.
octave
[noun]
the interval between the first and the last notes in eight diatonic degrees
Ex:
The
song
's
bridge
included
a
challenging
octave
jump
for
the
lead
vocalist
.
to pluck
[verb]
to play a string instrument, such as a guitar, using the fingers or a plectrum
Ex:
With
nimble
fingers
,
she
plucked
the
strings
of
the
harp
,
filling
the
room
with
beautiful
music
.
monophonic
[adjective]
describing sound transmission, recording or reproduction that is transferred through a single channel
Ex:
For
years
,
all
telephones
transmitted
voice
in
monophonic
audio
,
making
conference calls
sound
flat
.
refrain
[noun]
a repeated line or phrase in a poem or song, typically at the end of each stanza or verse
Ex:
The
audience
joined
in
singing
the
familiar
refrain
during
the
chorus
.