Glossary

Oom-Pah! musical terms

ALTERED CHORD

A diatonic chord with one or more pitches flattened (lowered) or sharpened (raised) by a half step (semitone), to change the character and colour of the chord.

ARRANGE

To organise and structure a musical composition; the art of giving an existing melody musical variety.

AUGMENTED

Increase in size; an interval which is one semitone greater than the corresponding major or perfect interval.

CADENCE

A sequence of notes or chords that concludes a phrase, section, or piece of music, usually to create a sense of resolution or finality (e.g. V, I – Perfect/Authentic).

CHORD

Consists of two or more (usually at least three) harmonic groups of notes that can be played simultaneously or sequentially (arpeggiated). Chords are defined by their root note (e.g. C) and quality (e.g. major, minor, augmented, diminished).

CHORD QUALITY

The qualities of the component intervals that define the chord, usually expressed by Roman Numerals (e.g. V = Major dominant; ii = minor supertonic; III+ = Augmented mediant; viio = diminished leading tone).

CHORD INVERSIONS/FIGURED BASS

Rearrangement of the top-to-bottom notes in a chord to create a melodic bass line. The chord is in root position when the lowest (bass) note is the root (tonic) of the chord (5/3); first inversion (6/3) is when the root is moved up the octave so the third of the chord is the lowest voice, and so on. (See back of KLT.)

CHORD PROGRESSION

A succession or order of musical chords played in a piece of music, usually expressed by Roman numerals (e.g. I, IV, V; i, VI, iio, V).

CHROMATIC SCALE

Contains all twelve of the available pitches, each a semitone above or below its adjacent pitch; every note is equally spaced (or equal-tempered).

CIRCLE OF FIFTHS

A geometrical representation of the relationships among the twelve tones of the chromatic scale, their corresponding key signatures, and relative major and minor keys; helpful in composing and harmonising melodies, building chords and progressions, and transposing to different keys within a composition; ascending fifths in clockwise direction, ascending fourths in anti-clockwise direction (refer to back of KLT).

COMPOSE

To create or notate a piece of music incorporating various instrumental or vocal parts.

COMPOUND INTERVAL

An interval spanning greater than an octave; the scale repeats from the octave (which is the same as the root note), so find the simple interval and add seven (e.g. Major 2nd + 7 = Major 9th).

DIATONIC SCALE

A heptatonic (7–note scale) that includes five whole steps (or tones) and two half steps (semitones) in each octave. The two half steps are separated by either two or three whole steps, depending on their position on the scale. (Includes major and natural, harmonic and melodic minor scales.)

DIMINISHED

Made smaller; an interval which is one semitone less than the corresponding minor or perfect interval.

ENHARMONIC

A note that is the equivalent to another note and has the same pitch (sounds the same), but is ‘spelled’ or named differently (e.g. C#/D♭; E#/F) and serves a different function according to the given scale.

EXTENDED CHORDS

Chords built from triads with notes extended, or added beyond the octave (e.g. ninth, eleventh, thirteenth).

FLAT (NOTATED AS ♭)

A musical note that is lowered in pitch by a half step or semitone; the number of flats in a given key signature determines the key of the musical piece. Double flat (♭♭) is when a note is lowered by two semitones or a whole tone (e.g. E♭♭ = D).

IMPRO (IMPROVISATION)

The spontaneous activity of music created in the present moment or without prior preparation.

INTERVALS

The distance between notes on a musical scale. Each interval is made up of two properties: Number and Quality.

The interval number (e.g. 3) reflects the number of letter names it encompasses, and both the first and last interval notes are counted regardless of their quality (e.g. #/♭). For example, C to E is a third as it includes three letter names (C - D - E).

The interval quality (e.g. Major/Minor; Perfect, etc) is determined by the distance or number of semitones between intervals. These are counted from (but not including) the starting note (see table on back of KLT.)

INVERTED INTERVALS

Intervals that have been turned upside down; when a root note is moved up the octave and placed above another note, it changes the distance between them and their quality. The formula for inverted intervals is: 9 minus interval = inverted interval. E.g. 9 - Major 2nd = Minor 7th; 9 - Minor 3rd = Major 6th; 9 - Perfect 4th = Perfect 5th (perfect intervals remain perfect when inverted).

KEY

The group of notes, or scale, that forms the basis of a musical composition; the first degree of the scale (tonic or root) is referred to as the key for a piece of music and is the note in which a musical phrase usually resolves.

KEY SIGNATURE

Any of several combinations of sharps or flats at the beginning of a musical score, indicating the key of that composition.

MAJOR

A diatonic scale or sequence of seven notes that define the tonality of a major scale; a term used to describe certain intervals (seconds, thirds, sixths and sevenths), chords and the Ionian mode; a major interval is a semitone greater than its corresponding minor interval.

MINOR

A diatonic scale or sequence of seven notes that define the tonality of a minor scale; a term used to describe certain intervals (seconds, thirds, sixths and sevenths), chords and the Aeolian mode; a minor interval is a semitone smaller than its corresponding major interval.

MODES

Seven scales defined by their sequence of intervals. Each mode is derived from the major scale by starting on a different scale degree. E.g. Ionian Mode is the same as a C major scale (all white notes on a piano starting from C). If you play these same notes but start on the second note of the scale (D), you will be in Dorian Mode, or starting from the third note (E), you will be in Phrygian Mode, etc.

Each mode can be played from any note, but starting from their natural root note (using only white notes) is a good way to begin understanding the patterns before applying to more complex key signatures.

NATURAL (NOTATED AS ♮)

A note in its natural state (neither sharpened or flattened); any white note on a piano is a natural note; this symbol is also known as an accidental sign used to cancel a sharp or flat from a preceding note or its key signature.

OCTAVE (8VE)

An interval of seven whole steps between two musical notes. Both notes have the same letter name and pitch class but one is in a higher or lower register. One note contains twice or half the frequency of vibration of the other (e.g. C2 to C3).

OOM-PAH!

A repetitive and rhythmical accompaniment in music, alternating between deep brass instruments (e.g. tuba on ‘oom’) and higher pitched instruments (e.g. accordian on ‘pah’). Or, a really addictive game with Oodles of Offbeat Music Play and Awesome Hints!

PERFECT

An interval quality that identifies the distance between the first note and the unison, fourth, fifth or octave of a scale. An interval is called ‘perfect’ as the ratio of their frequencies are simple whole numbers and sound the most ‘pleasing’ to the ear.

PITCH

The quality of a sound governed by its vibrational frequency; (how high or low a note is, measured in cycles per second or hertz).

RELATIVE KEYS

Minor and major diatonic scales that share the same key signature and contain the same notes but from a different starting note (tonic or root). The relative minor key of the major scale is the sixth note (sub-mediant) of the major scale. The relative major key of the minor scale is the third note (mediant) of the minor scale (e.g. A is the relative minor of C major).ROOT

The first note (or tonic) of a scale or chord. Also known as the ‘home’ note.

SCALE

Any set of musical notes ordered by pitch, and defined by a particular pattern of intervals; a scale ordered by increasing pitch is an ascending scale; a scale ordered by decreasing pitch is a descending scale; the interval relationships among the pitches of a scale are its essential feature (e.g. Major scale = T-T-S-T-T-T-S).

SCALE DEGREE

The position of a particular note on a scale relative to the tonic (root); indicates the size of intervals and chord qualities, usually expressed in Roman Numerals (e.g. V = 5 degrees = dominant).

SCORE

A notated or written representation of a musical composition.

SEMITONE

The smallest musical interval in Western tonal music; the interval between two adjacent notes in a twelve-tone scale (half tone or half step). E.g. C–C#/D♭; E–F.

SEVENTH CHORD

A triad (three note chord) with an additional interval of a seventh above the chord’s root note.

SHARP (NOTATED AS ♯)

A musical note that is raised in pitch by a half step or semitone; the number of sharps in a given key signature determines the key of the musical piece. Double sharp (x) is when a note is raised by two semitones or a whole tone (e.g. Cx = D).

TRIAD

A three note chord, consisting of a root note and (usually) the third and fifth interval above it.

TONE

A musical sound of definite pitch; an interval equivalent of two semitones (whole tone or whole step). E.g. C–D; E–F#.

TONIC

The first scale degree (I/i) or root note of a scale and the tonal centre or key of the musical piece. (e.g. C major scale = C).

WHITE NOTES

All natural notes on a piano (the white keys); Black notes are the black keys in between the white keys; these can be called either a sharp (♯) or flat (♭); E.g. a black key above a G and below an A is called a G# or an A♭ depending on the key of a musical piece (they are enharmonic equivalents).