GLOSSARY
Grace Note.
A type of musical
ornament, printed in small type, and played
immediately before the main note it precedes. Grace notes are not counted as part of the
general rhythm, but are instead “squeezed into”
the existing time. Grace notes are played quickly
before the beat (before the main note), and “steal time” from the preceding note. Molto Rit. Abbreviation for the Italian, molto
Tacet. Latin for “it is silent.” Term used to
indicate that a player or group of players do not play in a given movement or large section of a movement.
Unis. Abbreviation for “unison” or the Italian “unisono.” Indication usually used to cancel a divided (divisi) passage; two or more players play a single line together (in unison).
ritardando. Gradually decrease the tempo so that by the end of the molto rit. the tempo has slowed down substantially.
Pronunciation: MOL-toh ree-tahr-DAHN-doh Pentatonic Scale. A scale consisting of five
tones. The most common pentatonic scale is based on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th notes of a
major scale (e.g., F - G - A - C - D); the pentatonic scale has been used for centuries in folk music all over the world.
Pianissimo. Italian for “very soft,” indicated
as π as an instruction for the player to play very softly. Pronunciation: pee-ah-NEE-see-moh Simple Meter. A meter in which the first
subdivision of the primary beat divides into
two equal parts. For example, in 2/4, 3/4, or
4/4 meter, the primary beat is the quarter note, which is subdivided into two eighth notes.
Swing Eighth. Indication used to designate
that eighth notes are not to be played strictly as written, but “swung” in a jazz or blues style, somewhat resembling the rhythm of a quarter note followed by an eighth note in 6/8 meter. (In swung eighths, the first eighth sounds
longer than written, and the second shorter than written.)
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