Word of the Week

Look each week for a vocabulary word!

Anacrusis

posted Nov 13, 2013, 7:40 PM by Francisco Zavala

Definition of ANACRUSIS

:  upbeat; specifically :  one or more notes or tones preceding the first downbeat of a musical phrase

Origin of ANACRUSIS

New Latin, from Greek anakrousis beginning of a song, from anakrouein to begin a song, from ana- + krouein to strike, beat; akin to Lithuanian kraušyti to strike
First Known Use: 1830

Bow Lift

posted Nov 1, 2013, 6:22 AM by Francisco Zavala

  • Bow lift 
  • The sign for a bow lift is:   and indicates the string player should lift their bow, and return it to its starting point.
  • Tempo

    posted Oct 25, 2013, 8:13 PM by Francisco Zavala

    tem·po  (tmp)
    n. pl. tem·pos or tem·pi (-p)
    1. Music The speed at which music is or ought to be played, often indicated on written compositions by a descriptive or metronomic direction to the performer.
    2. A characteristic rate or rhythm of activity; a pace: "the tempo and the feeling of modern life" (Robert L. Heilbroner).

    [Italian, from Latin tempus, time.]

    Variation

    posted Oct 19, 2013, 5:33 AM by Francisco Zavala

    var·i·a·tion

    noun \ˌver-ē-ˈā-shən\

    : a change in the form, position, condition, or amount of something

    : something that is similar to something else but different in some way

    music : a repeated version of a short piece of music with changes in its rhythm, tune, or harmony

    Time Signature

    posted Oct 23, 2009, 12:21 AM by Francisco Zavala

    time signature

    Noun
    (Music, other) In Music, a sign usually consisting of two figures, one above the other, the upper figure representing the number of beats per bar and the lower one the time value of each beat. This sign is placed after the key signature at the outset of a piece or section of a piece

    Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

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