Baritone Voices and instruments halfway between tenor and bass.
Dorian the tonic is D. The semitones are between the second and third and the sixth and seventh degrees.
Escape Note A non-harmonic note or tone (outside of the currently played chord) - compare changing note.
Ionian the tonic is one. The semitones are between the third and fourth and the seventh and eighth degrees.
Lydian the tonic is four. The semitones are between the fourth and fifth and the seventh and eighth degrees.
Mixolydian the tonic is five. The semitones are between the third and fourth and the sixth and seventh degrees.
Chromatic Refers to note going up or down a semitone.
Perdendosi A directive to a musician that the music should die away, gradually diminish in volume, rhythm, and tone.
Phrygian the tonic is E. The semitones are between the first and second and fifth and sixth degrees.
Pitch the highness or lowness of a tone
Chorale Originally, a hymn tune of the Lutheran Church characterized by blocked chords. In casual modern usage, a classical setting, eg, by JS Bach, of such a tune, in usually four-voiced, that proceeds in a primarily one-tone texture with both harmonic progression and individual voice-leading having equal importance. For this reason, they are often used as theory examples.
Sostenuto Playing or singing smoothly, applied to a movement or passage and giving each note its full value: used in written music to show how a piece, or part of a piece, should be performed.
Also used in a passage to indicate the tones of said passage are to be somewhat prolonged or protracted.
Sotto Voce 'Under voice' in Italian means to speak under one's breath. In music, a dramatic lowering of the vocal or instrumental tone . not necessarily pianissimo, but with a hushed quality. An example of Sotto voce is in the Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem Mass in D Minor. The singers lower their volume in order to attain the 'hushed' quality desired.
Tetrachord The difference in sound between a tone and a semitone is vitally important in music. A good way to practise hearing the difference is to begin on the A above middle C and then sing or play a whole tone down to G, another whole tone down to F and a semitone down to E. This pattern is called a tetrachord. The same pattern of two descending tones followed by a semitone can be begun on E, going down to B.
Cadence A group of chords that create a sense of resolution. A common example is the 'Amen' sung at the end of hymns in a church service. Examples of cadences are the authentic cadence, the half cadence, the plagal cadence, the interrupted cadence, the inverted cadence and the upper leading-tone cadence.
