The music that each person plays as a member of an ensemble.
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The music that each person plays as a member of an ensemble.
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A set of variations.
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Musical works about country life, often imitating the instruments and music of shepherds.
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A pentatonic scale only has five notes (unlike the major and minor scales, which have eight notes).
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All instruments that are played by being hit with something are percussion instruments.
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An orchestra that plays symphonies.
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A complete musical thought.
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Italian for “very soft.”
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1. Italian for “soft.” 2. A stringed keyboard instrument. Its strings are struck by hammers which are connected to the keys. There are 88 keys on a modern piano, and each one is a different note. Originally called pianoforte, because it could play both soft (piano) and loud (forte).
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Music composed for two people to play at one keyboard.
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An old name for the piano. This is because it can make both soft (piano) and loud (forte) sounds.
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Italian for “little” (short for flauto piccolo, or little flute). A small flute that sounds an octave higher than a regular flute.
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How high or low a musical sound is.
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Italian for “pinched.” To pluck, instead of bow, the strings of an instrument.
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A lively dance in 2/4 time from Bohemia.
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A stately Polish processional dance popular in 19th century Europe; composers also used the polonaise as a form for non-dancing, instrumental pieces.
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Music that has two or more independent melodies woven together. Also called counterpoint. Polyphony comes from the Greek words meaning “many voices.”
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A piece of music, many times played on the organ, to end a church service.
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A traditional native american drum, made with a large base and covered with rawhide of deer, buffalo or steer
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A musical introduction. Organ preludes often introduce church services; instrumental preludes can introduce operas or suites.
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When someone is playing an instument very quick and fast, they are playing presto.
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The best player in a section of the orchestra. For example, there is a principal violinist and a principal flutist.
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Any piece of instrumental music that is based on a book, story or picture and is trying to tell about it through the music.
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