Composing at KS3: Welsh Folk Music

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Key Words

Accompaniment

A part or parts, usually instrumental, supporting the main melody. Listen for the piano accompanying the voice.

Arrangement

An adaptation of an existing piece of music / melody. This is an arrangement of Men of Harlech.

Bar

Vertical lines on a sheet of music which divide notes into groups of equal numbers of beats

Call and Response

Two distinct phrases, usually performed by different musicians, where the second phrase is a response to the first

Crotchet

A note with a value of one beat.

Dotted Rhythms

Notes which are followed by a dot to increases its value by half the value of the original note.

Dynamics

Gradations of loudness and quietness

Folk Song

A traditional song that is sung by people of a country or region and forms part of their culture

Home notes

The first or home note of a scale (tonic)

Homophony

A texture in which all parts move together rhythmically

Improvising

Creating and developing musical ideas spontaneously while performing; an important feature of jazz and popular music

Lyrics

The words of a song

Male Voice Choir

A body of male singers who perform together as a group.

Melodic movement

A melody can move up or down in step, leap or repetetive movement.

Melody

A succession of notes combining pitch and rhythm; also known as the tune

Mode / Modal

A type of early scale, used before major and minor keys were developed

Modulation

A change of key

Orchestra

A large ensemble comprising strings, woodwind, brass and percussion

Phrase

A short musical idea; part of a melody

Pitch

The highness and lowness of sounds in relation to each other

Polyphony

A texture in which two or more melodic lines, possibly of equal importance, weave independently of each other

Quaver

A note with a value of half a beat.

Rhythm

A variety of notes of different length shaped into patterns

Sequence

A melodic phrase immediately repeated at a higher or lower pitch

Solo

One instrument or voice

Structure

The way a piece of music is organised or put together

Texture

The result of combining timbres, melodies, rhythms and chords.

Transposing instrument

A musical instrument whose music is notated different to the pitch that actually sounds (concert pitch).

Tuned instrument

Any instruments that can play a variety of pitch (piano, flute, trumpet, xylophone)

Unaccompanied

Singing or playing without accompaniment

Unison

Two or more parts or voices sounding at the same pitch

Variations

A technique where the main theme is repeated in a varied way e.g. with added notes, different rhythms, etc.(see Theme and variations)

Verse

Part of a song, heard after the introduction; each verse has more or less the same melody, but different lyrics

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