Everything Music

A

absolute music: Music that has no literary, dramatic, or pictorial program.
a cappella: Vocal music that is performed without instrumental accompaniment.
accelerando: Accelerate, get faster, increase tempo
adagio: Italian: slow; can describe a slow movement, and is an indication of tempo
alto: the lower female or unbroken male voice.
aria: a song or air. Indicates formally constructed songs in operas.

ballad: primarily a folk-song of narrative character or a song or poem written in imitation of a folk-song.
baritone: a type of male voice of middle range. Also, pitched and valved brass instruments of low register.
basso continuo: figured bass used in music during the baroque period. Usually a cello or bass viola da gamba and a chordal instrument.
beat: beat or pulse in a piece of music, the regular rhythmic pattern. Can be classified as down-beat (strong beat at beginning of bar) or up-beat (weak beat at the end of bar).

cadence: consists of two chords that provide musical punctuation at the end of musical phrases.
cantabile: in a singing style
chorale: a German Lutheran hymn-tune. Also, a choir or chorus.
coda: the ending of a piece of music.
concerto: a piece of instrumental music that contrasts a solo instrument or small group of solo instruments with the main body of the orchestra.
crescendo: growing, becoming louder. A dynamic instruction to performers.

da capo: abbreviated D.C. at the end of a section or piece of music; play the piece again from the beginning to the end or to a sign.
decrescendo: growing less, becoming softer.
dynamics: levels of sound in a piece of music - loud, soft, etc.

etude: a study intended for the technical practice of the player. Later transformed into a piece of music to be performed.

fantasy: free form of composition in which a composer may exercise contrapuntal form.
fortepiano: full name of the piano, also pianoforte, developed in the 18th century.