music that is passed from person to person by imitation and example rather than by written notations
Oral tradition
Related Dictionary Terms
Art song
Shared keywords
designed to stand alone and written for the concert hall, rather than a traditional or folk song
Disjunct
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where the notes in a melody move in leaps, intervals greater than a tone, rather than from note to neighbouring notes only a…
Imitation
Shared keywords
Theory
Imitation is common in polyphonic writing and helps create coherence between voices. In classical guitar arrangements, imitat…
Musique concrete
Shared keywords
French
electrically combined sounds derived from natural sources rather than musical instruments
Movable clef
Shared keywords
clefs, such as the 'C' and 'G' clefs, which, to facilitate writing the notes on the staff rather than having to resort to led…
Murky
Shared keywords
playing style where the bass consists of quick alternating octaves rather than slower, longer notes, in either case, the prog…
Plaqué
Shared keywords
French
chords played together rather than spread or arpeggiated
Accentuare
Shared keywords
Italian
to mark with an accent; accessory notes, for example: the upper note in a trill, or the notes above and below the written not…