Accelerando : Gradually faster
Adagio : Very slow
Agitato : Agitated, rapid
Al Fine : To the finish
Alla : In the style of
Alla Breve : In cut time, two beats per minute
Allargando : Gradually slower and broader
Allegretto : Light and moderately quick, but not as fast as allegro
Allegro : Rapid, lively
Amore : With tenderness
Andante : Moderately slow, but moving
Andantino : Generally a little quicker than andante
Anima : With animation, spirited
Animato : Spirited
A Poco : A little, gradually
Appassionato : Intensely, passionately
Arco : The bow used for playing some string instruments normally used to cancel a pizzicato direction.
Arioso : In a vocal style
Arpeggio : Chord notes played in succession rather than simultaneously
Assai : Very
Asymmetric Meters : Meters with an uneven number of subdivisions (Time Signatures 7/4, 5/8)
A Tempo : In time, generally implies a return to an original rate of speed
Attacca : Attack or attach; go straight on (i.e. at the end of a movement, a direction to attach the next movement to the previous one, without gap or pause) Often used as “attacca subito” meaning a “sudden” movement transition (literally, “attack suddenly”)
Basso Continuo : A bass accompaniment part played continuously throughout a piece by a chordal instrument (pipe organ, harpsichord, lute, etc.), often with a bass instrument, to give harmonic structure; used especially in the Baroque period.
Bebop : A style popular in the 1940’s and 50’s which features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrumental virtuosity, and improvisation.
Ben, Bene : Well
Binary : A musical (song) form in two sections: AB
Bitonality : Modern music sounding in two different keys simultaneously
Brilliante : Brilliantly
Brio, Com : With spirit, brilliantly
Cadence : A melodic or harmonic punctuation mark at the end of a phrase, major section, or the end of the entire work (a resting place in the melody)
Cadenza : An unaccompanied section of virtuosic display performed by a soloist in a concerto
Calando : Gradually slower and softer
Cantabile : In a singing style
Capo : A key changing device for stringed instruments or head
Chant : A monophonic melody sung in a free rhythm. Most often referenced as sacred music, the early music of the Catholic church
Chord : A harmonic combination that multiple pitches sounding simultaneously
Chromatic : By half-steps (semitones)
Coda : The final added measures of a musical composition
Col Legno : With the wood of a stringed instrument’s bow, making a percussive sound
Con : With
Concerto : Composition for instrumental soloist in multi-movements
Crescendo : Gradually louder
Da Capo : From the beginning
Dal Segno : From the sign
Diminuendo : Gradually softer
Dolce : Sweetly
Double Dot : Placed after a note to indicate that it is to be lengthened by three quarters of the value
Drone : Bass note or chord performed continuously throughout a composition
Elegy : In the form of a lament
Energico : Energetically
Ensemble : A group of performers
Etude : A study
Espressivo : With expression or expressively
Falsetto : A vocal technique that allows a male to sing in a much higher, lighter register
Fermata : A hold or pause
Fine : Where to end a piece of music
Form : Design and structure of the music
Forte : Loud
Fortissimo : Very loud
Forza, com : With force
Forzando : Forcefully accented
Fuoco : With fire, energy
Furioso : Rapidly and with passion
Fusion : The blending of jazz and rock styles
G.P. : Indicates to the performers that the entire ensemble has a rest of indeterminate length, often as a dramatic effect during a loud section
Giocoso : In a fun and carefree manner, most often at a higher temp
Glissando : To slide in pitch from note to note
Harmony : Two or more pitches sounded at the same time to create purposefully a pleasant or unpleasant sound
Hemiola : The imposition of a pattern of rhythm or articulation other than that implied by the time signature; specifically, in triple time (for example ¾) the imposition of a duple pattern
Largo : Large and slow-moving pace
Lead Sheet : A form of musical notation that specifies the essential elements of a popular song: the melody, lyrics, and harmony. The melody is written in modern Western music notation, the lyric is written as text below the staff and the harmony is denoted withchord symbols above the staff.
Leggiero : Light or light-hearted’
Legato : Connect each note smoothly without much articulation between notes
Marcato : Strong short notes
Melody : A series of pitches that conveys a musical idea
Meno Mosso : Less motion, slower
Mixed Meter : The shifting between time signatures
Mon Non Troppo : Not too fast
Monophonic : A single line texture with no harmony
Moso : With motion
Motif : Specific melody or series of notes used in different ways throughout piece
Nocturne : A piece written for the night
Octave : The interval of an eight
Opus : Numbered musical compositions
Oratorio : is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias.
Ostinato : Rhythmic pattern that repeats throughout the piece of music
Overture : An instrumental introductory movement to an opera or musical
Pentatonic : A five note scale
Pesante : Heavy, ponderous
Phrase : A musical unit with a terminal point or cadence
Pianissimo : Dynamic mark denoting very soft
Piano : Soft
Picardy Third : A major third in the final tonic chord of a composition written in a minor key
Pitch : The highness or lowness of a sound
Pizzacado : Plucking with the finger on a stringed instrument rather than the bow
Poco a poco : Little by little
Prelude : A musical introduction to subsequent movements
Presto : A very fast tempo
Pui Moso : With motion
Rallentando : Gradually slower and broader
Rap : A style of popular music developed by Afro-Americans in the 1970, in which the poetic lyrics are spoken over rhythm tracks
Recapitulation : The modified restatement of the exposition following the development section in a sonata-form movement
Recitative : Lyrics not to be sung but to be spoken, imitating the natural inflections of speech
Reprise : Repetition of s phrase or verse; return to the original theme
Rest : The durational symbol that indicates silence in music
Rhapsody : A one-movement piece of music that in multiple free-flowing sections
Rhythm : Arrangement of pitches of varying lengths or duration
Ritardando : Gradually slowing down in tempo
Ritenuto : Immediately slower
Rondo : Compositional form consisting of repeating sections
Rubato : In free time, no steady beat
Sacred Music : Music composed for a religious purpose, often for the church liturgy
Secular Music : Music composed for non-religious purposes.
Scherzo : A short orchestral piece of music
Secular Music : Music composed for non-religious purposes.
Semitone : A music interval that is half the value of tone or step.
Senza : With
Sforzando : A note performed abruptly and loudly
Sharp : An accidental that raises a note’s pitch a half step
Slur : The joining of two notes of different pitches without tonguing
Sordina : Muted
Sostenuto : Sustained
Sotto Voce : In an undertone; quietly
Staccato : In short and detached style
Stanza : A verse of a song
Stringendo : Gradually faster ‘
Subito : Suddenly
Syncopation : A rhythm that accents a weak beat instead of a strong beat
Tacet : Silent; Do not play
Tempo : Pace or speed of the music
Tenuto : Sustained, hold the note for the full value
Tessitura : The general pitch level or average range of a vocal or instrumental pa in a musical composition
Through-composed : One continuous composition with no stops
Tie : The curved line that connect two adjacent notes of the same pitch, thus combining their durations
Timbre : The unique quality of the sound (tone color)
Tone Cluster : A modern technique of extreme harmonic dissonance created by a large block of pitches sounding simultaneously
Tonality : Music centered around a “home” key
Tonic : A modern technique of extreme harmonic dissonance created by a large block of pitches sounding simultaneously
Tranquillo : Calm, peaceful
Tremolo : Repeating the same note quickly
Triad : A three-note chord built on alternating scale steps (1-3-5, 2-4-6)
Trill : Rapid alternation between two different pitches
Vamp : Improvised accompaniment, usually a repeating pattern played before the next musical passage.
Vibrato : An effect where the pitch of a note is subtly moved up and down to create an emotional effect.
Vivo : Lively, intens

Middle Ages Musical Style Period (400-1450) Noted mainly for monophonic compositions that were primarily vocally based and when instruments were used, they usually double or accompanied voices. The plainchant mass was the primary musical form of the Middle Ages style period. The harmonic structure was modal, and the beginning of harmony starts in the later period of the Middle Ages. Representative composers of his period: Leonin, Perotin, and Machaut.

Renaissance Musical Style Period (1450-1600) Noted mainly for polyphonic choral music: However, instrumental music grows in popularity during this time. The vocal forms of composition during this time were the madrigal, motet, mass, and chorale. The instrumental forms of composition were Canzona and Ricercare. The harmonic structure was modal, though leading to a major/minor tonal system. There is also the gradual development of a triadic harmonic language. Representative composers of his period: Josquin, Palestrina, and Monteverdi.

Baroque Musical Style Period (1600-1750) From the production of the first opera to the death of J.S. Bach. During this stylistic period while vocal music moves toward homophony, polyphonic instrumental music gains in prominence. The forms of vocal music that emerged were opera, cantata, and the oratorio, while forms of instrumental music were the toccata, fugue, dance suites, and concerto grosso. The harmonic language changed from modality to tonality: clear major/minor key centers with secondary chords and modulation; harmony was greater defined by the Basso Continuo. Representative composers of this period: Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel.

Classical Musical Style Period (1750-1825) From the death of J.S. Bach to the end of the Napoleonic Era. The texture of music of this period was generally homophonic, with emphasis on balance and symmetry. Instrumental music surpassed vocal music in prominence. The main instrumental forms during this time were Symphony, Solo Concerto, and Sonata. The main vocal forms were opera and extended choral works. The harmonic language was tonal however less ornate and chromatic than Baroque music; basso continuo was abandoned. Representative composers of this period: Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.

Romantic Musical Style Period (1825-1900) From the end of the Napoleonic Era to the turn of the 20 th century. The texture of music during this period is mainly homophonic with emphasis on personal expression. Taken to the extremes of scale (miniature and grand) with expanded dynamics and greater timbral colors. The main forms of instrumental music during this period was program music and tone poems and piano music was the dominate expression of musical compositions. The main forms of vocal music during this period were art songs, song cycles, and opera. The harmonic language of this period was extended tonality that was highly chromatic with increasing dissonance, remote modulations, and non-functional harmony. Representative composers of his period: Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, and Brahms.

Post-Romanticism and Impressionism Musical Style Period (1875-1920) The texture of music during this period was homophonic with particular emphasis on the sound quality of individual chords rather than their functionality. The forms of music during this period were highly individualized and often based on visual models. The tonal centers are retained, but functional harmony was replaced by increased use of modes and synthetic scales. Representative composers of this period: Debussy, Ravel, and Strauss.

Modern Musical Style Period (1900-Present) The texture of the music was often homophonic, but with renewed interest in polyphonic textures. The forms of this music were varied and highly individualized, while the harmonic language was atonal with the introduction of serialism. Representative composers of this period: Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and Bartok.

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Scales are to be played from memory in any order. The auditionee will announce the order in which he/she will perform the scales. Scales can be played using any type of notation (eighths, triplets, etc.). However, they must be played using the ranges provided, or they will be judged as incorrect. Instrument Octave(s)/Scales (these are transposed pitches):

Flute	3 octaves: C 2 octaves: Db, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B
Oboe	2 octaves: Bb, B, C, Db, D, Eb, E, F 1 octave: F#, G, Ab, A
Bassoon	3 octaves: Bb 2 octaves: B, C, Db, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A
Bb Soprano Clarinet	3 octaves: E, F, F#, G 2 octaves: Ab, A, Bb, B, C, C#, D, Eb
Eb Contra Clarinet	2 octaves: Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B, C 1 octave: C#, D
Bb Bass/Contra Clarinet	2 octaves: E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B, C 1 octave: C#, D, Eb
All Saxes	2 octaves: Bb, B, C, C#, D, Eb, E, F 1 octave: F#, G, Ab, A
Trumpet/Cornet/T.C. Baritone	2 octaves: F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B, C 1 octave: C#, D, Eb, E, F
French Horn	2 octaves: F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb 1 octave: B, C, C#, D, Eb, E
Trombone/B.C. Baritone	2 octaves: E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb 1 octave: B, C, Db, D, Eb
Bass Trombone	2 octaves: Bb, C , Db, D, Eb, E, F, Gb, G 1 octave: Ab, A, B
Tuba	2 octaves: E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb 1 octave: B, C, Db, D, Eb

Chromatic Scale: to be played from memory from the lowest required note in the major scales to the highest required note in the major scales. Time limit is one minute. Minimum tempo: quarter note = 120. Rhythm: eighths or triplet eighths. Chromatic Scale Ranges

Flute	Low C to High C (3 octaves)
Oboe	Low Bb to High F
Bassoon	Low Bb to High Bb (3 octaves)
Bb Soprano Clarinet	Low E to High G (3-1/2 octaves)
Eb Contra Clarinet	Low Eb to High C
Bb Bass/Contra Clarinet	Low E to High C
Alto/Baritone Saxophone	Low Bb to High F
Tenor Saxophone	Low Bb to High F
Trumpet/T.C. Baritone	Low F# to High C
French Horn
Trombone/B.C. Euphonium	Low E to High Bb
Bass Trombone	Low Ab to High G
Tuba	Low E to High Bb

In order to achieve the status of being awarded the National Band Letter, the applicant must demonstrate basic knowledge of musical terms, music history, and music theory. The applicant must know the definition of 150 musical terms and the musical context in which they would apply. A general understanding of the seven musical style periods, the musical structures associated with each style period, and the prominent composers directly linked to these style periods are also requirements. The only two elements of music theory required are knowledge of musical intervals and major and minor key signatures. These basic music knowledge requirements will be facilitated in three individual categories with each category tested with 10 related matching questions.