| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | a cappella | without instrumental accompaniment |
| 2. | accent | extra stress on a note |
| 3. | accompaniment | instrumental support for singers |
| 4. | alto | lower female or treble voice part |
| 5. | anthem | choral piece, often ceremonial |
| 6. | arrangement | adapted version of a piece |
| 7. | attack | way a note begins |
| 8. | audition | tryout for a singing role |
| 9. | balance | proper loudness among parts |
| 10. | barline | line dividing measures |
| 11. | bass | lowest common male voice part |
| 12. | baton | stick used for conducting |
| 13. | beat | basic pulse of music |
| 14. | blend | balanced unified choral sound |
| 15. | breath mark | symbol showing where to breathe |
| 16. | breathing | controlled inhaling for singing |
| 17. | cadence | ending pattern of a phrase |
| 18. | canon | melody imitated at intervals |
| 19. | cantata | multi-movement vocal composition |
| 20. | carol | festive song, especially Christmas |
| 21. | choir | group that sings together |
| 22. | chord | three or more notes together |
| 23. | clef | symbol showing pitch range |
| 24. | concert | public musical event |
| 25. | crescendo | gradually getting louder |
| 26. | cue | signal to begin |
| 27. | descant | higher countermelody above main tune |
| 28. | diaphragm | main breathing muscle |
| 29. | diction | clarity of pronunciation |
| 30. | diminuendo | gradually getting softer |
| 31. | downbeat | first beat of a measure |
| 32. | duet | music for two singers |
| 33. | dynamics | degrees of loudness and softness |
| 34. | ensemble | group performing together |
| 35. | entrance | moment a part begins |
| 36. | expression | feeling communicated in performance |
| 37. | falsetto | light high male register |
| 38. | fermata | hold note longer |
| 39. | forte | loud |
| 40. | fortissimo | very loud |
| 41. | harmony | combined notes sounding together |
| 42. | head voice | upper resonant singing register |
| 43. | homophony | texture with aligned rhythms |
| 44. | hymn | religious song of praise |
| 45. | imitation | repeated melodic idea in voices |
| 46. | interval | distance between two pitches |
| 47. | intonation | accuracy of pitch |
| 48. | key | tonal center of music |
| 49. | legato | smoothly connected |
| 50. | libretto | text of a large vocal work |
| 51. | mass | musical setting of liturgy |
| 52. | measure | music between bar lines |
| 53. | melody | main tune of a piece |
| 54. | meter | grouping of beats |
| 55. | modulation | change from one key to another |
| 56. | motet | short sacred choral composition |
| 57. | note | written musical sound |
| 58. | octave | interval spanning eight notes |
| 59. | oratorio | large concert work for voices |
| 60. | part | individual vocal line |
| 61. | phrase | musical thought or sentence |
| 62. | piano | soft |
| 63. | pickup | notes before first full measure |
| 64. | pitch | how high or low |
| 65. | posture | body position for good singing |
| 66. | projection | carrying power of the voice |
| 67. | psalm | sacred song or biblical poem |
| 68. | quartet | group or piece for four |
| 69. | register | range with similar vocal quality |
| 70. | rehearsal | practice session before performance |
| 71. | release | ending a note together |
| 72. | requiem | mass for the dead |
| 73. | rest | written silence in music |
| 74. | rhythm | pattern of beats and lengths |
| 75. | round | song with staggered entries |
| 76. | rubato | flexible timing for expression |
| 77. | scale | ordered series of pitches |
| 78. | score | full written music |
| 79. | section | subgroup within a choir |
| 80. | sheet music | printed music pages |
| 81. | sight-reading | reading music at first sight |
| 82. | slur | curved line for smooth singing |
| 83. | solo | music for one singer |
| 84. | soprano | highest common female voice part |
| 85. | staccato | short and detached |
| 86. | staff | five lines for notation |
| 87. | tempo | speed of the music |
| 88. | tenor | higher common male voice part |
| 89. | tie | joins same-pitch notes |
| 90. | timbre | characteristic tone color |
| 91. | time signature | symbol for beat grouping |
| 92. | treble clef | high-range clef symbol |
| 93. | trio | music for three performers |
| 94. | tuning | adjusting pitches to match |
| 95. | unison | same pitch sung together |
| 96. | upbeat | beat before the downbeat |
| 97. | verse | stanza of a song |
| 98. | vibrato | slight natural wavering in pitch |
| 99. | vowel | open speech sound |
| 100. | warm-up | exercise before singing |