Theory
11 terms
Arpeggio
Arpeggio is the performance of a chord's notes not simultaneously but one after another.
Articulation
Articulation is the way notes are “pronounced”: connected, detached, or accented.
Vibrato
Vibrato is a small periodic fluctuation of pitch that lends a note warmth, cantabile quality, and emotional richness.
Glissando
Glissando is a smooth slide from one note to another, passing through all intermediate pitches.
Legato
Legato is a smooth, connected performance of notes with no audible pause between them.
Pizzicato
Pizzicato is a technique of playing bowed instruments by plucking the strings with the fingers instead of the bow.
Portamento
Portamento is a smooth slide from one note to another.
Staccato
Staccato is a manner of articulation in which notes are separated by short silences, sounding short and springy.
Tenuto
Tenuto is an instruction to hold a note for its full duration, slightly emphasising it.
Tremolo
Tremolo is the rapid repetition of a single note or a fast alternation between two notes.
