Index Page

C

Authentic or Perfect Cadence - This is a perfect or Complete V-1 Cadence.
The V being the dominant chord progressing to the tonic or the I.

Church or the Plagal Cadence - This is the IV - I Cadence used often with the Amen at the end of a hymn.

Deceptive Cadence - This is generally the V - VI Cadence.

Imperfect Cadence - The imperfect cadence progresses from the Tonic to the Dominant Chord, I - V.

Cadenza - an ornamental passage near the end of a solo

Calando - gradually decreasing the time and tone

Canon - The Pcahabel Canon is accepted as the most famous and best loved Canon of all.
The Canon follows a specific pattern, it adheres to the most strictest form of contrapuntal compostion.
This pattern is able to have variations within the patterns. The above mentioned composition is an excellent source to understand the concept and hear the progressions and wonderful melody line.

Cantabile - in a singing style

Cantando - in a singing style

Cantilena - melody or air. This is the most principal part in all compositions which is the main melody line.

Capo - the beginning, the top

Cappella - a church, a band Of musicians that play in a church

Carezzando - in a tender manner

Chromatic - Motion by half steps

Chromatic scale - A scale composed of 12 half steps.

Circle of fifths - The succession of keys or chords proceeding by fifths.

Clef - The symbol used at the beginning of a staff to indicate which lines and spaces represent which notes. In modern practice,only three clefs are commonly used, the G clef or treble clef, the F clef or bass clef, and the C clef, when used as an alto clef.

Coda - Closing section of a composition. An added ending.

Common Time - 4/4 meter

Compound Interval  - An interval greaterthan an octave, such as a ninth, or eleventh.

Con - with (for various phrases beginning with con see other words)

Concert pitch - The international tuning pitch - currently A 440 or 442.
The pitch for non-transposing (C) instruments.

Concerto - A musical composition written for a solo instrument. The soloist plays the melody while the orchestra plays the accompaniment.
If the solo instrument is a violin then the piece is called a “violin concerto”, if it is a piano it is then called a “piano concerto”, and so on.
The word “concerto” is an Italian word, the second “c” is pronounced like an English “sh”
(when you break it up and spell it the wrong way and pronounce this way it sounds like "con-shirt-oh". It means “playing together”.

Con spirito - With spirit.

Contra - The octave below normal.

Contralto - the deepest female voice

Counterpoint - The technique of combining single melodic lines or parts of equal importance.

Crescendo - gradually louder

Cut time - 2/2 meter

Glenn Bonney's Music School © 2000