Music Theory Glossary

noun a small metal instrument specially cut to fit into a lock and move its bolt

verb None

adjective None

adverb None

pronoun None

preposition None

conjunction None

interjection None

article None

• The keys to the office are kept in a secure location.
• I always carry my keys with me wherever I go.
• I can't find my keys anywhere, they're probably hiding from me.
• Education is often seen as the key to success in life.

noun the action or process of making or becoming longer

verb to make or become longer

• The lengthening of the days in summer allows for more outdoor activities.
• I noticed the lengthening days as we approach summer.
• The days are getting longer, it's awesome!
• The lengthening of our friendship has brought us closer together.

verb to throw or toss something with force

adjective having a specified key or pitch in music

• The sales representative pitched the new product to the potential clients.
• She pitched her idea for the school fundraiser to the principal.
• I pitched my brother on why he should lend me his car for the weekend.
• The singer's voice was pitched perfectly for the emotional ballad.

noun a quality of richness or significance

• The scientist studied the resonance of the sound waves in the lab.
• I love how the music creates a resonance in the room.
• That speech really had a lot of resonance with the audience.
• The painting's colors had a deep resonance with my emotions.

noun a step or stage in a process or series

verb past participle of ring, meaning to make a clear, resonant sound or to call someone on the phone

• She carefully climbed up each rung of the ladder to reach the top.
• I almost slipped on the wet rung of the ladder while cleaning the gutters.
• He's always trying to climb the corporate ladder, stepping on anyone who gets in his way.
• Each rung of success brings him closer to his ultimate goal.

noun a unit of pronunciation having one vowel sound, with or without surrounding consonants

adjective relating to or consisting of syllables

• The linguist analyzed the language's syllabic structure.
• I find it hard to pronounce words with many syllables.
• I can't believe how syllabic this rap song is!
• The syllabic rhythm of the poem created a sense of flow and harmony.

noun a medicinal substance taken to give a feeling of vigor or well-being

adjective relating to or characterized by muscular tension

• The doctor prescribed a tonic to help improve my overall health.
• I like to mix tonic water with my favorite cocktail.
• I could really use a tonic after a long day at work.
• Music has always been a tonic for my soul during tough times.

adjective describing something that has not been put in a specific order or arrangement

• The unarranged documents made it difficult to find the necessary information.
• I can't find anything in this unarranged mess of papers.
• The unarranged party turned into chaos real quick.
• His thoughts were unarranged, like a jumbled puzzle waiting to be solved.

noun a word, especially one regarded in relation to others in a sentence.

• The linguist explained the meaning of the vocable in the ancient text.
• I had to look up the vocable in the dictionary to understand what it meant.
• The kids these days use all sorts of vocables that I don't understand.
• The artist used colors as vocables to convey emotions in her painting.

adjective not in harmony; discordant

• The absonant behavior of the employee led to his dismissal.
• His absonant attitude is really starting to annoy me.
• Stop being so absonant, dude.
• The discord in their relationship was absonant, like two notes clashing in a song.

adjective a word or phrase that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, in this case, 'accented' describes the noun it is referring to

• The professor's accented English made it difficult for some students to understand the lecture.
• I love listening to her accented voice, it's so soothing.
• His accented speech is lit, I could listen to him talk all day.
• The painting had an accented color palette, with bold pops of red and blue.

noun A noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'acou-' does not function as a noun.

• The acoustics in the concert hall were exceptional, allowing every note to be heard clearly.
• I love how acou- the music sounds in this room!
• This acou- setup is perfect for blasting music at parties.
• Her voice was like an acou- instrument, resonating through the room with power and emotion.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea, in this case 'acuto-' is the noun being described

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, in this case 'acuto-' is describing a noun

• The acuto-angled roof of the building helps with water drainage.
• I love the acuto- design of that new sports car.
• Check out the acuto- edges on that phone case, it looks so cool.
• His acuto- wit always keeps the conversation lively and interesting.