- pantonal (pan TOH nal) Schoenberg preferred this term for
atonal- part (pahr t) melodic section of orchestral or chamber music
- partita (par TEE tah) 18th century suite
- passacaglia (pas ah KAH lee ah) Instrumental composition on a
ground- passepied (pahs PLAY) Breton dance, faster minuet from an 18th
century suite- pasticcio (pahs TEE chee oh) operatic medley of 18th century
music by several composers- pastorale (pahs tohr AL) rustic in style
- pavane (pah VAHN) 16th century dance
- pentatonic scale (pen tah TOHN ik)five toned scale
- phrase (fraz) musical sentence or clause a few bars long
- pianissimo (pee ah NEE see moh) very soft
- piano (Pee AH noh) Italian for soft
- pianoforte (pee ah noh FOR tay) instrument where hammers
strike strings.- pitch (PITch) the hight or depth of musical sound
- piu (pee oo) more or 'piomoso' faster
- pizzicato (PITS eh KAH toh) plucked, string instruments
- plainchant (PLAN chant) , plainsong, ancient modal music of the
church- plainsong (play n song) nonmetrical chant, chuirch modes
- poco (POH koh) It, little gradually
- polka (POL kah) Lively Bohemian dance
- polonaise (pah lon AYZE) Polish dance in 3/4 time
- polychoral (pol ee KOR al) for several choirs
- polyphony (pah LEH foh nee) independent strands of music
complimenting each- polytonality (poh lee toh NAL ity) writing music in two or more
keys at once- ponticello (pon tee CHEL oh) or Sul ponticello, a direction to play
near the bridge of a stringed instrument- portamento (por tah MEN toh) Slurring from one note to anothe
(Vocal or Strings)- postlude (POHST lood) Organ piece played after a church
service as the congregation leaves- prelude (PRAY lood) Introductory piece to an opera or other work
- presto (PRESS toh) Rapid
- prima donna (pree mah DON ah) Leading lady in the opera
- program music (PRO gram) conjuring image or story
- progression (pro GRESH un) Motion of one note to another or
chord to chord
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