M

Madrigal

Vocal composition of Italian origin for several voices and usually, but not always, unaccompanied. Words are usually secular although spiritual madrigals were written. They come into being around the end of the 13, revived in the 16 and were superseded in the 17 by this cantata.

Main Beat

Usually the first beat of a bar or measure.

March

Form of music usually used to accompany the orderly progress of a large group of people, especially military people. The March entered 'classical' music in the 17 mainly. The music is usually in a metre of 4 or sometimes 2 or 6/8. Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert all used the form. It developed in the symphony in the hands of xxxxx, Mahler, Tchaikovsky and Elgar. Many of the best military marches were written by Susa.

Melody

A succession of notes varying in pitch which have an organised and recognisable shape. Rhythm is an important element by melody. Racial and national feeling expresses itself strongly in melody. The word is often juxtaposed with 'tune'.

Melodic pattern

Often refers to an organised group of notes into a pattern which is used again in a piece or often repeated.

Metre

A regular succession of pulses or beats in a pattern e.g. 3/4 metre of 3 beats means 3 beats in a bar of strong, weak, weak.

Minim (or half-note)

Half the time valve of a whole note (O) or semibreve. In a metre of 4/4 it is worth two beats.

Minor Key

Opposite of major. The distance between some notes in the scale is different than in a major scale giving a different 'quality'.

Minuet

A dance in a metre of 3 and so called because of its 'minute' or dainty steps. Become used in orchestral or instrumental music from the mid 17 and subsequently by composers such as Bach, Handel, Haydn and Mozart. It was usually in AABA form or structure.

Mood

The feeling created by certain music

Movement

Can mean literally moving the body in response to music or can refer to a self-contained section of larger work such as a symphony, concerto, sonata, etc.

Multi-layering

Often refers to more than one and often several strands of music layered on top of the other in an organised way.