descant
Melody sung above
Descant has two related musical meanings.
As a noun, it's a melody sung or played above the main tune, typically higher in pitch and more ornate: The sopranos sang the descant while the congregation held the hymn.
As a verb, to descant is to comment at length on a subject, often tediously: He descanted on the virtues of classical education.
The verb sense preserves an older meaning of the noun—an extended discourse or commentary.
Highest female voice range
- trebleHigh frequency range
- obligatoRequired musical accompaniment
- ornamentalFor beauty, not function
- improvisedCreated without prior planning
harmonizing · plainsong · liturgical · hymn · psalm · Anglican · chorale · motet
Simultaneous independent melodic lines
- fugueContrapuntal musical form
- canonAccepted authoritative works
- imitationCopy of the original
- contrapuntalInterlocking independent melodies
Bach · invertible · augmentation · diminution · subject · answer · Renaissance · Baroque
Decorative addition or exaggeration
- flourishTo grow vigorously
- trillRapid pitch oscillation
- melismaMulti-note syllable singing
- coloraturaElaborate vocal ornamentation
figuration · elaboration · virtuosic · decorative · improvisatory · cadenza · division · variation
Formal communication on subjects
- critiqueDetailed evaluative analysis
- analysisMethodical study of parts
- observationAttentive watching or remark
- remarkSpoken comment or note
exposition · annotation · interpretation · reflection · discussion · dialogue · debate · disquisition
soprano
Highest female voice range
- trebleHigh frequency range
- obligatoRequired musical accompaniment
- ornamentalFor beauty, not function
improvised · harmonizing · plainsong · liturgical · hymn · psalm · Anglican · chorale · motet · polyphonic
polyphony
Simultaneous independent melodic lines
contrapuntal · Bach · invertible · augmentation · diminution · subject · answer · Renaissance · Baroque · two-part
embellishment
Decorative addition or exaggeration
coloratura · figuration · elaboration · virtuosic · decorative · improvisatory · cadenza · division · variation · running
discourse
Formal communication on subjects
- critiqueDetailed evaluative analysis
- analysisMethodical study of parts
- observationAttentive watching or remark
remark · exposition · annotation · interpretation · reflection · discussion · dialogue · debate · disquisition · treatise
- choiralto, soprano, tenor, bass section, baritone
- choir termssoprano, alto, tenor, bass, baritone
- vocal musicsong, vocals, soprano, tenor, alto
- choral musicchoral music, choral works, choral arrangements, choral arrangement, choir arrangements
- Choral Singinga cappella, voice parts, vocal parts, harmony, homophony
- church choirchoir director, choir loft, choir practice, choir robe, choir robes