Difference between revisions of "Glossary"
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| − | + | This is a list of concise definitions for terms popular in videogames and music, with an example of a song or game that utilizes the term. Click on the word for a link to the Wikipedia article. | |
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Revision as of 15:09, 15 March 2016
This is a list of concise definitions for terms popular in videogames and music, with an example of a song or game that utilizes the term. Click on the word for a link to the Wikipedia article.
A
Aria
An aria is usually a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without orchestral accompaniment, normally part of a larger work. They are usually found in operas. An example can be heard in Aria di Mezzo Carattere when Celes sings in the opera house scene in Final Fantasy III (SNES).
B
Baroque
Bass
C
Cakewalk
Classical
Concerto
D
Decibel
Digital Signal Processor
E
Envelope
F
Flourishes
Foley
H
Harmony
J
Jazz
K
Key
L
Legato
Leitmotif
A song, fanfare, or jingle associated with a particular person, though also a place or idea. An example of it used for a person is Locke's Theme which plays in Final Fantasy III (SNES) whenever focus is on the character Locke. An example of when it used for a place can be heard in Kakariko Village from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES). An example used for an idea is the Fellowship Theme from Ultima VII: The Black Gate (DOS) which plays whenever you speak to key members of cult, when you enter Fellowship buildings, and when major events relating to the cult occur.
M
Mambo
Mambo is a musical form that developed originally in Cuba, with further significant developments by Cuban and Puerto Rican musicians in Mexico and the USA. A dance style, also referred to as mambo developed along with it. An example can be heard in the Final Fantasy V (SPC) song, Mambo de Chocobo.
Melody
Meter
Movement
P
Pitch
Portamento
Pulse Wave
R
Ragtime
A musical genre with a ragged (syncopated) rhythm. It gained prominence in the African-American culture before seeing mainstream popularity between 1895 and 1918. Many examples can be found in soundtrack of The Yukon Trail (W16), like The Mississippi Rag.
Renaissance
Romance
Rondo
Ruffles
S
Scale
Sine Wave
Soprano
Sound Card
A sound card is a circuit board that can be inserted into a computer to provide additional audio capabilities through the use of on-board synthesizers, digital signal processors, and digital-to-analog converts. Sound cards were especially popular in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, but at the end of the decade, they started to be built-in to the mother boards, and sales dropped dramatically. While they can still be purchased to provide high-end audio like Dolby 7.1 surround sound, most general consumers don't bother with them.
Square Wave
Staccato
Sustain
Symphony
Syncopation
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic device that converts an electronic signal into audio in an attempt to synthesize a musical instrument. While the term is often used for an entire instrument like a keyboard, the actual device that performs the synthesizing is usually an integrated circuit microchip.
