A Capella Terminology

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X-Y-Z

Afterglow.............................

Cast party after a show or performance

All-in-One...........................

Undergarment worn under costumes

Block Move......................... Everyone doing the same move the same direction at the same time

Break a Leg!.......................

Said to wish someone well in performance

Chest Voice (Register)......

Lower range of voice

Chorus Position...................

Feet are placed with toes of the OS foot pointed toward the audience, the IS foot is angled slightly to your comfort. Body carriage is tall and erect and the face is "on" with eyes on the director

Cluster Chord.....................

When more than four parts are being sung (someone singing a wrong note)

Cone.....................................

Balance of barbershop sound

Coning.................................

The art of adjusting to maintain the proper balance of a barbershop chord

Contagion.......................... ("Ripple or add-on") a move is begun at one end of the chorus and passed along down the rows. Similar to the "wave" you see at sporting events

Coronet Club......................

Association of all past International Champion Quartets

Diphthong...........................

Two vowel sounds sung on one note, with greatest stress on first vowel (A =Ay-ee, O = Oh-oo, I = Ah-ee)

Double.................................

Two parts on the same note, usually an octave apart (bass on low F, lead on F above middle C.)

Downstage..........................

Toward the front of the stage (closest to the audience)

Down the Tiles..................... Head and body angle are turned out to the audience as if there were tiles on the floor going out straight from the risers to the audience

Dynamic Contrast.............

Planned volume changes to enhance performance of song

Embellishment...................

Swipe or other musical addition to song for added interest

Fanny Rails..........................

Rails attached to top riser row

Forward Motion.................

Sense of lyrical flow, with vocal line moving toward something in anticipation, especially in ballads

Frame.................................. Persons performing in the back row, front row, and on the outside ends of each row on the risers
Glottal.................................. A grunt like sound - If you don't sing with air through an open throat before you produce sound, the sound stumbles over a closed throat and produces

Hang Ten (on the risers)...

Standing forward to the front edge of the riser

Hard Palate........................

Firm part of the roof of the mouth

Head Voice (Register).....

Upper range of voice

Inside........................................ Moving toward the center of the chorus; using the arm, or stepping on the foot closest to the center of the chorus

Inside Smile........................

Lifting of the soft palate

Interval.................................

The distance between two notes

Intro.......................................

First part of a song

Jazz Hand...........................

Choreo move,  palm to the audience, fingers fully extended, (like you’re motioning to stop)

Key........................................

Letter name of the scale in which a song is written.  This note is blown on the pitch pipe (tonic)

Lag Hand............................

Hand that is not predominant in a choreo move

Mask.....................................

Facial muscles under the eyes into the temples, around the nose, in the lip, and from the temples down to the chin

Off the Paper......................

Being able to sing your part without referring to the music

Outside................................ Moving toward the outside edge of the riser, using the arm or stepping on the foot closest to the outside edge of the riser

Overtone.............................

Unsung tone heard above the highest tone of a properly balanced and matched chord

Patter....................................

Harmony parts singing different words while lead sings melody

Personal Space.................

Everyone has approximately 4” of personal space forming a box around them. Most of your choreo moves should be within your own personal space

Physical Warm-ups..........

Warming up of body to provide a suitable environment for the singing mechanism to operate

Pickups................................

Beginnings of phrases sung by only one voice

Pitch Pipe............................

Cookie-shaped musical instrument used to help singers begin in the same pitch; electronic pitch pipes also are used.  Also, The Pitch Pipe is the name of the magazine published by Sweet Adelines International

Progression..........................

A sequence of chords

Quartet Etiquette................

Displaying courtesy by not singing along with a foursome

Queens of Harmony.........

International champion quartet

Reset..................................... To change your body position slightly, to re-energize. Pick up a foot and reposition it, to change the position of the weight

Ringing Chord...................

When a barbershop chord is balanced, overtones are produced and an exciting “ringing” sound results

Ripple...................................

Choreographed move that starts at one side of the chorus and travels to the other side (the same principle as a wave)

Slice Hand.......................... Hand is in profile to the audience so that only the little finger is visible, fingers locked tightly together

Soft Palate...........................

Soft, squishy part behind hard palate

Split Move........................... Split the chorus down the center, and each side does the move in the opposite direction
Spike.................................... Singing with a more forward/pointed sound - positioning the sound to the front of the mask
Spokes................................. Achieved when the people in the second and fourth rows step to the right and end up standing directly behind someone

Stage Left.............................

The performer’s left, when on stage facing the audience

Stage Right..........................

The performer’s right, when on stage facing the audience

Stagger Breathing.............

In chorus singing, taking a quick breath in other than a planned breathing place, usually within a word or by omitting a word

Swipe....................................

Two or more chords used to embellish a melody note, sung on one word or syllable

Tag........................................

Last part of a song

Take if from the 'Edge'.....

Start at the beginning of the music, or “take it from the top”

Three Point Landing.........

On foot with heel and ball of foot touching floor, other foot with just ball of foot touching – keeps your knees unlocked and relaxed

Tidley....................................

Tiny swipe done by one part

Traffic Pattern......................

Designated and carefully timed path followed by choruses and quartets on competition day

Tuning..................................

Refers to the ability to sing both “in key” and “on pitch”

Upstage...............................

Toward the back of the stage (farthest away from the audience)

Unison...................................

Two or more voice parts singing the same note

Velvet................................... Singing like velvet (with more air in your sound)

Vocal Warm-ups...............

Getting the voice ready to sing

Windows.............................. The space between the two people in front of you is your "window".  Try to remain centered between those two people

Woodshedding..................

The art of singing barbershop “by ear,” without a written musical arrangement

Regional and International Acronyms

CC.........................................

Convention Coordinator

ChC.......................................

Chapter Coordinator

CRC.......................................

Chair of the Regional Convention

CTC.......................................

Communications/Technology Coordinator

DC.........................................

Directors' Coordinator

EC..........................................

Education Coordinator

EDC.......................................

Education Direction Committee

EVC.......................................

Events Coordinator

IES..........................................

International Education Symposium

FC..........................................

Finance Coordinator

IMAP.....................................

International Music Arrangers Program

MMC.....................................

Marketing/Membership Coordinator

PIPs........................................

Past International Presidents

RMT........................................

Regional Management Team

SAI.........................................

Sweet Adelines International

TC..........................................

Team Coordinator

YSF........................................

Young Singers Foundation

YWIH.....................................

Young Women in Harmony

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