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A Capella Terminology |
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Cast party after a show or performance |
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All-in-One........................... |
Undergarment worn under costumes |
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| Block Move......................... | Everyone doing the same move the same direction at the same time | |
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Break a Leg!....................... |
Said to wish someone well in performance |
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Lower range of voice |
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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 |
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Cluster Chord..................... |
When more than four parts are being sung (someone singing a wrong note) |
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Cone..................................... |
Balance of barbershop sound |
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Coning................................. |
The art of adjusting to maintain the proper balance of a barbershop chord |
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| 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 | |
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Coronet Club...................... |
Association of all past International Champion Quartets |
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Two vowel sounds sung on one note, with greatest stress on first vowel (A =Ay-ee, O = Oh-oo, I = Ah-ee) |
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Double................................. |
Two parts on the same note, usually an octave apart (bass on low F, lead on F above middle C.) |
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Downstage.......................... |
Toward the front of the stage (closest to the audience) |
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| 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 | |
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Dynamic Contrast............. |
Planned volume changes to enhance performance of song |
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Swipe or other musical addition to song for added interest |
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Rails attached to top riser row |
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Forward Motion................. |
Sense of lyrical flow, with vocal line moving toward something in anticipation, especially in ballads |
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| 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 | |
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Standing forward to the front edge of the riser |
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Hard Palate........................ |
Firm part of the roof of the mouth |
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Head Voice (Register)..... |
Upper range of voice |
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| Inside........................................ | Moving toward the center of the chorus; using the arm, or stepping on the foot closest to the center of the chorus | |
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Inside Smile........................ |
Lifting of the soft palate |
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Interval................................. |
The distance between two notes |
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Intro....................................... |
First part of a song |
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Choreo move, palm to the audience, fingers fully extended, (like you’re motioning to stop) |
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Letter name of the scale in which a song is written. This note is blown on the pitch pipe (tonic) |
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Hand that is not predominant in a choreo move |
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Facial muscles under the eyes into the temples, around the nose, in the lip, and from the temples down to the chin |
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Being able to sing your part without referring to the music |
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| 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 | |
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Overtone............................. |
Unsung tone heard above the highest tone of a properly balanced and matched chord |
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Harmony parts singing different words while lead sings melody |
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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 |
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Physical Warm-ups.......... |
Warming up of body to provide a suitable environment for the singing mechanism to operate |
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Pickups................................ |
Beginnings of phrases sung by only one voice |
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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 |
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Progression.......................... |
A sequence of chords |
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Displaying courtesy by not singing along with a foursome |
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Queens of Harmony......... |
International champion quartet |
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| Reset..................................... | To change your body position slightly, to re-energize. Pick up a foot and reposition it, to change the position of the weight | |
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Ringing Chord................... |
When a barbershop chord is balanced, overtones are produced and an exciting “ringing” sound results |
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Ripple................................... |
Choreographed move that starts at one side of the chorus and travels to the other side (the same principle as a wave) |
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| Slice Hand.......................... | Hand is in profile to the audience so that only the little finger is visible, fingers locked tightly together | |
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Soft Palate........................... |
Soft, squishy part behind hard palate |
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| 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 | |
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Stage Left............................. |
The performer’s left, when on stage facing the audience |
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Stage Right.......................... |
The performer’s right, when on stage facing the audience |
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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 |
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Swipe.................................... |
Two or more chords used to embellish a melody note, sung on one word or syllable |
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Last part of a song |
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Take if from the 'Edge'..... |
Start at the beginning of the music, or “take it from the top” |
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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 |
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Tidley.................................... |
Tiny swipe done by one part |
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Traffic Pattern...................... |
Designated and carefully timed path followed by choruses and quartets on competition day |
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Tuning.................................. |
Refers to the ability to sing both “in key” and “on pitch” |
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Toward the back of the stage (farthest away from the audience) |
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Unison................................... |
Two or more voice parts singing the same note |
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| Velvet................................... | Singing like velvet (with more air in your sound) | |
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Vocal Warm-ups............... |
Getting the voice ready to sing |
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| Windows.............................. | The space between the two people in front of you is your "window". Try to remain centered between those two people | |
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Woodshedding.................. |
The art of singing barbershop “by ear,” without a written musical arrangement |
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Regional and International Acronyms |
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CC......................................... |
Convention Coordinator |
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ChC....................................... |
Chapter Coordinator |
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CRC....................................... |
Chair of the Regional Convention |
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CTC....................................... |
Communications/Technology Coordinator |
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DC......................................... |
Directors' Coordinator |
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EC.......................................... |
Education Coordinator |
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EDC....................................... |
Education Direction Committee |
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EVC....................................... |
Events Coordinator |
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IES.......................................... |
International Education Symposium |
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FC.......................................... |
Finance Coordinator |
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IMAP..................................... |
International Music Arrangers Program |
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MMC..................................... |
Marketing/Membership Coordinator |
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PIPs........................................ |
Past International Presidents |
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RMT........................................ |
Regional Management Team |
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SAI......................................... |
Sweet Adelines International |
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TC.......................................... |
Team Coordinator |
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YSF........................................ |
Young Singers Foundation |
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YWIH..................................... |
Young Women in Harmony |
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