Musical Terminology: Types of Musical Composition

Category: Miscellaneous

photo credit: Denis Collette…!!!

If you have studied or listened to piano pieces, you have probably run into different types of words that are used to describe a piece of music.  Preludes, Nocturnes, and Etudes are just a subset of the many different types of musical composition. In this post, I will discuss the differences between them. Next time you listen to a Prelude, Nocturne, or Etude, see if you can distinguish the elements that make it what it is.

Prelude:

Preludes are characterized by being short and sweet (relatively), with a melodic and/or rhythmic motif that is featured throughout the piece.   This motif will recur throughout the piece, sometimes differing slightly as the music progresses.  A prelude may be played on its own, or as a preface to another piece, usually more complex.

Nocturne:

Nocturnes are generally lyrical and tranquil pieces.  The nocturne is known for being expressive above all else. It follows no specific form, but evolves as the music progresses.

Etude:

You can probably guess this one.  Etude is the french word for study; so a musical etude is just that – a musical study used to perfect a particular technical skill.  Generally etudes are quite difficult, featuring runs of quick notes, and arpeggios.

Those were just three terms that are commonly used to characterize a piece of music.  For some examples of these styles take a look at the works of Chopin. He composed 24 Preludes:  One in each key, major and minor, 27 Etudes, and 21 Nocturnes.