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Recitative: A musical work usually found in an operaor oratorio, which mimics the patterns of speech, in order to advance the story.

Red Notes: In medieval music, notes that were colored red on the page in order to distinguish differences in rhythm or octave transposition for specific notes. They were also used to show differences in a cantus firmus from the original.

Renaissance: "Rebirth." The era from the mid-15th century to the end of the 16th century. The music was charactarized by the use of freer forms, and a progression from modes toward major and minor scales, and harmonic.

Requiem: A version of the Mass performed to commemorate the dead. The sections are: introit, Kyrie, Gradualand Tract, Sequence( Dies Irae), Offertory, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei.

Resolution: The changing of a dissonant pitch, usually by stepwise or chromatic motion, so that it becomes consonant with the chord being sounded.

Rest: Musical silence. (Silence is played just as notes are!) See whole-rest, half-rest, eighth-rest, eighth-rest, sixteenth-rest.

Rhythm: Fundamental element of music. Covers everything that pertains to the time aspect of music. etymology of the word rhythm:; c.1557, from L. rhythmus "movement in time," from Gk. rhythmos "measured flow or movement, rhythm," related to rhein "to flow." In M.L., rithmus was used for accentual, as opposed to quantitative, verse, and accentual verse was usually rhymed.

Romantic Era: The musical period from roughly 1827-1900, characterized by freer forms, larger, more elaborate works, and an increased attention to emotional theme within the music.

Root: the most fundamental note of a chord, scale or tonality often the bass note, which usually contains the other members of the chord within its overtones.

Root Position: When a chord has its fundamental tone in the bass, the chord is said to be in root position.