Music and Motion

Eight words for music and motion, and every way to know them.

Meet each word one at a time, then take the quiz to lock them in.

1. 1 movement noun
2. 2 rhythm noun
3. 3 produce verb
4. 4 arrange verb
5. 5 startling adjective
6. 6 mysterious adjective
7. 7 gracefully adverb
8. 8 hastily adverb

Nelson's word

noun

Movement. A noun. I file it under the act of changing place or position, one thing shifting from here to there. A wave of the hand is a movement. A step across the floor is a movement. In a piece of music, a movement can even name a whole section that carries its own feeling. The tail -ment is fixed on to name the action itself, the very act of shifting position. State it precisely: a movement is a change in place, held still long enough to point at.

The dancer's every movement matched the beat of the drum.

Nelson's word

noun

Rhythm. A noun, and a tricky one to spell, so file it carefully. It names a steady, repeating beat or pattern, the pulse you tap your foot to. A drum keeps a rhythm. Even a rowing crew pulls to a rhythm, everyone moving on the same count. Rhythm is not only for music; a poem has rhythm, and so does the swing of a walk. When something repeats in a beat you can feel, that beat is the rhythm.

The whole band locked into the same rhythm at once.

Vinny's word

verb

Produce! To make, to build, to bring a thing into being where there was nothing before! When the students produce a show, they conjure lights, music, and a whole story out of thin air. That is the verb, that is mine, and it is a heroic act of creation. But beware, this word has a secret identity. Say it a little differently, produce, and it becomes a noun that means fruits and vegetables, the fresh produce at the market. Same spelling, a different job entirely. We sort those hats in Practice.

The students produce a show every spring for the whole town.

Vinny's word

verb

Arrange! To take a jumble of things and put them in a neat, planned order! When the musicians arrange the chairs, chaos becomes a tidy half-circle. When a composer arranges a song, scattered notes fall into a shape you can play. That is the verb, and it is mine. Inside it hides the word range, the whole spread of things you are lining up. To arrange is to bring order to the range, and order, my friends, is a hero's work too.

The musicians arrange the chairs in a wide half-circle before the concert.

Jake's word

adjective

Startling. Oh, this one has a jolt in it, and it is mine. As an adjective, startling describes a thing so surprising it makes you jump: a startling clash of cymbals, a startling knock at the door. Its Frown is dull, the thing that surprises no one at all. Could we be more specific than saying a noise was surprising? We could call it startling, and let the reader feel the jump in their own chest. Same picture, sharper edges. Magnifique.

A startling clash of cymbals ended the quiet song.

Jake's word

adjective

Mysterious. An adjective, mine, describing a thing that is hard to explain, full of secrets, not yet understood. A mysterious tune from an empty theater, a mysterious light under the door. Its Frown is obvious, the thing anyone can see and explain at once. Could we be more specific than saying something was strange? We could say it was mysterious, which promises the reader a secret waiting to be solved. Say it, and the room goes a little darker in the best way.

A mysterious tune drifted from the empty theater.

Benny's word

adverb

Gracefully. Now this is my kind of word, and I own it. It is an adverb, and it tells you how an action happens: in a smooth, lovely, easy way. The skater glided gracefully, the dancer bowed gracefully. Hear that tail, the -ly? That is my signature, the mark that turns graceful into gracefully and puts it to work on a verb. Do not just tell me she moved. Tell me she moved gracefully, and now I can see it. Make it sharper, and you always can.

The skater glided gracefully across the fresh ice.

Benny's word

adverb

Hastily. An adverb, and mine, telling you how an action happens: in a fast, rushed way, with no time to spare. She hastily packed her sticks and dashed for the bus. Its Frown is calmly, the slow and steady way. Watch that -ly tail again, my signature, turning hasty into hastily so it can coach a verb. But a word to the wise, athlete: hastily done is often sloppily done. Reach for it when the rush is the whole point, and you will land it every time.

She hastily packed her drumsticks and dashed for the bus.