Glossary of Musical Terms
The language of music...
Musical Terms: B - C
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| bar | a division of music that occurs between 2 bar lines - also called a measure |
| bar line | a vertical line drawn across a Staff which divides the music into equal sections - called bars |
| barre chord | a chord played with 1 finger laying over multiple strings - usually 6. A mini-barre is used when 1 finger lays over fewer strings, e.g., F Major requires a mini-barre over the first 2 strings with the first finger in the open chord position. |
| bass | Voice: the lowest of the 4 standard voice ranges - Bass Tenor Alto Soprano Music: the lowest melodic line in any musical composition Orchestra: reference to the double-bass Guitar: 4th, 5th and 6th strings |
| bass clef 𝄢 | a musical symbol used to indicate the pitch of written notes on a line which serves as a reference point by which the names of notes on any other line or space of the stave can be determined - also known as the F Clef as the F-line passes between the 2 dots of the clef. |
| beat | 1. the rhythm of the music 2. a single stroke of rhythmic accent. |
| bend | a specific technique where a string is pushed upwards or downwards which raises the pitch of the fretted note in question |
| Blues Scale | a scale consisting of the I, ♭III, IV, V, and ♭VII notes relative to the Major Scale |
| bridge | 1. passage of music connecting 2 sections of a composition. Also known as a transition 2. section of a stringed instrument that holds the strings in place and transmits the vibrations of the strings to the resonating body of the instrument |
| broken chord | a chord where all the notes are not played at once |
| cadenza | a solo section, usually played in a concerto - used to display the performer's technique |
| capo | 1. head - the beginning of a piece or movement 2. a key-changing device for guitars and banjos - allows a key change without altering the chord shape. |
| chord | the combination of 3 or more different notes played at the same time. For guitarists, a combination of 2 notes played at the same time is denoted as a power chord. |
| chord progression | a series of chords played as a musical entity, e.g., a song |
| chromatic scale | an ascending and descending scale using semitones only, e.g. C chromatic scale ascending: C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C descending: C B B♭ A A♭ G G♭ F E E♭ D D♭ C |
| clef | a sign place at the beginning of every staff of music which fixes the position of a particular note on the staff which in turn fixes the position of all the other notes. The most popular clefs are the Treble or G clef 𝄞 (fixes the G note), and the Bass or F Clef 𝄢 (fixes the F note). |
| cliches | small musical phrases that are commonly used |
| coda 𝄌 | a tail - a closing section appended to a piece or movement |
| common time - 𝄴 | time signature of 4/4. This means there are 4 beats per measure with each beat a quarter-note or crotchet beat in length - 4 quarter-note beats per bar. |
| compound time | occurs when a beat falls on a dotted note which is therefore divisible by 3, e.g., 6⁄8, 9⁄8, 12⁄8 |
| contralto | deepest female singing voice with a range typically between the F below middle C (F3) to the second G above middle C (G5). Extreme voices can reach E below middle C (E3) or the second B♭ above middle C (B♭5). Middle C is C4 |
| crescendo | growing progressively louder |
| cut time - 𝄵 | time signature of 2/2. This means 2 beats per measure with a half-note or minim length for each beat |
Musical Terms: D - L
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| da capo | from the head or beginning |
| D.C. al fine | from the head or beginning to the word fine |
| D.S. | Dal Segno - from the sign 𝄋 |
| D.S. al coda | instructs the musician to repeat back to the sign, and when Al coda or To coda is reached, jump to the coda symbol. |
| D.S. al fine | instructs the musician to repeat back to the sign, and end the piece at the measure marked fine. |
| decrescendo | gradually decreasing volume |
| diminuendo | dwindling - gradually decreasing volume (same as decrescendo) |
| dolce | sweetly |
| dominant | the fifth degree of a major or minor scale |
| dot | a sign (dot) placed after a note indicating that the time of the note is extended by a half, e.g., 𝅘𝅥 = 1 beat count 𝅘𝅥. = 1½ beat counts |
| double bar line | Two vertical lines on the staff indicating the end of a section or a composition. It is also used with two dots to enclose repeated sections. |
| double flat (♭♭) | lowers the note one whole tone |
| double sharp (x) | raises the note one whole tone |
| duet | a performance by 2 people (voices/instruments) |
| duplet | a group of 2 notes that are played in the same time as 3 notes of the same kind |
| duration | the time value of each note or strum |
| dynamics | the relative volume in the way the piece is played with varying degrees of loud and soft |
| eighth | octave |
| eighth note | a note with the value of half a beat in 4/4 time (𝅘𝅥𝅮) - also called a quaver. |
| eighth note rest | indicates half a beat of silence 𝄾 |
| encore | again - perform the relevant passage once more |
| enharmonic | notes of the same pitch with different names, e.g., C# and D♭ |
| falsetto | vocal register above the normal voice |
| fermata 𝄐 | hold/pause - a note or rest to be held for a duration that is left to the discretion of the performer |
| fifth | fifth degree of a diatonic scale. Also name given to an interval in relation to the position above or below a tone (G is a fifth up from C, or F is a 5th down from C). It is also used to describe the interval itself, e.g., perfect 5th, an augmented 5th or a diminished 5th. |
| fill | instructs musicians to improvise, e.g., a riff between lines sections or phrases |
| finale | the final movement or section of a piece |
| fine | the end - often in phrases like al fine (to the end) |
| flat | a symbol (♭) that lowers the pitch of a note by a semitone. |
| forte or f | strong - to be played or sung loudly |
| fortepiano or fp | strong-gentle - loud, then immediately soft |
| fortissimo or ff | very loud |
| fortississimo or fff | as loud as possible |
| fourth | the fourth degree of a diatonic scale. Also name given to an interval in relation to the position above or below a tone (F is a 4th up from C, or G is a 4th down from C). It is also used to describe the interval itself, e.g., perfect 4th, an augmented 4th or a diminished 4th. |
| free stroke | this is where the finger after picking the string does not rest on any other string as in fingerpicking |
| fugue | flight - short theme (the subject) is introduced in one voice (or part) alone, then in others, with imitation and characteristic development as the piece progresses...more |
| gentile | gently |
| gig | a musician's job |
| giocoso or gioioso | gaily |
| grandioso | grandly |
| grave | slowly and seriously |
| grazioso | gracefully |
| half note 𝅗𝅥 | a note with the value of 2 beats in 4/4 time - also called a minim. |
| half note rest | indicates 2 beats of silence written 𝄼 on the third staff line |
| half step | semitone - an interval from one note to the very next note above or below, e.g., F - F# |
| hammer-on | sounding of a note by only using the left hand fingers... also called a slur. Lefties would use the right hand fingers. |
| harmonics | a chime-like sound made by gently or lightly touching a vibrating string at certain points along the fretboard. |
| harmony | The simultaneous sounding of 2 or more different notes |
| homophony | a musical texture with one voice (or melody line) accompanied by chords |
| i | index finger. Used in identifying right hand fingers in finger-picking patterns. Identifies left hand fingers for Lefties |
| impetuoso | impetuously |
| improvise | to perform spontaneously - not from written copy or from memory |
| interval | distance between any 2 notes of different pitches |
| intro | beginning or opening section |
| jazz standard | well-known or popular jazz piece |
| key | describes the notes used in a composition in relation to the major or minor scale from which they are derived, e.g., 'in the key of C Major' describes the melody, chords, etc., as predominantly consisting of the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B — i.e., from the C Scale. |
| key signature | a sign placed at the beginning of each stave of music, directly after the clef indicating the key of a piece. The sign consists of a number of sharps or flats, which represent the sharps or flats found in the scale of the piece's key: e.g. 2 sharps on the stave indicates a scale with F# and C# which is the key of D Major. No sharps or flats on the Stave indicate C Major. |
| largo | broadly - slowly |
| lead | playing single notes — lead solo or a melody line. |
| leading tone | the seventh degree of a major scale |
| ledger lines | small horizontal lines upon which notes are written when their pitch is either above or below the range of the Stave. |
| legato | joined - smoothly, in a connected manner |
| lento | slowly |
| lyrics | words that accompany a melody |
Musical Terms: M - S
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| m | middle finger used in identifying right hand fingers in finger-picking patterns. Identifies left hand fingers for Lefties |
| major pentatonic scale | a 5 tone scale based on the interval sequence T - T - T½ - T - T½ |
| maestoso | with deep feeling in a majestic and stately fashion |
| major scale | a series of eight notes in alphabetical order based on the interval sequence T - T - S - T - T - T - S |
| marcato or marc | marked - with accentuation, execute every note as if it were to be accented |
| measure | a bar of music |
| medley | several pieces played one after the other and sometimes overlapping |
| melody | a series of notes of varying pitch and duration having a recognized musical shape |
| meter (metre) | pattern of strong and weak beats in the rhythm of the music |
| metronome | a device which indicates the number of beats per minute — can be adjusted to a desired tempo, e.g. ♩= 60 indicates 60 quarter note beats per minute |
| mezza voce | half voice - with subdued or moderated volume |
| mezzo forte (mf) | moderately loud |
| mezzo piano (mp) | moderately soft |
| mezzo-soprano | a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above (A3-A5). They may extend down to the G below middle C (G3) and as high as (C6). Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between a soprano and a contralto. N.B. middle C on a piano is C4 |
| middle C | middle C on a piano denoted by C4 |
| minor pentatonic scale | a 5 tone scale based on the interval sequence T½ - T - T - T½ - T |
| mode | a displaced scale, e.g., playing through the C to C Scale but starting and finishing on a D note. |
| moderato | moderate - often combined with other terms, usually relating to tempo e.g., allegro moderato |
| modulation | is most commonly the act or process of changing from one key to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature. |
| molto | very |
| movement | a section of a musical composition |
| natural | a symbol (♮) that cancels the effect of a sharp or a flat. The word is also used to describe the 'natural notes' A, B, C, D, E, F, G. |
| N.C. | No chord |
| nocturne | a musical composition written for the night |
| notation | the written representation of music by the use of symbols (music on a stave), letters (as in note and chord names) and diagrams (as in chord illustrations). |
| note | a single sound with a given pitch and duration |
| obbligato | required, indispensable |
| octave | The distance between any given note with a set frequency, and another note with exactly double that frequency. Both notes have the same letter name. An octave is equal to 12 semitones - the first and eighth note in a major or minor scale. A(220) <———————> A(440)
1 OCTAVE
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| open chord | a chord that contains at least one open string |
| ostinato | obstinate, persistent - a short musical pattern that is repeated throughout an entire composition or portion of a composition |
| ottava | octave e.g. ottava bassa - an octave lower |
| p | primary finger (thumb)— used in identifying right hand fingers in finger-picking patterns. Identifies left hand fingers for Lefties |
| passing note | connects 2 melody notes which are a third or less apart — usually occurs on an unaccented beat of the bar. |
| parlando or parlante | like speech, enunciated (talking) |
| phrase | a small group of notes forming a recognizable unit within a melody |
| pianissimo or pp | very gently - perform very softly, even softer than piano |
| piano | gently - played or sung softly |
| pitch | the sound produced by a note, determined by the frequency of the string vibrations — relates to a note referred to as 'high' or 'low'. |
| pivot finger | a finger which remains in position while the other fingers move, when changing chords. |
| plectrum | a small object usually triangular in shape made primarily of plastic which is used to strum the strings on a guitar. |
| pizzicato | pinched, plucked - in music for bowed strings, plucked with the fingers as opposed to played with the bow |
| poco | a little |
| poco a poco | little by little |
| position | term used to describe the location of the left hand on the fretboard. The left hand position is determined by the fret position of the first finger (lefties - the right hand position), e.g., 1st position refers to frets 1 - 4, the 2nd position refers to frets 2 - 5, the 3rd position refers to frets 3 - 6 etc. |
| portamento | carrying - sliding in pitch from one note to another usually pausing just above or below the final pitch, then sliding quickly to that pitch |
| prelude | a musical introduction to subsequent movements |
| presto | very quickly |
| primo or prima | first |
| quarter note | a note with the value of one beat in 4/4 time (𝅘𝅥) - also called a crotchet. |
| quarter note rest | indicates one beat of silence 𝄽 |
| quarter tone | half of a semitone - not commonly used in Western music notation except in some forms of Jazz, Blues, artistic and experimental music and a variety of non Western music cultures. |
| rallentando or rall. | broadening of the tempo - progressively slower |
| reggae | a Jamaican rhythm featuring an accent on the second and fourth beats in 4/4 time. |
| relative | a term used to describe the relationship between a major and minor key which share the same key signature; e.g., D major and Bm are relative keys both sharing F# and C# in the key signature. |
| repeat signs | used to indicate the repeat of a section of music, by means of 2 dots placed before a double bar line :|| In chord progressions, a repeat sign |
| rest | the notation of an absence of sound in music |
| rest stroke | after picking a string, the finger comes to rest on the next string (for accenting the note). |
| ritardando or rit | slowing down; decelerating; opposite of accelerando |
| rondo | a musical form in which a certain section returns repeatedly , interspersed with other sections |
| rhythm | tempo, duration and accents of notes or chord strums. Tempo indicates the speed of a piece (fast or slow); duration indicates the time value of each note or strum (quarter-note, eighth-note, sixteenth-note etc.); and accents indicate which beat is more predominant (in rock, the 1st and 3rd beats, in reggae, the 2nd and 4th beats). |
| riff | a pattern of notes that is repeated throughout a progression or song. |
| root note | the note after which a chord or scale is named (also called a 'key note'). |
| scale tone chords | chords which are constructed from notes within a given scale, e.g., C scale tone chords consist of consist of chords derived from the C Major Scale - any chords that don't include sharps or flats, e.g., C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bº — D scale tone chords consist of chords derived from the D major scale - any chords that includes F# and C# etc. |
| scherzando | playfully |
| scherzo | a light, "joking" or playful musical form |
| segno | sign - usually Dal Segno "from the sign", indicating a return to the point marked by 𝄋 |
| segue | carry on to the next section without a pause |
| semibreve | 🞅 - a note with the value of four beats in 4/4 time - also called a whole-note. |
| semitone | the smallest pitch difference between notes in most Western music e.g.( F → F#) |
| serioso | seriously |
| sforzando or sfz | made loud, e.g., a sudden strong accent |
| sharp | # - a symbol that raises the pitch of the note by a semitone. |
| short accent | hit the note hard and short . (^) |
| silenzio | silence |
| simple time | occurs when a beat falls on an undotted note which is therefore divisible by 2 |
| sixteenth-note | a note with the value of quarter of a beat in 4/4 time 𝅘𝅥𝅯 - also called a semi-quaver. |
| sixteenth note rest | indicates a quarter of a beat of silence 𝄿 |
| slide | a technique where the finger slides along the string to its new note, maintaining equal pressure on the string so that a continuous sound is produced. |
| slur | sounding a note using only the left hand fingers. An ascending slur is also called a hammer-on whereas a descending slur is also called a flick-off. Lefties will only use the right hand fingers. |
| sonata | a piece that is played as opposed to a piece that is sung. |
| soprano | the highest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano). Usually, a range from middle C4 (middle C) - A5 in choral music, or from C4 - C6 (two octaves above middle C) or higher in operatic music. |
| sostenuto | sustained, lengthened |
| staccato | making each note brief and detached. A small dot under or over the head of the note indicates that it is to be played as staccato. |
| staff | 𝄚 a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces that each represent a different musical pitch |
| stanza | a verse of a song |
| stave or staff | 𝄚 five parallel lines and 4 spaces upon which music notation is written. |
| subito | suddenly (e.g., subito pp, which instructs the player to suddenly drop to pianissimo as an effect) |
| syncopation | the placing of an accent on a normally unaccented beat, e.g. reggae music or ragtime music > > > > 1 2 3 4 OR 1 + 2 + 3 + |
Musical Terms: T - W
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| tablature | a system of writing music which represents the position of a players fingers on a particular guitar string (not the pitch of the note). There are 6 lines which represent each string and each number represents the fret. Chord diagrams are also a type of tablature. |
| tacet | silent - do not play |
| tempo | time - the overall speed of a piece of music |
| tenor | the second lowest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano) In choral music, the tenor voice lies between C3, (one octave below middle C), and A4 (A above middle C). Soloists can extend this range up to C5 (tenor high C). The low extreme for tenors is roughly B♭2 (two B♭s below middle C), while the highest extreme can be up to F5 (two Fs above middle C) |
| tenuto | Held - touch on a note slightly longer than usual, but without generally altering the note's value |
| tessitura | texture - describes a comfortable range for a singer and sometimes a musical instrument, a range where the voice or instrument displays its best texture. |
| tie | a curved line joining 2 or more notes of the same pitch, where the second note is not played, but its time value is added to that of the first note. |
| timbre | the quality of a musical tone that distinguishes a note produced on one instrument or voice to the same note produced on any other instrument. A given note on a guitar will sound different to the same note played on a piano or trumpet or violin etc. There can also be a difference in timbre from one guitar to another, e.g., electric guitar and classical guitar. |
| time | returning to tempo after playing an alternative tempo... same as al tempo |
| time signature | a sign or figures at the beginning of a piece of music indicating the number of beats to a bar (top figure) and the type of note receiving one beat (bottom figure) |
| tone | equivalent to 2 semitones - a distance of 2 frets on a guitar |
| transposition | the process of changing music from one key to another. |
| treble | generally, the upper regions of pitch. On guitar, this relates to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd strings commonly known as the top 3 strings. |
| treble clef 𝄞 | a sign placed at the beginning of the stave to fix the position of the notes placed on it. The Treble Clef, also known as the G Clef is placed so that the second line indicates a G note. |
| tremolo | shaking - a rapid repetition of the same note, or an alternation between two or more notes (often an octave on the piano). String players perform tremolo with the bow by rapidly moving the bow while the arm is tense. On guitar, it is a rapid pick movement on a given note. |
| triplet | a group of 3 notes played in the same time as 2 notes of the same kind, e.g., |
| tutti | all - all together |
| up tempo | a fast, lively or increased tempo, or played in such a tempo. |
| vibrato | vibrating - rapidly repeated slight alteration in the pitch of a note, used to give a richer sound and as a means of expression. For any stringed instrument, vibrato is a technique which involves pushing a string up and down fairly rapidly like a series of short bends. |
| virtuoso | performing with exceptional ability, technique, or artistry |
| vivace | very lively, up-tempo - vivacious |
| voce | voice |
| whole-note | a note (𝅝) with the value of four beats in 4/4 time - also called a semibreve. |
| whole-note rest | indicates four beat of silence 𝄻 placed on the 4th staff line |
