Glossary
a cappella Vocal music, without instrumental accompaniment.
a tempo Return to the previous tempo.
accelerando Gradually speed up. (Abbreviated as accel.)
accent A note played louder or with more emphasis than regular notes.
accidental A marking used to raise and lower the indicated pitch. Sharps raise the note a half step, flats lower the note a half step, and naturals return the note to the original pitch.
adagietto Tempo marking for a moderately slow tempo, slightly faster than adagio.
adagio Tempo marking for a moderately slow tempo.
allegretto Tempo marking for a moderately fast tempo, not quite as fast as allegro.
allegro Tempo marking for a fast, cheerful tempo.
altered bass chord A chord with some note other than the root in the bass. The altered bass note is typically notated after a slash, like this: Am7/D.
alto clef A clef, used primarily by the viola, that places middle C on the middle line of the staff.
alto voice The lowest female voice.
andante Tempo marking for a moderate, walking tempo.
andantino Tempo marking for a moderate tempo, slightly faster than andante.
arpeggio A chord that is broken up and played one note at a time.
articulation The manner in which notes are struck, sustained, and released. One indicates articulation by the use of markings such as legato, staccato, tenuto, and so on.
atonality Music that has no tonal center and no underlying key. In pure atonal music, the notes of the chromatic scale are used impartially and independently, with no home degree or tonic.
attack The beginning part of a sound.
augmented chord A chord with a major third and a raised fifth (1-3-♯5).
backbeat In 4/4 time, beats two and four, typically played by the drummer on the snare drum.
bar See measure.
bar line The vertical line placed on the staff between measures.
baritone voice A male voice pitched between the bass and tenor voices; not always isolated in choral music.
bass The lowest pitch of a chord (not necessarily the root).
bass clef A clef, used by lower-pitched voices and instruments, that places middle C on the first ledger line above the staff.
bass voice The lowest male voice.
beat Any pulsing unit of musical time.
big band A large ensemble for playing jazz music, consisting of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section.
block chord An unbroken chord, where all the notes are played at once, typically along with the same rhythm as the melody.
blues Music, originating in the African American community, that incorporates flatted notes and a specific chord progression (the blues progression).
blues progression A 12-bar sequence of chords common in blues and jazz music, as follows: I-I-I-I-IV-IV-I-I-V7-V7-I-I.
blues scale The scale used in blues music with the following scale tones: 1-♭3-4-♭5-5-♭7.
brass The family of instruments, typically made of brass, that produces sound by blowing through a mouthpiece. The brass family includes the trumpet, trombone, tuba, and French horn.
broken chord Another name for an arpeggiated chord, where the notes are played in sequence as opposed to all at once.
cadence A pause or stopping point, typically a short chord progression inserted at the end of a phrase or piece of music.
canon A musical form in which the melody is imitated by various parts in contrapuntal fashion.
choir A large vocal ensemble.
chord Three or more notes played simultaneously.
chord progression A series of chords over a number of measures.
chord sheet A sheet of music containing only the chords of a song.
chromatic Pitches outside the underlying key or scale. The opposite of diatonic.
chromatic scale A scale containing 12 equal divisions of the octave—all the white keys and black keys within an octave.
clef A graphic symbol placed at the beginning of the staff to indicate the pitch of the notes on the staff.
coda A short section at the end of a composition.
common time The 4/4 time signature.
compound chord Two chords sounded together. Typically notated with a vertical slash between the two chords.
concert key See concert pitch.
concert pitch The actual (nontransposed) pitch of a piece of music; some instruments (such as the trumpet) read their music transposed from concert pitch.
consonance Harmonious combination of tones. The opposite of dissonance.
contralto A lower subset of the alto voice, even lower than the traditional alto range; not used in all choral music.
contrapuntal See counterpoint.
contrary motion Where one voice moves in the opposite direction of another.
counterpoint Two or more simultaneous, independent lines or voices. Some music theorists apply strict rules to the creation of contrapuntal lines.
crescendo Gradually louder.
cut time The 2/2 time signature.
D.C. al Coda Navigation marking meaning to go back to the beginning and play to the Coda sign; then skip to the Coda section.
D.C. al Fine Navigation marking meaning to go back to the beginning and play through to the end.
D.S. al Coda Navigation marking meaning to go back to the Segno sign and play to the Coda sign; then skip to the Coda section.
D.S. al Fine Navigation marking meaning to go back to the Segno sign and play through to the end.
decrescendo Gradually softer.
diatonic Notes or chords that are in the underlying key or scale. For example, in the key of C Major, the diatonic notes are C, D, E, F, G, A, and B; all other notes are chromatic.
diminished chord A chord with a minor third and a diminished fifth (1-♭3-♭5).
dissonance A combination of tones that sounds discordant and unstable, in need of resolution to a more pleasing and stable harmony. The opposite of consonance.
division Fractional parts of a beat.
dominant The fifth degree of a scale, a perfect fifth above the tonic. Also refers to the chord built on this fifth scale degree.
dominant seventh chord A major chord with a minor seventh added (1-3-5-♭7). Typically found on the fifth degree of the scale, and noted as V7.
doppio movimento Play twice as fast.
double bar Two vertical lines placed on the staff to indicate the end of a section or a composition.
downbeat The major beats in a measure; in 4/4 time, the downbeats are 1, 2, 3, and 4. (Some theoreticians hold that there is only one downbeat per measure—the very first beat.)
dynamics Varying degrees of loud and soft. For example, forte signifies a loud dynamic, while piano signifies a soft dynamic.
enharmonic Different notations of the same sound; for example, F♯ and G♭ are enharmonic notes.
extended chords Chords with additional notes (typically in thirds) added above the basic triad. (Some theoreticians consider seventh chords extended chords; others don’t.)
fermata Symbol used to indicate that a note should be held indefinitely. Sometimes called a “bird’s eye.”
flag The part of eighth notes, sixteenth notes, and all smaller notes dangling off the stem. The flag is always at the end of the stem, so if the stem is pointing up, the flag is above the notehead; if the stem is pointing down, the flag is below the notehead.
flat The lowering of any pitch by a half step; signified by the ♭ sign.
forte Loud. (Abbreviated as f.)
fortissimo Very loud. (Abbreviated as ff.)
fortississimo Very, very loud. (Abbreviated as fff.)
frequency A scientific measurement of how fast the molecules of air are vibrating; the faster the vibrations, the higher the pitch.
fugue A contrapuntal form that is built from a single subject.
glissando A mechanism for getting from one pitch to another, playing every single pitch between the two notes as smoothly as possible.
grace note One or more notes, played lightly and quickly, that precede a main note.
grave Tempo marking for a very slow or solemn pace.
half step The smallest distance between notes in a chromatic scale.
harmonic composition Composing with the chords first and then fitting a melody to those chords.
harmonic interval The interval between two notes sounded simultaneously to create harmony. (Contrast this with a melodic interval, which consists of two notes played one after another to create a melody.)
harmonic rhythm The pace of a chord progression.
harmonization The choice of chords to accompany a melodic line.
harmony The sound of tones in combination. Also used to refer to the accompanying parts behind the main melody.
interval The distance between two pitches or notes.
inversion A chord in which the bass note is not the root of the chord.
jazz band See big band.
key A combination of a tonic and a mode. For example, the key of F Major has F as the tonic and major as the mode.
key signature The sharps or flats that are placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate the key of the music.
larghetto Tempo marking for a slow tempo, slightly faster than largo.
largo Tempo marking for a slow and dignified tempo.
lead sheet A piece of sheet music that contains a single staff for the melody, with the accompanying chords written above the staff.
leading tone The note that is a half step below the tonic; thus leads up to the tonic.
lento Tempo marking for a slow tempo.
major The most common mode, consisting of the following intervals: whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half.
major chord A chord with a major third (1-3-5).
measure A group of beats, indicated by the placement of bar lines on the staff.
mediant The third degree of a scale, or a chord built on that degree (III).
melodic composition Composing with the melody first and then fitting chords to that melody.
melodic interval The interval between two notes played one after another.
melody The combination of tone and rhythm in a logical sequence.
meter The organization of beats and their divisions.
metronome A device that precisely ticks off beat after beat at a specified tempo. Metronomes can be either pendulum-type affairs or computerized devices that emit an electronic beat.
mezzo forte Medium loud. (Abbreviated as mf.)
mezzo piano Medium soft. (Abbreviated as mp.)
microtone An interval smaller than a semitone, prevalent in some non-Western music and twentieth-century art music.
minor One of three modes, each with a flatted third of the scale. Natural minor is identical to Aeolian mode, with the following intervals: whole-half-whole-whole-half-whole-whole. Harmonic minor contains the following intervals: whole-half-whole-whole-half-whole-half-half. Melodic minor is different ascending and descending; ascending, the intervals are whole-half-whole-whole-whole-whole-half, whereas descending it uses the same intervals as natural minor.
minor chord A chord with a minor third (1-♭3-5).
mode (1) A series of notes that indicate the structure of a major or minor scale key or piece. (2) A set of scales, based on centuries-old music that preceded today’s major and minor scales; these include the Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Ionian, Locrian, and Aeolian modes.
moderato Tempo marking for a moderate pace.
modulation A change of key within a piece of music.
molto Modifier for tempo markings; means “very.”
motet Short, unaccompanied vocal work for two or more voices.
motif (or motive) A brief melodic or rhythmic idea.
neighboring tone A tone one diatonic step above or below the main tone.
notation The art of writing musical notes on paper.
note A symbol used to indicate the duration and pitch of a sound, as in whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes.
notehead The big, oval part of a note. The stem is always attached to the notehead.
octave Two pitches, with the same name, located 12 half steps apart.
odd time Any non-4/4 time signature, such as 3/4, 5/4, or 9/8.
orchestra A group of instruments organized for the performance of symphonies and other instrumental works, or to accompany an opera or other staged presentation.
orchestration The art of scoring music for an orchestra or band. Also called arranging.
parallel motion Two or more voices that move in identical steps, simultaneously.
passing tone A pitch located (scale-wise) directly between two main pitches; passing tones are typically used to connect notes in a melody.
pedal point A note sustained below changing harmonies.
pentatonic scale A five-note scale with the intervals of whole, whole, whole and a half, whole, whole and a half; in relationship to a major scale, the scale degrees (not counting the octave) are 1-2-3-5-6.
percussion The family of instruments that produce sound when you hit, beat, crash, shake, roll, scratch, rub, twist, or rattle them. Included in this family are various types of drums and cymbals, as well as mallet instruments (marimba, xylophone, and so forth) and timpani.
perfect pitch The ability to hear absolute pitches in your head, without any outside assistance.
phrase Within a piece of music, a segment that is unified by rhythms, melodies, or harmonies and that comes to some sort of closure. Typically composed in groups of 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32 measures.
pianissimo Very soft. (Abbreviated as pp.)
pianississimo Very, very soft. (Abbreviated as ppp.)
piano (1) Soft. (Abbreviated as p.) (2) An 88-key keyboard instrument, also known as the pianoforte.
pitch The highness or lowness of a tone. (In scientific terms, a specific frequency.)
polyphony The mixing together of several simultaneous melodic lines.
polyrhythm Two or more rhythms played simultaneously, or against each other.
polytonality Employing more than one tonality simultaneously.
prestissimo Tempo marking for an extremely fast tempo, faster than presto.
presto Tempo marking for a very fast tempo.
primary chords The most important chords in a key: I, IV, V.
rallentando Gradually slow down. (Abbreviated as rall.)
relative keys Keys that share the same key signature, but not the same root. For example, A minor and C Major are relative keys.
resolve The act of moving a suspended note down to a chord tone of the chord.
rest A symbol used to denote silence or not playing a particular note.
rhythm The organization of sound in time; the arrangement of beats and accents in music.
rhythm section Those instruments providing the rhythmic pulse in a larger ensemble, typically consisting of keyboards, guitars, bass, and drums.
ritardando Gradually slow down. (Abbreviated as rit. or ritard.)
ritenuto Hold back the tempo. (Abbreviated as riten.)
root The fundamental note in a chord.
SATB Shorthand for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. (Choral scores are sometimes called SATB scores.)
scale A sequence of related pitches, arranged in ascending or descending order.
score (1) The written depiction of all the individual parts played of each of the instruments in an ensemble. (2) To orchestrate a composition.
semitone The interval of a half step.
sharp The raising of any pitch by a half step; signified by the ♯ sign.
shuffle A rhythmic feel based on triplets or a dotted eighth note/sixteenth note pattern.
similar motion Two or more voices that move in the same direction, but not with the same intervals.
sonata A piece of instrumental music performed in distinct and contrasting movements.
song form The structure of a short piece of music; usually diagramed as A-A-B-A.
soprano voice The highest female voice.
staff An assemblage of horizontal lines and spaces that represent different pitches (as defined by the clef used).
string orchestra An ensemble consisting of the five primary instruments of the string section, sometimes accompanied by piano.
string quartet A four-piece ensemble consisting of first and second violin, viola, and cello.
strings The family of instruments that produces sound by moving a bow across a string. The string family includes the violin, viola, cello, and double bass.
subdominant The fourth degree of the scale, or the chord built on the fourth degree (IV).
submediant The sixth degree of a scale, or the chord built on that degree (vi).
subtonic The seventh degree of a scale, or the chord built on that degree (vii°). (In classical theory, the subtonic is the lowered seventh, whereas the normal seventh is called the leading tone.)
supertonic The second degree of a scale, or the chord built on that degree (ii).
suspension A nonchord note used within a chord to create tension. The suspended note is typically the fourth of the chord, which then resolves down to the third.
symphonic orchestra See orchestra.
syncopation An accent on an unexpected beat—or the lack of an accent on an expected beat.
tempo The rate of speed at which beats are played in a song.
tempo primo Return to the tempo designated at the beginning of a piece.
tenor voice The highest male voice.
theme A recurring melodic or rhythmic pattern or idea; the main melodic phrase in a composition.
third The interval between the first and third degree of a scale; can be either minor (three half steps) or major (two whole steps).
tie A curved line over or under two or more notes that “ties” the two notes together into one.
timbre Sound quality (as in, “That trumpet player has a rich timbre”).
time signature A symbol with two numbers, one on top of the other (like a fraction), that indicates the basic meter of a song. The upper number indicates how many beats are in a measure; the bottom number indicates the type of note that receives one beat.
tonality The organization of musical notes around a tonic, or home pitch, based on a major or minor scale or mode.
tone A sound played or sung at a specific pitch. (The term is also used sometimes to indicate timbre, or sound quality.)
tonic The primary note in a scale or key; the first degree of a scale or a chord built on that degree (I).
transcribing The art of writing down melodies and chords by ear, without the benefit of any other written notation.
transpose See transposition.
transposing instruments Those instruments that are not notated at their true pitch. For example, the trumpet is notated a full step higher than it sounds; when a trumpet plays what it reads as a C, it actually sounds a B♭ in concert pitch.
transposition Translating one pitch to another.
treble clef A clef, used by higher-pitched voices and instruments, that places middle C on the first ledger line below the staff.
triad Three notes, each a third apart from the previous. Most chords are built on triads.
triplet A group of three notes performed in the space of two.
tritone An interval consisting of three whole steps. Sometimes called “the Devil’s interval.”
unison (1) Two notes of the same pitch. (2) Voices or instruments all singing or playing the same pitch.
upbeat The eighth-note “and” after the downbeat.
vivace Tempo marking for a lively tempo.
voice Melodic or harmonic lines.
voice leading The motion of a melodic line as it moves from one chord to another.
voicing The way the notes of a chord are arranged.
whole step An interval equal to two half steps.
woodwind The family of instruments that produces sound by vibrating a wooden reed. The woodwind family includes the clarinet, saxophone, oboe, and bassoon. Also included are the flute and the piccolo, which do not use reeds.