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Glossary of music terminology - Wikipedia. A variety of musical terms are encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions.
- 12 Bar Blues
- A Capella
- Accelerando
- Acoustic
- Adagio
- Arco
- Arpeggio
- Articulation
- Ballad
- Bar
12 bar blues is one of the most common chord progressions in popular music and the most common one in the blues genre. The number 12 refers to the number of measures, or bars. Example of a 12 bar blues progression in the key of A:
Music performed without instrumental background. A capella is often performed with multiple voices with a choir but can be sung by a single singer as well. The word ‘a capella’ comes from Italian and means ‘in the style of the chapel’.
Accelerando is a term for the change of tempo where the composition is played at an increasing tempo. In other words, the tempo of the song or composition speeds up until the next tempo marking.
Acoustics is a wide concept with different meanings depending on what is referred to. Generally acoustics refers to the quality of sounds and the sonic qualities of a space, such as a concert hall. Acoustic music consists of instruments that don’t use electronics to produce the sound. These include the acoustic guitar and bass as well as drums, pia...
Adagio is one of the basic tempo markings, indicating that the composition is played at a slow speed.
Arco is a term used in music to indicate that a stringed instrument should be played with a bow rather than plucked with your fingers. A good example is the difference between strumming a guitar and playing a violin.
Arpeggio, also known as a broken chord, means that the notes of a chord are played in an ascending or descending order. The notes in an arpeggio can include only the chord’s notes in an ascending or descending order played back to back, or the notes can be played up and down. An example of a technique used to play arpeggios on a guitar is known as ...
In music, articulation refers to how individual notes are played. It’s like the musical equivalent of pronunciation. Articulation techniques, such as legato and staccato, are used to produce different sounds and effects.
Ballads aren’t necessarily songs and the definition of a ballad has changed throughout the centuries. However, today in music a ballad is a slow and often highly emotional form of narrative song. Common themes of ballads are love, loss and longing, making them often sad and sentimental at least in modern popular music. The AABA song structure is al...
A bar is the unit used to indicate how many beats are in a single segment of music. Bar is a synonym of measure.
There are many Latin terms used in music to show how a piece of music is to be performed. Some of these terminologies are arranged under various groups as shown below.
A glossary of musical terms. A cappella: Music sung without instrumental accompaniment. ABA form: A musical structure consisting of three sections, where the first and third sections are the same or closely related and the middle section is contrasting. Accelerando: A musical direction indicating a gradual increase in tempo.
However, these hundreds of terms can be daunting for anyone unversed in musical terminology. Here is a useful glossary of some of the key musical terms and definitions you are likely to come across. Read on for our comprehensive musical terms dictionary.
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Sep 25, 2024 · Cheatsheet of common and more obscure music terminology terms and definitions. Understanding music terms makes it easier to collaborate with other musicians – it really does help if you’re all singing and playing from the same hymn sheet!
