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Minim - A two beat note. Minor - A type of key with a set pattern of notes (the minor scale). Octave - An interval or gap of eight notes. Pentatonic - A five note scale. Quartet - A musical group ...
Music is its own language, and it can be confusing. That’s why we’re creating this glossary of music terms. From basic terms like ‘melody’ and ‘rhythm’ to more complex ones like ‘negative harmony,’ we break things down in a way that’s easy to understand.
- Accidentals ♯
- Articulation Marks 𝄐
- Barline 𝄆
- Breaks //
- Clef 𝄞
- Dynamics 𝆒
- Key Signatures
- Lines 🎼
- Microtones
- Notes and Rests ♪
Accidentals are notes of a pitch that aren’t the official member of the scale indicated by the key signature. They alter the pitch of the note they precede by a specific amount. The sharp (♯), flat (♭), and natural (♮) are the most common markers for these notes. Here’s what they mean: 1. Flat: The note has a one-semitone lower pitch than its natur...
Articulation marks determine how a single note or phrase in a musical staff should be played. These marks often determine a note’s duration and expression. 1. Staccato: The note should be played half a value shorter than notated, and the remainder of the duration should be silent. 2. Staccatissimo: The performer should play the note even shorter th...
Barlines separate musical bars according to the time signature of the piece. This helps musicianskeep track of where they are in the sheet music. There are several different types of barlines: double barline, bold double barline, and dotted barline. 1. Double barline or final barline: A double barline usually appears at the end of a section to tell...
Break symbols tell the performers to take short breaks by breathing or allowing a brief space between notes or phrases. 1. Breath marks: A breath mark instructs the aerophone performers to take a breath or other instrument players to leave a brief space. For instruments with a bow, it instructs the player to lift the bow and start the following not...
A clef is a musical symbol that indicates which notes are represented by the lines and spaces on a musical staff. These symbols often appear at the beginning of the section in a musical staff. Clef can be placed on any line or space on the musical staff, but modern notations usually only use treble, bass, alto, or tenor clef. 1. G clef (most common...
The dynamics of musical pieces indicate the loudness between notes or phrases. These symbols determine how loud or quiet the performer should play a note. 1. Pianississimo: Pianississimo means that the tone has an extremely quiet pitch. 2. Pianissimo: Pianissimo means that the tone has a very quiet pitch. 3. Piano: Soft, but louder than pianissimo....
Key signatures indicate which notes need to be played as sharps or flats. The key signatures are typically illustrated in the circle of fifths, a circular diagram used to summarize the relationship among the 12 tones of the chromatic scale, their corresponding key signatures, and the associated major and minor keys.
Line symbols in musical notation often relate to the non-notation markings used to help composers write and organize clefs, notes, and other symbols. These lines allow the performers to read the sheet music better and understand where they are in the piece. 1. Staff or stave: The staff (American) or stave (British) are five horizontal lines that in...
Microtonal music doesn’t yet have a universally accepted notation method due to the varying systems used depending on the circumstances. Microtones are very common in pieces for instruments that have more flexibility and space between notes. However, they’re almost nonexistent for piano pieces since the instrument is limited to half-semitone moveme...
Musical notes indicate the relative duration of a note using the shape of a note head, note stem, and note flags. Rests indicate silence of the equivalent duration as the musical notes. These symbols have two varieties: one for the musical note and another for rests. 1. Semibreve or whole note: A whole note or a semibreve (British) is a musical not...
Dimensions of music. Adagio - At a slow speed. Allegro - At a brisk speed. Crescendo - Gradually getting louder. Decrescendo - Gradually getting quieter. Forte - A dynamic marking telling you to ...
- Accent. The accent is a sideways V found on the top or bottom of the head of a note. It indicated that the specific note should be played at an increased dynamic over the other notes in the bar.
- Arpeggio. The arpeggio symbol indicates to the player that the notes in the chord should be played independently and in a sweeping motion similar to the way an arpeggio is played.
- Bars. A bar or measure in music is symbolized by vertical lines on the staff. The notes of a specific measure are written between each vertical bar.
- Brace. The brace symbol is used to indicate that two clefs on a musical staff are connected and should be played together. It’s used most commonly to visually connect the bass and treble clef in piano music.
comping (jazz) 1. to comp; action of accompanying. con. With; used in very many musical directions, for example con allegrezza (with liveliness), con calma (calmly lit.'with calm'); (see also col and colla) con dolcezza. See dolce. con sordina or con sordine (plural) With a mute, or with mutes.
Sep 25, 2024 · Adagio. Adagio (Italian for “at ease”) indicates a slow pace or tempo (see other pace examples in Tempo). Allegro and Presto are the opposite music terminology. Allegro. Allegro (Italian for “cheerful”) is a fast, upbeat music tempo. Adagio is the opposite music terminology. Ballet.
