Music In Theory and Practice Vol. 1, Chapter 1, Topics
Alto Clef
A C clef or "movable" clef. The indentation in the signature signifies that middle C is on the middle line of the staff.
Tenor Clef
A C or movable clef. The indentation in the sign signifies that middle C is on the fourth line of the staff.
Beat
The fundamental unit of rhythm
Pulse
The fundamental unit of rhythm
Tie
a curved line that connects two adjacent notes of the same pitch into a single sound with a duration equal to the sum of both note values.
Sixty-Fourth Note
a filled-in oval note with a straight stem with four flags.
Eighth Note
a filled-in oval note with a straight stem with one flag.
Thirty-Second Note
a filled-in oval note with a straight stem with three flags.
Sixteenth Note
a filled-in oval note with a straight stem with two flags.
Quarter Note
a filled-in oval note with a straight, flagless stem.
Whole Rest
a filled-in rectangle hanging under the fourth line of a musical staff.
Breve Rest
a filled-in rectangle occupying the whole vertical space between the third and fourth lines of the musical staff.
Half Rest
a filled-in rectangle sitting on top of the middle line of the musical staff.
Half-Step Motion
a flatted note is followed most often by a note with a different letter name a half step lower. A sharped note is followed most often by a note with a different letter name a half step higher.
Rhythm
a general term used to describe the motion of music in time.
Half Note
a hollow oval note head with a straight, flagless stem.
Whole Note
a hollow oval note head with no stem
Breve
a hollow oval note head with two vertical lines on either side
Quadruple Meter
four basic pulses
Crescendo
gradually become louder
Decrescendo
gradually become softer
Diminuendo
gradually become softer
Eighth Rest
a small number "7" with a filled-in circle on the left of the top beam of the "7" it starts in the third space and ends in the second space of the musical staff.
Sixteenth Rest
a small number "7" with a filled-in circle on the left of the top beam of the "7" with one additional "flag" below the top beam it starts in the fourth space and ends in the second space of the musical staff.
Sixty-Fourth Rest
a small number "7" with a filled-in circle on the left of the top beam of the "7" with three additional "flags" below the top beam it starts one space above the top line of the staff and ends in the bottom space of the musical staff.
Thirty-Second Rest
a small number "7" with a filled-in circle on the left of the top beam of the "7" with two additional "flags" below the top beam it starts in the top space and ends in the bottom space of the musical staff.
Quarter Rest
a squiggle (like a slanted letter "z" with a "tail") that starts in the middle of the top space and ends in the middle of the bottom space of the musical staff.
Clefs
a symbol placed at the beginning of a line of music that establishes the letter names of the lines and spaces of the staff.
Natural
cancels any previous sharp or flat and returns to the natural, or unaltered, pitch.
Meter Signatures
identification of meter at the beginning of a composition
Dynamic Markings
indicate the general volume (amplitude) of sound.
Second Dot
lengthens the dotted note value by half the length of the first dot.
Dot
lengthens the value of the note by half again its value.
Octave Identification
method that names the notes by combining a letter name and a number identifying the pitch's octave.
Mezzo forte
moderately loud
Mezzo piano
moderately soft
Irregular Divisions and Subdivisions
divisions and subdivisions of a note that require added numbers.
Compound Meter
each beat is divided in three parts.
Simple Meter
each beat is divided in two parts.
Staff
five equally spaced horizontal lines onto which music is notated.
Double Flat
owers the pitch two half steps.
Piano
soft
Letter Names
the first seven letters of the alphabet (A B C D E F G) used to represent varios pitches on the staff
Interval
the relationship between two tones.
Asymmetrical Meter
those meter signatures that indicate the pulse cannot be divided into equal groups of 2, 3, or 4 beats.
Triple Meter
three basic pulses
Enharmonic Equivalents
tones that have the same pitch but different letter names.
Duple Meters
two basic pulses
Fortissimo
very loud
Pianissimo
very soft
Grand Staff
A combination of the treble and bass clefs that is commonly used to notate keyboard music.
Ledger Lines
A small line written above or below the staff to extend its range.
Accidentals
Any of the symbols such as sharps, flats, and naturals, which are used to raise or lower the pitch of a note.
Soprano Clef
C clef or movable clef. The indentation signifies that middle C is on the bottom line of the staff.
Mezzo Soprano Clef
C clef or movable clef. The indentation signifies that middle C is on the second line of the staff.
Baritone Clef
C clef or movable clef. The indentation signifies that middle C is on the top line of the staff.
Bass Clef
Called the F clef because dots are placed on the fourth line of the staff to indicate the F below middle C.
Treble Clef
Called the G clef because the curved line of the signature terminates on the second line of the staff to establish G above middle C.
Middle C
The C nearest to the middle of the piano keyboard. This note is an important point of reference because it is on the ledger line between the treble and bass staves on the grand staff.
Meter
a regular, recurring pattern of strong and weak beats.
Syncopation
a rhythm in which a part of the measure that is usually unstressed is accented.
Forte
loud
Fortepiano
loud followed immediately by soft
Flat
lowers the pitch a half step.
C Clef
may be positioned on any line of the staff to designate middle C.
Sharp
raises the pitch a half step.
Double Sharp
raises the pitch two half steps.
Sforzando piano
sudden accent followed immediately by soft
Sforzando
sudden accent on a single note or chord
Sforzato
sudden accent on a single note or chord
Pitch
the highness or lowness (the frequency) of a tone.
Duration
the length of time a pitch, or tone, is sounded.