Musical Terms & Glossary
accent
> Play the note louder with a special emphasis.
Pitch
A musical sound
clef
A sign that helps organize the staff so notes can be easily read.
Sforzando
A sudden, strong accent
tempo
A word meaning "rate of speed". It tells how fast or slow to play the music.
coda
An added ending
Time signature
Appears at the beginning of the music after the clef sign. It contains two numbers. The upper number tells how many beats are in each measure; the lower number indicates what type of note receives 1 beat.
D.C.
Da Capo - repeat from the beginning
D.S.
Dal Segno - Repeat from the sign
Accelerando
Gradually faster
Crescendo
Gradually louder.
Ritardando
Gradually slower
Decrescendo
Gradually softer
diminuendo
Gradually softer
Tenuto
Hold the note for its full value.
Fermata
Hold the note for longer than its normal value.
dotted half note
In 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures, it receives 3 beats.
dotted quarter note
In time signatures with 4 as the bottom number, it receives 1 1/2 beats.
Quarter note
In time signatures with 4 as the bottom number, it receives 1 beat.
Eighth note
In time signatures with 4 as the bottom number, it receives 1/2 beat.
Eighth rest
In time signatures with 4 as the bottom number, it receives 1/2 beat.
Half rest
In time signatures with 4 as the bottom number, it receives 2 beats of silence.
Half note
In time signatures with 4 as the bottom number, it receives 2 beats.
Whole note
In time signatures with 4 as the bottom number, it receives 4 beats.
Quarter rest
In time signatures with 4 as the bottom number, it receives one beat of silence.
Dynamic signs
Indicate the volume, or how soft or loud the music should be played.
Vivace
Lively and fast.
Forte
Loud
Mezzo
Moderately
Mezzo forte
Moderately loud
Mezzo piano
Moderately soft
1st and 2nd endings
Play or sing through the 1st ending to the repeat sign, then go back to the beginning. When repeating, skip the 1st ending and play the 2nd ending.
Staccato
Play the note short and detached.
Sharp
Raises the pitch by one half step.
D.C. al Coda
Repeat from the beginning and play to the coda.
D.C. al fine
Repeat from the beginning and play to the end. (Fine)
D.S. al Fine
Repeat from the sign and play to the end.
Repeat sign
Return to the beginning or previous repeat sign at the beginning of the section.
Ledger line
Short lines which are added to extend the range of the staff when the notes are too low or too high to be written on the staff.
adagio
Slow
Slur
Smoothly connects two or more notes of different pitches by a curved line over or under the notes.
Piano
Soft
Measure
The area between two bar lines
Grand staff
The bass staff and treble staff connected by a brace and a line.
Treble (or G) Clef
The clef used for notes in the higher pitch ranges.
Half step
The distance from any key on the keyboard to the very next key above or below, whether black or white.
Fine
The end.
Staff
The five lines and the four spaces between them on which music notes and other symbols are written.
Count-off
The introduction given before a piece of music is performed to indicate the tempo of the beat.
Middle C
The note in the middle of the grand staff and the C nearest the middle of the keyboard.
Notes
The oval shaped symbols that are placed on the lines and in the spaces of the staff. They represent musical sounds called pitches.
Treble Staff
The staff on which the treble clef is placed. The curl of the clef circles the line on which the note G is placed.
Tie
Tow notes of the same pitch joined by a curved line over or under the note. Each note joined by a tie is held for its full value but only the first note is played or sung.
Enharmonic notes
Two notes that sound the same but are written differently.
Fortissimo
Very loud
Pianissimo
Very soft
accidental
a flat, sharp, or natural sign that appears within a piece of music. An accidental sign affects the notes written on the same line or space following it for that measure only.
Dot after a note
increases the note's duration by half of the original value.
double bar
is written at the end of a piece of music.
Flat
lowers the pitch by one half step.
Whole rest
means to rest for a whole measure. In 3/4 it receives 3 beats; in 4/4 time it receives 4 beats; in 2/4 it receives 2 beats.
andante
moving along, walking speed
allegro
quickly, cheerfully
bass clef
the clef used for notes in the lower pitch ranges
bar line
the lines which cross the staff and divide it into measures or bars.
articulation
the manner in which a note is performed
bass staff
the staff on which the bass clef is placed. The two dots of the clef surround the line on which the note F is placed.
Legato
to play or sing 2 or more notes smoothly connected.
Largo
very slow
