Accent — a sign, L used to indicate a predominant beat.
Ad Lib — to be played at the performer’s own discretion.
Bar — A division of music occurring between two bar lines (also call a "measure")
Bar Line — a vertical line drawn across the staff which divides the music into equal sections called bars.
Bass — the lower regions of pitch.
Bass Clef — a sign placed at the beginning of the staff to fix the pitch of notes placed on it.
Chord — a combination of three or more different notes played together.
Common Time — an indication of * time - four quarter note beats per bar. Also written Q
Compound Time — occurs when the beat falls on a dotted note, which is a divisible by three, e.g.: ) _ +
Dot — a sign placed after a note indicating that its time value is extended by a half, e.g., in * time.
Double Bar Line — two vertical lines close together, indicating the end of a piece, or section thereof.
Dynamics — the varying degrees of softness and loudness in music.
Eighth Note — a note with the value of half a beat in * time, indicated thus 0 (also called a quaver).
The eight note rest indicating half a beat of silence, is written: j
Fills — any variation of stick movement from the basic beat and used to fill out or color the music.
Half Note — a note with the value of beats in * time, indicated thus: 5 (also called a minim).
the half note rest, indicating two beats of silence, is written: g third staff line.
Improvise — to perform spontaneously, i.e., not from memory or from a written copy.
Intro — introduction to a song (e.g., using fills).
Metronome — a device which indicates the number of beats per minute, and which can be adjusted in accordance to the desired tempo, e.g., MM (Metronome) 3 = 60 indicates 60 quarter note beats per minute.
Notation — the written representation of music, by means of symbols (music on a staff).
Note — a single sound with a given pitch and duration.
Quarter Note — a note with the value of one beat in * time, indicated thus 3 (also called a crotchet).
The quarter note rest, indicating one beat of silence, is written: h
Reggae — a Jamaican rhythm featuring an accent on the second and fourth beats (in * time).
Repeat signs - in music, used to indicate a repeat of a section of music, by means of two dots placed before a double bar line:
A repeat sign C, indicates an exact repeat of the previous bar.
Rest — the notation of a absence of sound in music.
Rhythm — the aspect of music concerned with tempo, duration and accents of notes. Tempo indicates the speed of a piece (fast or slow); duration indicates the time value of each note (quarter note, eighth note, sixteenth note, etc.): and accents indicate which beat is more prominent (in rock the first and third beats; in reggae the second and fourth beats).
Simple Time — occurs when the beat falls on an undotted note, which is thus divisible by two.
Sixteenth Note — a note with the value of a quarter of a beat in * time, indicated thus 0 (also called a semiquaver). The sixteenth note rest, indicating a quarter beat of silence, is written k
Slur Line — notes with slur line are to be played smoothly-
Staff — five parallel line together with four spaces, upon which music is written.
Syncopation — the placing of an accent on a normally unaccented beat, e.g.:
Tempo — the speed of a piece.
Tie — a curved line joining two or more notes of the same pitch, where the second note(s) is note played, but its time value is added to that of the first note.
Time signature — a sign at the beginning of a piece which indicates, by means of figures, the number of beats per bar (top figure), and the type of note receiving one beat (bottom figure).
Triplet — a group of three notes played in the same time as two notes of the same kind. Eighth note triplet:
Whole Note — a note with the value of four beats in * time, indicated thus ` (also called a semibreve). Whole note rest, indicating four beats of silence, is written: f fourth staff line.
