Accidental — a sign used to show a temporary change in the pitch of a note (i.e. sharp #, flat b, double flat ~, or natural @). The sharps or flats in a key signature are not regarded as accidentals.
Ad lib — to be played at the performer’s own discretion.
Allegretto — moderately fast.
Allegro — fast and lively.
Andante — an easy walking pace.
Arpeggio — a chord played as single notes.
Bar — a division of music occurring between two bar lines (also called a "measure").
Bar line — a vertical lines dividing a piece of music into equal sections called bars.
Bass — the lower regions of pitch in general.
Chord — a combination of three or more different notes played together.
Chord progression — a series of chords played as a musical unit (e.g. as in a song).
Clef — a sign placed at the beginning of each staff of music which fixes the location of a particular note on the staff, and hence the location of all other notes.
Coda — an ending section of music, indicated by the sign v.
Common time (Q) — and indication of * time — four quarter note beats per bar .
D.C. al fine — a repeat from the sign (indicated thus V) to the word "fine".
Dynamics — the varying degrees of softness (indicated by the term "piano") and loudness (indicated by the term "forte") in music.
Eighth note(5) — a note with the value of half a beat in * time, (also called a quaver).
The eighth note rest(j) — indicates half a beat of silence.
Enharmonic — describes the difference in notation, but not in pitch, of two notes.
Fermata (?) — a sign used to indicate that a note or chord is held to the player’s own discretion (also called a "pause sign").
Flat (b) — a sign used to lower the pitch of a note by one semitone.
Forte ( f ) — loud.
Half note (1) — a note with the value of two beats in * time (also called a minim). The half note rest (g), indicating two beats of silence, is written on the third line of the staff.
Harmony — the simultaneous sounding of two or more different notes.
Interval — the distance between any two notes of different pitch.
Key — describes the notes used in a composition in regard to the major or minor scale from which they are taken; e.g. a piece "in the key of C major" predominantly consists of the notes, C, D, E, F, G, A, and B — i.e. from the C scale.
Key signature — a sign, placed at the beginning of each stave of music, directly after the clef, to indicate the key of a piece. The key signature consists of a certain number of sharps or flats, which represent the sharps or flats found in the scale of the piece’s key.
Ledger lines — small horizontal lines upon which notes are written when their pitch is either above or below the range of the staff.
Legato — smoothly, well connected.
Lick — a short musical phrase.
Major scale — a series of eight notes in alphabetical order based on the interval sequence tone – tone – semitone – tone – tone – tone – semitone, giving the familiar sound do re mi fa so la ti do.
Melody — a group of notes of varying pitch and duration, having a recognizable musical shape.
Metronome — a device which indicates the number of beats per minute, and which can be adjusted to any tempo.
Minor Scale — a series of eight notes in alphabetical order which define a minor key.
Moderato — at a moderate pace.
Natural (@) — a sign used to cancel the effect of a sharp or flat. The word is also used to describe the notes A, B, C, D, E, F and G, as in "the natural notes".
Note — a single sound with a given pitch and duration.
Octave — the distance between any given note with a set frequency, and another note with exactly double that frequency. Both notes will have the same letter name.
Open voicing — a chord that has the notes spread out between both hands on the keyboard.
Pitch — the sound produced by a note, determined by the frequency of the string vibrations. The pitch relates to a note being referred to as "high" or "low".
Plectrum — a small object (often of a triangular shape)made of plastic, which is used to pick or strum the strings of a guitar, mandolin or banjo.
Quarter note(3) — a note with the value of one beat in * time, (also called a crotchet). The quarter note rest, indicating one beat of silence, is written: h.
Repeat signs — two dots placed before a double bar line, indicating that a section of music is to be repeated.
Rhythm — The basic rhythmic unit of a piece of music.
Riff — a repeating pattern which may be altered to fit chord changes.
Semitone — the smallest interval used in conventional music.
Sharp (#) — a sign used to raise the pitch of a note by one semitone.
Staccato — to play short and detached. Indicated by a dot placed above the note.
Staff — five parallel lines together with four spaces, upon which music is written.
Syncopation — the placing of an accent on a normally unaccented beat.
Tempo — the speed of a piece of music.
Tie —a curved line joining two or more notes of the same pitch, where the second note(s) is not played, but its time value is added to that of the first note.
Timbre —a quality which distinguishes a note produced on one instrument from the same note produced on any other instrument (also called "tone colour"). A given note on the violin will sound different (and therefore distinguishable) from the same note on piano, guitar, flute etc. There is usually also a difference in timbre from one violin to another.
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 each beat (bottom figure).
Tone — a distance of two semitones.
Transposition — the process of changing music from one key to another.
Treble — the upper regions of pitch in general.
Treble clef — a sign placed at the beginning of the staff to fix the pitch of the notes placed on it. The treble clef (also called "G clef") is placed so that the second line indicates the G note.
