Glossary

accelerando– speed up

accent – articulation mark placed above or below a notehead; note is to be played louder

accidental – symbol that tells you to lower or raise a note a half step or a whole step

alto clef – most common moveable C clef; used most often by the viola

anacrusis – incomplete measure that begins a piece; also known as an upbeat or pickup

appoggiatura – musical ornament that appears as a tiny note without a slash; its value is half of the following main note

articulation marks – symbol placed above or below a note that specifies how it should be performed

bar – see measure

bar line – vertical line on a staff that breaks music into easy-to-understand segments called measures or bars

bass clef – symbol placed at the start of the staff; used for lower-sounding voices and instruments

beam – horizontal line used to connect flags together that fall within a beat

beat – the constant pulse you feel when you experience music

beat classification – duple, triple, or quadruple

beat division – see division

beat subdivision – see subdivision

breve – note that is worth twice the value of a whole note; also called a double whole note

breve rest – rest that is worth twice the value of a whole rest; also called a double whole rest

C clef – moveable clef that points at middle C

cautionary accidental – see courtesy accidental

chromatic half step – half steps that have the same note name

chromatic scale – scale made entirely of half steps

circle of fifths – graphic representation of how all the major and minor keys are built by moving up and down by fifths; each key either gains a sharp (clockwise) or gains a flat (counterclockwise)

clef – symbol placed at the start of the staff that tells us the pitches

common time – time signature equivalent to 4/4

compound meter – meter in which the dotted note is the beat and divides equally into three

courtesy accidental – accidental that is not necessary, but is added to clear any confusion; also known as a cautionary accidental

crescendo – music grows louder

cut time – time signature equivalent to 2/2

D. C. al coda – da capo al coda; return to the beginning, but when you reach the coda symbol, jump to the other coda symbol

D. C. al fine – da capo al fine; go back to the beginning and perform until the double bar line

D. S. al coda – dal segno al coda; go back to the sign, but when you reach the coda symbol, jump to the other coda symbol

D.S. al fine – dal segno al fine; go back to the symbol and perform until the double bar line

decrescendo – music grows softer; also diminuendo

diatonic half step – half steps that have different note names

diatonic scale – scale that uses every letter name once and only once

diminuendo – music grows softer; also decrescendo

division – when a beat is evenly divided into two or a dotted beat is evenly divided into three; also known as beat division

dominant – [latex]\hat5[/latex]; five above the tonic

dot – dot following a note or a rest that adds half the value of the note or rest

dotted note – note with a dot following it; the dot adds half the value of the note

double bar line – specific type of bar line that has two closely-placed bar lines next to each other

double-dotted note/rest – note/rest with two dots following it; the first dot represents half the value of the note, while the second dot represents half the value of the first dot

double flat – symbol that indicates a note is a whole step lower than the white key

double sharp – symbol that indicates a note is a whole step higher than the white key

double whole note – see breve

double whole rest – see breve rest

downbeat – the accented first beat of a measure

dynamics – symbols that tell musicians at what volume (how soft or how loud) to perform specific sections

eighth note – filled notehead with a stem and one flag; note that is half a quarter note and twice as much as a sixteenth note

eighth rest – rest that is half a quarter rest and twice as much as a sixteenth rest

embellishment – see ornament

enharmonic equivalents – two notes that are the same key on the keyboard (or sound the same), but have different note names (i.e., are spelled differently)

enharmonically equivalent keys – keys that share the same pattern of white and black keys on the keyboard but are spelled differently (e.g., G-flat and F-sharp major)

fermata – articulation mark that indicates to perform a note for longer than its value

final double bar line – double bar line that indicates the end of a piece or major section

flag – shorter curved line(s) connected to the tip of the stem

flat – symbol that indicates a note is a half step lower than the white key

forte – dynamic marking that means loudly

grace note – musical ornament that is a tiny note with a slash that is played quickly and right before the main note falls on the beat; also called acciaccatura

grand staff – treble clef and bass clef connected together and to be played at the same time

half note – unfilled notehead with a stem; note that is worth half a whole note and twice as much as a quarter note

half rest – rest that sits on the third line of the staff; it is worth half a whole rest and twice as much as a quarter rest

half step – smallest distance between keys on a keyboard

harmonic minor scale – type of minor scale with raised subtonic (i.e., leading tone instead of subtonic)

key – tonal center and mode combined, such as C major

key signature – group of flats or sharps located at the start of every system that says what the key may be

leading tone – [latex]\hat7[/latex]; scale degree that is a diatonic half step below the tonic and “leads” to the tonic

ledger line – a short line that represents a line on the staff if the staff were to continue (down or up) beyond its five lines

major mode – mode that is often associated with happy music; based on the major scale

major scale – scale with the pattern wwhwwwh; major keys are based on their major scales

major tetrachord – four notes with the pattern whole-whole-half

marcato – articulation mark placed above or below a notehead; note is to be played even louder than an accent

measure – segment in music separated by bar lines; also called bar

measure number – number system for measures

mediant – [latex]\hat3[/latex]; scale degree halfway between the tonic and the dominant

melodic – when notes are sounded one at a time

melodic contour – the direction the melody ascends or descends

melodic minor scale – type of minor scale where [latex]\hat6[/latex] and [latex]\hat7[/latex] are raised while ascending, and return to the natural minor scale when descending; the ascending and descending melodic minor scales are different

melodic transposition – changing all pitches by the same proportion; when you write or perform the same melody in a different key

meter – regularly occurring pattern of strong beats and weak beats

meter classification – simple or compound

middle C – name of note commonly used to give a visual sense of location; centered approximately in the middle of a piano keyboard

minor mode – mode that is often associated with sad music; based on the natural minor scale

minor scale – see melodic minor scale, harmonic minor scale, or natural minor scale

modal transposition – changing pitches by changing the mode from major or minor (or vice versa)

mode – tells us the collection of pitches used based on a tonal center; the major mode and minor mode are the most common modes

molto – much

mordent – musical ornament that tells the musician to play an upper neighboring note (e.g., C-D-C) or lower neighboring note (e.g., C-B-C)

moveable C clef – see C clef

musical alphabet – letter names used for pitches; from A to G

musical ornament – an added note or notes that decorates the main note; can be represented by a small note or by a symbol; also called embellishment

musical staff – see staff

natural minor scale – scale with the pattern whwwhww; minor keys are based on their natural minor scales

natural sign – symbol that indicates that a previous accidental no longer applies and continues back to the white key

neutral clef – one of the clefs used for non-pitched music; also percussion clef

note – symbol that represents how high or low sounds are

notehead – oval-shaped part of a note

octave – distance between a pitch and the same pitch eight notes apart

octave designation – a subscript number placed to the right of the note name to specify exactly where the note is on the keyboard

octave sign – symbols or abbreviations that tell you to perform pitches an octave (or two) higher or lower than written

ornament – added note or notes that decorates the main note; can be represented by a small note or a symbol; also embellishment

ottava – a symbol (8va) placed above or below pitches to indicate notes should be played an octave higher or lower

parallel keys – major and minor keys that share the same tonic

percussion clef – one of the clefs used for non-pitched music; also neutral clef

piano – dynamic marking that means softly

pickup – see anacrusis

pitch – note name

poco – little

poco a poco – little by little

quarter note – filled notehead with a stem; worth half a half note and twice as much as an eighth note

quarter rest – rest that is worth half a half rest and twice as much as an eighth rest

quindicesima – a symbol (15ma) placed above or below pitches to indicate notes should be played two octaves higher or lower

relative keys – major and minor keys that share the same key signature

repeat signs – symbols that tell you to repeat a section or the entire piece

rest – symbol that represents silence

rhythm – how musical sounds are heard as points in time

rhythm number system – specific type of rhythm system that uses numbers on each beat and syllables for other parts of the beat

rhythmic transposition – changing all note and rest values by the same proportion

ritardando – slow down

scale – collection of pitches that ascends or descends in alphabetical order from one note to the same note an octave apart

scale degree name – names of members of a scale (i.e., names of scale degree numbers)

scale degree number – Arabic numeral with a caret above it that says which member of a scale a note is

sforzando – variation of accent marks

sharp – symbol that indicates a note is a half step higher than the white key

simple meter – meter where the beat evenly divides into two

sixteenth note – filled notehead with a stem and two flags; note that is worth half an eighth note

sixteenth rest – rest that is worth half an eighth rest

slur – articulation mark that looks like a curved line that indicates that notes are held out their full value with minimal silence between notes

staccatissimo – articulation mark placed above or below a notehead; note is to be played extremely short

staccato – articulation mark of a dot placed above or below a notehead; note is to be played short

staff – set of five horizontal lines upon which notes are placed; also called musical staff.

stem – line connected to the notehead

subdivision – when a beat is evenly divided into four or a dotted beat is evenly divided into six; also known as beat subdivision

subdominant – [latex]\hat4[/latex]; scale degree five below the tonic

subito piano – suddenly soft

submediant – [latex]\hat6[/latex]; scale degree halfway between the tonic descending to the subdominant

subtonic – lowered [latex]\hat7[/latex] in minor only; scale degree a whole step below the tonic

supertonic – [latex]\hat2[/latex]; scale degree a whole step above the tonic

system – a line of music

tempo – the speed at which music is performed

tempo markings – markings that tell musicians how fast or slow to perform

tenuto – notes held out to their full value

tetrachord – collection of four notes

thirty-second note – filled notehead with stem and three flags; worth half the value of a sixteenth note

thirty-second rest – rest with three flags; worth half the value of a sixteenth rest

tie – a curved line that connects two of the same pitches and holds out the note (i.e., the note is sustained and not resounded)

time signature – two numbers at the beginning of a piece of music that says what gets one beat and how many beats per measure

tonal center – a note that tell us where “home” is; the music gravitates around the tonal center and does not feel complete unless we end at home

tonic – [latex]\hat1[/latex]; scale degree that begins and ends a scale; considered to be the “home”

transposition – the act of changing all notes equally by the same proportion

treble clef – specific type of clef that is placed at the beginning of the staff; used for higher-sounding voices and instruments

trill – musical ornament that tells the performer to repeat alternating notes; can vary in duration and can even continue for multiple measures

turn – musical ornament that decorates the main note by approaching it from a step above, returns to the main note, moves a step below, then returns to the main note

upbeat – see anacrusis

whole note – unfilled notehead without a stem

whole rest – rest that hangs below the fourth line; it is worth twice as much as a half rest

whole step – two half steps