A

A cappella: Vocal music performed without instrumental accompaniment.

Accent: Emphasis placed on a note or chord.

Accidental: A symbol that alters the pitch of a note (♯, ♭, ♮).

B

Ballad: A slow, sentimental song often telling a story.

Bass: The lowest part in musical harmony.

Bar: A segment of time in music defined by a given number of beats.

C

Cadence: A sequence of chords that brings a phrase to an end.

Chord: A group of notes played simultaneously.

Clef: A symbol indicating the pitch of written notes.

D

Diatonic: Notes that belong to a specific key or scale.

Dynamics: The volume of sound in music.

E

Enharmonic: Two notes that sound the same but are written differently.

Etude: A study piece designed to develop a particular technique.

F

Fermata: A pause or hold in the music.

Forte: A dynamic marking meaning to play loudly.

G

Glissando: A continuous slide between two notes.

Groove: The feel or swing of a rhythm.

H

Harmony: The combination of simultaneous musical notes.

Half Step: The smallest interval in Western music.

I

Interval: The distance between two notes.

Intonation: Accuracy of pitch in playing or singing.

J

Jam: An informal performance, often improvisational.

Jazz: A genre characterized by swing and improvisation.

K

Key: The group of pitches that form the basis of a music piece.

Key Signature: Sharps or flats placed at the beginning of a piece.

L

Legato: Smooth and connected notes.

Ledger Line: Lines added to extend the staff for higher or lower notes.

M

Melody: A sequence of musical notes forming a recognizable unit.

Modulation: Changing from one key to another.

N

Notation: A system for visually representing music.

Natural: A symbol cancelling a previous sharp or flat.

O

Octave: An interval spanning eight notes.

Orchestra: A large group of instrumental musicians.

P

Pitch: The perceived frequency of a note.

Piano: A dynamic marking indicating to play softly.

Q

Quartet: A group of four musicians.

Quarter Note: A note typically receiving one beat in 4/4 time.

R

Rhythm: A pattern of sounds and silences.

Rest: A symbol indicating silence in music.

S

Scale: A series of notes ordered by pitch.

Staccato: Short, detached notes.

T

Tempo: The speed of a piece of music.

Triad: A three-note chord consisting of root, third, and fifth.

U

Upbeat: A weak beat preceding a strong beat.

Unison: Two or more parts sounding the same pitch.

V

Verse: A section of a song with lyrics.

Vibrato: A slight, rapid variation in pitch.

W

Whole Note: A note held for four beats in common time.

Waltz: A dance in triple meter.

X

Xylophone: A percussion instrument with wooden bars.

Y

Yodel: A vocal technique using rapid pitch shifts.

Z

Zither: A stringed instrument played by plucking.

Want to learn how to use these in real life?
Book your free trial lesson at Sound Space