what does the word presentation mean in music

• By Editorial Team
• In Music Theory

The Ultimate List of Musical Terms (300+ Terms)

Are you struggling to understand the complex world of music terminology? Look no further! This comprehensive glossary is here to help you unravel the mysteries of musical terms

Table of Contents

A glossary of musical terms

• A cappella : Music sung without instrumental accompaniment.
• ABA form : A musical structure consisting of three sections, where the first and third sections are the same or closely related and the middle section is contrasting.
• Accelerando : A musical direction indicating a gradual increase in tempo.
• Accent : An emphasis placed on a particular note or beat in music.
• Accidental : A symbol in musical notation (such as a sharp, flat, or natural) indicating a temporary change from the stated key signature.
• Acoustic : Pertaining to sound or the properties of sound, often used to describe instruments that produce sound without electronic amplification.
• Adagio : A tempo marking indicating a slow and leisurely pace.
• Aeolian : Referring to the natural minor scale or the sixth mode of the diatonic scale.
• Afterbeat : The beats that follow a downbeat or emphasized beat, often found in syncopated rhythms.
• Al fine : A musical direction meaning “to the end,” indicating where a piece should conclude.
• Allegretto : A tempo marking that is moderately fast and lively, but not as fast as allegro.
• Allegro : A tempo marking indicating a fast and lively pace.
• Alto range : The vocal range that lies between the soprano and tenor, typically associated with adult female voices or countertenors.
• Andante : A tempo marking indicating a moderately slow pace, typically described as “walking speed.”
• Antiphon : A short liturgical chant or hymn often sung in response to a reading or prayer.
• Appoggiatura : A melodic embellishment or non-chord tone that is resolved by stepping to the next chord tone.
• Arpeggio : Playing the notes of a chord in succession, rather than simultaneously.
• Arrangement : The adaptation or reworking of a musical composition for specific instruments or voices.
• Articulation : The manner in which individual notes or groups of notes are played or sung, such as staccato or legato.
• Audio signal : An electrical representation of sound that can be processed or amplified.
• Atonal : Music that lacks a tonal center or key, and avoids traditional harmonic progressions.
• Atonal music : A style of composition that avoids established tonal relationships, often associated with 20th-century composers.
• Attack : The initial phase of a sound, referring to the way a note begins or is articulated.
• Bar : A segment of time in music defined by a given number of beats, also known as a measure.
• Baritone : A male voice range that lies between bass and tenor or an instrument with a range corresponding to this voice.
• Baroque : A style of Western art music from approximately 1600 to 1750, characterized by ornate detail, contrast, expressive emotion, and expanded instrumental roles.
• Bass : The lowest vocal range in male voices or a musical instrument that produces low-pitched sounds.
• Bass line : The series of low-pitched notes that form the foundation of a musical composition, often played by bass instruments or the left hand in keyboard music.
• Basso continuo : A continuous bass line commonly used in Baroque music, typically played by low stringed instruments and keyboards, often with figured bass notation.
• Block chords : A form of accompaniment where chords are played or sung together in harmony without arpeggiation.
• Body percussion : The use of the body (e.g., hands, feet, chest) to produce rhythmic sounds, often used in dance and music education.
• BPM : Stands for “Beats Per Minute,” indicating the tempo or speed of a piece of music.
• Brass bands : Musical groups comprised primarily or exclusively of brass instruments, often accompanied by percussion.
• Brass instruments : Musical instruments that produce sound by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator, typically made of brass, and played by blowing into a mouthpiece.
• Broken chord : A sequence of notes played in succession (but derived from a chord) rather than simultaneously.
• Bridge : A contrasting section in a song that typically comes between verses or choruses, providing a departure from the main themes before returning to familiar material.
• Cadence : A sequence of chords that brings an end or pause to a musical phrase, creating a sense of resolution.
• Call and response : A musical form in which a phrase (the call) is played or sung by one group and is followed by a reply (the response) from a second group.
• Canon : A contrapuntal composition technique where a melody is introduced by one voice and imitated by subsequent voices at different intervals.
• Cantata : A vocal composition with instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
• Capo : A device used on the neck of a stringed instrument to raise its pitch by shortening the strings.
• Cardioid : A heart-shaped pattern describing the sensitivity and directionality of a microphone, capturing sound primarily from the front.
• Cello : A bowed stringed instrument larger than a viola but smaller than a double bass, with a rich, deep sound.
• Chamber music : A form of classical music composed for a small group of instruments, traditionally suitable for a palace chamber or large room.
• Chant : A simple, often repetitive, sung melody, usually without accompaniment.
• Chord : Multiple notes played simultaneously, creating harmony.
• Chorus : The repeated section of a song, typically containing the main theme or hook.
• Chromatic scale : A musical scale with twelve pitches, each a half step apart.
• Classical music : A broad genre of Western music encompassing works from the medieval period to the present day, often distinguished by formal styles and compositional traditions.
• Clef : A symbol placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate the pitch of the notes written on it.
• Cluster : A dissonant grouping of notes played simultaneously, often adjacent on the keyboard or in pitch.
• Coda : A concluding section of a musical composition, often acting as an extension of the final chorus or movement.
• Common time : A time signature indicating four beats per measure, represented by the symbol � C .
• Comping : A rhythmically improvised accompaniment on piano or guitar in jazz or other popular music.
• Composer : An individual who creates musical works.
• Concert : A live music performance before an audience.
• Conductor : A person who directs the performance of an orchestra or choir, often using a baton.
• Consonance : A combination of notes producing a harmonious, pleasing sound.
• Contralto : The lowest female vocal range.
• Contrapuntal : Music in which two or more independent melodies are played simultaneously, demonstrating polyphony.
• Copla : A traditional Spanish poetic form or song structure, often used in folk music.
• Copyist : A person who transcribes or copies out musical scores.
• Counter melody : A secondary melody played in conjunction with a primary melody.
• Counterpoint : The art of combining different melodic lines in a musical composition.
• Crescendo : A musical instruction indicating a gradual increase in volume.
• Cut time : A time signature indicating two beats per measure, also represented by the symbol � C with a vertical line through it.
• Cycle : A series or sequence of songs or musical pieces which are linked by a common theme or narrative.
• Da Capo : An Italian term meaning “from the beginning,” often used as a directive to repeat a portion of music from the start.
• Dal Segno : An Italian term meaning “from the sign,” directing the musician to return to a place in the music marked by a specific sign (often resembling a stylized ‘S’ with a slash and a dot).
• Decay : The gradual reduction in amplitude of a sound or note after its initial attack.
• Delay : An audio effect that captures an input signal to an audio storage medium and then plays it back after a period of time.
• Detune : The act of slightly adjusting the pitch of an instrument or sound source away from its standard tuning.
• Diatonic : Pertaining to the notes of a major or minor scale without chromatic alterations.
• Diatonic scale : A seven-note scale, including the major and natural minor scales, that consists of five whole steps and two half steps.
• Diminuendo : A musical term (also known as “decrescendo”) indicating a gradual decrease in volume.
• Dissonance : A combination of tones that results in a tension or clash, typically resolving to a consonance.
• Dorian : The second mode of the diatonic scale, which can be formed by playing the white keys on a piano from D to D.
• Double stop : The technique of playing two notes simultaneously on a stringed instrument.
• Downbeat : The first beat of a measure, often stressed more than the other beats.
• Drone : A continuous or sustained sound, note, or tone cluster.
• Duple : Music where beats are grouped into twos or fours, giving it a two-beat feel.
• Duple meter : A time signature where each measure is divided into two beats or multiples thereof.
• Dynamic instruction : A term or symbol in a musical score that indicates the desired level of volume.
• Dynamic markings : Symbols or terms used in a musical score to specify the loudness or softness of a passage (e.g., “p” for piano/soft, “f” for forte/loud).
• Eighth note/Eighth notes : A musical note played for one eighth the duration of a whole note, often represented by a filled-in note head with a tail and a single flag.
• English jig : A lively traditional dance of English origin, often in compound triple meter, accompanied by its corresponding music.
• Enharmonic : Describing pitches that sound the same but are written differently in musical notation, such as C# and Db.
• Ensemble : A group of musicians or singers who perform together.
• Escape tone : A non-chord tone that is approached by step and then resolved by leap in the opposite direction.
• Fade : A gradual increase (fade-in) or decrease (fade-out) in the volume or intensity of a sound or piece of music.
• Falsetto : A vocal register that occupies the frequency range just above the modal voice register (typically used by males) and overlaps with the lower part of the whistle register, producing a light, airy sound.
• Fermata : A musical symbol indicating that a note or rest should be held for longer than its standard duration.
• Fifth : The interval between two musical notes that spans five diatonic scale degrees.
• Final movement : The last section or piece in a multi-movement musical composition.
• Flat : A musical symbol that lowers the pitch of a note by one-half step.
• Flutter tonguing : A wind instrument technique where the performer rolls their ‘R’ while blowing, creating a rapid tremolo effect.
• French horn : A brass instrument known for its wide bell and coiled tubing, played by buzzing the lips into a funnel-shaped mouthpiece.
• Form : The structure or arrangement of sections within a musical composition.
• Forte : A dynamic marking indicating that a passage should be played loudly.
• Fugue : A complex contrapuntal compositional technique characterized by the systematic imitation of a main theme (called the subject) in simultaneously sounding melodic lines (counterpoint).
• Full choir : A large ensemble of singers, typically divided into soprano, alto, tenor, and bass sections, performing together.
• Giocoso : An Italian term indicating a cheerful or playful manner in music.
• Glissando : A continuous slide from one pitch to another, smoothly transitioning through all the pitches in between.
• Glockenspiel : A percussion instrument with a set of tuned metal bars that are struck with mallets to produce sound.
• Gong : A large, flat metal disc that produces sound when struck, used both as a musical instrument and ceremonially.
• Grace note : A note added as an embellishment, not essential to the melody or harmony, often played quickly before the main note.
• Grand staff : A musical notation system that combines both the treble and bass clefs, typically used for keyboard and harp music.
• Grave : An Italian term indicating a slow and solemn tempo.
• Grid : Often referring to the layout in digital audio workstation (DAW) software, where beats and measures are visually represented for alignment and editing purposes.
• Half note : A musical note with a duration equal to half of a whole note.
• Half–step : The smallest musical interval in the Western tonal system, also known as a semitone.
• Harmonics : Overtones or partials produced by vibrating strings, columns of air, or membranes.
• Harmony : The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce a pleasing effect.
• Head voice : A mix of chest and falsetto voice that allows singers to reach higher pitches with a fuller sound.
• Hemiola : A rhythmic pattern where two groups of three beats are replaced by three groups of two beats, giving the feeling of a shift from triple to duple meter.
• Homophonic : A musical texture in which one voice, often the melody, is prominent while the others form a background of harmonic accompaniment.
• Hook : A catchy melody or phrase in a piece of music that grabs the listener’s attention.
• Interlude : A musical passage or segment that comes between the main sections of a composition.
• Intro : The opening section of a piece of music or song, setting the tone or introducing the theme.
• Inversion : In music theory, a transformation of a chord, melody, or interval where the original bottom note is moved to the top.
• Interval : The distance in pitch between two notes.
• Impromptu : A short musical composition, especially for piano, that is improvised or made up on the spot.
• Intermezzo : A short movement or interlude inserted between the main sections of a larger composition.
• Inharmonic : Frequencies that are not integer multiples of a fundamental frequency, often producing a harsh or dissonant sound.
• Intonation : The accuracy of pitch in playing or singing.
• Instrumentation : The particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, or the study and practice of arranging music for instruments.
• Imitative : A musical texture where a melodic idea is presented in one voice (or part), then restated in another while the first voice continues with new material.
• Improvise : To create or perform music spontaneously without prior preparation or a written composition.
• Ionian mode : Another term for the major scale.
• Istesso tempo : An Italian term indicating that the following passage should be performed at the same speed as the preceding one.
• Jazz standard : A well-known composition in the jazz repertoire which is widely played and recorded.
• Jazz : A genre of music that originated in African American communities in the U.S., characterized by improvisation, syncopation, and usually a regular or forceful rhythm.
• Jig : A lively dance form originating from the British Isles, or the music accompanying such a dance, typically in compound meter.
• Jubilus : A melismatic (having multiple pitches sung to one syllable of text) setting of the “-ia” at the end of the word “Alleluia” in Gregorian chant.
• Jazz-fusion : A genre that combines jazz improvisation with the amplified instruments and compositional techniques of rock music.
• Juju : A style of Nigerian popular music, derived from traditional Yoruba percussion.
• Jazz blues : A type of blues with more complex harmonies or rhythms and is often played at faster tempos than traditional blues.
• Jump blues : A type of upbeat jazz or swing which was popularized in the 1940s.
• Jaleo : A term often associated with flamenco music and dance, referring to the shouts and words of encouragement called out to the performers.
• Koto : A traditional Japanese stringed instrument with 13 strings, played by plucking.
• Klezmer : A musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe.
• Kettledrum : Another term for timpani, a type of drum that is tunable to specific pitches.
• Key : A group of pitches, or scale, that forms the basis of a music composition.
• Keynote : The first note of a scale; also known as the tonic.
• Key signature : A notation at the beginning of a piece of music indicating which pitches are to be consistently played as sharp or flat.
• Klangfarbenmelodie : A German term meaning “tone color melody,” referring to a composition technique that involves splitting a musical line or melody between several instruments, highlighting changing timbres.
• Keyboard : A set of keys on a musical instrument, like a piano or organ.
• Knee lever : A control found on some instruments, such as the accordion, where pressure from the knee can change aspects of the sound.
• Largo : A very slow tempo indication, even slower than Adagio.
• Larghetto : A tempo indication meaning “somewhat slow,” but not as slow as Largo.
• Largamente : Broadly, with a rich and grand manner.
• Lead sheet : A form of musical notation that specifies the essential elements of a song: the melody, lyrics, and harmony.
• Ledger lines : Short lines that are added above or below the staff in musical notation to extend the range of notes.
• Leitmotif : A recurring musical theme, often in opera, associated with a particular character, place, or idea.
• Legato : A smooth and connected style of playing, where there are no noticeable gaps between notes.
• Leggiero : Light or nimble.
• Lento : Slow.
• Libretto : The text or script of an opera or other long vocal work.
• Ligature : A symbol indicating that two or more notes should be played or sung as a single phrase.
• Lydian : A mode or scale pattern, similar to the major scale but with a raised fourth.
• Lament : A song, composition, or passage expressing grief or sorrow.
• Leading tone : The seventh note of the diatonic scale, a half step below the tonic, which leads to the tonic note.
• Locrian : The seventh mode of the diatonic scale, characterized by its diminished fifth interval.
• Lyric : The words or text of a song.
• Lyricist : A person who writes the words for songs.
• Lyre : An ancient stringed instrument, typically associated with Greek classical antiquity.
• Lute : A plucked string instrument with a long neck and usually a pear-shaped body.
• Major scale : A diatonic scale characterized by the specific pattern of half-steps and whole-steps, producing a sound typically associated with happiness or brightness.
• Male alto : A male singer with a vocal range that is typically associated with female altos, often using falsetto to reach the higher notes.
• Measure : A segment of time defined by a given number of beats, separated by bar lines in musical notation.
• Melisma : The singing of a single syllable while moving through several different pitches.
• Melody : A sequence of single notes that is musically satisfying; the main theme in a piece of music.
• Meter : The rhythmic structure of music, indicating how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat.
• Mezzo forte : A dynamic marking indicating a moderately loud volume; literally “medium loud” in Italian.
• Mezzo piano : A dynamic marking indicating a moderately soft volume; literally “medium soft” in Italian.
• Mezzo-Soprano : A female vocal range that lies between the soprano and alto ranges.
• Middle Ages : The period in European history from the fall of the Western Roman Empire (around 5th century) to the beginning of the Renaissance (around late 15th century).
• Middle range : The set of pitches in a musical instrument or voice that are neither particularly high nor particularly low.
• Middle C : The note in the middle of the grand staff and the C nearest to the middle of the keyboard on a piano.
• Minor scale : A diatonic scale characterized by its minor third interval, producing a sound typically associated with sadness or solemnity.
• Mixolydian : The fifth mode of the diatonic scale, which can be formed by playing the white keys on a piano from G to G.
• Modulation : The process in music of changing from one key to another.
• Monophonic : Music that consists of only one melodic line without accompaniment or harmony.
• Motif : A recurring theme, idea, or musical phrase within a composition.
• Natural : A symbol in music notation that cancels a previous sharp or flat and returns the note to its original pitch.
• Neapolitan chord : A major chord built on the lowered second scale degree, often used in first inversion in classical music.
• Nocturne : A musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night, often for piano.
• Notation : The act, process, or method of representing music using written symbols.
• Nonet : A composition written for nine instruments or voices.
• Neoclassicism : A 20th-century music style marked by a return to traditional styles and forms, often with modern elements.
• Notturno : An alternative term for “nocturne.”
• Niente : An Italian term meaning “nothing.” In music, it implies a note or phrase that is played very softly or fading away to silence.
• Nonharmonic : Notes that are not part of the prevailing harmony and are considered dissonant.
• Ninth : An interval spanning nine diatonic scale degrees.
• Natural minor scale : A type of minor scale characterized by the specific pattern of half-steps and whole-steps.
• Neume : The basic element of Western and Eastern systems of musical notation prior to the invention of five-line staff notation.
• Obligato : An essential instrumental part, usually written to be played in addition to the main parts.
• Obbligato : An indispensable or prominent instrumental part in a piece of vocal music.
• Octave : The interval between one musical pitch and another with double or half its frequency.
• Octet : A musical composition written for eight voices or instruments.
• Opus : A term used to classify and number the works of composers, abbreviated as “Op.”
• Open strings : Strings that are played without being stopped or fingered.
• Organum : A type of early polyphony from the Middle Ages, which consists of a plainchant melody with at least one added voice to enhance harmony.
• Oratorio : A large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists, typically based on a religious theme.
• Orchestra : A large instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments.
• Orchestral composition : A musical work written specifically for an orchestra to perform.
• Ornament : Musical flourishes that aren’t essential to carry the overall line of the melody or harmony but serve instead to decorate or “ornament” that line.
• Ostinato : A continually repeated musical phrase or rhythm.
• Ottava : An Italian term (often seen as “8va” in sheet music) indicating that a passage should be played an octave higher than written.
• Overdubbing : A recording technique where a performer listens to a pre-recorded track and simultaneously plays along with it to create a new recording.
• Overtones : The series of frequencies higher than the fundamental frequency that exist naturally in musical instruments when played.
• Overture : An instrumental composition that introduces a longer work, such as an opera or ballet.
• Pentatonic scale : A musical scale with five notes per octave, often found in folk music and various world cultures.
• Perfect fourth : A musical interval spanning four letter names (e.g., from C to F) and is neither augmented nor diminished.
• Phrygian : The third mode of the diatonic scale, which can be formed by playing the white keys on a piano from E to E.
• Polyphony : A musical texture involving two or more melodic lines that are simultaneously independent and harmonically dependent.
• Polyrhythm : The simultaneous use of two or more conflicting rhythms, where the beats do not necessarily coincide or align.
• Piano : 1) A large keyboard instrument with a wooden soundboard that amplifies strings struck by hammers; 2) An Italian term indicating a soft or quiet dynamic level in music.
• Pizzicato : A playing technique where stringed instruments are played by plucking the strings with the fingers, rather than using a bow.
• Polyphonic : Music that contains multiple independent melodies or voices occurring simultaneously.
• Quartet : A group of four musicians or singers, or a piece of music written for such a group.
• Quasi : An Italian term meaning “almost” or “as if,” often used in musical directions, e.g., “quasi recitativo” means “like a recitative.”
• Quaver : Another term for an eighth note, primarily used in British English.
• Quintet : A group of five musicians or singers, or a piece of music written for such a group.
• Quodlibet : A composition that combines several different melodies, usually popular tunes, in counterpoint and often in a light-hearted, humorous manner.
• Quint : An interval of a fifth.
• Quintal harmony : Harmony based on stacked fifths.
• Quarter note : Another term for a quarter note, the musical note played for one-quarter of the duration of a whole note (or semibreve).
• Quarter tone : A musical interval half the size of a half step or semitone, common in some non-Western musical systems.
• Querstand : A term sometimes used to describe a leading or cross relation, where a note in one chord is raised or lowered and then the altered note is immediately followed by its unaltered version in the next chord.
• Rapid alternation : A fast back-and-forth movement or change between musical elements, such as notes or rhythms.
• Range : The span of pitches an instrument or voice can produce, from its lowest to its highest note.
• Recitative : A style of vocal singing in operas, oratorios, and cantatas that imitates the rhythms and inflections of speech, often serving to advance the plot.
• Recurring motif : A musical idea or theme that appears repeatedly throughout a composition.
• Refrain : A repeated line or number of lines in a song or poem, typically at the end of each verse.
• Register : A particular range of pitches in a voice or musical instrument.
• Relative major : The major key that shares the same key signature as a particular minor key.
• Release : The ending or decay phase of a musical sound.
• Repeat : A sign or instruction in a score indicating that a section should be played again.
• Riff : A short, repeated melodic phrase, often in jazz and rock music.
• Ritardando : A gradual decrease in tempo.
• Root : The fundamental note of a chord upon which its intervals are built.
• Root note : The main note upon which a chord or scale is based.
• Rondo : A musical form characterized by the recurring return of a principal theme.
• Run : A fast series of ascending or descending musical notes.
• Rhythmic notation : The symbols used in music to represent the length and timing of notes and rests.
• Scale : A set of musical notes arranged in an ascending or descending order, based on a particular pattern of intervals.
• Second inversion : A chord in which the fifth of the chord is the lowest note.
• Sequence : A repetition of a musical phrase at a higher or lower pitch.
• Sforzando : A musical direction indicating a forceful or sudden accent on a note or chord.
• Sharp : A symbol in music notation indicating that the pitch should be raised by a half step.
• Sharp note : A note that has been raised in pitch by a half step.
• Slur : A curved line in musical notation indicating that notes should be played or sung smoothly and connectedly, without separation.
• Solfege : A system used for teaching pitch and sight singing in which each note of the scale is given a special syllabic name (e.g., Do, Re, Mi).
• Solo section : A portion of a musical composition intended to be played by a single instrumentalist or singer.
• Song structure : The arrangement of sections within a song, commonly including verses, choruses, bridges, and more.
• Soprano : The highest female vocal range or the highest part in choral music.
• Spiccato : A bowing technique for string instruments where the bow bounces lightly upon the strings.
• Staccato : A musical direction indicating that notes should be played short and detached.
• Staff : A set of five horizontal lines and the spaces between them, on which musical notation is written.
• Strict time : A musical performance with a consistent tempo without rubato or expressive fluctuations.
• String instruments : Musical instruments that produce sound through the vibration of stretched strings, such as the violin, cello, or guitar.
• Subdominant : The fourth note of a diatonic scale or the chord built upon this note.
• Supertonic : The second note of a diatonic scale or the chord built upon this note.
• Sustain : To hold a musical note for its full duration or the ability of an instrument to prolong a note’s sound.
• Syncopation : A disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm, often by placing emphasis on normally unemphasized beats or using rests on normally emphasized beats.
• Tempo : The speed or pace at which a piece of music is played.
• Tempo marking : A term or notation indicating the desired pace of a piece of music (e.g., Allegro, Andante, Presto).
• Tenor : A male vocal range that sits between the bass and alto ranges or a part written in this range.
• Tenuto : A musical symbol indicating that a note or chord should be sustained for its full value, or slightly emphasized.
• Ternary form : A three-part musical form where the first and third sections are identical or closely related, often represented as ABA.
• Timbre : The distinct quality or character of a musical sound that distinguishes one instrument or voice from another.
• Time signature : A musical notation indicating how many beats are in each measure and which note value is equivalent to one beat.
• Tonic : The first note of a diatonic scale or the chord built upon this note.
• Traditional notation : The standard system of written symbols used to represent musical sounds, including notes, rests, dynamics, and other markings.
• Treble : The higher part in harmonized musical composition; often synonymous with soprano in choral music.
• Treble clef : A musical symbol used to indicate the pitch of written notes, typically used for notes in the higher registers.
• Tremolo : A rapid repetition of a single note or rapid alternation between two notes.
• Triad : A chord consisting of three notes played simultaneously, usually built on stacked thirds.
• Trill : A rapid alternation between two adjacent notes, often starting on the main note and moving to the note above.
• Triple time : A musical meter characterized by three beats per measure.
• Triplet : A group of three notes played in the time usually taken by two.
• Tritone : A musical interval that spans three whole tones, or exactly half an octave.
• Turnaround : A passage at the end of a section which leads to the next section, often used in blues and jazz to return to the beginning.
• Tutti : An Italian term meaning “all,” used in orchestral music to indicate a passage played by the entire ensemble.
• Upbeat : The last beat in a measure, which typically precedes the downbeat of the next measure.
• Unpitched : Describes a percussion instrument that doesn’t produce a definite musical pitch, such as a drum.
• Unisono (or simply Unison) : Several voices or instruments playing or singing the same note or melody simultaneously.
• Ukulele : A small stringed instrument similar to a guitar, but with four strings, commonly associated with Hawaiian music.
• Umbra : A term sometimes used to describe the series of notes generated in a bell’s sound.
• Unmeasured : Often refers to a style of performance where the rhythm is not strictly adhered to, or passages where the rhythm isn’t indicated in the notation.
• Ut (or Do) : The original name for the first solfège note of the scale, later replaced by “Do” in many traditions.
• Verse : A section of a song with lyrics and melody that typically tells the main story, preceding the chorus.
• Vibrato : A rapid, slight variation in pitch in singing or playing some musical instruments, producing a stronger or richer tone.
• Violin : A stringed musical instrument of treble pitch, played with a horsehair bow.
• Voice : The sound produced by the vocal cords and modified by the mouth, throat, and chest, used for speaking and singing.
• Vamp : A repeated, often simple musical accompaniment or phrase, typically to allow for solo improvisation or introduction of a singer.
• Variation : A form in music where a theme is repeated and changed in melody, rhythm, harmony, or other features.
• Waltz : A ballroom dance in triple time with a strong accent on the first beat, or a piece of music for such a dance.
• Western classical music : Art music rooted in the traditions of Western culture, including both liturgical and secular music, spanning from the medieval period to the present day.
• Whole note : A musical note with a duration of four beats in 4/4 time.
• Whole rest : A musical symbol denoting a silence for the same duration as a whole note.
• Whole step : An interval of two half steps in the diatonic scale, also known as a major second.
• Woodwind family : A group of musical instruments in which sound is produced by the vibration of reeds in the mouthpiece or by the passing of air across a mouth hole.
• Woodwind : Instruments that produce sound by directing a focused stream of air below the edge of a hole in a cylindrical tube.
• Xylophone : A musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets.
• Xylorimba : A pitched percussion instrument that combines elements of the xylophone and the marimba.
• Xenharmonic : Relating to musical scales, intervals, or tunings that do not conform to the traditional Western diatonic scale and conventional 12-tone equal temperament.
• Yodel : A form of singing or calling marked by rapid alternation between the normal voice and falsetto.
• Yoruba Drums : A group of drums associated with the Yoruba people of Nigeria, often used in religious and ceremonial events.
• Zarzuela : A Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, incorporating operatic, popular, and folk music elements.
• Zeitoper : A term used in the early 20th century to describe operas that deal with contemporary or topical subjects.
• Zigeunermusik : German for “Gypsy music.” Often used to describe the music played by Romani (Gypsy) musicians, especially in Eastern Europe.
• Zigzag staff : This term isn’t standard in music theory; it might refer to a graphic representation of music or another art form, rather than a conventional musical concept. If you have a specific context or definition in mind, please provide more details.
• Zither : A stringed instrument used in folk music and popular music, especially in Central European countries, that consists of several strings stretched across a thin, flat body.

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+100 Music Terms: Musician’s Glossary

Posted on October 6, 2021

Welcome to Yousician’s complete glossary of all the musical terms you need to know. These over 100 music terms are perfect to add to every aspiring musician’s vocabulary, no matter their skill level.

Whether you’re a fan of classical music or contemporary pop hits, knowing the language of music gives you a more profound understanding and appreciation of your favorite tracks and different musicians’ work.

Learn these music terms and more at Yousician’s blog. Make sure to check back when you run into new and foreign music terminology to learn their meaning.

A complete glossary of all the musical terms you need to know.

Table of contents

12 bar blues

Accelerando, articulation, circle of fifths, counterpoint, improvisation, key signature, sheet music, time signature, transcription.

12 bar blues is one of the most common chord progressions in popular music and the most common one in the blues genre. The number 12 refers to the number of measures, or bars.

Example of a 12 bar blues progression in the key of A:

Music performed without instrumental background. A capella is often performed with multiple voices with a choir but can be sung by a single singer as well. The word ‘a capella’ comes from Italian and means ‘in the style of the chapel’.

Accelerando is a term for the change of tempo where the composition is played at an increasing tempo. In other words, the tempo of the song or composition speeds up until the next tempo marking.

Acoustics is a wide concept with different meanings depending on what is referred to. Generally acoustics refers to the quality of sounds and the sonic qualities of a space, such as a concert hall.

Acoustic music consists of instruments that don’t use electronics to produce the sound. These include the acoustic guitar and bass as well as drums, piano, violin, trumpet and other classical instruments. Meanwhile, the electric guitar, electric bass guitar and synthesizer don’t count as acoustic instruments. However, acoustic instruments can be amplified electrically, for example with a microphone running into a speaker system.

Adagio is one of the basic tempo markings, indicating that the composition is played at a slow speed.

In tempo markings, an allegro is a piece of music played quickly (120-156 bpm) or in a lively way.

In tempo markings, andante refers to music played at a moderate tempo or at a walking pace.

Arco is a term used in music to indicate that a stringed instrument should be played with a bow rather than plucked with your fingers. A good example is the difference between strumming a guitar and playing a violin.

Arpeggio, also known as a broken chord, means that the notes of a chord are played in an ascending or descending order. The notes in an arpeggio can include only the chord’s notes in an ascending or descending order played back to back, or the notes can be played up and down. An example of a technique used to play arpeggios on a guitar is known as sweep picking. In addition, many keyboards and midi-controllers have a built-in feature for playing arpeggios.

In music, articulation refers to how individual notes are played. It’s like the musical equivalent of pronunciation. Articulation techniques, such as legato and staccato, are used to produce different sounds and effects.

Ballads aren’t necessarily songs and the definition of a ballad has changed throughout the centuries. However, today in music a ballad is a slow and often highly emotional form of narrative song. Common themes of ballads are love, loss and longing, making them often sad and sentimental at least in modern popular music. The AABA song structure is also known as the ballad form.

A bar is the unit used to indicate how many beats are in a single segment of music. Bar is a synonym of measure.

In the context of classical music, baritone is a male singing voice that is placed between the lowest bass voice type and a higher tenor voice. Baritone is the most common singing voice for men and this includes many well known singers in popular music, such as Frank Sinatra and David Bowie.

In music, baroque is a particular style of music, composed around the 17th and 18th centuries. This time period is located between the earlier Renaissance era and the following Classical era. Famous composers of the baroque era include Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi, to name only two.

In guitar playing, a barre is a technique where one finger presses down multiple strings simultaneously. In a way, the barring finger (most often the index finger of the fretting hand) acts as a capo by pressing down all strings on the same fret. Barre chords on guitar include the major F chord and minor B chord .

In music, bass can refer either to sounds with low frequency as well as the lowest type of male singing voice in classical music. The word ‘bass’ is generally also used to refer to a family of instruments including the bass guitar and double bass.

A breakdown is a part of a song where the music is stripped back, usually to just the drums or bass. It’s a great way to create a moment of tension before the music kicks back in. Different music genres have their own conventions for incorporating breakdowns in a song.

In modern popular music the bridge refers to a musical section that most often connects the second chorus of a song to the third (and often final) chorus. In classical music the transition between sequences can be called a bridge as well.

The end of a phrase that indicates the end of a passage of music. In jazz music, cadence can also refer to a sequence of chords. Cadence creates a sense of resolution within the phrase in question.

A canon in music is a song where multiple voices or instruments play the melody, starting at different times. This results in a harmonious and polyphonic texture that showcases the intricate interplay between different parts. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” is a well-known example of a canon.

A clip-like tool attached to the neck of a stringed instrument used to shorten the strings’ length. For example a guitar capo is used to raise the pitch of the instrument. The word ‘capo’ is short for ‘capodastro’, which is Italian for “head of the fretboard”.

Multiple musical tones played at the same time, such as playing three or more guitar strings or piano keys simultaneously. There are many types of chords, the most common being “major” and “minor”.

Chorus is a section of a song that is repeated more than once and contrasts with the other sections. Often the lyrics of a chorus don’t change between each repetition. The chorus can be preceded by a shorter pre-chorus or a bridge that connects the chorus to a verse. A chorus is also known as a refrain.

A concept in music theory where the 12 chromatic pitches are ordered as a sequence consisting of perfect fifths. The circle of fifths can be used as a tool for learning the general structure of music and expanding your knowledge of music theory.

The word ‘clef’ is derived from the French word for ‘key’, but in music refers to the symbol used in musical notation. A clef indicates the position of different notes in musical notation. The most common clefs are the G, F and C clefs.

Coda is the section that concludes a piece of music, such as the ending of a song. In popular music the coda is also known as an outro. The length of a coda can range from a few measures to an entire segment that concludes the piece.

Notes and chords played in consonance sound pleasing to the ear and “right”, as opposed to dissonant notes and chords. However, how one experiences dissonance or consonance is dependent on culture, experience and what one has learned to identify as sounding good or bad.

Counterpoint is a musical technique where two or more melodies are played at the same time, but remain independent and harmonically interdependent. Using counterpoint results in so-called polyphonic music. The term originates from Latin “punctus contra punctum”, meaning “point against point.”

A crescendo is when the music gradually gets louder. Its function in music is to create a sense of anticipation or excitement in the listener. A crescendo refers to the dynamics of a piece, meaning the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. In comparison, decrescendo means a gradual decrease in volume.

The term ‘da capo’ (abbreviated D.C.) is Italian and translates literally to ‘from the head’. However, in music da capo means ‘from the beginning’ and indicates a repetition of the previous section that was just played.

Dissonance in music refers to notes and chords that, when played together, sound harsh and unpleasant. The opposite of dissonance is consonance.

Dolce is an Italian word that means “sweetly”. In music, it’s used to indicate that a piece should be played in a gentle, sweet manner. The Dolce instruction indicates that the performer should play or sing softly and gracefully, emphasizing a pleasing, mellow, and sweet sound.

A sustained low pitched tone that can play continuously throughout a piece of music. Also referred to the part of an instrument that produces the sound, such as certain pipes in the bagpipes. Drone is also a genre of music, consisting of minimalistic, ambient and often low sustained sounds.

A duet is a piece of music performed by two singers or musicians. It’s like a musical conversation, with each performer taking turns or sometimes performing together. Duets are common in contemporary and 1900s popular music, with some well-known examples including “Shallow” by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper and “Easy Lover” by Phil Collins & Philip Bailey.

In music, dynamics refers to how strongly or loudly a piece of music should be played. By indicating the dynamics of a composition in sheet music, the composer can express variation in the intensity of playing and mood of the piece. Examples include ‘piano’ and ‘forte’.

A type of sad and mournful song, usually about lamenting the death of someone. The word ‘ elegy ’ is derived from a Greek word meaning “a song of mourning”. However, the word is not used only in music but can also refer to a poem dealing with similar themes.

An encore is an extra performance by a band or an orchestra after they have already ended their performance. An encore is often demanded by the audience who claps and cheers to tell that they want the performers to return on stage. For example, in a rock concert the band may return to play a couple or a few more songs when they are invited back on stage by the audience. An encore is also a part of a classical music concert where the entire orchestra first leaves and then returns during the audience’s applause. More than one encore is possible as well.

In the context of musical performance, an ensemble is a group of people playing and/or singing together. An ensemble can be entirely instrumental (such as an orchestra), vocal (a choir for example) or a combination of both (for instance a rock band). In other words, all bands are a type of ensemble. Ensembles come in many sizes from small trios playing jazz to great symphonic orchestras and choirs with tens of members.

An etude (also known as étude or study) is a short musical composition designed to provide practice in a particular technical skill in the performance of an instrument.

Falsetto is a singing technique where the singer uses their vocal cords to hit higher notes than their normal range. It’s often used in pop and R&B music but fits various genres of music.

A fermata is a symbol used in musical notation to show that a note or rest should be held longer than its usual duration. How long the note should be held is up to the performer to choose. Often fermata indicates holding the note twice as long as normal.

In music terminology, fill is a brief passage that is used to “fill gaps” in the song and sustain the listeners attention. A fill can be in the form of a drum fill, for instance, and this is likely the most common context where the word fill is used. However, a fill can be played with other instruments as well or even sung. A fill can be used as a transitory tool between two sections of a song.

The term ‘flat’ in music refers to a note being lower in pitch. In musical notation, if a note is flat it’s a semitone, or half a step, lower than the surrounding notes. The♭symbol is used to indicate a flat note. While flat notes are a semitone lower, sharp notes are a semitone higher. However, this is only one meaning of the term ‘flat’ in the context of music. You can also sing or play “flat”, which means producing a note that is slightly lower than the intended note; this is also known as playing “out of tune”.

Forte is a  term referring to the dynamics of a piece of music, indicating that a certain piece is to be played loudly or strongly. In musical notation forte is indicated with ‘f’.

In music, a groove is a rhythm that makes you want to move or dance. It’s the heartbeat of a song that keeps your foot tapping. Groove is created when the elements of a musical piece come together to establish a strong and infectious rhythm , often giving a track its distinct and engaging feel.

Simply, harmony refers to the process where different notes are played together in a way where the notes sound good together. Harmony is one of the most important aspects of music together with rhythm and melody.

Hook is an element of a song or a musical idea used to make the song catchy and memorable to the listener. In modern popular music a hook can be a line of lyrics, a riff or a melody, for example.

Improvisation is the act of creating music on the spot without any prewritten material. It’s like musical freestyling, often used in jazz and blues. In addition to live performances where the players improvise together or individually, improvisation can be used as a songwriting method.

The word ‘interval’ comes from the Latin word ‘intervallum’, meaning distance. In music, an interval describes the distance between the pitch of two tones.

Intro is the beginning of a song that is often followed by the first verse in the basic verse-chorus form of popular music. The intro of a song usually establishes the tone, mood, genre and lyrical themes of the song and may also introduce some recurring melodies and other musical ideas.

The key is a central scale of notes that a song is built on, named by the root note, also called a tonic. It can be major or minor, for example D major. A key signature determines the key and which notes will be flat or sharp by default to match the harmony of the song.

The key can also change in the middle of a song, one common example is to take the key of the song a step higher to increase excitement. This is called a modulation. Also it’s not uncommon to deviate from the key as it can produce interesting results.

The key signature is a set of sharp or flat symbols placed on the staff at the beginning of a piece of music. It tells the musician what key the musical piece is in.

Largo is a term that means “slow” in Italian. In music, it indicates a slow tempo, often used for dramatic or solemn pieces. In comparison, “allegro” refers to a fast tempo in music.

Legato refers to playing musical notes smoothly and there’s no break between the notes when they’re played. In musical notation, legato is indicated with a curved line. For example when playing the guitar, slides, bends, hammer-ons and pull-offs are indicated with a curved line as the strings aren’t picked between different notes.

Lyrics are the words of a song sung by the vocalist. The lyrics can be performed in other ways than singing as well, for example by rapping, screaming or as spoken word. While the performer is referred to as a vocalist, the person (or persons) who writes the lyrics is known as a lyricist.

In music, the term major can be used to describe a chord, scale or key. A way to identify a major chord or scale for instance, is to listen whether it sounds happy. You can contrast major scales and chords with minor ones and, as a consequence, change the mood and tone of a song.

A melody consists of a series of musical tones that constitute a whole. This is perceived by the listener as a single cohesive entity. Melody is one of the most important aspects of music together with rhythm and harmony.

A metronome is a device that helps musicians keep a steady tempo while they play. It produces a clicking or beeping sound at a specific rate, which can be adjusted to match the desired speed of the song. Nowadays, you can download a metronome app for your smartphone or use an online metronome.

As opposed to major chords, scales and keys, minor ones can be identified by listening if they sound dark and sad. For example, minor chords are written with a lower-case ‘m’, while major chords are written without the ‘m’.

A minuet is a type of dance music that was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, originating in France. It’s usually in triple time and has a light, elegant feel.

Modulation is when a piece of music changes the key. It’s a way to add variety and interest to a piece, like taking a detour on a musical journey.

Motifs are recurring and recognizable fragments or a musical idea in a composition. A motif may be repeated with or without changes to it throughout the musical piece.

A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. It’s often slow, peaceful, and dreamy. The term “nocturne” comes from French, meaning “of the night”.

An octave is the distance between the 1st and 8th notes of a major scale. For example, the C major scale goes C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C, and the distance between the first C and the final C is called an octave. Each time you go up an octave, you double the frequency of the note. For example, if you play a note at 440Hz, then the octave is at 880Hz. The word ‘octave’ is derived from the Latin word for eight, ‘octavus’.

An opera is a form of theater where the story is told through singing instead of speaking. It often involves elaborate costumes and sets, and the music is usually classical. Operas cover a wide range of themes and emotions, making it a multifaceted medium for storytelling and artistic expression. Some famous operas include Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Don Giovanni” as well as Puccini’s “La bohème” and “Tosca”.

Outro is the ending or conclusion of a song. The term ‘outro’ is usually used in the context of popular music, while the term ‘coda’ is more commonly used in classical music. An outro can have different forms and there’s no single correct way to end a song. For example, the outro can be a gradual decrease in volume as the song fades out or a more abrupt ending.

Overture is a musical introduction to a performance, such as an opera, play or even a movie. An overture is often played by an orchestra and its purpose is to set the mood for the performance that’s about to begin.

A pentatonic scale is a scale with five notes for each octave. Pentatonic scales are widely used throughout the world, not only in Western music. Pentatonic scales are also used in different musical genres and can be divided into major and minor pentatonic scales.

Percussion refers to any instrument that makes a sound when it’s hit, shaken, or scraped. Percussion instruments include drums, cymbals, tambourines, maracas, and many others. Although percussion instruments most often play the rhythm of a song, they can also play melody and harmony.

Pitch is a sound that is clear enough to distinguish from noise, that makes it possible to tell if a sound is higher or lower than another. Pitch is an attribute of sound along with loudness, length and timbre.

Polyrhythm is when two or more different rhythms are played simultaneously. What makes polyrhythms particularly challenging is that they can involve playing two rhythms of different lengths at the same time. This means that the two overlapping rhythms don’t start and end at the same time. It’s like a musical jigsaw puzzle, with each piece fitting together to create a complex pattern.

A prelude is a short piece of music that is often played as an introduction to a longer piece, like an opera or ballet. It helps set the mood and prepare the audience for what’s to come.

A quartet is a band, choir, ensemble or some other group of four musicians performing together. The word ‘quartet’ can also be used to refer to a piece of music composed for four instruments or voices.

Reprise is the repetition of a piece of music within a song, album or performance. For example, many movie scores contain a repetition of a motif during more than a single scene.

Reverb, short for reverberation, is the echo you hear when a sound bounces off a surface and comes back to you. In music, it’s often used to give a sense of space or depth to the sound. Nowadays, reverb can be established with an artificial reverb effect.

Rhythm is the placement of sounds, rests and emphasis in time. It’s a crucial building block and basis of all music. In sheet music, rhythm is marked by varying note lengths, with tempo defining the pace of the rhythm and time signature defining how it’s counted.

A riff is a short passage consisting of notes and chords that is repeated throughout a song. In popular music, and especially different rock genres, riffs are usually played with the guitar and bass. For example, many rock songs are known especially for their memorable guitar riffs. A good example of a guitar riff is the opening riff of “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes. Other famous guitar riffs can be found in “Come as You Are” by Nirvana, “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin and “Enter Sandman” by Metallica, just to name a few. However, riffs can be played with a number of different instruments and in many different genres of music.

A root is the base note of a key, scale or chord. In the key of B major, the root is B.

A scale is a set of notes ordered by the root note. It defines the notes that fit the harmony at hand. The most common ones are the major and minor scales, but there are plenty of other scales like chromatic, mixolydian or harmonic minor, for example.

The term ‘sharp’ in music refers to a note being higher in pitch. In musical notation, if a note is sharp, it is a semitone higher than the surrounding notes. The # symbol is used to indicate a sharp note. While sharp notes are a semitone higher, flat notes are a semitone lower. In addition to referring to a note being higher in pitch, the term ‘sharp’ can also refer to sharp singing or tuning.

Sheet music is a printed form of musical notation showing the pitches, rhythm and/or chords of a song.

Solfège is a method of music education teaching aural skills, recognition of pitches, harmony and rhythm, and reading notation.

A piece of music performed by a single singer or player, known as the soloist. Solos are common in rock and pop genres, for example in the form of a guitar solo where the guitarist is the center of attention while the rest of the band plays in the background.

Sonata is a principle of composing large scale works, often referring to Western classical music from the early 19th century onwards. A famous example is the Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig Van Beethoven.

Soprano is one of the female singing voices alongside mezzo-soprano and alto. The soprano is the one with the highest vocal range and a soprano is able to sing the middle C note or even higher.

A staff is a set of five horizontal lines where music is written. Each line and space represents a different note. A grand staff in music is a combination of two staves, with one staff placed above the other. The grand staff is commonly used in notation for piano and keyboard instruments.

A large scale composition for an orchestra consisting of sections called movements.

Tablatures or tabs are a type of musical notation that is used commonly with fretted instruments, such as the guitar, bass and ukulele. For example, guitar tablatures use fret numbers and strings to indicate which notes are played, unlike in traditional sheet music. Drums can also be played with tablature.

Tempo is the speed of a piece of music is often indicated in beats per minute (or BPM).

Tenor is the highest type of singing voice for men . Famous tenors include Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti as well as Freddie Mercury and Bruce Dickinson in the world of rock music.

Tenuto is a musical direction meaning a note should be held for its full length. It’s like a musical emphasis, highlighting a particular note or chord. In musical notation, tenuto can be indicated in three ways: with the word “tenuto” written above the passage, with the abbreviation “ten.”, or with a horizontal line below or above the note it concerns.

Timbre refers to the unique quality of a sound that makes it different from other sounds. It’s what makes a piano sound different from a guitar, even when they’re playing the same note.

Time signature defines how many beats there are in a bar, and which note value the beats are. In the most common time signature 4/4 (read: four four time), there are four quarter notes per bar. Other common signatures are ¾ (waltz) and 6/8, less common examples are 5/4 (‘Take Five’ by Dave Brubeck Quartet, Theme from Mission Impossible) or 7/4 (‘Money’ by Pink Floyd). The time signature can also change within a song. In the context of Western music, unusual time signatures and surprising time signature changes are a common characteristic of experimental music genres and progressive rock, for instance.

Tone can refer to a single pitch or to the audible characteristics of sound (timbre).

Transcription in music is the process of writing down a piece of music, usually from a recording. It’s like taking dictation, but for music instead of words. Thanks to transcription, we have access to old classical pieces that were composed before the technology to record music for later listening. Creating sheet music from a recording is making a musical transcription of said recording.

Tremolo has two common meanings. The first is playing a note repeatedly and rapidly, for example a guitarist picking a note quickly, over and over. This kind of tremolo picking is a common technique in a variety of music genres, such as black metal and surf music.

The second meaning of tremolo is a rapid variation in volume, for example quickly turning the volume up and down, creating a shuddering effect. Guitarists often achieve this using an electronic effect. A good example of the tremolo effect in rock music can be found in Creedence Clearwater Revival’s version of Midnight Special.

A tritone is a musical interval that spans three whole tones. It’s often considered dissonant or “unpleasant” to the ear and was even called the “devil’s interval” in the Middle Ages.

In music the term ‘tune’ can have a number of meanings. When used as a noun tune can refer to the song itself as well as the melody of a song. As a verb, ‘tune’ refers to the act of tuning an instrument and setting it to the correct tune.

Tuning refers to the process of adjusting an instrument so it produces the desired notes at the correct pitch.

For example, guitar strings are typically tuned to the notes E-A-D-G-B-E. To tune a guitar means to adjust the strings so they precisely match those pitches. There are also “alternate tunings”, in which the strings can be tuned to different notes.

Tuning is standardized so that the note A4 (the A above middle C on the piano) is usually set to the frequency of 440Hz.

In popular music, verse is a part of the song structure. In the commonly used verse-chorus form, a verse is followed by the song’s chorus and contrasts with other parts. A pop or rock song usually consists of at least two verses that have similar chords, melody and rhythm but may differ lyrically.

An effect in music where the pitch of a note changes rapidly, resulting in a vibrating effect. Vibrato can be achieved with an instrument, for example by using an effect pedal, the whammy bar of a guitar or by moving your finger up and down while holding down the fret. Vibrato can be also achieved with the human voice and is a technique often used by skilled vocalists.

A person who has exceptional talent, skills and knowledge of for example music, painting or some other art form. For instance, a guitar virtuoso would be a highly skilled guitar player who is commonly praised for their guitar ‘virtuosity’, such as Eddie Van Halen.

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Music Terminology

Music terminology list a to z cheatsheet.

Cheatsheet of common and more obscure music terminology terms and definitions. Understanding music terms makes it easier to collaborate with other musicians – it really does help if you’re all singing and playing from the same hymn sheet!

• ADDucation’s glossary of music terminology compiled by Robert Junker was last updated Jan 18, 2023 @ 3:13 pm .

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4 responses to “Music Terminology”

Hi Joe, as requested, here’s a brief outline of the theory of musical equilibration: The Theory of Musical Equilibration creates a psychological paradigm which explains the emotional effects of musical harmonies. The theory was designed by music theorist Bernd Willimek and developed together with his wife Daniela Willimek to today’s version. It emerges form Ernst Kurth’s teaching in music psychology and states that in contrast to previous hypotheses, music does not directly describe emotions: instead; it evokes processes of the will which the listener identifies with, and relating to these processes gives music its emotional content. Bernd

Hi Bernd, thanks for the precis, I’ve now added an entry and link in the list.

I suggest a new term for your dictionary: Theory of Musical Equilibration

Hi Bernd, thanks for the Wikipedia link. If you can sum it up in a sentence or two we’d be happy to add it.

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Musical terminology: A glossary of music terms

This is a list of musical terms that are likely to be encountered in printed scores. Most of the defined terms are Italian (see also Italian musical terms used in English), in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special musical meanings of these phrases differ from the original or current Italian meanings. Most of the other defined terms are taken from French and German, indicated by "(Fr)" and "(Ger)", respectively. Others are from languages such as Latin and Spanish. Unless specified, the terms are Italian or English. The list can never be complete: some terms are common, and others are used only occasionally, and new ones are coined from time to time. Some composers prefer terms from their own language rather than the standard definition of terms here.

• a, à (Fr) – at, to, by, for, in, in the style of
• aber (Ger) – but
• a cappella – in the manner of singing in a chapel; i.e., without instrumental accompaniment
• accelerando – accelerating; gradually increasing the tempo
• accentato – accented; with emphasis
• acciaccatura – crushing; i.e., a very fast grace note that is "crushed" against the note that follows and takes up no value in the measure
• accompagnato – accompanied; i.e., with the accompaniment following the soloist, who may speed up or slow down at will
• adagietto – rather slow
• adagio – at ease; i.e., slow
• adagissimo – very slow
• ad libitum (commonly ad lib; Latin) – at liberty; i.e., the speed and manner of execution are left to the performer
• affettuoso – tenderly
• affrettando – hurrying, pressing onwards
• agile – swiftly
• agitato – agitated
• al, alla – to the, in the manner of (al before masculine nouns, alla before feminine)
• alla breve – two minim (half-note) beats to a bar, rather than four crotchet (quarter-note) beats
• alla marcia – in the style of a march
• allargando – broadening, becoming a little slower
• allegretto – a little lively, moderately fast
• allegro – cheerful or brisk; but commonly interpreted as lively, fast
• als (Ger) – than
• altissimo – very high
• alto – high; often refers to a particular range of voice, higher than a tenor but lower than a soprano
• am Steg (Ger) – at the bridge; i.e., playing a bowed string instrument near its bridge (see sul ponticello in this list)
• amabile – amiable, pleasant
• amoroso – loving
• andante – at a walking pace; i.e., at a moderate tempo, just this side of slow
• andantino – slightly faster than andante (but earlier it sometimes used to mean slightly slower than andante)
• animato – animated, lively
• antiphon – a liturgical or other composition consisting of choral responses, sometimes between two choirs; a passage of this nature forming part of another composition
• apaisé (Fr) – calmed
• a piacere – at pleasure; i.e., the performer need not follow the rhythm strictly
• appassionato – passionately
• appoggiatura – a grace note that "leans" on the following note, taking up some of its value in the measure
• a prima vista – at first sight; i.e., playing something at first sight of the sheet music
• arietta – a short aria
• arioso – airy, or like an air (a melody); i.e., in the manner of an aria; melodious
• arpeggio – like a harp; i.e., the notes of the chords are to be played quickly one after another (usually ascending) instead of simultaneously. In music for piano, this is sometimes a solution in playing a wide-ranging chord whose notes cannot be played otherwise. Music generated by the limited hardware of video game computers uses a similar technique to create a chord from one tone generator. Arpeggios (or arpeggi) are also accompaniment patterns. See also broken chord in this list.
• arco – the bow used for playing some string instrument; i.e., played with the bow, as opposed to pizzicato (plucked), in music for bowed instruments; normally used to cancel a pizzicato direction
• assai – very
• assez (Fr) – enough, sufficiently; sometimes used in the same sense as assai
• a tempo – in time; i.e., the performer should return to the main tempo of the piece (after an accelerando or ritardando, etc.); also may be found in combination with other terms such as a tempo giusto (in strict time) or a tempo di menuetto (at the speed of a minuet)
• attacca – attack, or go on; i.e., at the end of a movement, a direction to begin (attack) the next movement immediately, without a gap or pause
• Ausdruck (Ger) – expression
• ausdrucksvoll (Ger) – expressively
• avec (Fr) – with
• barbaro – barbarous
• basso continuo – continuous bass; i.e., a bass part played continuously throughout a piece to give harmonic structure, used especially in the Baroque period
• beat – (1) the pronounced rhythm of music; (2) one single stroke of a rhythmic accent
• bellicoso – warlike, aggressive
• ben or bene – well, as in, for example, ben marcato (meaning "well-marked")
• bewegt (Ger) – moved, speeded
• bis – twice; i.e., repeat the relevant action or passage
• bisbigliando – whispering; i.e., a special tremolo effect on the harp where a chord or note is rapidly repeated ata low volume
• bocca chiusa – with closed mouth
• bravura – boldness; as in con bravura, boldly
• breit – broad
• brillante – brilliantly, with sparkle
• brio – vigour; usually in con brio (see in this list)
• brioso – vigorously (same as con brio)
• broken chord – a chord in which the notes are not all played at once, but in some more or less consistent sequence. They may follow singly one after the other, or two notes may be immediately followed by another two, for example. See also arpeggio in this list, which as an accompaniment pattern may be seen as a kind of broken chord; see Alberti bass.
• bruscamente – brusquely
• cadenza – a cadence; i.e., a florid solo, often improvised or (more commonly in modern practice) in improvisatory style, usually near the end of a movement (but sometimes played between the development and recapitulation sections), embellishing and elaborating on a perfect cadence, sometimes at considerable length
• calando – lowering; i.e., getting slower and softer: ritardando along with diminuendo
• cambiare – to change; i.e., any change, such as to a new instrument
• cantabile – singingly
• capo – head; i.e., the beginning (of a movement, normally)
• capriccioso – capriciously
• cédez (Fr) – yield, give way
• cesura or caesura (Latin form) – break, stop; i.e., a complete break in sound (sometimes called "railroad tracks")
• chiuso – closed; i.e., muted by hand (for a horn, or similar instrument; but see also bocca chiusa, which uses the feminine form, in this list)
• coda – a tail; i.e., a closing section appended to a movement
• codetta – a small coda (see last), but usually applied to a passage appended to a section of a movement, not to a whole movement
• col, colla – with the (col before a masculine noun, colla before a feminine noun); (see next for example)
• colla parte – with the soloist
• colla voce – with the voice
• col legno – with the wood; i.e., the strings (for example, of a violin) are to be struck with the wood of the bow; also battuta col legno: beaten with the wood
• coloratura – coloration; i.e., elaborate ornamentation of a vocal line, or (especially) a soprano voice suited to such elaboration
• colossale – tremendously
• col pugno – with the fist; i.e., bang the piano with the fist
• come prima – like the first (time); i.e., as before, typically referring to an earlier tempo
• come sopra – as above; i.e., like the previous tempo (usually)
• common time – the time signature 4/4: four beats per measure, each beat a quarter note (a crotchet) in length. 4/4 is often written on the musical staff as 'C'. The symbol is not a C as an abbreviation for common time, but a broken circle. The full circle at one time stood for triple time, 3/4.
• comodo – comfortable; i.e., at moderate speed
• con – with; used in very many musical directions, for example con allegrezza (with liveliness), con amore (with tenderness); (see also col, colla, above)
• con amore, or (in Spanish and sometimes in Italian) con amor – with love, tenderly
• con affetto – with affect (that is, with emotion)
• con brio – with spirit, with vigour
• con effetto – with effect
• con fuoco – with fire, in a fiery manner
• con moto – with motion
• con slancio – with enthusiasm
• con sordino – with the mute
• coperti (plural of coperto, which may also be seen) – covered; i.e., on a drum, muted with a cloth
• crescendo – growing; i.e., progressively louder (contrast diminuendo)
• cut time – same as the meter 2/2: two half-note (minim) beats per measure. Notated and played like common time (4/4), except with the beat lengths doubled. Indicated by three quarters of a circle with a vertical line through it, which resembles the cent symbol '¢'. This comes from a literal cut of the 'C' symbol of common time. Thus, a quarter note in cut time is only half a beat long, and a measure has only two beats. See also alla breve.
• da capo – from the head; i.e., from the beginning (see capo in this list)
• deciso – decisively
• decrescendo – same as diminuendo or dim. (see below)
• delicatamente – delicately
• devoto – religiously
• diminuendo, dim. – dwindling; i.e., with gradually decreasing volume (same as decrescendo)
• dissonante – dissonant
• divisi or div. – divided; i.e., in a part in which several musicians normally play exactly the same notes they are instead to split the playing of the written simultaneous notes among themselves. It is most often used for string instruments, since with them another means of execution is often possible. (The return from divisi is marked unisono: see in this list.)
• dolce – sweetly
• dolcissimo – very sweetly
• dolente – sorrowfully, plaintively
• doloroso – sorrowfully, plaintively
• D.S. al coda or dal segno al coda (or, strictly but rarely seen, ...alla coda) – from the sign to the coda; i.e., return to a place in the music designated by the sign (a marking resembling a letter S with a diagonal through it and a dot to either side) and continue until directed to move to the coda, a separate ending section. (See Coda in this list.)
• D.S. al fine or dal segno al fine – from the sign to the end; i.e., return to a place in the music designated by the sign (see preceding entry) and continue to the end of the piece.
• Duple Meter - A meter, or time signature, where the basic unit of pulse of the music recurs in groups of 2 (cut time or 2/2, 2/4, 4/4). Duple meter is historically associated with Marches but can be found in nearly all forms of contemporary music.
• dur (Ger) – major; used in key signatures as, for example, A-dur (A major), B-dur (B� major), or H-dur (B major). (See also moll (minor) in this list.)
• dynamics – refers to the relative volumes in the execution of a piece of music. (See dynamics (music)).
• echo – an effect in which a group of notes is repeated, usually more softly, and perhaps at a different octave, to create an echo effect
• Empfindung (Ger) – feeling
• encore (Fr) – again; i.e., perform the relevant passage once more
• energico – energetic, strong
• enfatico – emphatically
• eroico – heroically
• espirando – expiring; i.e., dying away
• espressivo – expressively
• estinto – extinct, extinguished; i.e., as soft as possible, lifeless
• facile – easily
• fermata – finished, closed; i.e., a rest or note is to be held for a duration that is at the discretion of the performer or conductor (sometimes called bird's eye)
• feroce – ferociously
• fieramente – proudly
• fine – the end, often in phrases like al fine (to the end)
• flebile – mournfully
• focoso or fuocoso – fiery; i.e., passionately
• forte or f (usually) – strong; i.e., to be played or sung loudly
• fortepiano – strong-gentle; i.e., 1. loud, then immediately soft (see dynamics), or 2. an early pianoforte
• fortissimo – as loudly as possible (see note at pianissimo, in this list)
• forzando or fz – see sforzando in this list
• fresco – freshly
• fuoco – fire; con fuoco means with fire
• furioso – wildly
• gaudioso – with joy
• gentile – gently
• geschwind (Ger) – quickly
• getragen (Ger) – sustainedly
• giocoso – gaily
• giusto – strictly, exactly
• glissando (simulated Italian) – a continuous sliding from one pitch to another (a true glissando), or an incidental scale played while moving from one melodic note to another (an effective glissando). See glissando for further information; and compare portamento in this list.
• grandioso – grandly
• grave – slowly and seriously
• grazioso – gracefully
• gustoso – with gusto
• Hauptstimme (Ger) – "head" voice, chief part; i.e., the contrapuntal line of primary importance, in opposition to Nebenstimme
• immer (Ger) – always
• imperioso – imperiously
• impetuoso – impetuously
• improvisando – with improvisation
• in altissimo – in the highest; i.e., play or sing an octave higher
• incalzando – getting faster and louder (the exact opposite of calando)
• in modo di – in the art of, in the style of
• intimo – intimately
• irato – angrily
• kräftig (Ger) – strongly
• l'istesso – the same
• lacrimoso – tearfully; i.e., sadly
• lamentando – lamenting, mournfully
• lamentoso – lamenting, mournfully
• langsam (Ger) – slowly
• larghetto – somewhat slowly; not as slow as largo
• largo – broadly; i.e., slowly
• lebhaft (Ger) – briskly, lively
• legato – joined; i.e., smoothly, in a connected manner (see also articulation)
• leggiero – lightly, delicately
• lent (Fr) – slowly
• lento – slowly
• liberamente – freely
• libero – free, freely
• loco – [in] place; i.e., perform the notes at the pitch written (generally used to cancel an 8va direction)
• lugubre – lugubrious
• luminoso – luminously
• lusingando – coaxingly
• ma – but
• ma non troppo – but not too much
• maestoso – majestically, in a stately fashion
• magico – magically
• magnifico – magnificent
• main droite (Fr) – [played with the] right hand (abbreviation: MD or m.d.)
• main gauche (Fr) – [played with the] left hand (abbreviation: MG or m.g.)
• malinconico – melancholy
• mano destra – [played with the] right hand (abbreviation: MD or m.d.)
• mano sinistra – [played with the] left hand (abbreviation: MS or m.s.)
• marcatissimo – very accentuatedly
• marcato – marked; i.e., accentuatedly, play every note as if it were to be accented
• marcia – a march; alla marcia means in the manner of a march
• martellato – hammered out
• marziale – in the march style
• mässig (Ger) – moderately
• MD – see mano destra and main droite
• melancolico – melancholic
• melisma – the technique of changing the note (pitch) of a syllable of text while it is being sung
• measure – the period of a musical piece that encompasses a complete cycle of the time signature, e.g., in 4/4 time, a measure has four quarter-note beats
• meno – less; see meno mosso, for example, under mosso
• mesto – mournful, sad
• meter (or metre) – the pattern of a music piece's rhythm of strong and weak beats
• mezza voce – half voice; i.e., with subdued or moderated volume
• mezzo – half; used in combinations like mezzo forte (mf), meaning moderately loud
• mezzo forte – half loudly; i.e., moderately loudly. See dynamics.
• mezzo piano – half softly; i.e., moderately softly. See dynamics.
• mezzo-soprano – a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that of a soprano and that of an alto.
• MG – see main gauche
• misterioso – mysteriously
• mobile – flexible, changeable
• moderato – moderate; often combined with other terms, usually relating to tempo; for example, allegro moderato
• modesto – modest
• moll (Ger) – minor; used in key signatures as, for example, a-moll (A minor), b-moll (B� minor), or h-moll (B minor) (see also dur (major) in this list)
• molto – very
• morendo – dying; i.e., dying away in dynamics, and perhaps also in tempo
• mosso – moved, moving; used with a preceding più or meno (see in this list), for faster or slower respectively
• MS – see mano sinistra
• moto – motion; usually seen as con moto, meaning with motion or quickly
• Moto primo - First (the feminine form) motion
• munter (Ger) – lively
• narrante – narratingly
• naturale or nat. – natural; i.e., discontinue a special effect, such as col legno, sul tasto, sul ponticello, or playing in harmonics
• Nebenstimme (Ger) – under part; i.e., a secondary contrapuntal part, always occurring simultaneously with, and subsidiary to, the Hauptstimme
• nicht (zu) schnell (Ger) – not (too) fast
• nobile – in a noble fashion
• notes inégales (Fr) – unequal notes; i.e., a principally Baroque performance practice of applying long-short rhythms to pairs of notes written as equal
• omaggio – homage, celebration
• ossia – or instead; i.e., according to some specified alternative way of performing a passage, which is marked with a footnote, additional small notes, or an additional staff
• ostinato – obstinate, persistent; i.e., a short musical pattern that is repeated throughout an entire composition or portion of a composition
• passionato – passionately
• pesante – heavy, ponderous
• peu à peu (Fr) – little by little

Note: it should be noted that any dynamics in a piece should always be played relative to the other dynamics found in the music. Thus, pp should be played as softly as possible, but if ppp is found later in the piece, pp should be markedly louder than ppp. Likewise, ff should be played as loud as possible, but if fff is found later in the piece, ff should be noticeably quieter. More than three ps (ppp) or three fs (fff) are uncommon.

• pianissimo or pp (usually) – very gently; i.e., perform very softly, even softer than piano. This convention can be extended; the more p's that are written, the softer the composer wants the musician to play, thus ppp (pianississimo) would be softer than pp.
• piano or p (usually) – gently; i.e., played or sung softly (see dynamics)
• piano-vocal score – the same as a vocal score, a piano arrangement along with the vocal parts of an opera, cantata, or similar
• piacevole – pleasant
• piangevole – plaintive
• più – more; see mosso for an example
• pizzicato – pinched, plucked; i.e., in music for bowed strings, plucked with the fingers as opposed to played with the bow; compare arco (in this list), which is inserted to cancel a pizzicato instruction
• pochettino or poch. – very little
• poco – a little, as in poco più allegro (a little faster)
• poco a poco – little by little
• poco moto - a little motion
• poi – then, indicating a subsequent instruction in a sequence; diminuendo poi subito fortissimo, for example: getting softer then suddenly very loud
• portamento – carrying; i.e., 1. generally, sliding in pitch from one note to another (especially in singing; more often called glissando in instrumental music); or 2. in piano music, an articulation between legato and staccato, like portato, in this list
• portato – carried; i.e., non-legato, but not as detached as staccato (same as portamento [2], in this list)
• posato – settled
• potpourri or pot-pourri (Fr) – potpourri (as used in other senses in English); i.e., a kind of musical form structured as ABCDEF... etc.; the same as medley or, sometimes, fantasia
• precipitato – precipitately
• prestissimo – extremely quickly, as fast as possible
• presto – very quickly
• prima volta – the first time; for example prima volta senza accompanimento (the first time without accompaniment)
• primo or prima (the feminine form) – first
• quasi (Latin and Italian) – as if, almost
• rallentando or rall. – progressively slower
• rapido – fast
• rasch (Ger) – fast
• religioso – religiously
• repente – suddenly
• restez (Fr) – stay; i.e., remain on a note or string
• rinforzando (rf) – reinforced; i.e., emphasized; sometimes like a sudden crescendo, but often applied to a single note
• risoluto – resolutely
• rit. – an abbreviation for ritardando[1][2][3][4]; also less frequently considered an abbreviation for ritenuto[5][6][7]
• ritardando, ritard. – slowing down; decelerating; opposite of accelerando (see in this list)
• ritenuto, riten. – held back; i.e., slower (usually more so but more temporarily than a ritardando, and it may, unlike ritardando, apply to a single note)
• roulade (Fr) – a rolling; i.e., a florid vocal phrase
• rubato – robbed; i.e., flexible in tempo, applied to notes within a musical phrase for expressive effect
• sanft (Ger) – gently
• scherzando – playfully
• scherzo – a joke; i.e., a musical form, originally and usually in fast triple time, often replacing the minuet in the later Classical period and the Romantic period, in symphonies, sonatas, string quartets and the like; in the 19th century some scherzi were independent movements for piano, etc.
• schnell (Ger) – fast
• schneller (Ger) – faster
• scordatura – out of tune; i.e., an alternative tuning used for the strings of a string instrument
• secco – dry
• sehr (Ger) – very
• sempre – always
• senza – without
• senza sordino – without the mute
• serioso – seriously
• sforzando or sfz – made loud; i.e., a sudden strong accent
• silencio – silence
• simile – similarly; i.e., continue applying the preceding directive, whatever it was, to the following passage.
• smorzando or smorz. – dying away, extinguishing or dampening; usually interpreted as a drop in dynamics, and very often in tempo as well
• soave – smoothly, gently
• solo, plural soli – alone; i.e., played by a single instrument. The instruction soli requires more than one player; in a jazz big band this refers to an entire section playing in harmony.
• sostenuto – sustained
• sotto voce – under voice; i.e., softly and subdued, as if speaking under one's breath
• spiccato – distinct, separated; i.e., a way of playing the violin and other bowed instruments by bouncing the bow on the string, giving a characteristic staccato effect
• spiritoso – spiritedly
• staccato – an indication to play with a sharp attack, and briefly. In music notation a small dot under or over the note indicates that it is to be sounded staccato.
• stanza – a verse of a song
• strepitoso – noisy
• stretto – tight, narrow; i.e., faster or hastening ahead; also, a passage in a fugue in which the contrapuntal texture is denser, with close overlapping entries of the subject in different voices; by extension, similar closely imitative passages in other compositions
• stringendo – tightening, narrowing; i.e., with a pressing forward or acceleration of the tempo (that is, becoming stretto, see preceding entry)
• subito – suddenly
• sul ponticello – on the bridge; i.e., in string playing, an indication to bow (or sometimes to pluck) very near to the bridge, producing a characteristic glassy sound, which emphasizes the higher harmonics at the expense of the fundamental; the opposite of sul tasto
• sul tasto – on the fingerboard; i.e., in string playing, an indication to bow (or sometimes to pluck) over the fingerboard; the opposite of sul ponticello
• tacet – silent; do not play
• tempo – time; i.e., the overall speed of a piece of music
• teneramente – tenderly
• tenuto – held; i.e., touch on a note slightly longer than usual, but without generally altering the note's value
• tranquillo – calmly, peacefully
• tremendo – frightening
• tremolo – shaking; i.e., a rapid repetition of the same note, or an alternation between two or more notes. It can also be intended (inaccurately) to mean a rapid and repetitive variation in pitch for the duration of a note (see vibrato). It is notated by a strong diagonal bar across the note stem, or a detached bar for a set of notes (or stemless notes).
• tre corde or tc (or sometimes inaccurately tre corda) – three strings; i.e., release the soft pedal of the piano (see una corda)
• troppo – too much; usually seen as non troppo, meaning moderately or, when combined with other terms, not too much, such as allegro [ma] non troppo (fast but not too fast)
• tutti – all; i.e., all together, usually used in an orchestral or choral score when the orchestra or all of the voices come in at the same time, also seen in Baroque-era music where two instruments share the same copy of music, after one instrument has broken off to play a more advanced form: they both play together again at the point marked tutti. See also: ripieno.
• un, uno, or una – one, as for example in the following entries
• una corda – one string; i.e., in piano music, depress the soft pedal, altering, and reducing the volume of, the sound. In some pianos, this literally results in the hammer striking one string rather than two or three. (For most notes on modern instruments, in fact it results in striking two rather than three strings.) Its counterpart, tre corde (three strings; see in this list), is the opposite: the soft pedal is to be released.
• un poco – a little
• unisono or unis (Fr) – in unison; i.e., several players in a group are to play exactly the same notes within their written part, as opposed to splitting simultaneous notes among themselves. Often used to mark the return from divisi (see in this list).
• vibrato – vibrating; i.e., a more or less rapidly repeated slight alteration in the pitch of a note, used to give a richer sound and as a means of expression. Often confused with tremolo, which refers either to a similar variation in the volume of a note, or to rapid repetition of a single note.
• vittorioso – victoriously
• vivo – lively
• vivace – very lively, up-tempo
• vivacissimo – very lively
• vocal score or piano-vocal score – a music score of an opera, or a vocal or choral composition with orchestra (like oratorio or cantata) where the vocal parts are written out in full but the accompaniment is reduced to two staves and adapted for playing on piano.
• volante – flying
• VS (volti subito) – turn suddenly; i.e., turn the page quickly
• wolno (Polish) – loose, slowly; found as a directive in The Elephant from The Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns
• Zählzeit (Ger) – beat
• zart (Ger) – tender
• Zartheit (Ger) – tenderness
• zärtlich (Ger) – tenderly
• Zeichen (Ger) – sign
• Zeitmass, also spelled Zeitmaß (Ger) – time-measure, i.e., tempo
• zelo, zeloso, zelosamente (It.) – zeal, zealous, zealously
• ziehen (Ger) – to draw out
• zitternd (Ger) trembling; i.e., tremolando
• zögernd (Ger) – doubtful, delaying; i.e., rallentando

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Music | All-Star Orchestra

Course: music | all-star orchestra   >   unit 1.

• Lesson 1: Note values, duration, and time signatures
• Lesson 2: Rhythm, dotted notes, ties, and rests
• Lesson 3: Meters in double and triple time, upbeats
• Lesson 4: Meters in 6, 9, and 12
• Lesson 5: Review of time signatures – Simple, compound, and complex
• Lesson 6: Constant versus changing time, adding triplets, and duplets

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60 Music Symbols You Need to Understand Written Music

In sheet music, music symbols are used to describe the way a particular piece of music should be played.

That’s why sheet music is still so important for communicating how to play a piece of music.

But written music uses a lot of different symbols to describe what to play exactly and it can be confusing to know what each symbol means.

That’s why we’ve put together a master list of music symbols and some tips on what need to you need to know to read sheet music .

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What are Music Symbols?

Music symbols are the written language of sheet music—a collection of marks and instructions used to communicate how a piece of music should be played. These symbols represent different aspects of music, including pitch, rhythm, tempo, and dynamics, as well as articulation, phrasing, and more.

Music symbols help precisely convey the composer’s intentions, ensuring that the music is played the same way each time, regardless of the performer or the location.

These symbols are universally recognized, making sheet music a global language that can be read and understood by musicians around the world.

There are hundreds of music symbols, each with a specific meaning, and these can vary somewhat depending on the style or period of the music.

However, most music is notated with a selection of much more common music symbols that we’ll explore in this article.

How to use music symbols

For beginner musicians, understanding the theory behind music symbols is only half the battle—the practical application of these symbols is equally important.

Here are some practical tips on how to interpret and apply these symbols when playing an instrument.

Understand the context

Music symbols should not be interpreted in isolation. Instead, they should be understood in the context of the whole piece.

For example, a staccato mark (a dot above or below a note) means the note should be played short and detached, but the exact extent of a staccato note’s shortness will depend on the piece’s style and tempo.

Practice sight-reading

Sight-reading is the ability to read and play music at first sight.

This skill is essential for musicians and will help you become more familiar with music symbols and their application.

Our best advice is to start with simple pieces and gradually move on to more complex compositions.

Use a reference guide

Keep a reference guide like this one handy for any symbols you are unfamiliar with.

Over time, you’ll memorize these symbols and be able to identify them instantly.

Now, let’s dive into the 60 most common music symbols you’ll find in written music.

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The accent is a sideways V found on the top or bottom of the head of a note.

It indicated that the specific note should be played at an increased dynamic over the other notes in the bar.

2. Arpeggio

The arpeggio symbol indicates to the player that the notes in the chord should be played independently and in a sweeping motion similar to the way an arpeggio is played.

A bar or measure in music is symbolized by vertical lines on the staff. The notes of a specific measure are written between each vertical bar.

The brace symbol is used to indicate that two clefs on a musical staff are connected and should be played together.

It’s used most commonly to visually connect the bass and treble clef in piano music.

5. Breath Mark

Breath marks are comma like symbols used between notes to indicate where wind players and choir singers may take a breath between passages.

A caesura marking indicates a break or stop in playing. In this case, it is the conductor who will decide when to bring the ensemble back in.

7. Chord Numerals

In sheet music, you’ll often see roman numerals denoting the chord’s position within the key of a piece of music.

The clef is a symbol used at the beginning of every piece of sheet music. It indicates the note value of each line on the staff.

There are many clefs in music but the two most common are the treble and bass clef.

These clefs are also known as the G-clef and F-clef because they both indicate where G in the treble clef and F in the bass clef are found respectively.

Choral music also makes use of different C-clefs for soprano, alto, tenor and baritone to indicate where middle C is found on the staff.

The coda serves as a reference point in a piece of music.

For example, when the instruction “to coda” is written the player is expected to continue playing from where the coda symbol is located on the sheet.

The coda is denoted by a circle with a cross through it.

10. Common Time

The common time is 4/4 time. It’s denoted by a C symbol where the time signature is found. It’s simply another way of instructing the player to play 4/4 time.

11. Crescendo

A crescendo indicates an increase in dynamic (or loudness) during a piece of music. As the shape opens up the player should increase their volume.

12. Cut Time

Similar to common time, cut time is another way of writing 2/2 time in the time signature section of a piece of sheet music.

It’s denoted by a C symbol with a bar through it.

13. Da Capo

“Da Capo” is an instruction given on a piece of sheet music to restart playing the piece from the very beginning.

It’s usually symbolized by the initials D.C. if it’s not expressly written.

14. Dal Segno

Similar to Dal Capo, Dal Segno instructs the player to resume playing from a sign symbol found elsewhere in the piece.

It’s usually written as the initials D.S. if it’s not expressly written.

The instruction to damp is symbolized by a circle with an X through it.

For example, the instruction is may be given to a timpani player when a drum must be muted.

16. Damp All

Similar to Damp, the Damp All symbol is used to instruct a player to damp every part of the instrument that’s ringing at a specific moment.

It’s denoted by two circles with a cross through it.

17. Decrescendo

The symbol for decrescendo is the opposite of crescendo. It indicates to the player a gradual reduction in dynamic over a series of notes.

18. Demi Flat

A demi flat symbol is used to instruct the player to play a note one quarter-tone lower than the natural note.

19. Demi Sharp

A demisharp symbol is used to instruct the player to play a note one quarter-tone higher than the natural note.

20. Double Flat

A double flat symbol is used to indicate that a note is to be played two steps down. It’s symbolized by using two flat symbols together.

21. Double Sharp

Similar to the double flat, the double sharp refers to a not that is to be played two semitones up from its natural state.

22. Down-bow

A down-bow symbol indicates that a string player must play the note using a downward bowing motion.

23. Dynamic Notation

Dynamics are notated in music with the letters p for piano, m for mezzo and f for forte.

Piano means a quieter dynamic than mezzo piano and forte means to play with a louder dynamic that than mezzo forte.

24. Fermata

Fermata is a music symbol used to indicate that a note should be held until given a cue from the conductor to continue playing.

A flat note is a note played one semitone below its natural state.

26. Fortepiano

The fortepiano music symbol tells the player to abruptly shift from a loud dynamic to a quiet dynamic.

27. G-clef Ottava Alta

An ottava alta g-clef indicates that all notes on the staff should be played one octave higher.

28. G-clef Ottava Bassa

An ottava bassa g-clef indicates that all notes on the staff must be played one octave lower.

29. Glissando

A glissando symbol instructs the player to slide in pitch up and down from note to note.

30. Grace Note

A grace note is a short note that’s played quickly and quietly before the main note on the downbeat.

31. Hemiola

A hemiola in music defines a rhythmic ratio of 3:2. It’s notated with a bracket and the number three if the music is in duple meter or the number two if the music is in triple meter.

32. Key Signature

The key signature is symbolized in music by a series of sharps or flats at the beginning of a piece on a musical staff.

33. Marcato Accent

A marcato is a slightly more intense accent than a regular accent.

34. Multi Rest

A multi rest indicates that the player should rest for multiple bars.

35. Music End

A double bar is the music symbol used at the end of the piece to indicate where it ends.

36. Natural

A natural note is a note that’s neither sharp nor flat.

37. Neutral Clef

The neutral clef is used when note values don’t apply to the instrument being played.

It’s most commonly used for percussion notation since many percussion instruments don’t use standard notes.

Notes are used to communicate rhythms and pitches. There’s many different kinds of notes, each signifies a specific subdivision in duration relative to a whole note.

39. Ottava Alta

Ottava alta indicates that the notes on the sheet should be played one octave higher than what’s written.

40. Ottava Bassa

Ottava bassa indicates that the notes on the sheet should be played one octave higher than what’s written.

41. Percussion Clef

A percussion clef is used to indicate that the sheet music is written for atonal instruments that aren’t subject to a specific pitch. Usually, this applies to percussive instruments.

42. Quintuplet

A group of notes barred together with the number five on top instructs the player to play the five notes within the note’s value in duple time.

For example, a eighth-note quintuplet should be played with a quarter note’s worth of time.

A repeat symbol indicates to the player to repeat a section, either from the top or from the repeat start symbol.

Rests are used to communicate when a player should be silent. There are many kinds of rest, each with a time length value based on a subdivision of a whole rest.

Segno is the sign where a player resumes playing after passing a dal segno instruction.

46. Sextuplet

A group of notes barred together with the number six on top instructs the player to play the six notes within the note’s value in duple time.

For example, a eight note sextuplet should be played with a quarter note’s worth of time.

47. Sforzando

Sforzando calls for a loud and abrupt increase and decrease in dynamic.

A sharp symbol indicates that a note must be played one semitone higher than its natural state.

In sheet music, a simile symbol indicates that the player should repeat what’s written in the previous bar.

In sheet music, a slur symbol indicates that the player must play all the notes connected without any articulation, essentially the notes should be played slurred together.

51. Staccato

A staccato mark on a note indicates that the player should play the note shorter and more abbreviated than it’s typical value.

The staff in sheet music the five horizontal lines around which notes are written. The staff is the base structure for all written music.

53. Sustain Pedal Engage

The sustain pedal engages symbol indicates to a piano or vibraphone player to depress the sustain pedal and let the notes ring out.

54. Sustain Pedal Release

The sustain pedal release symbol indicates to the play that the sustain pedal should be turn off at a specific point in the piece.

The tenuto marking tells the player to sustain the note to its absolute maximum values. Tenuto notes should as little space as possible between them.

56. Time Signature

The time signature is the stacked number symbol at the beginning of a piece of music. It dictates the meter and number of beats in a bar.

57. Tremolo

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The tremolo markings indicate the player should play the notes in a rapidly repeating way to create a tremolo effect.

A trill symbol instructs the player to oscillate between two chromatic notes very quickly.

An up-bow symbol indicates that a string player must play the note using an upward bowing motion.

60. Volta Brackets

Volta brackets tell the player to play an alternate ending section after a repeat.

Music symbols are important

Now you know pretty much every symbol used in sheet music.

With a little bit of practice, you’ll be reading and playing music without thinking twice about the music symbols on the page.

Alex Lavoie is a drummer, music producer, songwriter and marketing professional living in Montreal, Quebec. He works as a staff writer at LANDR by day and writes indie post-punk tunes in his band UTILS while moonlighting as drummer for folk-rock outfit The Painters . Connect with Alex Lavoie on LANDR Network!

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Musical Dictonary

The most common musical terms defined

Music Terms beginning with "A"

• Accent - Articulation - Tells the musician to put emphasis or weight on the front of the note.
• Accelerando - Tempo Marking - Abbreviates as accel. and means to gradually increase the tempo. There is usually a tempo marking at the end of the accelerando that lets you know what tempo to reach.
• Accidental - Musical Symbol - This symbol modifies a note's pitch. Sharps, flats, double sharps, double flats, and natural signs are all accidentals.
• Accompaniment - All parts/voices other than the solo line. In this example, the trumpet is the solo line and the piano is performing the accompaniment.
• Adagio - Tempo Marking - Translates to "slowly" and is a tempo between 66 and 76 beats per minute.
• Allargando - Style Marking - Often abbreviated with allarg. and it means to "widen." Which is performed by slowing the tempo and broadening while maintaining a full tone.
• Allegro - Tempo Marking - Literally translated to "cheerful" but is interpreted in music to be a quick tempo, usually between 120 and 156.
• Allegretto - Tempo Marking - Fairly quick, but not as fast as Allegro
• Alto - Vocal Range - The second-highest vocal group in the choir. Either a low female voice or a high male voice.
• Andante - Tempo Marking - At a walking pace, typically between 76 and 108 beats per minute.
• Aria- Musical Form - A long accompanied vocal piece that is usually part of a larger work like an opera.
• Assai - Style Marking - This means "very" and is always combined with another music term.
• Atonal - Music Theory - Atonal music is a piece that has no tonal center, meaning that it isn't written in a specific key or mode. Atonal styles of composition became popular around 1908 and persist today. Some prominent composers who used atonality are Alban Bern, Arnold Schoenberg, and Anton Webern.

Music Terms beginning with "B"

• Ballad - Musical Form - A French term for a poem or narrative that has been set to music.
• Band - Ensemble - Also called a wind band or wind ensemble, this type of ensemble consists of woodwind and brass instruments.
• Bar - Music Theory - The term "bar" can be interchangeable with "measure." It is the smallest segment of a musical piece.
• Bar line - Music Theory - Barlines are used to separate bars/measures.
• Baritone - Instrument - The term Baritone can refer to either a vocal range or an instrument. For vocalists, a Baritone in singing is a middle-range male voice between the bass and tenor ranges. As an instrument, the baritone is a brass instrument that resembles a small tuba. It is pitched in B-flat and has a practical range of E to B-flat 1.
• Bass - Instrument - The bass is the largest of the stringed instruments. It is also called the "double bass" or "upright bass."
• Bass Clef - Music Theory - Also known as an F-clef, this symbol appears that the start of the staff and lets the musician know the note correlation to ledger lines. The ledger lines in the bass clef are "G, B, D, F, A" and the spaces are "A, C, E, G."
• Basso Continuo - Music Theory - A style of accompaniment in the Baroque era that consisted of a basic bassline and harmonies. Basso Continuo is typically performed with a small ensemble consisting of a piano (or other keyboard instruments) and a cello or lute.
• Bassoon - Instrument - The bassoon is a double-reed instrument (meaning that the mouthpiece is created by two reeds). It has a practical range from B-flat 1 to G5.
• Beam - Music Theory - The beam is used to connect two (or more) notes of equal or lesser duration. For example, a beam can connect two eighth notes.
• Beat - Music Theory - A beat is a pulse you feel when listening to music. It measures the passing of time (tempo) and helps musicians perform together and read rhythms.

Music Terms beginning with "C"

• Cadence - Music Theory - The end of a harmonic progression that creates a sense of resolution. There are several types of cadences, like a Perfect Authentic Cadence and Half Cadences. You will typically find them at the end of a phrase or piece.
• Cadenza - Music Theory - A section of a piece (typically a solo ) where the musician performs an unaccompanied section comprised of ornamented themes from the work. This is sometimes improvised.
• Caesura - Musical Symbol - It is written by two lines either slashed ( // ) or upright ( | | ). It means to take a pause, typically between phrases. The duration can range from a short breath to a full rest.
• Cantata - Musical Form - A vocal work with instrumental accompaniment. A cantata is made up of multiple movements.
• Cello - Instrument - The cello is a stringed instrument with a range between C2 and C6.
• Chorale - Musical Form - This can be stand-alone or part of a larger work. It is usually a simplified and harmonized rendition of a simple tune or hymn.
• Chord- Music Theory - A collection of notes played simultaneously to create harmonies. Chord progressions are what create the feeling of tension and release in music.
• Chromatic - Music Theory - Referring to scales or passages comprised of semi-tones or half-steps.
• Clarinet - Instrument - A clarinet is a woodwind instrument with a range of E3 to C7. There are three instruments in the clarinet family: B-flat, A, and E-flat.
• Clef - Musical Symbol - A symbol placed at the beginning of the staff that indicated the pitches of the ledger lines.
• Coda- Musical Symbol - A concluding section of a musical work.
• Con - Musical Term - Translates to "With." An example is "con moto" meaning "with motion."
• Concerto - Musical Form - Composition that is typically made of three movements and written for a soloist and orchestral accompaniment.
• Countertenor - Vocal Range - The highest singing male voice.
• Crescendo - Dynamic Marking - Written underneath the staff, this symbol instructs the musician to get louder.

Music Terms beginning with "D"

• Da Capo - Musical Term - Literally translates to "from the head" and it instructs the musicians to return to the beginning or to repeat a section of music.
• Decrescendo - Dynamic Marking - Written below the staff, a decrescendo tells the musicians to decrease volume through the duration of the symbol.
• Diatonic Music Theory - A term used to describe a passage that sticks to the notes of a scale/mode without any chromatic alteration.
• Diminuendo - Musical Term - Sometimes abbreviated as dim., it means the musicians should decrease volume.
• Dissonance - Music Theory - The opposite or lack of harmony. It is used to describe a chord or interval where the notes clash.
• Dolce - Style Marking - Translates to "sweetly."
• Dotted Note - Musical Symbol - An addition to a rhythmic value that instructs the musician to add half of the value of the note to the end of the note. As an example, a whole note gets four beats. When the dot is added to a whole note, the musician should add another two beats (half the value of the whole note) to the duration.
• Downbeat - Music Theory - A downbeat is where the primary beats of the music occur.
• Duet - Ensemble - A duet is a musical ensemble comprised of two musicians. It can also refer to two instrumentalists being highlighted in a larger ensemble, as in the horn and flute duet in Shostakovitch's 5th Symphony.
• Dynamics - Dynamic Marking - Tells the musician how loud or soft notes should be played.

Music Terms beginning with "E"

• Ensemble - Ensemble - A term for a group of musicians.
• Etude - Musical Form - French for "study." An Etude is a short musical piece that is written to help a musician practice a certain skill. For example, there might be an etude written to help a musician practice a certain articulation by repeating the articulation in different contexts.

Music Terms beginning with "F"

• Fermata - Musical Symbol - Often called the "birds-eye," the fermata means the musician should hold the note until the conductor gives a cutoff or cue to move on to the next beat. They can be over a note or rests but should be interpreted in the same way. You will most often find fermatas at the end of a section or piece.
• Fine- Musical Term - Pronounce fee-nay, this means "end" or "finish." Usually written above a measure, it means that this measure should be the very last measure played. It is usually used in conjunction with "D.S. al fine."
• Flat - Musical Symbol - A "flat" is an accidental that lets the musician know to lower the pitch by one-half step. It is written as â™­.
• Flute - Instrument - Despite being made of metal, the flute is part of the woodwind family. It is in the key of C and has a practical range of three octaves with the bottom of the range being middle C. Also in the flute family are the piccolo and bass flute.
• Form - Musical Term - Music works are often written according to a "form." This is like a format or template. A form is comprised of sections that have tonal centers, usually notated by letters. Some musical forms include Binary (AB), Ternary (ABA), Rondo (ABACA), and Sonata (ABACABA)
• Forte - Dynamic Marking - Abbreviated with a lowercase "f" and means that the passage should be played loudly. This dynamic lasts until you see a new dynamic marking.
• Fortepiano - Dynamic Marking - Hit the start of the note loud but then go immediately to soft.
• Fortissimo - Dynamic Marking - Written with two lowercase "f" (ff), this symbol tells the musician to play very loudly.
• French Horn - Instrument - The French horn is a brass instrument pitched in F. It is often called just a "horn" or an "F horn."
• Fugue - Musical Form - A fugue is a compositional device where a short melody or phrase is introduced (known as the subject) by a single instrument at the beginning and then repeated as new voices/instruments enter.

Music Terms beginning with "G"

• Glissando - Articulation - A continuous slide between two notes.
• Grave - Musical Marking - Play in a slow, solemn, and serious style.

Music Terms beginning with "H"

• Half-step - Music Theory - A half-step is the smallest interval in a chromatic scale. For example, imagine a piano and move from a white key to the next adjacent black key. This would be a half-step.
• Harmony - Music Theory - Simultaneous sounding of musical notes/pitches that produce chords that are pleasing to listen to. It is the opposite of dissonance. Some traditional harmonic intervals are the Major third, Major fourth, and Major fifth.
• Heptatonic - Music Theory - A scale that has seven pitches per octave. This would include the Major and minor scales.
• Hymn - Musical Form - A religious song.

Music Terms beginning with "I"

• Instrumentation - Music Theory - A term that refers to the selection of instruments that are playing in a piece or section.
• Interval - Music Theory - The distance between two pitches/notes.
• Intonation - Music Theory - In music, this refers to how accurate a pitch is, or how in-tune a note is.

Music Terms beginning with "K"

• Key Signature - Musical Symbol - A key signature is a collection of accidentals that let a musician know the "key" or tonal center of a section of music. It will appear at the start of the staff right after the clef.

Music Terms beginning with "L"

• Larghetto - Tempo Marking - Rather slow and broad, typically between 60 and 66 beats per minute.
• Largo - Tempo Marking - Broadly, slow, and stately. Typically between 40 and 60 beats per minute.
• Ledger Line - Music Theory - A ledger line is a short line that continues the staff up or down. Ledger lines are used when a note is below or above the staff.
• Legato- Articulation - Written with a horizontal line, it means to play the notes long and connected.
• Leitmotif - A recurring melodic or harmonic theme in music that is associated with a particular person or idea. The most obvious example of a leitmotif would be the character themes in the movie Star Wars.
• Lento - Tempo Marking - Slow tempo between 40 and 60 beats per minute.

Music Terms beginning with "M"

• Marcato - Articulation - Perform the note with added emphasis.
• Major - Music Theory - Meaning that the piece is consistent with a Major scale.
• Maestoso- Music Marking - Translates to "majestic."
• Measure - Music Theory - Another name for a "bar." It is the smallest complete (contains the complete amount of beats) segment of a piece of music.
• Melody - Music Theory - A series or sequence of notes in a single voice that is the focus or subject of a piece of music.
• Meno - Music Marking - This means less. You will see it with another term, like "Meno mosso" meaning "less motion."
• Mezzo - Musical Term - This translates to "half." It usually qualifies another term. For example, mezzo forte is softer (or half) of forte.
• Mezzo Forte - Dynamic Marking - Written as "mf" this dynamic is softer than forte.
• Mezzo Piano - Dynamic Marking - Abbreviated with "mp" and means slightly soft.
• Minor - Music Theory - Built around the minor scale. Music in minor keys typically sounds sadder. There are three different types of minor scales: natural, harmonic, and melodic.
• Mode - Music Theory - A musical mode is a type of scale. A good way to imagine a mode is to think of the C scale (no sharps, and no flats). Imagine you were to keep that same key signature, but started and ended the scale on D. This new scale would be a mode. The seven modes are Ionian (Major), Dorian (minor), Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian.
• Molto - Musc Marking - Very or Much. You will see this with other musical terms, like "Molto Vivace" or "Very Fast."
• Motif - Music Theory - a phrase or music fragment that recurs throughout a musical work.
• Mosso - Music Marking - This means "movement" and is often paired with a qualifier. An example is meno mosso, meaning "less movement."
• Movement - Musical Form - A movement is a section of a larger work. A symphony will usually be comprised of four smaller movements. They are complete pieces on their own but have tonal and thematic relationships to the other movements within a piece.

Music Terms beginning with "N"

Natural - Musical Symbol - An accidental that lets the musician know that no adjustment needs to be made to the note. You will typically only see these if you are undoing part of the key signature. Note Head - Music Theory - This is the fat part of a music note that lives on the staff line. Its location lets the musician know what pitch the note is. Notes - Music Theory - Notes are symbols that communicate two pieces of information. (1) What pitch should be played (2) When and for how long the pitch should be played. This is all communicated in where the note lives on the staff and what the rhythmic value of the note is.

Music Terms beginning with "O"

• Oboe - Instrument - A woodwind instrument that uses a double reed as a mouthpiece. The oboe is pitched in C and has a range of B-flat3 to A6.
• Octave - Music Theory - There are a finite amount of note names. They are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. After you go through them, they repeat. An octave is one set of these notes (a total of 12 half-steps) before the repetition.
• Opus - Music Term - Part of a composer's collection of work. It is a way to chronicle a composer's work.
• Oratorio - Musical Form - Large musical work for orchestra and voice. Oratorios typically have a religious theme.
• Ornament - Music Theory - An embellishment that is not written in the music. The musician adds unwritten complementary notes to the music in order to decorate the note. Some examples of oranments are trills, mordents, appoggiatura, acciaccaturas, and turns.
• Ostinato - Musical Form - A continued repeated musical phrase or rhythm.
• Overture - Musical Form - A musical piece that comes at the start of a larger work, like an opera or suite.

Music Terms beginning with "P"

• Partita - Musical Form - A suite for solo instruments or chamber groups.
• Pentatonic - Music Theory - A scale comprised of five notes. These are made without semitones and have the fourth and seventh removed.
• Piano- Dynamic Marking - Written with a lowercase p, this dynamic marking instructs the musician to play softly.
• Pianissimo- Dynamic Marking - Written with two lowercase p's (pp), this dynamic marking instructs the musician to play very softly.
• Pitch - Music Theory - A pitch is a note that sounds. It can be measured in hertz (Hz).
• Piu- Style Marking - Translates to "more" and is usually a modifier for another musical term. For example, piu mosso would translate to more motion and instructs the musician to play more quickly.
• Pizzicato - Articulation - An articulation marking for string players. Pizzicato tells the musician to sound a note by plucking the string.
• Poco a Poco- Style Marking - Translates to "little by little" or gradually. This will typically be paired with dynamic or tempo markings. For example, crescendo poco a poco would instruct the musician to get louder very gradually.
• Presto - Tempo Marking - Very, very fast tempo. Usually between 168 and 200 beats per minute.

Music Terms beginning with "Q"

• Quarter tone - Music Theory - Half of a half-step or semi-tone.
• Quartet - Ensemble - An ensemble comprised of four musicians. A common example is a string quartet, which a group made of two violins, a viola, and a cello.
• Quintet - Ensemble - An ensemble comprised of five musicians. One of the more common examples is the brass quintet, which is an ensemble made of two trumpets, a french horn, a trombone, and a tuba.

Music Terms beginning with "R"

• Rallentando - Tempo Marking - Abbreviated by ral. This marking instructs the musician to gradually slow down in tempo.
• Recitative - Musical Term - A style of singing where the notes are sung in a manner similar to speech. It would be sung in the rhythm of speech and is often done with many words on a single note/pitch.
• Repeat Sign - Musical Symbol - This instructs the musician to repeat a section of music.
• Resolution - Music Theory - A chord changing from one of tension/dissonance to one of release/consonance. Typically from some chord to the tonic.
• Rest - Musical Symbol - This is the symbol for silence. It marks the passage of time for the musician while they don't play.
• Ritardando - Tempo Marking - Often seen abbreviated as "rit." It means to gradually slow down.
• Ritenuto - Musical Symbol - Immediate reduction of speed.
• Rondo - Musical Form - Sometimes written as "Rondeau," this form has a structure of A - B - A - C - A - B - A. Each section has a different tonal center.
• Rubato - Musical Symbol - When the musician disregards strict tempo for musical purposes.

Music Terms beginning with "S"

• Saxophone - Instrument - Part of the woodwind family due to its use of a reed, but the saxophone is made of brass. There are several types of saxophone in the family: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass.
• Scale - Music Theory - An ordering of notes that make a key or mode.
• Sempre - Style Marking - Meaning "always." This term is usually combined with another musical term, typically an articulation marking. For example, sempre staccato would mean every note should always be played short.
• Senza - Music Marking - Italian for "without." You will see this paired with another term.
• Septet - Ensemble - An ensemble comprised of seven musicians.
• Serialism - Music Theory - A modern composition technique where a fixed series of notes (especially the twelve chromatic pitches) are used to create the melody and harmony.
• Sextet - Ensemble - An ensemble comprised of six musicians.
• Sforzando - Articulation - Abbreviated as sf or sfz. Performed similarly to an accent, but with more emphasis and quick backing away.
• Sharp - Musical Symbol - Written with a pound sign (#). The sharp raises a note by a half step.
• Simile - Music Marking - Similarly. Perform in a similar style.
• Slur - Articulation - Perform notes without articulation.
• Solo - Ensemble - A piece for a (or that features) a single musician.
• Sonata - Musical Form - A form comprised of three major sections: The exposition, the development, and the recapitulation.
• Soprano - Vocal Range - The highest of the vocal ranges.
• Sostenuto - Style Marking - Play in a sustained manner.
• Staccato - Articulation - Written as a dot above or below the note (.), this instructs the musician to play the note short and disconnected.
• Stem - Music Theory - Part of a note, the stem is part of what indicates the rhythmic value of a note.
• Symphony - Musical Form - Long composition for orchestra.

Music Terms beginning with "T"

• Tacet - Musical Term - Instructs the musicians not to play in a movement or section of a larger work.
• Tempo - Music Theory - Tempo lets musicians know how fast or slow a passage of music should be performed. It can be expressed with a tempo marking or in beats per minute.
• Tenor - Vocal Range - A higher male voice with a range from C3 to C5.
• Tenuto - Music Marking - Abbreviated with ten. and means to hold the note to its full value.
• Theme - Music Theory - A reoccurring melody.
• Tie - Articulation - Connects two notes to combine the rhythm/note duration.
• Time Signature - Musical Symbol - Comprised of two numbers, the time signature lets the musician know (1) What note value will receive the beat (2) How many beats are in a measure.
• Tonality - Music Theory - The idea that music is organized around keys or a central tone (tonic). This establishes relationships between notes and chords.
• Tonguing - Articulation - The act of using your tongue to interrupt the airflow, creating space between notes (articulation)
• Tonic - Musical Term - The first scale degree.
• Transposition - Music Theory - Moving music so that it sounds higher or lower. Some instruments are written in pitches other than C. For example, the F horn is written in F, meaning that its notes are transposed.
• Treble Clef - Musical Symbol - A clef that determines the staff lines. Also called G clef, it makes the G above middle C the second staff line from the bottom.
• Tremolo - Musical Symbol - Instructs the musician to create a wavering effect on the tone. Tremolos are usually created by rapid repetition of the note.
• Trill - Musical Symbol - A type of musical ornament where the musician rapidly alternates between the marked note and a note either a whole or half step above the written note.
• Trio - Ensemble - A music ensemble comprised of three musicians.
• Trombone - Instrument - The trombone is a brass instrument that uses a slide (instead of a valve) to alter the pitch. The trombone is pitched in C and has a practical range is from E2 to F5, meaning their music is usually written in bass clef. Other members of the trombone family include the bass trombone, alto trombone, and contrabass trombone.
• Trumpet - Instrument - A valved brass instrument pitched in B-flat. The trumpet has a range of F#3 to F#6.
• Tuba - Instrument - A tuba is a valved brass instrument with a range from D1-D4.

Music Terms beginning with "U"

• Unison - Musical Term - Instruments/different voices playing the same pitches together.
• Upbeat - Music Theory - The space exactly in the middle of two beats.

Music Terms beginning with "V"

• Viola - Instrument - A stringed instrument that is slightly larger than a violin. The viola has a range of C3 to E6.
• Violin - Instrument - The smallest of the string family, the violin has a range of G3 to A7.
• Vivace - Tempo Marking - Meaning lively and fast, this tempo marking ranges from 156 to 176 beats per minute.

Music Terms beginning with "W"

• Waltz - Musical Form - A dance-like piece in triple meter.

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Music Symbols and Their Meanings: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet

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Join us as we dive into the different music symbols and their meanings.

Reading sheet music is essential to learning an instrument or even just appreciating the art of music .

However, the learning curve can be steep due to the number of symbols you need to understand.

Accidentals ♯

Articulation marks 𝄐, key signatures, notes and rests ♪, note relationship ⁀, octave signs, repetition and codas, time signatures, instrument-based symbols, how to use music symbols, frequently asked questions.

Accidentals are notes of a pitch that aren’t the official member of the scale indicated by the key signature . They alter the pitch of the note they precede by a specific amount.

The sharp (♯), flat (♭), and natural (♮) are the most common markers for these notes.

Here’s what they mean:

• Flat: The note has a one-semitone lower pitch than its natural form.
• Sharp: The pitch of a note is one semitone higher than its natural form.
• Natural: A natural mark neutralizes pre-assigned sharps or flats and returns the note to its natural pitch.
• Double flat: The pitch of a note is two semitones lower than its natural form. This is typically used when the note is already flat in the key signature.
• Double sharp: The pitch of a note is two semitones higher than its natural form. This often appears when the note is already sharp in the key signature.

Articulation marks determine how a single note or phrase in a musical staff should be played. These marks often determine a note’s duration and expression.

• Staccato : The note should be played half a value shorter than notated, and the remainder of the duration should be silent.
• Staccatissimo : The performer should play the note even shorter than a staccato – usually a quarter of the original duration . It usually appears on the crotchet or shorter notes.
• Tenuto : The performer should play the note at its full length or slightly longer . It sometimes also indicates a level of emphasis, especially when appearing together with dynamic markings.
• Fermata : The performer should play the note/chord or sustain the rest longer than its notated value . The duration of a fermata is entirely up to the performer or conductor.
• Accent : The performer should play the note louder or with more emphasis than other notes. It can appear to modify notes with any duration – long or short.
• Marcato : The extreme version of an accent. A note with a marcato marking means that the performer should play the note even louder or with harder emphasis than notes with a regular accent mark.

Barlines separate musical bars according to the time signature of the piece. This helps musicians keep track of where they are in the sheet music.

There are several different types of barlines: double barline, bold double barline, and dotted barline.

• Double barline or final barline: A double barline usually appears at the end of a section to tell the performers of the upcoming changes in the pitch, tone, or pace. Pop songs typically have a double barline between the verse and the chorus.
• Bold double barline: A bold double barline marks the end of the piece . It looks like a regular double barline but with a thicker second line.
• Dotted barline: A dotted barline is the modified version of a regular barline. It divides long bars into shorter segments to help performers read the sheet music.

Break symbols tell the performers to take short breaks by breathing or allowing a brief space between notes or phrases.

• Breath marks : A breath mark instructs the aerophone performers to take a breath or other instrument players to leave a brief space. For instruments with a bow, it instructs the player to lift the bow and start the following note with a new bowing direction.
• Caesura : A caesura indicates a break or pause in a verse , usually to separate one phrase from the next. It can be symbolized by a comma, a tick, or two straight or slashed lines.

A clef is a musical symbol that indicates which notes are represented by the lines and spaces on a musical staff.

These symbols often appear at the beginning of the section in a musical staff. Clef can be placed on any line or space on the musical staff, but modern notations usually only use treble, bass, alto, or tenor clef.

• G clef (most commonly treble clef): The G clef places the G 4 note on the line that passes through the spiral of the clef . When the spiral is located on the second line of the staff, it’s called a treble clef – the most common clef used in modern music.
• C clef (most commonly alto and tenor clef): The C clef places the C 4 (middle C) note on the line that passes through the center of the clef. A C clef on the third line is known as an alto clef, and a C clef on the fourth line is called a tenor clef.
• F clef (most commonly bass clef): The F clef places the F3 note on the line that passes between the two dots of the clef. If this is the fourth line of the staff, it’s called a bass clef.
• Octave clef: An octave clef modifies the treble or bass clef to indicate a shift in pitch – a number 8 means a change of one octave, and a 15 means a change of two. If the number is placed beneath the clef, the pitch is dropped, and if it’s above, it is lifted.
• Neutral clef: Neutral clef often appears in pitchless instruments like the drums. The lines here indicate specific instruments, such as the different drums in a drum set.
• Tablature: The tablature doesn’t represent pitches in any way– instead, it replaces the regular staff for string instruments like the guitar. The lines in a tablature represent the strings of an instrument (e.g., a standard 6-string guitar would use a 6-line tablature).

The dynamics of musical pieces indicate the loudness between notes or phrases. These symbols determine how loud or quiet the performer should play a note.

• Pianississimo: Pianississimo means that the tone has an extremely quiet pitch .
• Pianissimo: Pianissimo means that the tone has a very quiet pitch .
• Piano: Soft, but louder than pianissimo. The word ‘Piano’ itself means “ quiet .”
• Mezzo piano: Mezzo piano means that the note has a slightly soft volume but is still louder than the piano.
• Mezzo forte: Mezzo forte means the note has a moderately loud volume.
• Forte: Forte means that the note is quite loud – but still at an average level.
• Fortissimo: Fortissimo means that the note has a very loud volume , even louder than a regular forte.
• Fortississimo: Fortississimo means that the note has an extremely loud volume .
• Sforzando: It translates into “forced,” indicating an abrupt and fierce accent on a single sound.
• Crescendo: A crescendo means the note gradually gets louder as it plays on.
• Diminuendo: A diminuendo means the note will slowly get quieter as it plays on.
• Niente: Niente translates to nothing . The symbol is mostly used at the beginning of a crescendo to indicate that the sound will start from nothing (no sound) or at the end of a diminuendo to indicate that the sound will fade out to nothing.

Key signatures indicate which notes need to be played as sharps or flats.

Notes that are sharp or flat in a key signature dictate that they will be played as such throughout the entire piece.

The key signatures are typically illustrated in the circle of fifths , a circular diagram used to summarize the relationship among the 12 tones of the chromatic scale, their corresponding key signatures, and the associated major and minor keys.

Line symbols in musical notation often relate to the non-notation markings used to help composers write and organize clefs, notes, and other symbols. These lines allow the performers to read the sheet music better and understand where they are in the piece.

• Staff or stave: The staff (American) or stave (British) are five horizontal lines that indicate a different musical pitch or different percussion instruments. Each line and space refers to either specific notes or percussion instruments.
• Ledger or leger lines: The ledger lines notate higher or lower pitches outside the lines and spaces of the regular musical staff. Lines above indicate a higher pitch, while lines below indicate a lower pitch.
• Bracket: Brackets connect two or more lines of music that must be played simultaneously . A bracket usually connects staves of individual instruments (e.g., flute and clarinet) or multiple vocals in modern music.
• Brace or accolade: A brace connects two or more lines of music that must be played simultaneously by a single player when using a grand staff. Braces usually connect staves for piano, celesta, harp, organ, and some pitched instruments.

Microtonal music doesn’t yet have a universally accepted notation method due to the varying systems used depending on the circumstances.

Microtones are very common in pieces for instruments that have more flexibility and space between notes. However, they’re almost nonexistent for piano pieces since the instrument is limited to half-semitone movements.

These are the most common microtonal notation forms right now:

• Demiflat: A demiflat is represented by a flipped flat symbol or a flat symbol with a diagonal slash. It lowers the pitch of a note by a quarter of the natural sound.
• Flat-and-a-half: This lowers the pitch of a tone by three quarter-tones . It’s common for a flat-and-a-half to be represented with a slashed double flat symbol.
• Demisharp: A demisharp raises the pitch of a note by one-quarter of the tone. It is often notated as one vertical line and two horizontal bars—essentially a sharp symbol cut in half vertically.
• Sharp-and-a-half: This mark raises the pitch of a note by three quarter – tones . It occasionally appears as two verticals and three diagonal bars.
• Harmonic flat: The harmonic flat lowers the pitch of a note to match the indicated number of the harmonic series of the root note, which is the lowest note in a chord. The harmonic series of a note refers to a series of higher frequencies that occurs when a note is played.

Musical notes indicate the relative duration of a note using the shape of a note head, note stem, and note flags. Rests indicate silence of the equivalent duration as the musical notes.

These symbols have two varieties : one for the musical note and another for rests .

• Semibreve or whole note: A whole note or a semibreve (British) is a musical notation that counts as four beats. It looks like a hollow circle with no stem in a 4/4 piece.
• Minim or half note: A minim (British) or a half note (American) is half as long as a semibreve . It counts for two beats and is represented as a hollow note head with a stem.
• Crotchet or quarter note: A crotchet (British) or a quarter note (American) is half as long as a minim or a quarter as long as a whole note. It counts for one beat and is shown by a filled-in notehead with a stem.
• Quaver or eighth note: A quaver (British) or an eighth note (American) is a musical notation that counts as one-eighth the duration of a semibreve or half a beat. It looks like a filled-in notehead with a stem and a flag.
• Semiquaver or sixteenth note: A semiquaver (British) or a sixteenth note (American) is a note that counts as one-sixteenth the duration of a semibreve or a quarter of a beat. It is represented as a filled-in notehead with a stem and two flags.
• Beamed notes: A beam is a horizontal or diagonal line connecting multiple consecutive notes to indicate a rhythmic grouping of notes. It can only be used on quavers or shorter notes, and the number of beams is the same as the number of flags on each note.
• Dotted notes: A dotted note is a musical notation with a small dot placed right after it, which indicates an extended note duration. The first dot will extend the note by half its original duration, while the second dot will extend it by half the amount of the first dot, and so on for subsequent dots.
• Ghost notes: A ghost note, indicated by a cross in the place of the note head, is a note that contains a rhythmic value but not pitch or timbre. Guitarists often execute ghost notes by muting the strings, whereas drummers play ghost notes very softly in between accented beats.
• Multi-measure rest: A multi-measure rest (a.k.a gathered rest or multi-bar rest) indicates a period of silence greater than one bar. The number above the bar shows the number of measures of rest.

Symbols in this category represent the relationship between one note and another. These symbols tell the performer how to transition between notes to get the best melody and harmony.

• Tie: A tie is a curved line connecting the heads of two notes with the same pitch. Tied notes indicate that they should be played as a single note with the duration of both.
• Slur: Notes bound by a slur means that the performers should play them without separation . It’s represented by a curved line above the notes if the stems point downward and below the notes if the stems point upwards.
• Glissando (or portamento): A glissando represents a glide from one pitch to the next . Instruments like the trombone, timpani, and cello can continuously make this glide, which will be classified as portamento.
• Tuplet: A tuplet (short for quintuplet, sextuplet, etc.) is a rhythmic grouping of notes that breaks the time signature. For example, you might use a triplet in a 2/4 time signature to play three notes for an equal duration in the space of two beats.
• Chord: Chords are several notes played simultaneously to form a harmonic set of pitches or frequencies. Two-note chords are called dyads, while three-note chords are called triads.
• Arpeggiated chord: An arpeggiated chord is a broken chord where the notes that compose it are played quickly in ascending or descending order . A squiggly line (sometimes shown with an upward arrow) means ascending order, and a squiggly line with a downward arrow means descending order.

Octave signs indicate that multiple notes should be played an octave (or two octaves) higher or lower, depending on the mark used. An 8 va means one octave higher, and 8 vb means one octave lower. When two-octave changes are involved, the mark turns into 15 ma or 15 mb .

• Ottava: An ottava is drawn above or below the staff to instruct the performer to play the passage one octave higher or lower . This sign has two types: o ttava alta (higher) or ottava bassa (lower).
• Quindicesima: The quindicesima sign is drawn above or below the staff to instruct the performer to play the passage two octaves higher or lower .

While articulation marks affect how a note sounds (longer, shorter, stronger, etc.), ornaments are used to ‘decorate’ the note without affecting the note itself to bring variety.

• Trill: A trill marks a rapid alternation between a note and the following higher note within its duration, as determined by the key signature. The trill ornament is also known as a shake .
• Upper mordent: Notes with an upper mordent tell the performer to play a single alternation between the primary note and the next higher note . This differs from a trill because it involves only one alternation, while a trill repeats two or more times.
• Lower mordent: Notes with a lower mordent tell the performer to play a single alternation between the primary note and the note below it .
• Gruppetto or turn: When a note has a gruppetto directly above it, the sequence starts with the upper auxiliary note, primary note, lower auxiliary note, and back to the primary note .
• Appoggiatura: An appoggiatura adds an ornamental note that temporarily displaces and then returns to the original note. It often appears in the first or third beats of the bar in 4/4 time.
• Acciaccatura: A musical ornament that modifies arpeggiated chords to be played with a chord tone a one or half-tone below and immediately released.

The repetition and codas help the performers better understand the flow of the piece by marking sections that they need to play and repeat.

• Tremolo: A tremolo sign means that the note(s) should be played rapidly and repeatedly . If it appears between two notes, they should be played alternatively in a similar manner.
• Repeat signs: Repeat signs are used to enclose a passage that needs to be played again . The right repeat sign indicates where performers need to start repeating , while the left repeat sign marks where the passage they should repeat starts .
• Simile marks: These tell the performer they must repeat the previous group of bars . A singular diagonal line means to repeat the previous bar , while a double diagonal line means to repeat the last two bars .
• Volta brackets: The volta brackets tell the performer to play the repeated passage with different endings on each iteration . There are typically only two endings, but the usage of 3rd ending or more isn’t unknown.
• Da capo: Da capo tells the performer to return to the beginning of the music and play it over . There is usually either al fine or al coda following this mark – resulting in a D.C. al fine or a D.C. al coda .
• Segno: A segno is a symbol used to mark a specific passage or note . This works with Dal segno .
• Dal segno: Dal segno tells the performer to play the music over starting from the nearest segno . Like da capo , there’s usually al fine or al coda following dal segno, resulting in a D.S. al fine or D.S. al coda .
• Coda: The coda symbol indicates a forward jump to a concluding section of a musical piece, and it’s utilized following instructions like “ D.S. al Coda ” (from the sign to the coda) or “ D.C. al Coda ” (from the beginning to the coda) to guide the performer to the final passage.

The time signature is a notational convention that specifies how many beats are in each bar and which note value (the duration of a note) is equivalent to a beat. In sheet music, the time signature appears at the beginning as a time symbol or a stacked numeral like C or ¾ .

• Simple time signatures: A simple time signature consists of two numbers, where the upper numeral indicates the number of beats , whereas the lower digit indicates the note value for one beat. The most common examples of simple time signatures are 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, 3/8, and 2/2.
• Compound time signature: In a compound time signature, the upper number of the beat is evenly divisible by three (e.g., 6/8, 12/8, and 9/4). It signifies that the beats in the piece are broken down into three-part rhythms , except for time signatures with three as the upper number.
• Common time: The common time signature ( C ) represents a 4/4 time (imperfect time). While the symbol resembles the letter C, it’s derived from a broken circle used in music notation from the 14th to 16th centuries.
• Alla breve: Alla breve, or cut time , is a musical meter notated by a C with a vertical line through it. The alla breve is equivalent to 2/2 in the time signature.
• Metronome mark: The metronome mark shows the speed of the music by using the beats per minute (bpm) measurement. A metronome mark can be precise , i.e., 176 bpm, or in a range , i.e., 152-176 bpm.

Because each instrument is played differently, some symbols exclusively work for specific instruments. Here are the most common:

For bowed string instruments

Guitar symbols, piano pedal marks, drum notation.

These notations are used in bowed-string instruments like violin, cello, and lyra. While some symbols apply to several other instruments, they aren’t as universal as other musical symbols.

• Left-hand pizzicato or stopped note: A left-hand pizzicato is a note played by plucking the string with the left hand rather than the bow.
• Snap pizzicato: A snap pizzicato is a note played by pulling the string away from the instrument frame and letting it go – thus making the snap . It’s also known as Bartók pizzicato .
• Natural harmonic or open note: A natural harmonic (also known as flageolet ) is played by applying slight pressure with the finge r on the various nodes of the open strings.
• Up bow or Sull’arco: A Sull’arco note should be played while dragging the bow upward .
• Down bow or Giù arco: Inversely, a Giu arco note should be played while dragging the bow downward .

In fingerstyle (or fingerpicking ) guitar notation, each finger on the left hand (which stops the strings) is indicated with a number from 1 for the index to 4 for the little finger. The thumb is notated with a T .

The right-hand fingers (that pluck the strings) are notated with the first letter of their Spanish name : I for index, M for middle, A for ring, C for little finger, and P for the thumb.

Pedal marks often appear in musical instruments with sustain pedals , including the piano, vibraphone, and chimes. Sustain pedals allow the notes to play longer by pulling the dampers away from the strings, allowing them to vibrate more freely.

• Engage pedal: The engage pedal symbol tells the performer to put the sustain pedal down.
• Release pedal: The release pedal symbol tells the player to let go of the sustain pedal.
• Variable pedal mark: The variable pedal mark, placed under the notes, indicates the precise pattern in which the pedal is used. A horizontal line shows when the pedal is pressed, and a ^ mark indicates a quick, temporary release of the pedal.
• ​​Con Sordino: This term translates to “with mute” and is used in music notation to indicate that the musician should mute the instrument, commonly seen in string and brass instrument parts. In string instruments, a mute is placed on the bridge to dampen the sound.
• Una Corda: This term is specific to the piano and translates to “one string.” It’s an instruction to press the soft pedal, which, in a grand piano, shifts the action slightly so that the hammers strike only one string instead of the usual two or three, thus producing a softer sound.
• Senza sordino, tre corde: Tells the performer to let go of the soft pedal (piano) or remove the mute (other instruments).

Drum notation is a way to write down sheet music for percussion instruments – basically a language for drums.

Percussion instruments, including drum sets, use the percussion clef on the musical staff. In a drum notation, the symbols represent different parts of the drum set.

To use musical symbols correctly, you need to recognize the symbol in a piece and understand how it affects the music. You can then apply this knowledge when you play your instrument.

With a good knowledge of music symbols, you’ll be able to easily understand the piece at first glance and even sight-read through the whole sheet music.

Moreover, music symbols communicate beyond the notes, showing how the composer wants the piece to be played.

Using the music symbols, you’ll have better knowledge on not just how to play the piece but the composer’s intention behind every passage.

What are music symbols?

What are the 12 musical notes, how do musical symbols represent sound.

Music symbols are symbols found in sheet music that communicate how a piece is meant to be played. They encompass various aspects of the performance, from pitch, dynamics, tempo, and more.

The 12 musical notes are the twelve notes that make up an octave: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, and their sharp/flat variants of A#/B♭, C#/D♭, D#/E♭, F#/G♭, and G#/A♭.

These notes are used in most Western music , but not all.

Musical symbols provide instructions on how to play the notes, such as dynamics (loudness or softness), tempo (speed), articulation (the manner in which notes are played), and other aspects of music that contribute to the overall sound and feel of the piece.

💬 Conversation: 16 comments

Hello, I would like to know if there is a music notation software in which we can use the octuple/large note.

Thanks for your attention.

Use MuseScore

I am using Lilypond. You can do anything.

What is bracket means under the notes in violin music

violin In the Dancla 36 Melodious and Easy Studies there is a small triangle pointing up or down. It is in several places in the book. What does it mean?

As someone who is sitting back down at the piano for the first time in 50 years, the above is a superb and thorough refresher with excellent succinct descriptions of each symbol..

What do the double vertical broken lines – which more like chicken scratches represent?

Thank you so much. It is very informative. I’ve not known you have this much symbols in music.

This was very helpful Thank you

This is exactly what I was looking for. Very informative and will help when making music.

THX I needed this for my school concert!

Does anyone know what the symbol similar to a fermata but marcato shaped (with dot) represents?

Same as the usual fermata, just differently transcribed.

Is it a staccato marcato or a shorter pause (or something else?)?

this helpful

Leave a Reply

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40 basic music theory terms you need to know

Best of 2020: Music theory's tricky enough without the lexicon - get your head around the lingo with our quick dictionary

Learning music theory but finding yourself befuddled by all the technical terms involved? Our glossary has you covered, busting every bit of chord- and scale-related jargon from 'ascending' to 'unison'.

Ascending Rising in pitch, or going up the piano keyboard from left to right.

Cadence A short sequence of notes or chords at the end of a musical phrase.

Chord More than two notes played at the same time.

Circle of fifths A diagram charting the relationship between the 12 notes/keys in the chromatic scale.

Descending Falling in pitch, or going down the piano keyboard from right to left.

Diminished fifth An interval of a perfect fifth flattened by one semitone - eg, C-Gb or A-Eb.

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Dominant The fifth note of a scale, an interval of a perfect fifth above the tonic. Also, a chord built on this fifth note.

Extended Extended chords contain extra notes added from further up the keyboard. A major ninth chord, for instance, contains root, third, fifth, seventh and ninth.

Flat Determines that a note should be one semitone lower in pitch.

Harmonic interval Notes of different pitches played together at the same time, as opposed to one after the other.

Harmony A tune that complements a melody when played at the same time. Also refers to the relationship between a series of chords.

Interval The difference between two note pitches. Intervals are named according to the number of letter names they span, eg from C to D is a second, C to F is a fourth, etc.

Inversion The order of notes in a chord is changed. A first inversion would see the root shifted up an octaveto the top of a chord.

Key The scale on which a piece of music is based. The key takes its name from the tonic, or first note of this scale.

Major scale The most common scale in Western music. A series of eight notes with a set pattern of intervals: 2-2-1-2-2-2-1.

Major second An interval of two semitones between two different notes. For example, C to D is a major second interval.

Major seventh The interval between the root note and the seventh note (or 'degree') of a major scale. Equivalent to 11 semitones.

Major sixth An interval of nine semitones between two different notes. C to A, for example.

Major third An interval of four semitones between two different notes. Examples include C to E, G to B, D to F#.

Melodic interval When two notes of different pitches are played one after the other - in other words, atwo-note melody.

Melody A sequence of notes played one after the other to produce a tune.

Minor scale The sad-sounding sequence of notes you get when you play a major scale from the sixth note upwards.

Minor second An interval of one semitone between two notes. For example, C to Db is a minor second interval.

Minor third An interval of three semitones between two different notes. For example, C to Eb is a minor third interval, as is G to Bb.

Minor seventh The interval between the root note and the flattened seventh note (or 'degree') of a major scale. Equivalent to ten semitones.

Minor sixth An interval of eight semitones between two different notes. For example, C to Ab is a minor sixth interval.

Mode A type of scale built by starting another scale from a note other than its root.

Octave An interval of 12 semitones, at which the two notes have the same 'quality', just one higher and one lower.

Root The lowest note of a chord or scale. C is the root note of a C major chord and of the C major scale.

Rootless voicing When an extended chord is played with the root note missing. Used a lot in jazz and gospel music.

Scale A sequence of notes going up or down the keyboard with a particular pattern of intervals between them.

Secondary dominant The name given to a chord based on the fifth, or dominant, note of any key or scale other than the tonic key.

Semitone The smallest interval in a chromatic scale, or the distance between any two notes on the piano keyboard.

Seventh A four-note chord formed by adding the seventh note of the scale to a triad that already contains a root, third and fifth.

Sharp Raised in pitch by one semitone.

Tone Short for 'whole tone', an interval of two semitones.

Tonic The first note, or 'root' note, of a scale.

Transpose To shift a piece of music, note or chord up or down in pitch by a certain number of semitones.

Triad A chord made up of three notes. A major triad contains a root, a major third and a perfect fifth.

Unison An interval that's not an interval - in other words, the interval of zero semitones, the same note played twice.

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What Does Exposition Mean in Music: A Detailed Guide for Musicians

Dive into the world of music theory learn what exposition means in music and how it shapes classical and romantic compositions..

Are you curious about the meaning of exposition in music? The exposition serves as the initial presentation of thematic material in a musical composition, movement, or section. Understanding the role of exposition in music allows us to appreciate the structure and evolution of musical compositions. In this post, we unravel the meaning and significance of “exposition” in music. Whether you’re a seasoned musician or simply curious about musical concepts, this article will shed light on the initial presentation of thematic material in a musical composition, movement, or section.

What does exposition mean in music? It’s a key element in musical form and analysis where the thematic material of a musical composition is initially presented. This term’s usage implies that the material will be developed or varied as the piece progresses.

How is exposition used in music?

Exposition in music refers to the initial presentation of the thematic material in a musical composition, movement, or section. It is a term commonly used in the analysis of musical form and signifies that the presented material will be developed or varied throughout the piece.

Just like in a good movie, the exposition sets the stage for a musical piece. It’s the “Once upon a time” of music where we meet our characters – the melodies, rhythms, or chords that will be developed throughout the performance. Let’s break this down a little.

The exposition is the first major section of a movement. It typically starts in the tonic key and incorporates at least one important modulation to the dominant or another secondary key. The exposition’s primary purpose is to present the main thematic material of the movement.

Sonata form, which incorporates the exposition as one of its sections, is a widely used musical structure consisting of three main sections: the exposition, the development, and the recapitulation. It is commonly employed in the first movement of multi-movement pieces but can also be found in subsequent movements, particularly the final movement.

In a fugue, the exposition refers to the statement of the subject in imitation by the different voices, particularly the first such statement that initiates the fugue. The exposition serves as a foundational section in various musical forms, including sonata form, fugues , and other classical tonal structures.

It establishes the tonic key, introduces thematic material, and often includes key modulations and the development of identifiable musical themes. The sense of “arrival” at the dominant key is commonly used to identify the exposition.

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Classical symphonies

In classical symphonies, the exposition is typically repeated, although there are exceptions where the composer does not specify such a repeat. However, in concertos, the exposition is never repeated. In the recapitulation section, the material from the exposition is either repeated or paraphrased, usually in the home key or the parallel major of the home key if it is in a minor key.

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How important is the exposition in a symphony?

Let’s turn our attention now to classical symphonies. Here, the exposition plays a crucial role, typically repeated for emphasis. You’ll recognize this in your favorite symphonies – it’s like the catchy chorus of a pop song that’s played over and over again. But, just like any good artist, composers aren’t afraid to mix it up a bit. Below are some of the reasons why exposition is crucial in a symphony.

• Sonata form is a widely used musical structure that consists of three main sections: exposition, development, and recapitulation. The exposition is the first major section of a symphony and serves as the initial presentation of the thematic material.
• The composer establishes the tonic key of the symphony and introduces the main thematic material. It typically incorporates at least one important modulation to the dominant or another secondary key. The exposition sets the stage for the development and recapitulation sections that follow.
• It introduces the musical themes and key relationships that will be further developed, varied, and explored in the subsequent sections. It establishes the tonal framework and creates a sense of tension and anticipation for the listener.
• The exposition sets the stage for the development section, where the musical material from the exposition undergoes transformation, modulation, and elaboration. The development section explores new possibilities and introduces new themes, creating dramatic tension and building musical complexity.

The exposition is an essential component of the symphony, providing the foundation for the subsequent sections and contributing to the overall narrative and structure of the composition. It establishes the tonal and thematic framework, introduces the main musical ideas, and sets the stage for the development and recapitulation sections that follow.

Does the exposition always start the movement?

The exposition in music typically marks the beginning of a movement, particularly in the context of sonata form. It serves as the initial presentation of the thematic material and establishes the tonic key of the composition, often incorporating modulations to different keys. In sonata form, the exposition is the first major section that introduces the main thematic material and may include important modulations to the dominant or other secondary keys.

However, it’s important to note that there can be variations and exceptions to this general rule.

• In some cases, the movement may start with an introductory section that is not considered part of the exposition.
• The exposition may not always start the movement, especially in the late Classical and Romantic eras. There are examples where the exposition begins in a different key or modulates to various tonal centers, such as the mediant, flat mediant, dominant (in a minor key), minor dominant, submediant, relative minor, or parallel major.
• The concept of exposition extends beyond the sonata form.
• In fugues, the exposition is the statement of the subject in imitation by the different voices, often beginning the fugue itself. The exposition in a fugue usually ends on either an I or V chord.

Therefore, while the exposition generally starts the movement in sonata form and fugues, there can be variations and exceptions depending on the specific composition and musical style.

Here’s a table with some dos and don’ts to help you out:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using classical exposition techniques in modern music?

So, you’ve learned all about the role of exposition in different music forms. Now, the big question is, should you apply these techniques in your home studio recordings or music production?

• Teaches discipline : Following these techniques can help you understand structure and discipline in music.
• Enhances creativity : It might seem counterintuitive, but constraints often foster creativity. You’ll have to find innovative ways to work within the set rules.
• Offers familiarity : Using these classical forms can provide a sense of familiarity for the listener, making your music more accessible.

Disadvantages

• Might feel restrictive : Some artists feel that these techniques limit their creative freedom.
• Can become predictable : If you follow the classical techniques too closely, your music might become predictable.
• Requires study : To use these techniques effectively, you’ll need to invest time in studying classical music theory.

Now, it’s up to you to decide how and when you’d like to use exposition in your music creation. Remember, the best musicians know the rules – and know when to break them!

If you want even more great tips and information, check out the video. There’s a world of knowledge out there waiting for you to discover. So tune in, and let’s keep making music!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about exposition in music.

How can I apply exposition techniques in my home recordings?

Even if you’re not composing a symphony or a sonata, understanding exposition can help you structure your own music. You could establish a theme or motif at the start of your song and then develop or vary this theme as the song progresses, much like the exposition in a classical composition.

Can I use exposition techniques in different music genres?

Absolutely! While exposition is traditionally associated with classical music, the principles of theme establishment and development can be applied across a wide range of genres, from rock to electronic music.

Are there any tools to help understand and apply exposition in music?

There are plenty of music theory tools and software that can help you analyze classical compositions and understand how exposition is applied. Software like MuseScore or Sibelius allows you to notate and visualize musical ideas, helping you see how themes and motifs are presented and developed.

We’ve hit more notes on exposition than a Mozart symphony! You’ve now learned what exposition means in music, how it’s used in different music forms, and even got a taste of the pros and cons of using these techniques in your own music. Let me know your questions in the comments section below ( I read and reply to every comment) . If you found this article helpful, share it with a friend, and check out my full blog for more tips and tricks on understanding musical structures like exposition. Thanks for reading, and keep hitting those right notes!

Key Takeaways

This article covered the meaning of exposition in music and its application. Here are some key takeaways:

• Exposition is the initial presentation of the thematic material in a musical composition.
• In sonata form, the exposition establishes the music’s tonic key and modulates to and ends in the dominant.
• In a fugue, the exposition is the subject’s statement in imitation by several voices.
• Exposition techniques can be applied in a wide range of music genres and can enhance structure and creativity.
• Understanding and applying exposition in music may require some study of music theory and analysis.

Helpful Resources

• Sonata Form
• The Three-Key Trimodular Block and Its Classical Precedents
• Learning Sonata Form Structure on Mozart’s String Quartets

Hey there! My name is Andrew, and I'm relatively new to music production, but I've been learning a ton, and documenting my journey along the way. That's why I started this blog. If you want to improve your home studio setup and learn more along with me, this is the place for you!

Nick is our staff editor and co-founder. He has a passion for writing, editing, and website development. His expertise lies in shaping content with precision and managing digital spaces with a keen eye for detail.

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Discover Music

What does ‘music’ mean, and what is the origin of music?

5 April 2024, 14:22

By Rosie Pentreath

Music. We say the word every day, multiple times a day, but what does it actually mean and where does it come from? We delve into what music essentially is, and what the fundamental meaning of music has been for humanity across the ages.

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Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “it is not easy to determine the nature of music or why anyone should have a knowledge of it” – so abstruse its origins and true meaning are.

It doesn’t serve a literal function in sustaining life in the way that, say, eating, sleeping and breathing does. But as far as any of us can tell, music is – and always has been, always will be – a fundamental part of being human. And maybe human life actually couldn’t exist without it.

There is no known human society today, or in all of history, that hasn’t produced music in some form. It’s as integral to human expression as language is. As breathing is.

Scientists, philosophers, poets, writers and artists of all kinds, from William Shakespeare to Albert Einstein, have paid tribute to music throughout history. “If music be the food of love…”

And proudly, we follow in their footsteps. But what does the word ‘music’ mean, what are its origins and what, fundamentally, is music?

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Where does the word ‘music’ derive from?

Precursors to the modern word ‘music’ include the French word ‘musique’, from the 12th century onwards, and the Old English mid-13th century word ‘musike’, both of which can be traced back to the Latin: ‘mūsica’.

The Latin word in turn comes from the ancient Greek word,‘mousiké’, which translates literally as ‘art of the muses’.

In Ancient Greek mythology, the muses were nine goddesses who were the source and knowledge of all literature, science, and the arts.

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Who were the nine muses?

The nine muses were the Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Euterpe (double-pipes and music), Erato (love poetry and lyric poetry), Melpomene (tragedy), Polyhymnia (hymns and sacred poetry), Terpsichore (dance), Thalia (comedy and pastoral poetry) and Urania (astronomy).

Distinct from how we think of ‘muses’ in modern times, the nine muses weren’t the subject of an individual’s artistic inspiration, but rather the direct source of knowing, understanding and practising all arts and sciences.

The role of the nine muses has largely been defined by the tales Homer and Hesiod, and over time the myths of their powers have changed. Polyhymnia, for example, started to be seen as residing over music more than any other muses as time passed.

It’s immediately apparent the ancient Greek word was a lot more generic and all-encompassing than what we use ‘music’ for today, which is taken universally to refer almost exclusively to sound.

And the study and practice of music, for ancient Greeks, was important and blended into wider lives and life sciences: Pythagoras (of triangle Pythagoras theorem fame) gathered music into his mathematics department, and was the first musical numerologist and acoustician, linking sounds with lengths in string, for example – something that isn’t too many steps away from a conception of vibrations, sound waves, wavelengths and pitches.

What is the simple definition of music?

Put simply, music is humanly-organised sound, usually made for the purpose of emotional expression or achieving beauty.

Music, this set of humanly-organised sounds, is usually structured according to a set of established practices and cultural standards based around rhythm, melody, and harmony.

A folk song passed from one village to the next in 13th-century England is music; Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire is music; the Bee Gees’ ‘Stayin’ Alive’ is music.

Music has been used in rituals, including ceremonies and religious services, for centuries, and it’s also traditionally a form of entertainment, existing for its own sake and also as accompaniment to a distinct artform, for example for theatre and, in modern times, in radio broadcasts, silent and synchronised film, for television, and in internet content.

In religion and ceremonies, music plays a role in helping those who create or encounter it to have greater reverence towards that religion or occasion – or indeed political cause, when music is used for political ends.

When used for film and theatre, music’s role can be seen more as an emotion-driving one. Its ability to reflect or draw out, and fundamentally influence , human emotion is used to powerful effect.

Perhaps music’s two main functions, viewed next to each other like this, aren’t so different after all.

Instruments are a primary source of music-making, cropping up as a frequent component of ritual throughout history. As is the human voice. Singing, like all music, seems to be a fundamental part of being human.

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What is the origin of music?

Where music actually came from is as endlessly debatable as a Netflix documentary-sparked conspiracy theory. Some scholars believe music is a natural extension of language, and as essential to successful human existence as the development of verbal communication, while others believe it evolved to serve a more specific function.

Evolutionist Charles Darwin, in one of the earliest theories of where music comes from, proposed that music could have evolved in a similar way to mating calls in the animal kingdom.

It’s clear that life could technically function without music, but it’s beneficial for the secondary elements of pleasure seeking – we simply enjoy, so came to make, music – as well as for social cohesion and communication , all things that are indirectly crucial for staying alive.

Read more: 10 incredible benefits of listening to classical music

What are the main elements of music?

When humans organise sound into what we discern as music, the key elements are rhythm, melody, and harmony.

Rhythm refers to a repeated pattern of sound, which remains constant over a set period, and often uses a single pitch. In modern music, rhythm is often provided by drums or percussion instruments, and by bass instruments which produce low frequency pitches.

A melody is the tune; the main part of the music that our ears pick up and we hum (sometimes subconsciously!). Think of your favourite song. Now hum it. What you’re humming is the melody – the single line of pitches with which you can identify a particular song or piece of music.

Sometimes it is useful to think of melody as the linear, or horizontal, way the music progresses.

Harmony, in direct contrast, is the vertical way the music is constructed. Harmony is dictated by what chords the music is built from, and chords can be understood as combinations of notes played at the same time, derived from all of the major and minor scales. Specific chords, and chord progressions, form the keys in music .

Read more: What are the keys in music?

Rhythm, melody and harmony influence what style, what flavour , music has. And different styles fall into wider genres, and subgenres, until you zoom out and look at loose categories, like classical music (broadly defined as Western music that's distinct from pop, jazz, or folk music), versus popular music.

Certain styles and genres of music develop in line with trends in society. Music is shaped by war, by politics, and by pop culture movements.

Think of punk rock emerging to push back against the political and social establishment, the “mainstream”. And think of hip-hop’s evolution as a powerful way for American and British Black, Latino, and Caribbean communities to express their stories and create balm in their lives while driving wider cultural developments, like the emergence of rapping, DJing, breakdancing , and visual expression in the form of graffiti and street art.

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Has music ever been banned?

Given its potent intersection with, and ability to drive, social evolution and cultural revolution, some music has been viewed with suspicion by those in power.

Although music is integral to human existence, it has for this reason been banned and censored throughout history.

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All music, apart from that used for propaganda purposes, was banned during the dictatorship of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, and between 1996 and 2001, the Taliban government in Afghanistan banned all Western technology and art, including music.

Other dictatorships, including that of Hitler and the Nazi party in Germany, have controlled and censored music, and many forms of music were banned over the years in communist Russia.

Going back to the 16th century, and the rule of the English protestant Puritans, choral music and musical instruments were banned in religious services, because they were associated with the similar but opposing religion of Roman Catholicism.

Certain songs are censored and banned regularly in countries all over the world, often due to what’s deemed as offensive language or potentially harmful meanings. Once times change, these songs – often what are later on universally considered to be great songs – are re-released in society, either deliberately or by people’s refusal to let them die.

And let them die, we mustn’t. Imagine a world without music.

The attempt to control it to this extent speaks only of music’s potency and importance in human lives.

A reason, perhaps, that our ancestors attempted to explain its origins, and leave it sitting safely under the wing of nine sacred, untouchable deities.

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What is Music? – Definition, History, Types, Importance, and Benefits

Bridging all divides, music is a universal language that has spanned centuries, continents, and cultures. This art form, as diverse and multifaceted as humanity itself, is more than just an aural pleasure; it’s a powerful conduit of emotion and a remarkable tool for connection. This blog post seeks to delve into the enigmatic world of music – unraveling its definition, retracing its historical lineage, unwrapping different types, underscoring its importance in our lives and society, and highlighting the far-reaching benefits it bestows upon us. Prepare to embark on an enthralling journey that explores the depths of this captivating symphony called music. You’re about to discover why it isn’t just sound— it’s an anthem for life.

Music is the art of arranging sounds, typically involving melody, harmony, rhythm, and expressive elements. It is a means of personal expression, cultural preservation, and communication that has been present in human societies throughout history. Music encompasses various genres and styles, played on diverse instruments or using the human voice. It can evoke emotions, convey messages, and provide entertainment or catharsis.

Defining Music

Music, a universal language that has resonated throughout human history, is a rich and complex art form that defies a singular definition. The essence of music lies in its ability to evoke emotions, convey narratives, and connect individuals across cultures and time. While defining music precisely may prove challenging, various perspectives offer insights into its multifaceted nature.

Imagine attending a concert where you are moved to tears by the haunting melody of a violin or dancing uncontrollably to the infectious beats of a drum. Such experiences embody the power of music to elicit emotional responses.

Embracing a broad perspective, one could define music as “organized sound” or “domesticated sound,” encompassing the arrangement of sonic elements such as rhythm, melody, harmony, and form. This definition recognizes music as a structured artistic expression that utilizes naturally occurring acoustic phenomena.

Another approach to defining music suggests that it is what individuals have an aesthetic experience while paying attention to sounds. Essentially, this definition places the interpretation of music in the hands of the beholder, acknowledging the subjective nature of musical experiences. It allows for inclusivity and acknowledges that anything can be considered music if someone experiences it as such.

However, it is crucial to acknowledge the diverse cultural contexts in which music exists. Different societies have varying conceptions of what constitutes music, influenced by their traditions, customs, and beliefs. Thus, attempting to confine music within a rigid definition would be limiting.

In essence, music transcends boundaries between cultures and individuals, offering an avenue for emotional expression and connection. While different definitions exist, they all highlight the fundamental idea that music is an art form capable of eliciting profound emotional responses.

Exploring Various Definitions

To comprehend the full scope of what defines music, let us delve into various perspectives on this captivating art form.

Some scholars argue that music is a form of art that elicits an aesthetic experience similar to the emotional responses evoked when experiencing other forms of art. This perspective emphasizes the expressive and creative nature of music, positioning it as a medium through which artists communicate their thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

On the other hand, some scholars view music as sonic or auditory art, highlighting its dependence on the auditory senses to perceive and appreciate its artistic elements. This perspective underscores the inherent connection between music and sound, suggesting that the combination of various sonic elements creates musical compositions.

Moreover, certain definitions emphasize music’s role in social and cultural contexts. Music plays a vital role in social activities, religious rituals, celebratory events, and cultural traditions across diverse communities worldwide. It serves as a means of communication, expression, and preservation of cultural heritage.

Think of music as a tapestry interwoven with threads representing different cultures, bringing people together through shared experiences.

It is crucial to acknowledge that individual interpretations of music may vary based on personal taste and background. Some might find solace in classical symphonies’ intricate harmonies, while others find joy in the energetic rhythms of popular music genres . The beauty of music lies in its ability to cater to a wide range of emotions and preferences.

While there may be differing opinions on what constitutes music, it is essential not to dismiss subjective interpretations. The definition of music should be inclusive rather than exclusive because restricting its boundaries can stifle creativity and limit exploration within this vibrant realm.

• As per a study by the U.K.’s Royal Academy of Music, classical music comprises about 1.4 percent of the total recording industry market share as of 2020.
• A Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2019 found that 53% of adults state that music plays ‘a somewhat – or very – important’ role in their lives, highlighting its universal prevalence and significance.
• Around 82% of people agreed with a statement that stated ‘Music is a key part of my life’ in a global Nielsen survey conducted in 2017.

Tracing the History of Music

Music, as we know it today, has evolved over centuries, with its roots deeply embedded in human civilization. Tracing the history of music is like embarking on a fascinating journey through time. From the earliest forms of musical expression to the complex compositions of modern times, understanding this evolution provides us with valuable insights into our cultural heritage and the universal language that music represents.

The origins of music can be traced back to prehistoric times . Archaeological evidence suggests that early humans used musical instruments made from natural resources such as bones, shells, and rocks. These primitive instruments served as tools for communication and expression, enabling our ancestors to convey their emotions and tell stories through rhythmic sounds.

As human civilizations began to emerge, so did the sophistication of musical practices. In ancient Egypt , for example, music played a significant role in religious rituals and was considered a divine art form. Instruments such as the harp, flutes, and percussion were used to accompany hymns and chants during temple ceremonies.

Meanwhile, ancient Greece placed great importance on music’s educational value. The philosopher Plato believed that musical training profoundly impacted the development of character and moral values. Students were taught music alongside other subjects as part of their holistic education.

Throughout history, different cultures have embraced their unique musical traditions and created distinct styles and genres. For instance, Indian classical music is known for its intricate melodies and improvisation techniques influenced by centuries-old ragas (musical scales). Similarly, African music often relies heavily on rhythm and percussive instruments to create energetic and vibrant compositions.

Understanding the impact of music in ancient cultures allows us to appreciate its significance in shaping societies across time. Let’s explore further how music became an integral part of ancient civilizations and contributed to their social fabric.

Impact of Music in Ancient Cultures

Music played a crucial role in the social and cultural life of ancient civilizations. It served various functions, ranging from religious rituals to entertainment, and even had therapeutic qualities. Let’s delve into some notable examples of how music left its mark in ancient cultures.

In ancient Egypt, music held a sacred status and was deeply intertwined with religious practices. Temples had dedicated musicians who performed during ceremonies honoring the gods. The melodic compositions and rhythmic patterns were believed to please the deities and strengthen the connection between humans and the divine. Music was also present at joyous occasions like weddings and banquets, where lively performances accompanied celebrations.

Ancient Greece embraced music as a form of artistic expression and entertainment. It played a pivotal role in dramas staged in Greek theaters, serving as a tool for emotional catharsis and enhancing the theatrical experience. Musicians would perform on instruments like lyres or flutes, setting the mood for each scene. Greek society recognized the transformative power of musical performances in stirring emotions and creating a shared experience among audience members.

In ancient China, music was highly regarded and considered an essential part of Confucian philosophy. The belief was that music had the power to influence individuals’ behavior and promote harmony within society. Royal courts employed skilled musicians who composed intricate melodies using traditional Chinese instruments such as the guqin (a type of zither). These musical compositions aimed at fostering peace, wisdom, and moral righteousness.

The impact of music in ancient cultures not only shaped their traditions but also laid the foundations for future musical developments. Each civilization contributed unique perspectives on how music could enrich human experiences from Egypt to Greece to China.

Unpacking Music Genres

Music is a vast and diverse art form, encompassing various genres that cater to different tastes, preferences, and cultural backgrounds. Unpacking music genres allows us to explore the unique characteristics, origins, and influences of each genre. Let’s dive into some popular genres and understand what sets them apart.

One prominent genre is classical music, known for its rich history and complexity. Originating in Europe during the medieval and Renaissance periods , classical music is characterized by its formal structure, intricate compositions, and orchestral arrangements. It encompasses symphonies, concertos, sonatas, and more. Composers like Mozart , Beethoven , and Bach have played significant roles in shaping this genre.

On the other end of the spectrum lies rock music, which emerged in the 1950s as a fusion of various musical styles such as rhythm and blues, country music, and gospel. Rock is recognized for its energetic guitar-driven sound, passionate vocals, and rebellious lyrics. From iconic artists like Elvis Presley and The Beatles to contemporary bands like Foo Fighters , the evolution of rock has been nothing short of influential.

Another influential genre is hip-hop or rap music. Originating in African American communities during the 1970s in New York City , hip-hop has become a global cultural phenomenon. It features rhythmic beats coupled with spoken-word poetry-like lyrics that reflect societal issues and personal experiences. Artists like Tupac Shakur , Jay-Z , and Kendrick Lamar have used their voice through this genre to empower and shed light on social injustices.

These are just a few examples among countless other genres such as jazz, country, pop, reggae, electronic dance music (EDM), and many more. Each genre holds its unique soundscape and appeals to specific audiences across cultures worldwide.

Now that we’ve explored the diverse world of music genres, let’s discuss the influence they have on cultures and societies.

• Music is a vast and diverse art form encompassing various genres, each with unique characteristics and influences. Classical music, originating in Europe, is known for its formal structure and intricate compositions. Rock music emerged in the 1950s, combining different styles to create an energetic guitar-driven sound. Hip-hop or rap music originated in African American communities and uses rhythmic beats and spoken-word lyrics to address social issues. These genres are just a few examples among countless others, each appealing to specific audiences across cultures worldwide. The influence of music genres on cultures and societies is significant, as they reflect the values, emotions, and experiences of different communities.

Influence of Different Genres on Cultures

Music is more than just a collection of sounds; it has the power to shape cultures, bridge divides, and provide an avenue for self-expression. Different music genres have significantly influenced cultures throughout history and continue to do so today.

One prime example of musical influence is seen in traditional folk music. Rooted in cultural heritage and passed down through generations, folk music reflects a community’s values, stories, and history. It brings people together, preserving cultural identity and fostering a sense of belonging. Not only does it celebrate diversity, but it also serves as a reminder of shared experiences and common humanity.

Another genre that has left an indelible mark on culture is reggae music. Originating in Jamaica in the late 1960s , reggae emerged as a form of expression for marginalized communities, addressing social issues such as poverty, racism, and political oppression. Artists like Bob Marley used reggae as a platform to spread messages of love, unity, and social change worldwide.

Music genres can also shape fashion trends, dance styles, and even language usage within certain cultures. For instance, the punk rock movement of the 1970s not only influenced music but inspired a distinctive fashion style characterized by rebellious attire, bold hairstyles, and DIY aesthetics.

The influence of music genres on cultures extends beyond societal aspects; it also impacts emotions and personal experiences.

The Role of Music in Expression

Music has long been recognized as a powerful medium for self-expression. Whether through lyrics or instrumental melodies, music allows individuals to convey their thoughts, emotions, and experiences in a way that words alone cannot capture. It is a universal language that transcends cultural, language, and background barriers.

People can express joy, sadness, anger, love, and other emotions by listening to or creating music. Think about your favorite song – it might evoke memories and feelings that resonate with you deeply. For example, a melancholic melody can evoke feelings of nostalgia or longing, while an upbeat rhythm can inspire joy and excitement.

Moreover, music acts as a creative outlet for artists and musicians who use their talents to express personal narratives and connect with listeners on an emotional level. Songwriters often pour their hearts into their lyrics, using metaphors and imagery to convey complex emotions. Musicians bring these lyrics to life through the power of melody and rhythm, enhancing the emotional impact.

Music also plays a significant role in cultural expression. Different genres and styles reflect various communities’ unique identities and experiences worldwide. For example, traditional folk songs may capture the history and traditions of a particular region or ethnic group.

In addition to its role in personal and cultural expression, music has proven to be an effective tool for learning. Let’s explore how music enhances educational experiences and promotes cognitive development.

Music as a Tool for Learning

From early childhood to adulthood, music profoundly impacts our ability to learn and retain information. Numerous studies have shown that incorporating music into educational settings can enhance memory, concentration, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

For young children, nursery rhymes and catchy tunes serve as mnemonic devices that aid in memorization. Repetitive melodies help reinforce the learning of letters, numbers, and other fundamental concepts. Furthermore, music engages multiple brain areas simultaneously, stimulating neural connections and promoting cognitive development.

In school settings, subjects like literature, history, and science can be complemented by incorporating music. For example, students studying a historical period might listen to music from that era to gain insights into the culture and social climate of the time. This interdisciplinary approach fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation for the subject matter.

Imagine studying Shakespeare’s works while listening to dramatic orchestral compositions that capture the intensity of his plays. The combination of music and literature creates a rich sensory experience that brings the words on the page to life.

Additionally, learning to play a musical instrument or participate in group performances develops discipline, perseverance, and teamwork. Collaborative musical endeavors such as choirs or orchestras enhance interpersonal skills and promote a sense of community among participants.

The power of music extends beyond academic environments as well. Music therapy has been used effectively in therapeutic settings to help individuals with emotional or cognitive challenges. It provides an outlet for self-expression and can aid in emotional regulation and communication.

The Impact of Music on Human Well-being

Music profoundly impacts human well-being, affecting us emotionally, mentally, and physically. It can evoke strong emotions, create connections, and enhance our overall quality of life. From ancient to modern times, music has been an integral part of various cultures and societies.

Emotional Effects : Music possesses the remarkable ability to evoke a wide range of emotions within us. It can uplift our spirits, bring tears to our eyes, or even soothe our troubled minds. For example, listening to our favorite song after a long and tiring day can instantly lighten our mood and make us feel happier. Conversely, a melancholic melody might resonate with feelings of sadness or nostalgia. These emotional effects make music a powerful tool for self-expression and catharsis, enabling individuals to process their thoughts and emotions.

Think about when you felt blue and turned to music for solace. The soothing melody or relatable lyrics provided comfort and reassurance in a way that words alone couldn’t express. Music has an uncanny ability to speak directly to our hearts.

Mental Effects : In addition to its emotional impact, music also influences our cognitive functions and mental well-being. Research has shown that listening to or playing music can improve concentration, enhance memory retention, and stimulate creativity. For instance, classical compositions have been found to promote focus and productivity during study or work sessions. Moreover, engaging with musical instruments or participating in singing can boost brain development and sharpen cognitive skills in children.

Mozart’s sonatas are often recommended for enhancing concentration while studying because of their rhythmic patterns and harmonies that prime the brain for focused attention. Many people find that listening to instrumental music like jazz or ambient tracks helps them enter a state of flow while working on complex tasks or projects.

Physical Effects : It is no secret that music has the power to move us physically as well. When we listen to upbeat and energetic tunes, our bodies instinctively respond by tapping our feet, nodding our heads, or even dancing. This physical engagement provides a form of exercise and releases endorphins, which are natural mood enhancers. In certain scenarios, music therapy is utilized to aid in the rehabilitation process for individuals with motor disabilities or to manage chronic pain.

Consider attending a live concert or music festival where the crowd’s collective energy is palpable. The bass reverberating through your body and the rhythmic vibrations stirring your senses create a truly immersive experience that uplifts and energizes you.

Now that we have explored the impactful role of music on human well-being let’s delve into one of its significant aspects – the emotional and performance effects it holds.

Emotional and Performance Effects of Music

Imagine watching a film without any background score. The absence of music would significantly alter the emotional impact of various scenes, leaving viewers feeling detached and less engaged.

Music possesses an incredible ability to heighten emotional intensity, whether it’s in films, theatrical performances, or our daily lives. It serves as a powerful tool for enhancing mood and atmosphere. From suspenseful melodies creating tension in a horror movie to triumphant orchestral arrangements accompanying scenes of victory in an epic battle, music plays an indispensable role in elevating emotions and intensifying our overall experiences.

But beyond being a passive listener, actively engaging with music can have performance-enhancing effects as well. From athletes warming up to their favorite pump-up tracks before a game to students playing instrumental pieces while studying for exams, music has been known to improve focus, motivation, and performance across various domains.

For example, research suggests that listening to motivational songs can enhance athletic performance by increasing arousal, enhancing focus, and decreasing perceived exertion. Similarly, background music has improved productivity in work settings by creating a more pleasant and stimulating environment.

Picture a scene: You’re at the gym, and your energy is waning. Suddenly, that one high-energy song comes on through your earphones, and you can feel an instant surge of adrenaline coursing through your veins. Your workout intensifies, and you find yourself pushing harder, lifting more weights, without even realizing it. Music has the power to transcend physical limits and unleash our inner potential.

Ultimately, the emotional and performance effects of music are deeply intertwined, as an elevated emotional state often translates into improved performance. Whether it’s boosting our mood during daily activities, enhancing concentration and creativity, or fueling our drive for success, music holds immense power over our well-being.

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8 Words with Secret Meanings Only the Musician-Types Know

Music-related meaning : to strike or pluck (something, such as the strings of a harp) to produce musical sound

If you thought smiting was all about violence, sometimes as perpetrated by angels, we have got some news for you.

While the word's most common meanings are "to strike sharply or heavily especially with the hand or with something held in the hand" and "to kill or severely injure by striking in such a way," and while the Bible does indeed include some accounts of angels smiting some unfortunate folks, the word smite can also be used when the thing being hit is a musical instrument, and when the way it's being hit isn't angry or mean. In fact, in musical smiting you don't even have to hit the thing: smite a harp or violin, and you might actually be plucking its strings.

This meaning of smite is too obscure for the Merriam-Webster.com dictionary, but Merriam-Webster Unabridged includes it, with the label "archaic" informing us that the use is no longer common.

Just because the use is outdated doesn’t mean you can't use it of course—as Upton Sinclair knew:

[Tamoszius Kuszleika] … taps authoritatively upon the side of his violin, then tucks it carefully under his chin, then waves his bow in an elaborate flourish, and finally smites the sounding strings and closes his eyes, and floats away in spirit upon the wings of a dreamy waltz. — The Jungle , 1904

Music-related meaning : a subtle expressive variation in a musical performance (as in tempo, dynamic intensity, or timbre) that is not indicated in the score

Nuance isn't just about subtle distinctions and variations, though that is indeed what the word most often refers to. Since the late 19th century, the word has also referred in musical contexts to the parts of the music that the composer leaves up to the musician (or the conductor). Opera singers know all about it:

When the Met asked me to do it, my first reaction was no, because I'd done it in the best circumstances—with original instruments, in the little jewel-box theaters where you could hear so many wonderful nuances. Then I thought, don't be such a snob. With this music, first of all, you just don't say no. I also thought, it hasn't been done in New York for a long time, and these people deserve to hear this music. — Jennifer Larmore, quoted in Opera News , April 1999

Music-related meaning : a baroque musical ornament consisting of a rapid run connecting two melody notes

The musical tirade (which is pronounced \tih-RAHD) is vastly preferable to the more common kind of tirade, which is, of course, basically just a long and very angry speech. ( This dictionary defines it specifically as "a protracted speech usually marked by intemperate, vituperative, or harshly censorious language.") The musical tirade is a little musical embellishment: it's a quick musical scale inserted between two notes of the melody. So nice! Not vituperative, and over so quickly! While Thurston Dart apparently felt that musical tirades could be overdone, we would love to see a few of them replace the other kind:

... the harpsichord part has the proper signs for ornaments where the violin part has only crosses. Muffat's suggestions for them may be summarized thus: (i) … (v) rapid scales to show vehemence; their French name is tirades, and like tirades they should be rare…. — Thurston Dart, The Interpretation of Music , (1954) 1973

Music-related meaning : any of several musical instruments (such as a guitar or a saxophone)

It's labeled "slang" in this dictionary, but ax has been musician-speak (especially jazz musician-speak) since at least the mid-20th century. The authoritative Green's Dictionary of Slang reports that the use was first applied by Black jazz musicians to the saxophone because that instrument supposedly resembles an ax. The term later broadened in meaning and came to be applied to other instruments, especially the guitar:

From Buddy Holly to Jimi Hendrix, countless guitarists have relied on the Fender ax for their sound. — Bob Cannon, Entertainment Weekly , 5 Apr. 1991

Music-related meaning : the whole series of recognized musical notes

While the word gamut is most often used to mean "an entire range or series," that use is metaphorical: the word's original meaning was literal and musical. It referred (and still refers) to the full range of musical pitches in a system of music. Even that meaning, though, constitutes a straying from the word's roots: gamut comes from a Middle English word for the lowest note on the musical scale developed by an 11th century musical theorist .

A character in Walter Scott's Ivanhoe knew what was up when it came to gamuts, and we believe him:

"Tra-lira-la," said he, whistling the notes; "nay, I know my gamut as well as another." — Walter Scott, Ivanhoe , 1819

Anticipation

Music-related meaning : the early sounding of one or more tones of a succeeding chord to form a temporary dissonance

Oh, it's all well and good to speak of anticipation being something that makes you decide to pack an umbrella or look forward to an upcoming event with a positive feeling, but musicians have something else entirely in mind.

Since the early 19th century, anticipation is, for musicians, about a temporary dissonance that is introduced before a chord change. The word is contrasted with a music-related sense of suspension , which is defined as "the holding over of one or more musical tones of a chord into the following chord producing a momentary discord and suspending the concord which the ear expects," and specifically "such a dissonance which resolves downward":

Whereas in a suspension a note is retained longer than expected and then resolved, an anticipation involves sounding a note of the ensuing harmony earlier than expected—that is, before the point at which that harmony is actually reached. — Kent Kennan, Counterpoint , (1959) 1987

Music-related meaning : a passage linking two sections of a composition

Musicians, it turns out, have also usurped the word bridge —or at least they've gone and adapted it to their own purposes. In this case, many non-musicians have caught on and are also familiar with the application of bridge to a part in a song that links two other parts.

Bridge has another music-related meaning as well: it refers to the part on a stringed musical instrument that raises the strings.

Then, just when the song is about to settle for being simply effective, it shifts satisfyingly into an unexpected bridge section. (Never underestimate a bridge.) — Sasha Frere-Jones, The New Yorker , 28 June 2004

Music-related meaning : to practice on a musical instrument

The noun woodshed is common enough for those familiar with wood stoves: it's where you store your firewood. But in the music world, woodshed is a verb and it's about practicing. The literal noun use is more than two centuries old, but the musical verb is a child of 20th century. The two are, of course, most likely connected: it's assumed that practicing came to be called "woodshedding" because the practicing commonly happened out in the woodshed—where the rest of a dwelling's inhabitants would be spared the sour notes.

The acoustic guitar is a personal instrument. It's a great starting place and anytime you've got a guitar around, you can start writing, improvising, woodshedding or anything. It's great to sit down with an acoustic, nothing's as warm. It's natural. People love it. There's magic to the guitar. — Fred Carter, quoted in an ad in Bluegrass Unlimited , November 1983

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music noun & adjective

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What does the word music mean?

There are 23 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word music , five of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

music has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

How common is the word music ?

How is the word music pronounced, british english, u.s. english, where does the word music come from.

Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the word music is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).

OED's earliest evidence for music is from before 1325, in Genesis & Exodus .

music is of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin.

Etymons: French musik , musique ; Latin mūsica .

Nearby entries

• mushroom sinker, n. 1928–
• mushroom spawn, n. 1753–
• mushroom stone, n. 1668–
• mushroom-sugar, n. 1840–62
• mushroom valve, n. 1877–
• mushroom worker's lung, n. 1967–
• mushroomy, adj. 1860–
• mush sugar, n. 1868–
• mushy, adj. 1768–
• mushy peas, n. 1968–
• music, n. & adj. a1325–
• music, v. 1649–
• musica ficta, n. 1786–
• musica figurata, n. 1740–
• musical, n. a1450–
• musical, adj. 1447–
• musical appreciation, n. 1850–
• musical arms, n. 1924–
• musical beds, n. 1972–
• musical bow, n. 1897–
• musical box, n. 1813–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for music, n. & adj..

music, n. & adj. was revised in March 2003.

music, n. & adj. was last modified in March 2024.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

• further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
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Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into music, n. & adj. in March 2024.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1908)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

• View music, n. in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for music, n. & adj., browse entry.