Music Glossary - Essential Terms

Acoustics

The scientific study of sound and its production, transmission, and reception.

Crescendo

A gradual increase in loudness in a piece of music.

Dynamics

The variation in loudness between notes or phrases.

Falsetto

A method of singing used by male singers to sing notes higher than their normal range.

Harmony

The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords.

Interval

The difference in pitch between two sounds.

Tempo

The speed or pace of a given piece of music.

Vibrato

A rapid, slight variation in pitch in singing or playing.

Adagio

A slow tempo marking, typically slower than andante but faster than largo.

Allegro

A fast, lively tempo marking.

Arpeggio

A chord where the notes are played in succession rather than simultaneously.

Bar

A vertical line that separates music into equal sections of time.

Chord

Three or more notes played at the same time to create harmony.

Clef

A symbol at the beginning of a staff that indicates the pitch of the notes.

Flat

A symbol indicating that a note should be lowered by a half step.

Forte

A dynamic marking meaning to play or sing loudly.

Key

The central scale or tonality of a piece of music.

Legato

Playing or singing notes smoothly and connectedly.

Major Key

A key based on a major scale, often associated with a bright or happy sound.

Minor Key

A key based on a minor scale, often associated with a dark or sad sound.

Octave

The interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency.

Piano

A dynamic marking meaning to play or sing softly.

Pitch

How high or low a note sounds, determined by its frequency.

Scale

A sequence of notes arranged in ascending or descending order.

Sharp

A symbol indicating that a note should be raised by a half step.

Solo

A piece or section of music performed by a single performer.

Staccato

Playing notes in a short, detached, and jumpy manner.

Staff

The set of five horizontal lines and four spaces on which music is written.