Musical Term | Definition |
Time Signature | How many beats per measure, and what kind of note gets the beat. |
Key Signature | Indicates the tonality of the song. |
Sharp | Raises a note up a half step. |
Flat | Lowers a note down a half step. |
Natural | Cancels a flat or sharp |
Tie | a line connecting two or more notes of the same pitch. |
Slur | a line over or under a series of notes(phrase)(passage). |
Poco a Poco | Little by Little |
Crescendo | To smoothly increase the volume of a note or phrase. |
Decrescendo | To smoothly decrese the volume of a note or phrase. |
Ascend | To move upward in direction. |
Descend | to move downward in direction. |
Pianissimo | The quietest, softest dynamic marking. |
Piano | A soft, quiet dynamic marking. |
Mezzo-Piano | A medium soft dynamic marking. |
Mezzo-Forte | a medium loud dynamic marking. |
Forte | a loud dynamic marking. |
Fortissimo | A very loud dynamic marking. |
Accelerando | a gradual increase in tempo. |
Leggiero | Light. In a swift, delicate manner. |
Dolce | Played in a Sweet, Soft manner. |
Tutti | When all instruments play together. |
Solo | One player alone. |
Da capo | A directive to return to the begining of a song or composition. |
Dal Segno | a directive to repeat a specific section of a song. |
Coda | To play the end of a song. |
Fine | an indication of where the song ends. |
Fermata | To sustain a note as long as the conductor allows. |
Accent | A sharp attack to a note. |
Staccato | Played in a light, seperated, detached manner or articulation. |
Legato | Played in a smooth, connected style of articulation. |
Picardy 3rd | When a minor key song ends with a major chord. Accomplished by raising the last chord's third scale degree up one half step. |
A tempo | Original tempo |
L'istesso Tempo | the same tempo |
Tempo Primo | main tempo |
Allegro | a fast tempo. Quarter note 120-168. |
Andante | a moderately slow tempo. Quarter note 76-108. |
Adagio | a slow tempo. Quarter note 66-76. |
Largo | Very slow tempo. Quarter note 40-60. |
Presto | Very fast tempo. Quarter note 200 up. |
vicace | a lively, brisk tempo. Quarter note 168. |
Piu | More |
Molto | Very much of |
Intervial | The distance between two notes. In therms of pitch. |
Rallentando | a quick slowdown in tempo |
Ritardando | an deven slowdown in tempo |
Forte-Piano | Start forte, quickly diminish to piano. |
Unison | Two or more instruments playing the same pitches. |
Consonance | notes that sound sweet or pleasing together. |
Dissonance | notes that do not sound sweet or pleasing together. |
suspension | a note held within a chord that pushes for resolution. |
Timbre | Quality of sound. The component of a tone that makes an instrument sound unique to other instruments. |