Accidental- A sharp, flat or natural thrown into a piece with a
different key signature.
Adagio- Slow, tranquil
Affretando (affret.)- Quickening, hurrying.
Alla Breve- Same as cut time.
Alla Marcia- In march style.
Allegretto- Quite lively, moderately fast, (faster than Andante,
slower than Allegro).
Allegro- Lively, rapid
Andante- "Moving", moderately slow
Andantino- A little faster than Andante.
Appagiatura- Note of embellishment, or grace note.
Arabesque- Ornamented.
Arietta- A short melody.
Arpeggio- The notes of a chord played one at a time.
Articulation- The type of attack used to play one note or a group
of notes.
Assai- Very
A Tempo- Return to the original rate of speed or tempo before the
Accelerando.
B
Bar Line- It divides the music staff into measures.
Breath Mark- It looks like a comma at the top of the staff. It
means, take a breath.
Brio- Vigor, life, spirit
C
Cantabile- In a singing style.
Chord- Two or more pitches sounded at the same time.
Chromatic Scale- Scale of half steps (C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#,
etc...)
Common Time (C)- Same as 4/4 time.
Con Moto- With motion.
Countermelody- A less important melody that can be played along
with the main melody.
Crescendo- Gradually increasing in loudness. Written as a less-than
sign. (cres. or cresc.)
Cut Time (Alla Breve)- A time signature indicating two counts in
each measure (2/2, time signature), the half note gets one count.
D
Da Capo al Coda (D.C. al Coda)- Go back to the beginning and
play until the coda sign. When you reach the coda sign, skip to the
Coda.
Da Capo al Fine (D.C. al Fine)- Repeat from the beginning to
the end-Fine
Dal Sengo al Fine- Repeat from the sign (it looks like an "S" with
two dots and a line through it) to the end-Fine
Decrescendo- Gradually decreasing in loudness (decres. or
decresc.)
Diminuendo- Gradually softer. (dim.)
Divisi- Means that part of the section should play the top notes
and the other half of the section should play the bottom notes.
Dolce (dol.)- Softly, sweetly, delicately.
Dominant- The fifth note of a scale
Double Appogiatura- Two grace notes before the melody note.
Double bar-line- It marks the end of a piece of music.
**Drone-bass- A bas on the tonic, or tonic and dominant,
throughout a movement or a piece, as in a musette.
Duet- A composition for two performers.
Dynamics- The loudness or softness of music.
E
Embouchure- The mouth formation used to play an instrument.
Enharmonics- Notes that sound the same but are written differently.
Espressivo- With expression.
Etude- A study
F
Fermata- A symbol that means to hold the note or rest until the
conductor directs you to stop.
Fine- The end; the conclusion.
Flat- It lowers the pitch of a note 1/2 step.
Forte (f.)- Often
interpreted as 'Loud'
(a better translation : 'Full / breadth / width'
Fortissimo (ff.)- Very loud but under control.
G
Gavotte- An old French dance in double rhythm beginning on the
unaccented beat.
Grave- Slow, solemn, deep.
Grazioso- In a graceful manner.
H
Harmony- Two or more different notes played or sung at the same
time.
I
Il canto ben marcato- The melody played distinctly.
Interval- The distance between two notes.
Introduction- A section of the music that precedes the first theme.
L
Largo- Broadly, slowly; the slowest tempo mark.
Ledger Lines- Short lines used to extend the staff.
Legato- Play as smoothly and connected as possible.
Leggiero (leggo.)- Easily, lightly, delicately.
Long Rest- A long rest looks like a bold line in a measure with a
number above it. It means to rest the number of measures indicated.
M
Maestoso- Majestically
Marcato (marc.)- Marked, accented.
Measure- The space between two bar lines; also known as a "bar".
Melody- An organised succession of tones.
Meno mosso- Less motion; slower
Mezzo Forte (mf.)- Medium
Fullness (loud.)
Mezzo Piano (mp.)- Medium
Intensity (soft.)
Minuet- An early French dance in triple rhythm, stately movement.
Misterioso- In a style suggestive of mystery.
Moderato- Moderate speed.
Molto- Much.
Monophony- A single unaccompanied melody.
Musette- Short piece imitating a bagpipe or a small oboe.
**Drone-bass
N
Natural- Cancels a flat or a sharp for that measure. Unless the
natural is placed in the key signature. Then that note is natural in the whole
section.
P
Pesante- Heavy, ponderous; with weight.
Phrase- A musical though or sentence.
Piano (p)- Often
interpreted as 'Soft'.
(a better translation: 'intense, small
Pianissimo (pp)- Very
intense/ small soft.
Pick-Up Notes- Note or notes that come before the first full
measure.
Poco- Little.
Poco a poco- Little by little.
Polyphony- Two or more melodies played at the same time.
Presto- Quickly; faster than Allegro.
Primo- First part.
R
Rallentando (rall.)- Gradually growing slower.
Repeat Sign ( ||: )- Repeat from the beginning or
repeat section of music between the repeat signs.
Ritardando (rit. or ritard.)- Gradually slackening
the pace.
S
Scale- A collection of pitches arranged from lowest to highest or
highest to lowest.
Secondo- Second part.
Sempre- Always.
Sforzando (sfz.)- With sudden emphasis.
Sharp (#)- Raises the pitch of a note 1/2 step.
Short Appogiatura- One grace note before the melody note.
Slur- A curved line over or under two or more notes of different
pitches to show they are played legato.
Soli- The whole section plays.
Solo- Only one person plays.
Staccato- A dot placed above or below the note which means to play
short and detached.
Staff- The lines and spaces on which music is written.
Stringendo (string.)- Pressing or accelerating.
Subdominant- The fourth note of a scale; chord built on the fourth
note of a scale.
T
Tempo- The speed of the music.
Tenuto- A line placed above or below the note meaning to sustain
for full value.
Texture- The character of a composition as determined by the
relationship of its melodies, countermelodiees, and/or chords.
Theme- The main musical idea in a piece of music.
Tie- A curved line that connects two notes of the SAME pitch; tied
notes are played as one unbroken note.
Time Signature- A time signature consists of two numbers at the
beginning of a piece of music but can change throughout the piece. The top
number tells you the number of counts in each measure; the bottom number tells
you the type of note that receives one count.
Tonic- The first note of a scale; a chord built on the first note
of a scale.
Treble Clef- Also called the "G Clef"; read by Saxophone, Flute,
Oboe, Clarinets, Trumpet, French Horn & Mallet Percussion.
Triad- Three toned chord; root-its third and its fifth.
Triplet- A group of three notes to be played in time of one note to
the next higher value.
Turn- An embellishment consisting of four notes (usually) a
principal note played twice with its higher and lower auxiliary.
Tutti- Everyone plays.
U
Unison- Everyone plays the same notes and rhythms.
V
Variation- A repeated musical idea which has been slightly changed
in some way from the original.
