Clef
(Symbol) Indicates realtive highness or lowness of pitches notated.
G Clef
Also known as Treble Clef
F Clef
Also known as bass Clef
Bass Clef
Symbol used for notating relatively low pitches.
Treble Clef
Symbol used for notating relatively high pitches.
Tie
A curved line that joins two duration symbols of the same pitch; the first note is held for its own duration as well as the duration of the note to which it is tied.
Skip
the movement of a pitch from a line to an adjacent line or from a space to adjacent space.
Step
The movement of a pitch on the staff from a line to the next space directly above or below-or from a space to the next line directly above or below.
Leap
Two notes that are more than a skip apart melodically.
Pitch
The relative highness or lowness of a musical sound.
Melody
A linear succession of sounds and silences ordered in time
Rhythm
Varied Lengths of sound or silence over an underlying beat.
Meter
Regularly occurring strong and weak beats in music.
Tonic
The Starting note of a scale, the name of a key signature.
Staff
Five parallel lines and four spaces upon which musical notation is written
Beat
The underlying, unchanging repeating pulse found in most music.
Syncopation
A rhythm resulting from a change in placement of the normal metrical accent.
Anacrusis
An incomplete measure of one or more notes found at the beginning of a composition; also known as pickup notes.
Sharp
A symbol that raises the pitch of a note one half step
Flat
A symbol used to lower the pitch of a note one half step.
Natural
A symbol used to cancel a previous sharp or flat.
Accidental
Symbols that are used to alter a pitch in some way (sharp, flat, natural)
Half Step
The smallest interval used in most of the music of Western civilization.
Whole step
A combination of two half steps.
Key Signature
A sign placed at the beginning of a song, immediately following the clef sign that tells the performer the names of sharps and flats that occur in the music.
Bar line
The vertical lines that separate measures.
Measure
the space between two bar lines
Compound meter
A time signature whose upper number is a multiple of three and whose beat note can be divided into three equal parts creating a ratio of 3:1
Enharmonic
terms used to designate two pitches having the same sound but different letter names.
Ledger Line
Extra lines that are added above or below the staff to accommodate extra pitches.
Scale
An orderly ascending or descending arrangement of pitches within the limits of an octave.
Rest
Musical symbols used to represent silence.
Triplet
A note value that is divided into three equal parts.
Time Signature
Two numbers found at the beginning of a musical work, that represent how many beats are in a measure and what note or rest receives the beat.
Simple meter
A time signature in which the upper number is a 2,3 or 4 and the beat note is divisible into two equal parts, creating a ratio of 2:1.
Conducting pattern
hand and arm patterns, used by music directors, that represent the time signature.
Slur
A curved line connecting two or more notes having different pitch names.
Melodic interval
The distance in pitch between two notes sounded consecutively.
Relative Keys
A name given to a major and minor key using the same key signature
Legato
a smooth, corrected progression from note to note
Coda
a passage added to the last major section of a form
Crescendo
a gradual increase in volume
Diminuendo
a gradual decrease in volume
Decrescendo
a gradual decrease in volume
Da Capo (D.C.)
a symbol that directs the performer to repeat a piece of music from the beginning to the term fine, where the piece ends
Dal Segno(D.S.)
a symbol that directs the performer to repeat a specific section of the composition… from the D.S. symbol [image] to the term fine.
Fine
the end
Fermata
a musical symbol that indicates a note should be held longer than its usual duration
Largo
very slow pace
Allegro
fast pace
Allegro
fast pace
Andante
walking, moderate pace
Presto
very fast pace
Grave
as slowly as possible
Musical Phrase
a succession of notes that form a distinctive sequence
Rote Learning
an imitative process through which children learn to speak, sing or move
Staccato
a note played as a quick release of sound, choppy
Timbre
distinctive qualities of sound distinguishing one sound source from another, tone color.
Ritard
slow down
Ritardando
slowing down
Articulation
the style in which notes are played (Staccato, legato etc…)
Dynamics
the degree of volume in a musical composition
Repeat Sign
a symbol that tells a perform to repeat a section of music
Peter and the Wolf
Sergy Prokofiev
Carnival of the Animals
Camille Saint-Saens
Tubby the Tuba
George Kleinsinger
Young People’s Guide to the Orchestra
Benjamin Britten
String instruments (highest to lowest)
Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, (Also harp but its both higher and lower)
Brass instruments (highest to lowest)
Trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba
Woodwinds highest to lowest
picolo, flute, clarinet, oboe, english horn, bassoon, contrabassoon.
Tempo slowest to fastest:
Grave, Largo, Adagio, Andante, Moderato, Allegro, presto, prestissimo
dynamics softest to loudest
PP (pianissimo), P (piano), MP (Mezzo Piano), MF (mezzo forte), F (forte), FF (Fortissimo)
Vocal ranges of men (lowest to highest)
Bass, Baritone, Tenor
Vocal Ranges of Women (lowest to highest)
Alto, Mezzo Soprano, Soprano