The Notes
Flat  |
The sign that indicates a pitch one half step lower than the written note it precedes |
Sharp  |
The sign that indicates a pitch one half step higher than the written note it precedes |
Natural  |
A note unaltered by a sharp or flat |
| Enharmonic | Tones that are the same, but are named differently (i.e. D sharp and E flat) |
| Grace Note | An ornamental note written and played just before the note it precedes |
Sections
| Woodwind | The family of instruments in which sound is produced by the vibration of reeds.
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| Percussion | A family of instruments whose sound is produced by striking one object with another | ||
| Brass | The family of instruments made of metal | ||
Performance Style
| Andante | Slow tempo | Molto | A large amount |
| Legato | Connected and smooth | Poco | A small amount |
Dynamic Variance |
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| f. | forte | Loud |
| p. | piano | Soft |
| cresc. | crescendo | To gradually get louder |
| dim. | diminuendo | To gradually get softer |
| sfz. | sforzando | A sudden and strong accent |
Tempo Variance |
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| Robato | Freely with respect to tempo |
| Rallentando | To slow down |
| Retard | To slow down drastically |
| Allegro | A fast tempo |
Time
| Tempo | The speed of the beat of a composition |
| Time Signature | A notational device used to indicate the meter |
| Cut time | Another name for 2-2 time |
| Metronome | A device that gives you beats per measure |
Key
| Key Signature | Tells which notes to play sharp or flat |
| Modulation | Change of key within a composition |
| Transposing | Instruments that necessitate written different than sounding notes |
Music, Staff, Accents, and Terms
| Phrase | A group of notes that make a tune |
| Melody | A complete musical thought, a musical sentence |
| Barline | A vertical line in music notation that divides one measure from another |
| Measure | The space between two adjacent barlines |
| Downbeat | The first and strongest beat of a measure |
| Syncopation | Accent on the up-beat |
| Tuning | The process of pitch-adjustment |
Notations
| Accent | Extra emphasis on a note or beat |
| Dot | In rhythmic notation, a mark following a note to increase its duration by one half |
| Staccato | Short, separated notes |
Fermata  |
To hold the note longer than its written worth |
| Tie | A notational device used to combine the value of two adjacent notes |
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Repeat the previous measure |
| DS | Go back to the sign |
| DC | Go back to the beginning |
| Coda | A final or concluding passage |
| Fine | An ending |
| Treble Clef | Bass Clef |
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