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Quasi: An Italian term meaning “almost” or “as if,” often used in musical directions, e.g., “quasi recitativo” means “like a recitative.”. Quaver: Another term for an eighth note, primarily used in British English. Quintet: A group of five musicians or singers, or a piece of music written for such a group.
Sep 25, 2024 · Adagio. Adagio (Italian for “at ease”) indicates a slow pace or tempo (see other pace examples in Tempo). Allegro and Presto are the opposite music terminology. Allegro. Allegro (Italian for “cheerful”) is a fast, upbeat music tempo. Adagio is the opposite music terminology. Ballet.
Music TermsMusic Terminology Terms ExplainedAccentA specific note is emphasized above other ...AccidentalAccidentals indicate notes that are ...AdagioAdagio (Italian for “at ease”) indicates ...AllegroAllegro (Italian for “cheerful”) is a ...comping (jazz) 1. to comp; action of accompanying. con. With; used in very many musical directions, for example con allegrezza (with liveliness), con calma (calmly lit.'with calm'); (see also col and colla) con dolcezza. See dolce. con sordina or con sordine (plural) With a mute, or with mutes.
- 12 Bar Blues
- A Capella
- Accelerando
- Acoustic
- Adagio
- Arco
- Arpeggio
- Articulation
- Ballad
- Bar
12 bar blues is one of the most common chord progressions in popular music and the most common one in the blues genre. The number 12 refers to the number of measures, or bars. Example of a 12 bar blues progression in the key of A:
Music performed without instrumental background. A capella is often performed with multiple voices with a choir but can be sung by a single singer as well. The word ‘a capella’ comes from Italian and means ‘in the style of the chapel’.
Accelerando is a term for the change of tempo where the composition is played at an increasing tempo. In other words, the tempo of the song or composition speeds up until the next tempo marking.
Acoustics is a wide concept with different meanings depending on what is referred to. Generally acoustics refers to the quality of sounds and the sonic qualities of a space, such as a concert hall. Acoustic music consists of instruments that don’t use electronics to produce the sound. These include the acoustic guitar and bass as well as drums, pia...
Adagio is one of the basic tempo markings, indicating that the composition is played at a slow speed.
Arco is a term used in music to indicate that a stringed instrument should be played with a bow rather than plucked with your fingers. A good example is the difference between strumming a guitar and playing a violin.
Arpeggio, also known as a broken chord, means that the notes of a chord are played in an ascending or descending order. The notes in an arpeggio can include only the chord’s notes in an ascending or descending order played back to back, or the notes can be played up and down. An example of a technique used to play arpeggios on a guitar is known as ...
In music, articulation refers to how individual notes are played. It’s like the musical equivalent of pronunciation. Articulation techniques, such as legato and staccato, are used to produce different sounds and effects.
Ballads aren’t necessarily songs and the definition of a ballad has changed throughout the centuries. However, today in music a ballad is a slow and often highly emotional form of narrative song. Common themes of ballads are love, loss and longing, making them often sad and sentimental at least in modern popular music. The AABA song structure is al...
A bar is the unit used to indicate how many beats are in a single segment of music. Bar is a synonym of measure.
Music is its own language, and it can be confusing. That’s why we’re creating this glossary of music terms. From basic terms like ‘melody’ and ‘rhythm’ to more complex ones like ‘negative harmony,’ we break things down in a way that’s easy to understand.
Feb 17, 2022 · Canon. A canon is a piece of music in which one melody is played by a group of instruments or musicians or vocalists and the same melody is repeated on a delay by a different group of instruments. This overlapping musical structure makes for a unique sonic experience. One of the most famous canon's is Pachelbel's Canon.
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Mar 29, 2018 · Syncopation. A disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of downbeat rhythm with emphasis on the subdivision or off-beat. Observe this excerpt of music. Now look at the same excerpt wit the beats drawn in and notice all of the notes being played outside of the beat (on the off-beat).
