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The music dictionary contains over 1,000 terms from the world of music. To find a term, use the search function at the top. Alternatively, you can use the links in the menu. Within the music dictionary, you'll find: Notes. Search for the note name, for example 'C', 'A-flat', or 'D-sharp'. Chords.
Word of the day oral tradition. Music that is passed from person to person by imitation and example rather than by written notations. Most forms of folk music are examples of oral tradition.
- Music Terms Beginning with "A"
- Music Terms Beginning with "B"
- Music Terms Beginning with "C"
- Music Terms Beginning with "D"
- Music Terms Beginning with "E"
- Music Terms Beginning with "F"
- Music Terms Beginning with "G"
- Music Terms Beginning with "H"
- Music Terms Beginning with "I"
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Accent - Articulation - Tells the musician to put emphasis or weight on the front of the note.Accelerando - Tempo Marking - Abbreviates as accel. and means to gradually increase the tempo. There is usually a tempo marking at the end of the accelerando that lets you know what tempo to reach.Accidental - Musical Symbol - This symbol modifies a note's pitch. Sharps, flats, double sharps, double flats, and natural signs are all accidentals.Accompaniment - All parts/voices other than the solo line. In this example, the trumpet is the solo line and the piano is performing the accompaniment.Ballad - Musical Form - A French term for a poem or narrative that has been set to music.Band - Ensemble - Also called a wind band or wind ensemble, this type of ensemble consists of woodwind and brass instruments.Bar - Music Theory - The term "bar" can be interchangeable with "measure." It is the smallest segment of a musical piece.Bar line - Music Theory - Barlines are used to separate bars/measures.Cadence - Music Theory - The end of a harmonic progression that creates a sense of resolution. There are several types of cadences, like a Perfect Authentic Cadence and Half Cadences. You will typi...Cadenza - Music Theory - A section of a piece (typically a solo ) where the musician performs an unaccompanied section comprised of ornamented themes from the work. This is sometimes improvised.Caesura - Musical Symbol - It is written by two lines either slashed ( // ) or upright ( | | ). It means to take a pause, typically between phrases. The duration can range from a short breath to a...Cantata - Musical Form - A vocal work with instrumental accompaniment. A cantata is made up of multiple movements.Da Capo - Musical Term - Literally translates to "from the head" and it instructs the musicians to return to the beginning or to repeat a section of music.Decrescendo - Dynamic Marking - Written below the staff, a decrescendo tells the musicians to decrease volume through the duration of the symbol.Diatonic Music Theory - A term used to describe a passage that sticks to the notes of a scale/mode without any chromatic alteration.Diminuendo - Musical Term - Sometimes abbreviated as dim., it means the musicians should decrease volume.Ensemble - Ensemble - A term for a group of musicians.Etude - Musical Form - French for "study." An Etude is a short musical piece that is written to help a musician practice a certain skill. For example, there might be an etude written to help a musi...Fermata - Musical Symbol - Often called the "birds-eye," the fermata means the musician should hold the note until the conductor gives a cutoff or cue to move on to the next beat. They can be over...Fine- Musical Term - Pronounce fee-nay, this means "end" or "finish." Usually written above a measure, it means that this measure should be the very last measure played. It is usually used in conju...Flat - Musical Symbol - A "flat" is an accidental that lets the musician know to lower the pitch by one-half step. It is written as â™.Flute - Instrument - Despite being made of metal, the flute is part of the woodwind family. It is in the key of C and has a practical range of three octaves with the bottom of the range being middl...Glissando - Articulation - A continuous slide between two notes.Grave - Musical Marking - Play in a slow, solemn, and serious style.Half-step - Music Theory - A half-step is the smallest interval in a chromatic scale. For example, imagine a piano and move from a white key to the next adjacent black key. This would be a half-step.Harmony - Music Theory - Simultaneous sounding of musical notes/pitches that produce chords that are pleasing to listen to. It is the opposite of dissonance. Some traditional harmonic intervals are...Heptatonic - Music Theory - A scale that has seven pitches per octave. This would include the Major and minor scales.Hymn - Musical Form - A religious song.Instrumentation - Music Theory - A term that refers to the selection of instruments that are playing in a piece or section.Interval - Music Theory - The distance between two pitches/notes.Intonation - Music Theory - In music, this refers to how accurate a pitch is, or how in-tune a note is.Key Signature - Musical Symbol - A key signature is a collection of accidentals that let a musician know the "key" or tonal center of a section of music. It will appear at the start of the staff ri...
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.
An excellent online music dictionary used by musicians and students everywhere. Home Resources Free Art Dictionary Artopium Shawn Alchemi. Search
4 days ago · This essential work is now available as a part of a subscription to Grove Music Online. The Oxford Dictionary of Music is the most up-to-date and accessible dictionary of musical terms available and is an essential point of reference for music students, teachers, lecturers, and professional musicians, as well as music enthusiasts.
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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.
