Vocabulary

Staff: A graph of 5 lines and 4 spaces on which music is written.

Pitch: The highness or lowness of musical sound.

Treble Clef: Generally refers to pitches above middle C.

Bass Clef: Generally refers to pitches below middle C.

Grand Staff: Two or more staves grouped together.

Barlines: Vertical lines that divide the staff into smaller sections.

Measures: The smaller divided sections of a staff.

Double Barlines

•(Two thin lines.) The end of a section in a musical score.

•(One thin line followed by one thick line.) The end of the music.

Repeat Sign: A symbol (two dots on top of each other followed by a thin line and a thick line) that indicates a section of the music is to be performed again.

Da Capo: An indication to play from the start of the song or movement. Da capo is commonly seen abbreviated in the commands D.C. al coda and D.C. al fine.

Dal Segno: Abbreviated D.S., it means “from the [segno] sign,” and is part of a system of complex musical repeats. D.S. al coda, meaning “from the segno to the coda.”

Coda: An oval-shaped musical symbol with oversized crosshairs, used to organize complex musical repetitions. The Italian phrase al coda instructs a musician to move immediately to the next coda, and can be seen in the commands dal segno al coda and da capo al coda.

Rhythm: The duration of musical notes and rests.

Beat: A steadily recurring pulse.

Time Signature: A numeric symbol that indicates how many beats per measure and what note receives the beat.

4/4: Four beats per measure: Quarter note receives the beat

3/4: Three beats per measure: Quarter note receives the beat

2/4: Two beats per measure: Quarter note receives the beat

Quarter Note: A note that is sung for one beat.

Quarter Rest: Stop singing for one beat.

Half Note: A note that is sung for two beats.

Half Rest: Stop singing for two beats.

Dotted-Half Note: A note that is sung for three beats.

Dotted-Half Rest: Stop singing for three beats.

Whole Note: A note that is sung for four beats.

Whole Rest: Stop singing for four beats.

Eighth Note: A note that is sung for 1/2 a beat.

Eighth Rest: Stop singing for 1/2 a beat.

Key: A group of notes upon which a scale is based.

Key Signature: Located between the clef and the time signature, it identifies the number of sharps or flats in a scale.

Key Note: First and last pitch of a scale.

Scales: A series of eight notes (alphabetical order) that go in an ascending and descending order, with the first and last note of the scale being the same note name an octave apart.

Piano Pianissimo (ppp): As soft as possible.

Pianissimo (pp): Very soft.

Piano (p): Soft.

Mezzo Piano (mp): Medium soft.

Mezzo Forte (mf): Medium loud.

Forte (f): Loud.

Fortissimo (ff): Very loud.

Forte Fortissimo (fff): As loud as possible.

Decrescendo: Gradually become softer.

Crescendo: Gradually become louder.

Staccato: Notes that are played shorter, sharper, and not connected to the next note.

Legato: Smooth and connected.

Marcato: Most commonly seen as a symbol (>) written above notes on the staff to mark them with emphasis.

Soprano: The highest female singing voice.

Alto: The lowest female singing voice.

Tenor: The highest male singing voice.

Bass: The lowest male singing voice.

Solfege: Sight singing pitches within a scale using Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do.