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Dictionary of Musical Terms
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Music theory terms
Basic concepts
baritone
bass
broken chord
chord
chord progression
consonance
counterpoint
dissonance
dominant
harmony
interval
intonation
key
major chord
major second
major seventh
major sixth
major third
major triad
melody
minor chord
minor second
minor seventh
minor sixth
minor third
minor triad
mode
musical notation
oeuvre | repertoire
octave
perfect fifth
perfect fourth
perfect unison
pitch
polyphony
power-chord
rest
rhythm
riff
root note
scale
scale degree
semitone
soprano
staccato
subject | theme
syncopation
tempo
tenor
timbre
treble
triad
triplet
tritone
tune
tuplet
whole tone
Notation
adagio
allegro
alto clef
andante
augmented interval
bar line
bass clef
C-clefs
clef
crotchet
crotchet rest
diminished interval
dotted note
double bar
F-clefs
flat | ♭
fortississimo | fff
G-clefs
key signature
minim
minim rest
moderato
pianissimo | pp
pianississimo | ppp
piano | p
presto
quaver
quaver rest
semibreve
semibreve rest
semiquaver
semiquaver rest
sharp | ♯
sheet music
slur
stave
tablature
tenor clef
tie
time signature
treble clef
Modes and scales
Aeolian mode
chromatic scale
diatonic scale
Dorian mode
heptatonic scale
Ionian mode
Lydian mode
major scale
minor scale
Mixolydian mode
pentatonic scale
Phrygian mode
Structure of a piece
bar
break
bridge (section)
chorus | refrain
interlude
movement
section
verse
Musical forms
aria
atonal
cantata
coda
concerto
fugue
musical theatre | musical film
opera
operetta
oratorio
orchestra
overture
prelude
scherzo
sonata
symphony
Genres
blues
choral music
church music
classical music
country
folk
heavy metal
jazz
popular music | pop
rock
Representatives
Bach
Beethoven
Chopin
Haydn
Mozart
Schubert
Tchaikovsky
Wagner
Instruments and techniques
Instruments
acoustic guitar
amplifier
arpeggiator
bass guitar
bassoon
body
bore
bowed instrument
brass instrument
bridge
cello
china
choir
clarinet
classical guitar
clavichord
contrabass
cowbell
crash
cymbal
distortion
drum
drum kit
drumhead
drumstick
electric guitar
Fender
floor tom
flute
French horn
fret
fretboard
fuzz
Gibson
guitar
Hammond organ
harp
harpsichord
headstock
hi-hat
humbucker
idiophone
kick drum
lap steel guitar
Les Paul
Leslie speaker
metronome
microphone
neck
oboe
organ
overdrive
P-90
pedal steel guitar
pedalboard
percussion instrument
piano
pick
pick-up
pick-up selector switch
PRS Guitars
quartet
reed
ride cymbal
saxophone
snare drum
steel bar | slide bar
Stratocaster
string
string gauge
string instrument
string saddle
string section
synthesiser
Telecaster
tom-tom | tom
tremolo arm
trombone
trumpet
truss rod
tuba
tune-o-matic
upright piano
violin
vocal
wah-wah pedal
woodwind instrument
Techniques
arpeggio
bending
glissando
hammer-on
legato
palm mute
pizzicato
pull-off
unison
vibrato
whammy
Scientific theory terms
acoustic environment
amplitude
bandwidth (Q)
centre frequency
decibel (dB)
distortion
dynamic range
enharmonic note
equalisation
frequency range
fundamental frequency
harmonic
harmonic series
hertz
inharmonic partial
inharmonicity
noise floor
overtone
partial
proximity effect
reverberation
stereo
total harmonic distortion
Recording and postproduction terms
1176 Peak Limiter
ambience
analog recording
attack time
auxiliary send
bell filter
bidirectional microphone
capacitor microphone | condenser microphone
cardioid microphone
clipping
close miking
compression
compressor
control room
DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)
dbx
de-essing
dead room
digital console
digital recording
direct box | DI box
direct sound
distant miking
Distressor
dry signal
dynamic microphone
equaliser | EQ
fader
filter
graphic equaliser
high-pass filter | HP
hypercardioid microphone
limiter
live room
low-pass filter | LP
make-up gain
mastering
mic | mike
microphone
mix
mixdown
mixing console
omnidirectional microphone
overhead microphones
parametric equaliser
phantom power
plug-in
preamplifier
ratio
recording engineer
release time
reverb
ribbon microphone
room microphone
shelf filter
sidechain
stereo image
subcardioid microphone
supercardioid microphone
threshold
track
unidirectional microphone
volume unit (VU) meter
wet signal
XLR connector
Slang terms
axe
amp
eq
Contact
Sources
Dictionary of Musical Terms
subject | theme
/ˈsʌbdʒɪkt/
/
θiːm/
S
291
noun
temat
A recognisable
melody
that constitutes a basis for the composition.
See also:
riff
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