A
[noun]
the musical pitch A, which is a specific note in the diatonic scale commonly used in Western music
Music - Musical Notation
Here you will learn some English words related to musical notation such as "sharp", "fermata", and "glissando".
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whole note
[noun]
a musical note that is held or sustained for the duration of four beats in 4/4 time, typically denoted by an open oval shape
Ex:
The
brass section
sustained
a
whole note
,
adding
richness
to
the
orchestral
texture
.
double whole note
[noun]
a square-shaped notehead with no stem or flags representing a note duration equivalent to four whole notes in Western music
key
[noun]
a set of notes based on a particular note that form the tonal basis of a musical passage
Ex:
The
song
's
melody
was
centered
around
the
tonic
note
of
the
key
,
providing
a
sense
of
stability
.
middle C
[noun]
the C note situated approximately in the middle of the piano keyboard, often serving as a reference point for pitch
Ex:
natural
[noun]
a symbol that cancels the effect of a sharp or flat, restoring the pitch of a note to its original state
Ex:
The
pianist
carefully
marked
the
score
with
naturals
to
clarify
the
pitch
of
certain
notes
.
octave
[noun]
the interval between the first and the last notes in eight diatonic degrees
Ex:
The
song
's
bridge
included
a
challenging
octave
jump
for
the
lead
vocalist
.
chord
[noun]
three or more musical notes that form a harmony when played together
Ex:
He
practiced
changing
from
one
chord
to
another
smoothly
.
double sharp
[noun]
a musical symbol that indicates the raising of a note by two half steps or two semitones, equivalent to the same note as a natural but two half steps higher
half note
[noun]
a note symbol that represents a duration equal to half the value of a whole note, typically lasting for two beats in 4/4 time
Ex:
In
the
sheet music
,
the
composer
marked
the
half note
with
a
hollow
oval
shape
.
half step
[noun]
the smallest interval used in Western music, equal to the distance between two adjacent notes on a keyboard or fretboard
fermata
[noun]
a musical symbol placed over a note or rest to indicate that it should be held longer than its normal duration
dot
[noun]
a small round symbol in written music indicating augmentation of time by one half or staccato
double bar
[noun]
a pair of upright lines in written music marking the end of a composition or a main passage
quarter note
[noun]
a note symbol representing a duration equal to one quarter of the value of a whole note
Ex:
She
played
the
quarter notes
with
a
steady
pulse
,
maintaining
the
tempo
throughout
the
performance
.
tonic
[noun]
the first scale degree of a diatonic scale and the primary note upon which a musical composition or section is centered
Ex:
The
composer
used
tonic
as
a
recurring
motif
throughout
the
composition
.
staff
[noun]
a set of five horizontal lines and the blank space between them on which a musical composition is written according to a pitch
ledger line
[noun]
a short line added above or below the staff to represent a note that is outside the range of the staff
bar line
[noun]
an upright line that separates the bars in written music
Ex:
The
bar line
helped
the
musicians
keep
track
of
the
rhythm
.
clef
[noun]
any of the signs written on the left-hand end of a staff indicating the pitch of the notes
Ex:
G clef
[noun]
a musical symbol that indicates the position of the G note on the staff, also known as the treble clef
C clef
[noun]
a musical symbol used to indicate the position of middle C on a staff, and is commonly used for notating the pitches of instruments such as viola, bassoon, and cello
F clef
[noun]
a musical symbol that indicates the position of the F note on the staff, also known as the bass clef
octave clef
[noun]
a musical symbol used to indicate that the written notes should be played or sung one octave higher or lower than notated
neutral clef
[noun]
a type of clef used to notate rhythms without specifying pitch, commonly for percussion instruments
tablature
[noun]
a system of musical notation used for fretted string instruments, representing finger placement on the instrument's strings and frets
Ex:
As
a
beginner
guitarist
,
she
found
tablature
easier
to
understand
than
standard
notation
.
eighth note
[noun]
a musical note symbol representing a duration equal to one eighth of the value of a whole note
Ex:
She
practiced
counting
and
playing
each
eighth note
with
precision
to
ensure
rhythmic
clarity
.
sixteenth note
[noun]
a musical note symbol representing a duration equal to one sixteenth of the value of a whole note
Ex:
He
practiced
playing
the
sixteenth note
with
metronomic
accuracy
to
ensure
rhythmic
consistency
.
thirty-second note
[noun]
a note symbol representing a duration equal to one thirty-second of the value of a whole note
Ex:
She
practiced
the
passage
of
thirty-second notes
diligently
,
gradually
increasing
her
speed
and
accuracy
.
sixty-fourth note
[noun]
a musical note symbol representing a duration equal to one sixty-fourth of the value of a whole note
Ex:
The
conductor
emphasized
the
importance
of
subdividing
the
beat
evenly
,
counting
each
group
of
sixty-fourth notes
with
precision
.
hundred twenty-eighth note
[noun]
a musical notation representing a very short duration of time, typically used in fast-paced music
two hundred fifty-sixth note
[noun]
a musical notation representing an extremely short duration of time, typically used in very fast-paced music
beam
[noun]
a horizontal line used in musical notation to connect two or more adjacent notes of the same value, indicating that they should be played as a single, continuous sound
Ex:
She
learned
how
to
draw
beams
in
her
music
theory
class
.
dotted note
[noun]
a musical note with a dot placed to the right of it, which increases its duration by half, indicating that it should be held longer than a regular note of the same value
ghost note
[noun]
a percussive note played with reduced or muted volume, often used in drumming and rhythm guitar to add subtle accents or create a syncopated feel
breath mark
[noun]
a musical notation symbol indicating where a performer should take a breath while playing or singing
caesura
[noun]
a musical notation symbol indicating a pause or break in the music, often used for dramatic or expressive effect
double flat
[noun]
a musical symbol that indicates the lowering of a note by two half steps or two semitones, equivalent to the same note as a natural but two half steps lower
alla breve
[noun]
a musical notation indicating that the music should be played with a double beat, where the half note receives one beat
tie
[noun]
a curved line written over a pair of notes of the same pitch indicating that they should be played as one note
slur
[noun]
(music) a curved line indicating smooth, connected play between notes
Ex:
The
composer
marked
the
score
with
slurs
to
indicate
the
phrasing
and
articulation
of
the
music
.
quarter tone
[noun]
a musical interval that is half the size of a semitone
Ex:
Learning
to
play
the
quarter tone
on
the
violin
required
precise
finger
placement
and
control
.
time signature
[noun]
a sign written at the beginning of a musical composition in the form of a fraction showing the number of beats in each bar
accidental
[noun]
a symbol placed before a note to indicate that it should be played higher or lower than it is written in the key signature
Ex:
The
piece
frequently
used
accidentals
to
create
chromatic
melodies
.
accent
[noun]
a musical symbol that tells performers how to emphasize or articulate a note or group of notes to add expression and dynamic contrast
marcato
[noun]
a musical term indicating that a note or passage should be played with a marked emphasis or accent
tenuto
[noun]
a musical term indicating that a note should be held for its full duration, typically marked by a horizontal line or dash above or below the note
glissando
[noun]
a musical technique that involves sliding one or more fingers or the entire hand across the keys of a piano or the strings of a stringed instrument to produce a continuous, sliding sound
arpeggio
[noun]
a musical technique where the notes of a chord are played individually in a sequence rather than simultaneously
Ex:
During
the
guitar
solo
,
the
musician
skillfully
executed
a
rapid
arpeggio
,
adding
a
dynamic
and
expressive
element
to
the
performance
.
trill
[noun]
a rapid alternation between two adjacent notes, usually a semitone or a whole tone apart
Ex:
The
trill
in
the
violin solo
showcased
the
performer
's
technical
skill
and
precision
.
grace note
[noun]
a musical ornament that is played quickly before the main note and is not essential to the harmony or melody of a piece of music
key signature
[noun]
the set of marks at the beginning of a printed piece of music, indicating the key in which the piece is played
mordent
[noun]
a musical ornament indicating a rapid alternation between a note and the note above or below it
repeat sign
[noun]
a notation symbol consisting of two vertical lines with dots or arrows, indicating that a section of music should be repeated from the beginning or a designated point
tuplet
[noun]
a notation that indicates a grouping of a specific number of notes or beats within a time value, allowing for irregular rhythms or subdivisions
note value
[noun]
the relative duration or length of a musical note or rest
Ex:
Each
note value
,
whether
it
's
a
whole note
,
half note
,
quarter note
,
or
eighth note
,
represents
a
specific
duration
within
a
musical
piece
.