| Term | Definition |
| Pitch | A musical sound |
| Staff | The five lines and four spaces between them on which music is written |
| Middle C | Note in the middle of the grand staff and the c nearest the middle of the keyboard |
| Grand Staff | Bass staff and treble staff connected by a brace and a line |
| Bar Line | The lines which cross the staff and divide it into measures |
| Measure | The area between two bar lines |
| Clef | Sign that helps organize the staff so the notes can be easily read |
| Treble Clef | Clef used for notes in the higher pitch ranges |
| Bass Clef | Clef used for the notes in the lower pitch ranges |
| Ledger Line | Short lines which are added to extend the range of the staff when notes are to low or to high for the staff |
| Flat | Lowers the pitch by one half step |
| Sharp | Raises the pitch by one half step |
| Accidental | Flat, sharp, or natural sign that appears withen a piece of music. An accidental sign affects the notes written on the same line |
| Half Step | Distance from any key on the keyboard to the next key, black or white |
| Fermate | Hold the note for longer than its normal value |
| Time Signature | Appears at the beginning of the music after the clef sign. It contains two numbers. Upper number tells how many beats in a measure. Lower indiccateswhat type of note recieves each beat |
| Dynamic Signs | Indicates the volume or how soft or loud the music should be sung or played |
| Tie | Two notes on the same pitch joined together by a curved line, over or under the notes. |
| Accelerando | Gradually faster |
| Accent | Play the note louder, with a special emphasis |
| Adagio | Tempo marking meaning slow |
| Allergo | Quickly; cheerful |
| Anoante | Moving along |
| Articlation | Manner in which a note is performed |
| Diminuendo | Gradually softer |
| Largo | Very slow |
| 1st and 2nd Ending | SIng through the 1st ending to the repeat sign, then go back to the beginning |
| Leguto | Sing two or more notes smoothly connected |
| Sforzando | A sudden, strong accent |
| Stacatto | Play the note short and deattached |
| Slur | Smoothly connected two or more notes of different pitches by a curved line over or under the notes |
| Vivace | Lively and fast |
| Tenato | Hold the note for its full value |
| Coda | An adding to the end |
| D.c. Al Coda | Repeat from the beginning or to previous repeat sign |
| Repeat Sign | Return to the beginning or the previous repeat sign |
| Fine | The end |
| Enharmonic | Two notes that sound the sam but look different |
| D.c. Al Fine | Repeat from the beginning and play to the end |
| D.s. Al Fine | Repeat from the sign and play to the end |
| A capella | Singing without musical accompaniment |
| Atonal | Music that is written and performed without regard to and specific key |
| Chorale | Hyme sung by the choir and congregated after in unison |
| Chromatic Scale | Includes all twelve notes of an octave |
| Choir | A group of singers |
| Contabile | Style of singing which is characterized by the easy and flowing tone of the composition |
| Duet | Piece of music written for two people or instruments |
| Falsetto | Style of made singing where by partion use of the vocal chords, the voice is able to reach the pitch of a female |
| Dissonance | Harsh; discordant; lack of harmons |
| Polyphony | Combining a number of individual but harmonizing melodies: also known as counter point |
| Phrase | Single line of music played or sung |
| Vibrato | Creating variation pitch in a note by quickly alternating between two notes |
| Tune | Rythmic succession of musical tones, a melody for instruments and voices |