 | Term | Definition |
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Authentic Cadence |
A V-I cadence (minor, V-i) |
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Cadence |
A closing or ending for a phrase of music, made up of 2 or more chords |
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Chromatic Scale |
A scale containing all twelve notes, with half-steps between all notes |
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Dominant Seventh |
A four note chord made up of a Major triad, and a minor 7th above the root. |
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First Inversion |
A triad written with the third as the lowest note |
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Half Cadence |
A cadence which ends with the V chord |
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Interval |
The distance between 2 notes, named with numbers |
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Inversion |
The distance between 2 notes, named with numbers |
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Key Signature |
The sharps or flats at the beginning of a piece of music |
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Plagal Cadence |
A IV-I cadence (more, iv-i) |
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Primary triads |
The I, IV, and V chords (in minor, i, iv, and V) |
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Root Position |
triad written in a position so that the note which names it is the lowest |
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Scale |
A series of notes in alphabetical order |
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Tonic |
I |
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Supertonic |
ii |
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Mediant |
iii |
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Subdominant |
IV |
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Dominant |
V |
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Submediant |
vi |
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Leading Tone |
vii diminished |
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Second Inversion |
A triad written with the fifth note the lowest |
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Secondary Triads |
the ii, iii, vi, and vii diminished chords (minor, ii diminished, III augumented, VI, and vii diminished) |
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Triad |
A chord with three different notes in it |
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A tempo |
Return to the original tempo |
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Accent |
Play the note louder than the others |
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Accelerando |
Accelerate |
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Accidentals |
Sharps, flats, or naturals written before the notes |
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Adagio |
Slowly |
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Allegro |
Fast or quick |
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Allegretto |
Slightly slower than Allegro, faster than Andante |
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Andante |
A moderate walking tempo |
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Andantino |
Slightly faster than Andante |
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Animato |
Animated |
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Appoggiatura |
Play the first note as half the value of the second note |
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Arpeggio |
A continuous broken chord |
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Cantabile |
In singing style |
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Con Brio |
With vigor or spirit |
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Con Moto |
With Motion |
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Crescendo |
Gradually louder |
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D.C al Fine |
Go back to the beginning of the beginning of the piece, and play until the word Fine |
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Damper Pedal |
Press the pedal located on the right |
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Decrescendo |
Gradually softer |
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Dolce |
Sweetly |
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Doloroso |
Sadly |
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Double Flat |
2 flats placed before a note |
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Double Sharp |
An x before a note |
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Dynamics |
Letters or symbols which tell how loudly or softly to play the music |
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Enharmonic |
2 different names for the same pitch |
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Espressivo |
Expressively |
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Forte |
Loud |
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Fortissimo |
Very loud |
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Fortississimo |
Very, very loud |
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Forte-piano |
Loud followed immediately by soft |
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Fermata |
Hold the note longer than its value |
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Largo |
Very slowly |
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Legato |
Play smoothly; connect the notes |
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Leggiero |
Lightly, delicately |
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Lento |
Slowly |
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Marcato |
Stressed, marked |
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Mezzo Forte |
Medium loud |
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Mezzo Piano |
Medium soft |
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Moderato |
A Moderate or medium tempo |
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Molto |
Much |
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Mordent |
An ornament in which the written note is played, followed by the note below the written note and the written note again |
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Octave Sign |
Play the notes an octave higher |
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Parallel Major/minor |
Major and minor keys with the same letter names |
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Piano |
Soft |
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Pianissimo |
Very soft |
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Pianississimo |
Very, very soft |
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Phrase |
A musical sentence |
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Presto |
Very fast |
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Poco |
Little |
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Rallentando |
Gradually slower |
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Ritardando |
Slow down gradually |
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Robusto |
Robustly |
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Scherzando |
Playfully |
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Sforzando |
A sudden sharp accent |
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Simile |
Continue in the same style |
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Spiritoso |
Spirited |
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Sostenuto |
Sustained |
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Staccato |
Play crisply or detached |
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Subito |
Suddenly |
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Syncopation |
A momentary contradiction of the meter or pulse, often by changing strong and weak beats within a measure |
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Tempo |
The speed at which to play the music |
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Tenuto |
Play the note slightly louder than the others |
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Tranquillo |
Tranquilly |
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Tre Corda |
Release the Una Corda pedal |
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Trill |
An ornament in which you play the note above the note and then the written note and back and forth. In the Romantic Period, you start on the given note |
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Turn |
An ornament in which the written note is surrounded by its upper and lower neighbors |
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Una Corda |
Press the pedal located on the left (middle in upright pianos) |
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Vivace |
Quick |
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Vivo |
Brisk, lively |
