Music Vocab Words all Musicians Should Know (A-Z)
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Written by Ramsey Brown.
Expanding your vocabulary is very beneficial for anyone to do. Especially if you are a musician, lyricist, or anyone wanting to know more about the music industry. The vocabulary of music has a long and rich history; in this article, we will discuss hundreds of key terms and definitions of music theory, instruments, business terms, and other basic music vocabulary for beginners and experts as well.
A)
a capella - musical performance by singer/singing group without an instrumental accompaniment
accelerando - (of direction) increasing speed
accent - a diacritical mark used to emphasize a word or give it a unique pronunciation
accidental - the musical note that indicates whether a note is flat, sharp, or natural
accompaniment - a musical part that serves as a foundation for other musical parts
agadio - another word for slowly
amplify - to increase the volume of something
analog - having a proportional output to one's input
andante - in a more slow tempo
annotation - the process of adding notes
articulation - the manner in which things are related and come together
atonal - distinguished by the avoidance of traditional diatonic scales
attack - a decisive way of starting a musical phrase or tone
audition - a performance that's meant to give a person a role (theatre play, television show, film, etc).
augmented - added to or increased in quantity or strength
B)
ballad - popularly penned narrative poem
ballet - a story told by experienced dancers in a theatrical performance
baritone - second lowest-pitched instrument in its family
baroque - ornamented style of art and music that prevailed from the 1600s to the 1750s
bass - the lowest octave of a musical scale
bass clarinet - large clarinet that has an octave range below the B-flat clarinet
bass clef - the musical symbol that places the F below middle C on the fourth line
bass drum - often called kick drum, it's a large two-headed drum instrument that has a low booming sound
basset horn - a musical instrument that's part of the clarinet family / also known as alto clarinet in F
bass guitar - plucked string instrument that was invented in the 1930s and is part of the guitar family
basso - vocal part or bass voice
bassoon - a bass instrument with a double reed (part of the oboe family)
beat - basic rhythmic unit or main accent in music and poetry
bebop - modern jazz music that originates around 1940
binary - composed of, related to, or involving two as its base
bluegrass - country music influenced by blues and jazz / it is characterized by high-pitched vocals and the virtuosic playing of guitars and banjos
blues - feelings of depression, sadness, or melancholy
C)
cadence - the end of a musical segment
calando - slowly lowering the pace and volume
canon - a piece of music in which different sections of the melody are reproduced
cantabile - flowing and smooth
carol - a happy tune
chime - a percussion instrument made up of a series of tuned bells that are pounded with a hammer; used in orchestras
chord - a set of three or more notes that work well together
chromatic - based on a semitone scale with 12 semitones
copyright - exclusive selling rights to a work
crescendo - a rise in volume over time
D)
dance - a series of rhythmical moves performed in synchronization with music
decrescendo - a progressive reduction in volume
development - a portion of a composition in which the main themes are developed
diction - the technique of articulating words such that they can be understood by others
digital - using or resembling electronic technologies
diminished - every perfect or minor interval is reduced by a semitone
duet - two singers or artists that perform together
E)
embellish - make something more attractive/beautiful
embouchure - a hole in a wind instrument that the player blows straight into
encore - an additional show due to popular demand
episode - a little segment of a work that is part of a larger series
exposition - a portion of a movement in which major musical motifs appear for the first time
F)
falsetto - unnaturally high tones in a male singing voice
finale - a musical composition's final movement
folk - the traditional and generally anonymous music that is a representation of a community's life
forte - to be played at a reasonable volume
fugue - a musical style in which a topic is repeated
G)
genre - a literary or creative effort of some type
glee - a lot of enjoyment/merriment
grave - in a dignified and solemn style or demeanor
H)
half note - a half-note is a musical note with a time value of half a whole note
harmonica - a tiny rectangular device for blowing air into
harmonious - the presence of equivalence or connection between elements
hymn - a praise song, particularly a religious song
I)
impromptu - with little or no plan or preparation
improvise - without any prior preparation
impressionistic - pertaining to or relying on a gut feeling rather than evidence or logic
indie - not associated with a big record label/company
interlude - a period or episode in between
intermission - a period of time during which an activity or event is put on hold
interpretation - in an artistic performance, the act of conveying something
interval - the disparity between two notes in pitch
intonation - the practice of singing in a monotone voice
J)
jingle - a brief, snappy, and frequently humorous stanza or song
K)
key - a musical piece's tonal structure which is provided by the diatonic scale
keyboard - a collection of levers that can be pressed on a piano or a computer
L)
largo - gradually and broadly
leading tone - the diatonic scale's seventh note
leitmotif - a musical phrase that goes with a person or a circumstance
libretto - the words of a musical performance or opera
ligature - a set of notes that's connected by a slur
lyric - having or related to musical drama
lyrical - appropriate for or implying singing
M)
madrigal - a solo part song for a group of voices
maestro - a supremely talented artist
major - a mode or a scale
masterpiece - a creative artist's or craftsman's most spectacular work
medley - a musical composition that's made up of a number of songs
melodic - characterized by or containing a nice song or sound
melody - a series of sounds that produce a distinct pattern
meter - rhythm as determined by the dividing of time into equal portions
MIDI - a common protocol enabling electronic musical instruments and computers to communicate
minor - a mode or a scale
modern - a feature of contemporary art, music, and literature
modulation - a musical passage that switches from one key to the next
monotone - a constant intonation
motif - a musical topic that is repeated or developed throughout the work
N)
natural - a notation that makes a previous sharp or flat disappear
notation - a set of symbols used to represent specific things in a technical system
O)
octave - an eight-tone musical interval
opus - a piece of music that has been composed
oratorio - a piece of music for voices and orchestra
orchestra - a musical ensemble made up of instrumentalists
ornament - anything that is utilized to make something more beautiful
overture - orchestral music that is played at the beginning of a musical or opera
P)
pan - make a broad movement
pastiche - a musical composition that includes series of songs
phrase - a brief musical interlude
pitch - a sound's high or poor quality
playback - the act of recreating a sound that has been recorded
pop - innovative and appealing to a broad audience
posture - the way the body and its limbs are arranged
prelude - music that comes before a fugue or opens an opera act
program - an announcement of what will happen during a public event
progression - a forward movement
pulse - rhythmically expand and contract
Q)
quadruple - containing four components or parts
quarter note - a quarter note is a musical note with the time value of a full note
R)
range - the range of possibilities for something's effectiveness
recital - music or dance performance, especially by soloists
recorder - recording studio equipment
refrain - a section of a song or lyric that repeats itself on a regular basis
resolution - a consonant chord is played after a discordant chord in music
resonance - the quality of having a deep, booming sound
resonate - make a clear, deep sound
rhythm - period of time in which a recurrent sequence occurs
romantic - expressing or enthralling affection
S)
score - a musical composition in textual form
sequence - a musical motif repeated numerous times in different keys
sing - make tones using your voice
slur - play legato or smoothly
solo - a piece of music for one voice or instrument
song - a brief musical piece that includes words
suite - a musical piece made up of multiple unrelated movements
symphony - a sonata for orchestra that is long and difficult
T)
tempo - the rate at which a composition should be performed
texture - the musical pattern generated when components are played in unison
theme - a musical composition's melodic subject
trio - a group of three comparable items regarded as a single entity
U)
ukulele - a four-stringed miniature guitar
unison - two or more sounds/tones in octaves/at the same pitch
V)
variation - a modified version of a musical theme that is repeated
vibration - the act of quickly shifting back and forth
vibrato - a pulsing effect in an instrumental/vocal tone caused by small, rapid pitch changes
virtuoso - a musician who is a true master of their own craft
vocal - music for one or more vocalists, frequently accompanied by musical accompaniment
voice - the sound produced by the vocal folds vibrating
volume - the size of a sound wave in a specific direction
W)
whistle - a sound produced by something moving quickly
X)
xylophone - a mallet-played percussion instrument with wooden bars
Y)
y-cord - a cable with three connectors so that one output may be sent to two inputs
Z)
zero ring - a thin "donut" shaped ring made out of plastic. They are placed around the perimeter of the drums to control overtones or unwanted resonance. Also called 'O-ring'.
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