Vocabulary List for Fundamentals of Music Theory

Harmony

The combination of different musical notes played or sung simultaneously to produce a pleasing sound.

Melody

A sequence of notes that are perceived as a single entity; often the main theme of a piece of music.

Rhythm

The pattern of sounds and silences in music, created by the arrangement of notes in time.

Dynamics

The variations in loudness between notes or phrases in music, indicating how soft or loud the music should be played.

Tempo

The speed at which a piece of music is played, typically measured in beats per minute (BPM).

Scale

A series of notes in a specific order, usually ascending or descending, that serves as the basis for melodies and harmonies.

Chord

A group of notes played together, typically consisting of three or more notes that create harmony.

Notation

A system of writing music using symbols to represent pitches, rhythms, and dynamics.

Key Signature

A set of sharp or flat symbols placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate the key of a piece of music.

Interval

The distance between two pitches, measured by the number of steps between them in a scale.