AP Music Composition (copy)

Staff

The set of five horizontal lines and four spaces that represent different pitches in music notation.

Staff Lines

The five lines that comprise the staff, used to indicate different musical pitches.

Spaces

The areas between the lines of the staff, which also represent different pitches.

Clef

A symbol placed at the beginning of the staff to indicate the pitch of the notes.

Treble Clef

A clef used for higher-pitched instruments and voices.

Ledger Lines

Short horizontal lines used to extend the staff to accommodate notes that fall outside its range.

Key Signature

A pattern of sharps or flats indicated at the beginning of the staff, defining the key of the music.

Time Signature

A notation that indicates the rhythm and meter of the music.

Note

A symbol that represents a pitch in music.

Interval

The distance between two pitches.

Chord

A group of three or more notes played simultaneously.

Quarter Note

A note that receives one quarter of a whole note's duration.

Dot (in notation)

A symbol used to extend the duration of a note by half of its original value.

Tempo

The speed at which a piece of music is performed.

Rests

Symbols indicating a pause or a lack of sound in music.

Meter

The pattern of strong and weak beats in music.

Accidental

A symbol that indicates a sharp or flat pitch, altering the note's pitch.

Fermata

A symbol that indicates to hold a note for longer than its usual duration.

Articulation

The way in which notes are played, such as staccato or legato.

Dynamics

The volume of a piece of music, indicating how loudly or softly it should be played.

Scale

A sequence of notes in ascending or descending order, following a specific pattern.

Ties

Curved lines connecting two or more notes together, indicating they should be played as a single note.

Major Scale

A type of scale that consists of seven distinct pitches, with a specific pattern of whole and half steps.

Minor Scale

A scale that typically has a darker sound, also following a specific pattern of whole and half steps.

Chromatic Scale

A scale consisting of all twelve pitches within an octave, each a half step apart.

Accidentals

Symbols such as sharps, flats, and naturals that alter the pitch of a note.

Whole Note

A note that receives the duration of four beats.

Half Note

A note that receives the duration of two beats.

Eighth Note

A note that receives the duration of one-eighth of a whole note.

Dynamic Markings

Symbols indicating the volume level at which music should be played.

Chord Symbols

Notation used to indicate harmony, typically in a simplified form.

Diminished Chord

A chord composed of three notes, including a root, a minor third, and a diminished fifth.

Augmented Chord

A chord formed by a root, a major third, and an augmented fifth.

Accent

A notation indicating that a note should be played with more emphasis.

Legato

A style of playing where notes are played smoothly and connected.

Staccato

A style of playing where notes are played sharply and detached.

Whole Rest

A rest that lasts for the duration of a whole note.

Half Rest

A rest that lasts for the duration of a half note.

Quarter Rest

A rest that lasts for the duration of a quarter note.

Time Signatures

Notations indicating how many beats are in each measure of music.