Guitar Terms

Accelerando

A change of tempo meaning to gradually get faster.

Accent

Emphasis given to a note or beat resulting in an increase of volume.

Accidental

A symbol placed to the left of a notehead that alters the pitch by a half step.

Accompaniment

The background part(s) to a melody, usually played as chords.

Action

Distance from the string to the fretboard.

Adagio

A tempo indication meaning slow.

Allegretto

A tempo indication meaning on the fast side, but not too fast.

Allegro

A tempo indication meaning fast and cheerful.

Anacrusis

An incomplete measure consisting of one or more notes at the beginning of a piece or section of music; also called pick-up notes.

Anchor

A finger that can stay on the same note for an extended period of time while other fingers move to their notes.

Andante

A tempo indication meaning on the slow side, but not too slow.

Andantino

A tempo indication meaning somewhat faster than andante.

Anular

The third finger of the right hand used in playing fingerstyle.

Augmented

A type of chord indicated by a capital letter (root) followed by a “+”.

Ballad

A folk song with narrative lyrics.

Bar

Left-hand fingering technique in which one finger presses more than one string.

Bar line

A vertical line used to separate one measure from another.

Bass

The lowest sounding notes in a musical composition.

Bass clef

A sign placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate a pitch range to be read by lower pitched instruments.

Beat

A steady recurring pulse.

Beam

A line connecting two eighth-note stems.

Chord

Two or more notes played at the same time or played in quick succession with each note continuing to sustain.

Chord diagram

A grid representing a four-fret portion of the fretboard representing what chord is to be played, the root, which left-hand fingers are to be used, what frets to place them on, which strings are played open, and which strings are silent.

Chord root

The letter name of the chord and the pitch that the chord is named after.

Circle of Fifths

A visual presentation of all major keys set a fifth or fourth apart from one another.

Clef

-A sign placed at the beginning of a staff to indicate the pitch range of a particular staff.

Common time

Written as a 'C', meaning 4/4 time.

Cuatro

The fourth finger of the right hand used in playing fingerstyle. This finger is rarely used.

Diminished

A type of chord indicated by a capital letter (root) followed by an “O”.

Dominant

The name of the fifth note in a major or minor scale. Also, the name of a seventh chord created from this note.

Down strum

A pick or finger sweeping across the strings in a downward motion.

Downbeat

The pulse or beat.

Downpick

A pick striking a string in a downward motion.

Duet

A musical piece written for two players. May also refer to two musicians playing together.

Dynamics

A variety of symbols used to indicate gradual and immediate changes in volume.

End bar line

Two vertical lines, with the second being thicker, used to designate the end of a piece of music.

Enharmonic equivalents

Two notes that have the same pitch but a different name (F# and G flat).

Fermata

A symbol meaning to hold the specified note/chord indefinitely.

Fingerboard

The neck of the guitar. Also called a fretboard.

Fingerstyle

A method of playing the strings with the right hand fingers.

Flat

Symbol placed before a pitch to lower it by one half step.

Folk song

Music belonging to the people of a particular region or country.

Forte

A dynamic indication meaning loud; strong.

Fortissimo

A dynamic indication meaning very loud; very strong.

Free stroke

A method of plucking a string with a fingertip, without making contact with adjacent strings.

Fret

A metal wire running across the fingerboard used to separate half steps on each string.

Fret markers

Dots or other markings on the fingerboard or side of the neck used to identify certain frets (usually the third, fifth, seventh, tenth, twelfth, etc.).

Fretboard

The neck of the guitar. Also called a fretboard.

Full bar

All six strings are covered by the first finger.

Glissando (Gliss)

A sliding effect whereby a left-hand finger slides from one fret to another on the same string.

Grave

A tempo indication meaning very slow.

Guide finger

A finger that stays on the same string but moves to a different fret.

Half-bar

Strings one, two, and three are covered by one finger.

Half step

The distance between one note and a second note located one fret higher or lower on the fingerboard.

Indice

The first finger of the right hand used in playing fingerstyle.

Interval

The distance between two notes.

Key signature

The sharps or flats placed after a clef indicating the collection of notes (key) used in the piece of music.

Larghetto

A tempo indication meaning somewhat faster than largo.

Largo

A tempo indication meaning very slow and wide or spacious.

Lead sheet

An abbreviated notation style that includes a melody with chord symbols.

Ledger line

A short staff line or lines placed above or below the staff to extend its range beyond the five lines.

Lento

A tempo indication meaning very slow.

Major

A type of chord indicated by a capital letter (root).

Major scale

A pattern of whole steps and half steps: W,W,H,W,W,W,H, and starting and ending on the same pitch.

Measure

The space between two bar lines used to include the number of beats indicated by the time signature.

Measure repeat sign

(%) A symbol directing the musician to repeat the preceding measure.

Medio

The second finger of the right hand used in playing fingerstyle.

Melody

An organized collection of notes that may be sung or played on an instrument and is considered to be the focal point of the piece. A singable tune.

Metronome

A device used to establish a tempo.

Mezzo forte

A dynamic indication meaning medium loud; medium strong.

Mezzo piano

A dynamic indication meaning medium soft.

Minor

A type of chord indicated by a capital letter (root) and a lower-case “m”.

Minor scale

Starts on the 6th note of a major scale and shares the same key signature.

Moderato

A tempo indication meaning moderate tempo.

Musical alphabet

A, B, C, D, E, F, G

Musical staff

Five horizontal lines used to indicate how high or low a pitch is.

Natural

A symbol placed to the left of a note canceling a sharp or a flat that is otherwise indicated.

Notehead

A solid or hollow oval shape used to indicate rhythmic duration (quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, etc.).

Octave

The distance between two notes that share the same letter name and that are eight letter names apart.

Open string

A string played without the left hand pressing on a fret.

Palm mute

(P.M.)Playing with the right side of the right hand as it rests across the saddle.

Parallel

A major and a minor key that share the same starting note.

Partial-bar

Two or three strings covered by one finger.

Pavan

A court dance from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Pedal tones

Repeated notes around which other parts move.

Pianissimo

A dynamic indication meaning very soft.

Piano

A dynamic indication meaning soft.

Pick

A piece of shaped plastic held in the right hand and used to strike a string or strings.

Pick up note(s)

Anacrusis

Pickstyle

-A method of playing the strings with a pick held in the right hand.

Pitch

The highness or lowness of a musical sound.

Piú allegro

A change of tempo meaning faster.

Piú lento

A change of tempo meaning slower.

Pluck

To produce a sound on a string using a right hand fingertip.

Polyphonic

Many sounds. The guitar is capable of producing multiple parts simultaneously.

Position

A four finger to four fret relationship which is named after the fret that the first finger occupies.

Power chord

A chord made of two notes the interval of a 5th apart. They are named by the root and the suffix 5 (E5, F5, G5, etc.).

Prestissimo

A tempo indication meaning very fast.

Presto

A tempo indication meaning quick and fast.

Pulgar

The thumb of the right hand used in playing fingerstyle.