Music Terms

Timbre

The peculiar quality of a tone as sounded by a given instrument or voice; indicates the difference between two tones of the same pitch, duration, and dynamic level.

Dynamics

Words or signs indicating degrees or changes in loudness.

Pitch

Refers to the high-low quality of a musical sound, determined by the frequency of the tone vibrations per second (measured in hertz).

Rhythm

Patterns formed in music specifically by the duration (long-short) of the sound.

Tempo

The speed of the beat in music, measured in beats per minute (BPM).

BPM

Beats per minute; a unit of measure for tempo in music.

Melody

A succession of musical tones forming a line of individual significance and expressive value.

Harmony

Tones sounded simultaneously providing a vertical aspect to music.

Form

The scheme of organization that determines the basic structure of a composition.

Texture

The horizontal and vertical relationships of musical materials, referring to the density of the music.