Music Theory: Key Concepts and Terminology for Students

Accidental

The raising or lowering of a note by a symbol (sharp, flat, or natural)

Chord

Three or more pitches sounding at once

Clef

A symbol which establishes the exact pitches of the lines and spaces on a staff

Consonance

Musically stable and at rest, such as when a phrase ends

Dissonance

Musically unstable and at unrest, creating a desire to resolve

Dynamic

The loudness or softness of a sound

Enharmonic

Equivalent to a note with a different name. Ex: F# = G flat

Form

The division / organization of any piece of music into shorter sections

Harmony

Two or more pitches sounding at the same time. A vertical element

Interval

The distance between two notes

Ledger lines

Lines used to notate pitches above or below a standard staff

Melodic sequence

Immediate restatement of a melody at a higher or lower pitch

Melody

A group of pitches sounding one after another. A horizontal element

Microtones

Intervals of less than a half-step

Motive

A short musical idea

Pitch

The highness or lowness of a sound based on frequency

Rhythm

Organization of sound in time

Scale degree

Numbered name of a note within a scale

Solfege

Assigning a syllable to a pitch within a scale

Staff

Set of five horizontal lines which represents pitch (staves is the plural form)

Syncopation

Interruption or disturbance of regular flow of rhythm

System

Two or more staves connected by bar lines or braces and played simultaneously together

Tempo

The rate of the pulse, often expressed in beats per minute

Tie

A notation which combines the duration of more than one note

Timbre

The tone or unique quality of a sound (aka "tone color")

Transposition

The rewriting or performance of music into a different key

Unison

Two notes simultaneously sounding at the same pitch