Music Vocabulary

What is Tempo?

The speed of the music.

What are Dynamics?

The loudness or softness of the music.

What is Pitch?

How high or low a musical sound is.

What is Rhythm?

The pattern of sounds and silences in music.

What is a Staff?

The five horizontal lines and four spaces on which musical notes are written.

What is the Treble Clef?

A symbol for higher-pitched instruments, showing the position of G above middle C.

What is the Bass Clef?

A symbol for lower-pitched instruments, showing the position of F below middle C.

What is a Whole Note?

A symbol representing a sound that lasts for four beats.

What is a Quarter Note?

A symbol representing a sound that lasts for one beat.

What does Forte (f) mean?

A dynamic marking meaning to play loudly.

What does Piano (p) mean?

A dynamic marking meaning to play softly.

What is a Measure?

A segment of time in music, defined by bar lines.

Whole Note

A note that looks like an open oval and lasts 4 counts.

Sharp sign

A symbol in music that looks like a hashtag and makes the note a half step higher.

Time Signature

Looks like a fraction; top number is how many beats are in one measure and bottom number is what kind of note gets the beat.

Flat sign

Looks like a lower case B and means play the note one half step lower.

Legato

Play smooth and connected.

Staccato

Play the note light and detached.