Music Theory Glossary

A symbol that alters the pitch of a note: sharp (#) raises it a half-step, flat (b) lowers it a half-step, and natural cancels a previous accidental.

The notes of a chord played in succession rather than simultaneously, also known as a broken chord.

A vertical line drawn through the staff to separate measures and organize music into regular metric groups.

A harmonic formula that provides a sense of resolution or pause at the end of a musical phrase. Types include authentic, plagal, half, and deceptive.

Three or more notes sounded simultaneously, forming the vertical element of harmony. Chords are typically built by stacking intervals of thirds.

Involving all twelve pitches within an octave, or notes outside the prevailing key. A chromatic scale ascends or descends entirely in half-steps.

A symbol at the beginning of a staff that assigns specific pitches to the lines and spaces. The most common are treble (G) clef and bass (F) clef.

A concluding section of a piece or movement, typically added to provide a satisfying ending beyond the main structural form.

A combination of pitches that sounds stable and pleasant, such as unisons, octaves, perfect fifths, and major thirds.

Relating to notes that belong to the prevailing major or minor scale without chromatic alteration. A diatonic chord uses only notes from the key.

A combination of pitches that sounds tense or unstable, creating a desire for resolution to a consonant interval or chord.

The degrees of loudness and softness in music, indicated by markings such as piano (soft), forte (loud), crescendo (getting louder), and decrescendo (getting softer).

Two note names that refer to the same sounding pitch, such as F-sharp and G-flat, or C-sharp and D-flat.

A symbol indicating that a note or rest should be held longer than its normal duration, at the discretion of the performer or conductor.

The study of chords and their relationships, encompassing how simultaneous pitches combine and progress through time to support melody.

The distance between two pitches, measured by counting the letter names spanned and described by quality (major, minor, perfect, augmented, diminished).

The tonal center of a piece of music, defined by a tonic note and the scale built upon it. A key establishes which notes sound 'at home' and which create tension.

A segment of musical time containing a fixed number of beats as defined by the time signature, bounded by bar lines.

A linear succession of pitches perceived as a single, coherent musical line. Melody is the horizontal aspect of music, as opposed to the vertical aspect of harmony.

The process of changing from one key to another within a piece of music, achieved through pivot chords, chromatic movement, or direct key change.

A short, recognizable musical idea or fragment that serves as a building block for larger themes and compositions.

The interval spanning eight diatonic scale degrees, where the higher note vibrates at exactly twice the frequency of the lower note. Notes an octave apart share the same letter name.

A short musical pattern that is repeated persistently throughout a passage or entire composition, often in the bass line.

The speed at which a piece of music is performed, usually indicated by Italian terms (e.g., Allegro, Andante, Adagio) or by a metronome marking in beats per minute (BPM).

The first degree of a scale and the central pitch around which a key is organized. The tonic chord (I) is the point of greatest stability and rest in tonal music.