Music Vocabulary: 215 Key English Terms

A set of notes played in order of pitch, going up or down, that follows a fixed pattern of steps. Scales are the building blocks of melodies and chords.

Three or more different notes played or sung at the same time. Chords give a piece its harmony and are named after their root note and type, such as C major or A minor.

The group of notes and chords that a piece is mainly built on, centred on one home note. A song in the key of G major keeps returning to G as its point of rest.

The sound of different notes heard together, and the way chords are built and connected. It also means a second vocal line sung above or below the melody.

How high or low a sound is. Pitch depends on the frequency of the sound wave: the faster the vibration, the higher the pitch.

The distance in pitch between two notes, named by counting letter names and checking the number of semitones, such as a major third or a perfect fifth.

Describing a scale, key, chord or interval built with a major third. Music in a major key is often described as bright or happy.

Describing a scale, key, chord or interval built with a minor third. Music in a minor key is often described as dark, serious or sad.

The interval between one note and the next note with the same name, higher or lower. The higher note vibrates exactly twice as fast as the lower one.

A series of chords played one after another that forms the harmonic backbone of a song, often written with Roman numerals such as I–IV–V.

The notes of a chord played one after another, going up or down, instead of all at the same time.

A three-note chord built from a root note plus the notes a third and a fifth above it. The four types are major, minor, diminished and augmented.

A pair of chords that ends a musical phrase or section, giving a sense of rest or of a pause, like punctuation in a sentence.

To move a whole piece or passage up or down by the same interval into a different key, keeping all the notes in the same relationship.

A combination of notes that sounds tense or unstable and seems to need to move, or resolve, to a more restful sound. The opposite is consonance.

A notation sign, such as a sharp, flat, or natural, that alters or restores the pitch assigned to a note.

The harmonic role that creates tension and points strongly toward resolution, usually to the tonic chord.

In its basic triad form, a chord containing a root, a major third, and an augmented fifth.

An interval made one semitone wider than a major or perfect interval with the same letter names.

A scale common in blues and related styles, usually built from the minor pentatonic with an added blue note for tension.

The actual sounding pitch used as a tuning reference, or notation where written notes match the sounds heard.

The technique of combining two or more independent musical lines so they sound connected and balanced together.

A change from one key to another within a piece, making a different note feel like the tonal home.

The first note of a scale, or the chord built on it, which acts as the main point of rest in a key.

The fourth note of a scale, or the chord built on that note; in C major, the subdominant chord is F major.

A note one semitone below the tonic that often sounds as though it should rise to that tonic.

Describing notes with different names that sound at the same pitch in equal temperament, such as C sharp and D flat.

Using the notes of a major scale, a natural minor scale or a mode of that pattern: seven notes arranged with five whole steps and two separated half steps.

Using notes outside the main diatonic scale, or moving through successive semitones, to add colour or tension to music.

Describing a scale with five different notes per octave, or music built mainly from such a scale.

The way individual notes or musical lines move from one chord to the next, including steps, leaps and held notes.

A note held or repeated while the harmonies around it change, usually but not always in the bass.

An interval spanning three whole tones, equal to six semitones in equal temperament; it may be written as an augmented fourth or diminished fifth.

Two musical lines moving in the same direction from one perfect fifth to another, keeping that interval between them.

The use of a chord from another mode with the same tonic, adding a new colour without necessarily establishing a new key.

A chord that acts as the dominant of a chord other than the main tonic, briefly making that other chord sound like a local goal.

A single musical sound with a particular pitch and length, or the written symbol that shows it. In English, notes are named with the letters A to G.

A short section of music that contains a fixed number of beats, shown on the page between two vertical lines called bar lines.

The symbol ♯ that raises a note by a semitone, or a note raised in this way. As an adjective, it also describes a note sung or played slightly too high.

The symbol ♭ that lowers a note by a semitone, or a note lowered in this way. As an adjective, it also describes a note sung or played slightly too low.

The set of five horizontal lines and four spaces on which notes are written. A note's position on the staff shows its pitch.

The group of sharps or flats written at the start of every staff, just after the clef, that shows the key of the piece and which notes are always raised or lowered.

Music written or printed in notation on paper or a screen, so that musicians can read and play it.

Written music that shows all the parts of a piece together, one above the other. It also means the original music written for a film, series or game.

The symbol at the start of a staff that fixes the pitch of the lines and spaces. The most common are the treble (G) clef and the bass (F) clef.

A symbol in notation that tells you to be silent for a set length of time, such as a quarter rest or a whole-bar rest.

A note that lasts a quarter of a whole note. In 4/4 time, one quarter note usually equals one beat.

How loud or soft music is played and how the volume changes, shown with Italian markings such as p (piano, soft) and f (forte, loud).

To play or sing a piece of written music correctly the first time you see it, without having practised it before.

One or more notes that come before the first full bar, leading into the main rhythmic pattern of a piece.

A vertical line in written music that separates one bar from the next and helps organize rhythm visually.

A note with a dot after it, increasing its length by half of its original value.

A note value equal to half a quarter note, often written with a flag or joined by a beam.

A musical sign showing that a note, rest, or chord should be held longer than its written value, at the performer's or conductor's discretion.

An ornamental note shown in small notation and associated with a main note; its performed timing depends on musical style.

A curved line over or under notes that groups them into a connected musical gesture; its practical meaning depends on the instrument.

A notation system that shows playing positions, such as guitar strings and fret numbers, instead of placing pitches on a standard staff.

An instruction to return to a sign in the score and continue from there, often followed by directions for where to finish.

A direction to play notes an octave away from their written pitch, usually shown by 8va or 8vb and a line covering the passage.

The pattern of long and short sounds and silences in music, and how they are placed in time against the beat.

The steady pulse that you tap your foot to in a piece of music. Beats are grouped into bars, and their speed is the tempo.

The speed of a piece of music, usually measured in beats per minute (BPM) or shown with Italian words such as allegro (fast) or adagio (slow).

The two numbers at the start of a piece that show how many beats are in each bar and which note value gets one beat, for example 3/4 or 6/8.

A device or app that clicks at a steady, adjustable speed so that musicians can practise keeping an even tempo.

Short for beats per minute: the number of beats in one minute, used to measure tempo. A slow ballad might be around 70 BPM and a dance track around 125 BPM.

The first and usually strongest beat of a bar. It also means the conductor's downward hand movement that starts the music.

Placing accents on weak beats or between beats instead of on the strong beats, which makes a rhythm feel surprising and lively.

The rhythmic feel of a piece that makes people want to move, created mainly by the drums and bass locking together.

A rhythmic pattern built by joining small unequal beat groups, such as 3+2+2, into a larger cycle.

A meter shown by 2/2 or a cut C sign, felt in two half-note beats per bar.

A tempo marking meaning fast and lively, commonly used in classical music to indicate energetic movement.

The emphasis on beats two and four in common time, especially in rock, pop, and related dance music.

A short planned pause or drop in the arrangement that creates emphasis before a new line, beat, or section enters.

A rhythmic effect that groups the same span of time in a three-to-two relationship, such as three pairs of pulses against two groups of three.

A meter where each beat naturally divides into three smaller parts, such as 6/8 or 9/8.

A group of notes played in the time normally given to a different number of the same note value, such as three eighth notes in the time of two.

The simultaneous use of contrasting rhythmic divisions, such as three equally spaced notes against two over the same length of time.

Expressive flexibility in musical timing, in which a performer slightly stretches or shortens parts of a phrase while keeping its overall flow.

A direction to increase the tempo gradually over a passage rather than change immediately to a new speed.

A direction to reduce the tempo gradually, often used to broaden a phrase ending or prepare a closing section.

A rolling rhythm based on a repeated long-short division of the beat, commonly felt as the first and third parts of a triplet.

A sequence of single notes that forms a recognisable musical line, often the part that people remember and sing along to.

A section of a song that tells the story or develops the idea. Verses usually share the same melody but have different words each time.

The section of a song that repeats with the same words and melody, usually the catchiest part and the one that contains the song's main message or title.

A contrasting section of a song, usually heard once after the second chorus, that brings new chords or a new melody before the final chorus.

The words of a song. The person who writes them is a lyricist, and the words are protected by copyright just like the music.

To create an original piece of music, especially instrumental or classical music, film music or music written down in notation.

A version of a piece that decides which instruments play which parts, how sections are ordered and how the song builds from start to finish.

A short, catchy musical phrase that is repeated many times, often on guitar, bass or keyboard, and becomes the signature idea of a song.

The first phrase in a paired musical idea, often ending with a weaker cadence that invites a following answer.

The low-pitched musical part that supports harmony and rhythm, often played by bass guitar, synth, or double bass.

A musical structure with two main sections, usually called A and B, which contrast or repeat in a balanced way.

A musical pattern where one voice or instrument presents a phrase and another answers with a related phrase.

A final section that brings a piece to a clear close, often after the main form seems complete.

A short musical idea placed between main phrases to add movement, connect sections, or fill empty space.

A short rhythmic or melodic pattern repeated persistently in a passage while other musical material may change around it.

A musical form in which a main section returns between contrasting sections, often following a pattern such as ABACA.

A large-scale form with an exposition presenting main material, a development exploring it, and a recapitulation bringing it back with tonal resolution.

Describing music that uses new material for successive sections rather than repeating the same complete music for each verse or stanza.

The second, answering phrase of a musical period, usually ending with a stronger sense of closure than the first, antecedent phrase.

A recurring musical idea associated with a particular character, object, place or idea, which can change as the story develops.

An object made or used to produce musical sounds, such as a piano, violin, guitar, drum or ney.

To adjust an instrument so that its notes sound at the correct pitch, usually by tightening or loosening strings or moving a part of the instrument.

Not at the correct pitch, either because an instrument needs tuning or because a singer or player is slightly too high or too low.

The singing parts of a piece of music, especially in pop, rock and jazz. The main singer sings the lead vocals, and others sing the backing vocals.

The section of instruments played with a bow, mainly violins, violas, cellos and double basses. It also means the actual strings on an instrument such as a guitar.

Instruments played by hitting, shaking or scraping them, such as drums, cymbals, the xylophone, the tambourine and the darbuka.

A large group of musicians playing string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments together, usually led by a conductor.

A group of musicians who play together, especially in pop, rock or jazz, or a group of wind and percussion players such as a marching band.

The family of wind instruments, usually made of metal, in which the player makes the sound by buzzing the lips into a cup-shaped mouthpiece, such as the trumpet, trombone, horn and tuba.

The family of wind instruments that make sound by blowing across an edge or through a reed, such as the flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and saxophone.

The quality or colour of a sound that lets you tell two instruments or voices apart, even when they play the same note at the same volume.

The span of notes from the lowest to the highest that a singer can sing well. Voices are grouped by range, from bass and baritone to tenor, alto and soprano.

Sung or performed without instrumental accompaniment, using only one or more voices.

Vocal parts sung behind the lead voice to add harmony, texture, rhythmic support, or emphasis in a song.

A piece performed by two singers or players, or a performance in which two parts are equally important.

A group of musicians performing together, or the overall unity and balance they achieve as a group.

The front surface of a fretted string instrument's neck where players press the strings to produce different notes.

A musical line that supports the main melody with different but matching notes, often sung or played alongside it.

To sing a tune softly with a closed mouth, usually without clear words.

Two notes played at the same time on two strings of a bowed instrument, such as a violin or cello.

A light upper vocal register that often contrasts with a singer's fuller speaking or chest register and may have an airy sound.

A thin, flexible strip that vibrates when air passes it, helping produce sound in instruments such as clarinets, oboes and saxophones.

A piano pedal that lifts the dampers from the strings so notes can continue sounding after the player releases the keys.

A category of music with shared features such as rhythm, instruments, harmony or history, for example jazz, rock, hip-hop or classical music.

A new performance or recording of a song that was first released by another artist, often in a different style or arrangement.

The tradition of Western art music, including symphonies, concertos, operas and chamber music, usually written down in detailed scores and performed by trained musicians.

A genre that developed in African American communities in New Orleans in the early 20th century, known for swing rhythm, rich harmony and improvisation.

Traditional music of a people or region, usually passed down orally from generation to generation. It also names a modern acoustic, song-based style influenced by that tradition.

Popular, commercially oriented music made for a wide audience, usually with short songs, catchy choruses and a strong focus on melody and production.

A culture and music genre that began in the Bronx, New York, in the 1970s, built on rapping over beats made from drum patterns and samples.

A song, usually slow or moderate, that focuses on storytelling, emotion, or a memorable lyrical melody.

A vocal style, especially in opera and oratorio, that follows speech-like rhythms to convey dialogue or narrative.

A rhythmic feel in which notes are unevenly spaced in a flowing way, often linked with jazz and danceable groove.

A dance and music style in triple meter, usually felt as three beats per bar, with a flowing, turning character.

A contrapuntal composition in which a main idea, called the subject, enters successively in different musical voices and is developed through their interaction.

A composition, usually in several movements, that features one or more solo instruments in dialogue and contrast with an orchestra.

Music for a small group of instrumentalists, usually with one player on each part, allowing close interaction between the performers.

A Jamaican popular music style known for offbeat rhythmic accents, prominent bass lines and a relaxed but firmly controlled groove.

A music style rooted in African American traditions that emphasizes strong bass grooves and interlocking, often syncopated rhythmic parts.

A musical tradition rooted in African American communities, known for expressive pitch treatment, repeated phrases and characteristic harmonic patterns.

An electronic dance music style that developed in Detroit, typically using repeated beats, synthesized sounds and gradual changes in texture.

A popular music style rooted in African American gospel and rhythm and blues, with expressive singing and strong emotional delivery.

A broad popular music tradition commonly built around electric guitars, bass, drums and a strong beat, with many different vocal and instrumental styles.

A dramatic work intended for the stage in which singers perform characters and tell the story mainly through music, usually with instrumental accompaniment.

An extended composition for orchestra, usually divided into several movements with contrasting speeds and characters.

A session in which musicians practise a piece or a show together before performing it for an audience.

Regular time spent playing or singing on your own to improve your skills, learn new pieces and keep your technique in shape.

An informal word for a live performance by a musician or band, especially a paid one in a bar, club or at an event.

The person who leads an orchestra or choir, setting the tempo, showing entries and shaping the performance with hand movements or a baton.

A section of music played or sung by one performer, often featured above the rest of the band, or a whole piece written for a single performer.

To create music in the moment while performing, without reading it from written notes, usually over a known chord progression or within a mode.

A short session before a show, when the band plays on stage so that the sound engineer can set the levels for the audience and the monitors.

The list of songs a band or artist plans to play at a show, in order. A 'set' is one continuous block of performance.

Strong nervousness or fear before or during a performance, which can cause shaking hands, a dry mouth or memory slips.

An extra song or piece performed at the end of a concert after the audience calls the performers back with applause.

The music that supports a main melody or soloist, for example the piano part under a singer or the chords a guitarist plays behind a violin.

A performance direction meaning the player may choose freely, often about tempo, ornamentation, or whether a part is optional.

A direction for string players telling them to use the bow again after playing pizzicato or another non-bowed technique.

The way notes are started, connected, separated, or accented in performance, shaping clarity and musical character.

The way a string player uses the bow, including direction, pressure, speed, and phrasing, to shape sound and articulation.

A gradual decrease in loudness over a passage, shown in performance or marked in the score.

A small added note or figure that decorates a melody without changing its main shape or basic harmonic function.

A device clipped across the strings of a guitar or similar instrument to raise the pitch of all open strings together.

A signal that tells a musician or singer exactly when to start, stop, or change something in performance.

An instruction meaning return to the beginning and play again, usually until another marking tells you where to stop.

Rapid repetition of a note or rapid alternation between notes, creating a continuous trembling musical texture.

A small, regular variation around a note's pitch, used by singers and instrumentalists to shape the sound expressively.

With successive notes smoothly connected so that the musical line flows without clear gaps between them.

With notes made shorter and clearly separated from one another, creating distinct attacks and spaces in the musical line.

An expressive, continuous slide from one intended pitch to another, especially in singing and string playing.

Practice in recognising, remembering and reproducing musical sounds and relationships by listening, including rhythms, intervals and harmonies.

The collection of pieces that a musician or ensemble knows, studies or is prepared to perform, or the works available for a particular instrument or genre.

A rehearsal for one section of a larger ensemble, allowing its players or singers to work on their parts before rejoining the whole group.

To capture sound, such as a voice or an instrument, so that it can be played back, edited and released later.

A single song on an album or release. In a studio or DAW, it also means one separate recorded part, such as the drum track or the vocal track.

To balance and combine all the recorded tracks of a song into a final stereo version, adjusting volume, panning, EQ, effects and dynamics.

The final stage of audio production, in which finished mixes are polished, made consistent in loudness and tone, and prepared for streaming, CD or vinyl.

The person who guides a recording project creatively and practically, shaping the sound, the arrangement and the performances, and often programming or engineering too.

Short for digital audio workstation: software used to record, edit, arrange, mix and produce music on a computer, such as Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live or Cubase.

Short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface: a standard that lets keyboards, computers and other devices send performance data such as which note, how hard and how long.

A device that turns sound into an electrical signal so that it can be amplified or recorded. Dynamic and condenser microphones are the most common types.

One attempt at recording a part or a whole song. Engineers usually record several takes and choose or combine the best ones.

To record a new part on top of tracks that are already recorded, for example adding a guitar solo or backing vocals after the basic tracks are finished.

A metronome sound that musicians hear in their headphones or in-ear monitors while recording or performing, so that everyone stays at exactly the same tempo.

Short for equalisation or equaliser: adjusting the balance of low, mid and high frequencies in a sound, or the tool that does this.

The many quick reflections of sound in a space that make it sound roomy, or an effect that copies this, such as a hall, room or plate reverb.

A short piece of recorded sound, such as a drum hit, a vocal phrase or a part of an existing record, that is reused in a new piece of music.

A simple, early recording of a song made to show the idea to bandmates, producers, labels or other artists before the final version is recorded.

A single recorded part heard by itself, separated from the full mix for study, editing, or remixing.

The perceived strength of sound by a listener, often discussed in mixing and mastering, not just measured signal level.

A change in note pitch that smoothly moves upward or downward, often controlled by a wheel, lever, or software automation.

A person who manages the technical side of recorded or live sound, including microphones, levels, clarity, and system setup.

Setting suitable signal levels at successive points in an audio path so the sound stays usable without excessive noise or unwanted overload.

An audio processor that reduces a signal when its level falls below a chosen threshold, often making quiet gaps between sounds less noisy.

An audio processor that reduces excessive sharp sibilant sounds, such as strong S sounds in a vocal recording, when they occur.

Direct-current power sent along a balanced microphone connection to operate compatible microphones or other audio devices, commonly at 48 volts.

Connecting an instrument's electrical signal to a recording or live sound system through a suitable interface, without recording its loudspeaker with a microphone.

Sending a previously recorded instrument signal through an amplifier and recording the resulting sound, allowing the tone to be changed after the performance.

To begin recording over a selected part of an existing take during playback, replacing that passage while keeping the surrounding performance.

A company that finances, releases, distributes and promotes recordings, usually in exchange for ownership of the recordings or a share of their income.

To make a song, album or video available to the public, for example on streaming platforms, in shops or on video sites.

One song released on its own, often to promote an upcoming album or to keep listeners interested between larger releases.

Short for extended play: a release longer than a single but shorter than an album, usually with about four to six tracks.

Listening to music over the internet without downloading it to keep, through services such as Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Music. It is now the main source of recorded-music income.

Payments made to songwriters, composers, performers and rights owners each time their music is sold, streamed, broadcast, performed in public or used in media.

The legal right that protects original creative work and lets its owners decide how it is copied, performed, recorded, adapted or shared.

The business of managing songs as compositions: registering them, licensing them, collecting the royalties they earn and finding new uses for them, such as in films and adverts.

A series of concerts in different cities or countries, usually planned to promote a new album and to earn live income.

The main performer at a concert or festival, whose name is shown first or biggest and who usually plays last and longest.

Short for International Standard Recording Code: an identifier for a particular sound recording or music video recording, rather than the underlying song.

Short for International Standard Musical Work Code: an identifier for a musical work, such as a composition, rather than a specific recorded performance.

A document recording the agreed ownership shares of a song's writers, usually alongside their names and identifying details.

Short for artists and repertoire: the record-company function of finding artists and helping develop their recordings and musical direction.

Permission covering specified reproduction and distribution of a musical composition in recordings, distinct from permission to use an existing sound recording.