Created through the orderly arrangement of sounds. Rhythm, melody, and harmony are the three main pillars of music.

A written symbol for a single musical sound. Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si are the 7 basic notes. Each note indicates both pitch and duration.

A succession of notes played in a sequence. The "sung part" of a song is the melody. It is the foundation of memorable music.

The pleasant sounding of two or more simultaneously played notes. It is the accompaniment beneath the melody.

The temporal structure of music. It determines how long each note is played. The rhythmic part is the "beat" of the music.

The color and quality of sound. The reason the same note sounds different on a guitar, piano, or violin is the difference in timbre. Every instrument carries its own timbre.

A characteristic indicating whether a note is high or low. It is measured in frequency (Hz). The note La is standard at 440 Hz.

The distance between two notes of the same name. For example, Do and the next Do are an octave apart. The frequency of the second note is exactly double the first.

The pitch distance between two notes. Prime, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and octave are the names of intervals.

Three or more notes played simultaneously. Playing multiple strings on a guitar at the same time creates a chord. Major, minor, and 7th chords are the most commonly used.

A collection of notes arranged sequentially in a specific order. C major scale: Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Si-Do. Each scale carries a "color" and mood.

A type of scale that sounds happy, bright, and optimistic. C major, G major, and D major are the most commonly used major scales. Happy songs are often in major.

A type of scale that sounds sad, melancholic, and deep. A minor and D minor are the most commonly used. Emotional songs are often in minor.

The main anchor note of a piece. In "C major," the rest point is the note Do. Everything strives to return to this note.

The number of vibrations per second — measured in Hertz (Hz). High frequency = high pitch. The human ear hears between ~20 Hz and 20,000 Hz.

The science studying the physical properties of sound. Room acoustics directly affect how performed music is heard.

The 5 parallel lines where notes are written. Notes are placed on and between these lines. Each line represents a specific note.

A clef for high-pitched notes starting on the second line. Instruments like the guitar, violin, and flute are written with this clef. It is the most recognizable musical symbol.

A clef for low-pitched notes starting on the fourth line. Instruments like the bass guitar, cello, and tuba are written with this clef.

A symbol (#) indicating that a note should be raised by a half-step. For example, C# raises the C note by a half-step. It corresponds to black keys on a keyboard.

A symbol (♭) indicating that a note should be lowered by a half-step. For example, B♭ lowers the B note by a half-step. The opposite of a sharp.

A symbol (♮) that cancels a sharp or flat. It indicates the note should be returned to its pure pitch.

A symbol indicating a moment of silence in music. It has the same duration system as notes: whole rest, half rest, quarter rest, etc. Silence is also a part of music.

A curved line connecting two notes. A tie connects the duration of two identical notes; a slur connects different notes with a smooth transition.

A symbol indicating that a note should be held longer than its standard duration. A note with a fermata is extended at the performer's discretion. It creates a dramatic effect.

A symbol (:|) indicating that a specific section should be played again. It is used to shorten written notation.

From Italian: meaning "from the head". It indicates that the piece should be played again from the beginning. D.C. al Fine means from the beginning until the "Fine" symbol.

A complete musical sheet where all instrument parts for an ensemble or orchestra are written together. The conductor manages the orchestra by looking at the score.

The speed of music. It is measured in BPM (beats per minute). 60 BPM = the speed of a ticking clock. 120 BPM is a mid-tempo song.

The number of beats per minute — a measure of tempo. Slow music is ~60-80 BPM, pop songs ~120 BPM, dance music ~128-140 BPM.

The section between vertical lines that divides the staff into equal parts. Each bar has the same number of beats. Music is divided into bars to make performance easier.

Two numbers at the beginning of the staff. The top number shows the number of beats per bar, the bottom number shows which note value is equal to 1 beat. 4/4 is the most commonly used.

4 quarter beats in each bar. The most commonly used time signature. The majority of pop, rock, and hip-hop songs are written in 4/4.

3 quarter beats in each bar. The foundation of the waltz rhythm. It gives a "one-two-three, one-two-three" feel. It is very widely used in classical music.

Shifting the expected beat. Emphasizing a weak beat. A core element of jazz, funk, and reggae music. It makes the rhythm "more energetic."

A device that ticks at a steady tempo. Students use a metronome during practice to keep the rhythm steady. Also available as digital apps.

From Italian: "At a slow pace". Calm, relaxed tempo (~76–108 BPM). Used in lyrical, emotional pieces.

From Italian: "Cheerful, fast". Lively, brisk tempo (~120–168 BPM). In classical music, the first movement of a symphony is often allegro.

From Italian: "Fast". Very fast tempo (~168–200 BPM). Used in virtuoso pieces and fiery finales.

From Italian: "Stolen time". The performer slightly speeds up or slows down the tempo. Used for emotional expression. It was Chopin's primary means of expression.

From Italian: "Strong". Loud, powerful volume level. Indicated by the f sign on a score.

From Italian: "Very strong". The loudest possible dynamics. Indicated by ff. Used during climactic moments.

From Italian: "Soft, quiet". Low volume level. Indicated by the p sign. (Different from the instrument piano — this is a dynamic term.)

From Italian: "Very quiet". The quietest possible dynamics. Indicated by pp. A very delicate, whisper-like sound.

From Italian: "Moderately strong". Between p and f. A level similar to normal speaking volume. The most frequently used dynamic.

The gradual increase in volume. Represented in scores by an opening angle symbol (<). Creates a sense of tension and excitement.

The gradual decrease in volume. Represented in scores by a closing angle symbol (>). Provides a sense of calm and distancing. The opposite of crescendo.

A sudden, strong accent. Indicated by the sfz sign. An unexpected, instantaneous increase — used for dramatic effect.

A symbol (>) indicating that a specific note should be played more strongly. Important for rhythmic expression.

A concept representing the variation in sound volume in music. Forte, piano, crescendo — all belong to the concept of dynamics. It is the basis of emotional expression.

Playing notes in a smooth, uninterrupted, fluid manner. There are no gaps between notes. Indicated in notation by a slur mark.

Playing notes in a detached, short, distinct manner. Each note is quickly cut off. Indicated by a dot over the note. The opposite of legato.

Creating a trembling effect by rapidly and slightly altering the pitch of a note. Guitarists slide their left hand; singers do it with their vocal cords. Adds emotionality.

The very rapid repetition of the same note. On the guitar, the very rapid back-and-forth movement of the plectrum is the tremolo technique. Similar to vibrato, but the pitch does not change.

Playing the notes of a chord sequentially rather than simultaneously. Also called a "broken chord." On the guitar, playing the strings one by one from bottom to top is an arpeggio.

Sliding from one note to another. Sliding a finger across the piano keys is a glissando. Similar to portamento.

Smoothly gliding from one note to another. Used extensively by singers and on string instruments. Differs from glissando in that it is a more emotional, subtle transition.

The very rapid alternation between one note and the note a tone above it. Used very widely in classical music. Indicated by the tr sign.

Instead of playing with a bow on a string instrument, plucking with the fingers. A technique characteristic of instruments like the violin and cello. Indicated by the pizz. sign.

A high-pitched, glass-like sound obtained by lightly touching the string. On a guitar, natural harmonics are the hearing of overtones traveling through the string.

Raising the pitch by pulling the string sideways on a guitar. An indispensable technique for blues and rock guitar. Creates an emotional, crying sound effect.

Producing a note on a guitar by forcefully tapping a finger of the left hand onto the string without picking it. Used for playing fast, fluid notes. The opposite of a pull-off.

On a guitar, playing an upper fret and then plucking the string to produce the lower note. Together with the hammer-on, it is the basis of "legato" playing.

Music created on the spot, not written in advance. The heart of jazz music. Good improvisation requires extensive knowledge of music theory.

A chord sequence indicating the end of a musical phrase. A "perfect cadence" gives a sense of completion; a "half cadence" remains open, like a question mark.

Moving from one tonality to another in a piece. In pop songs, modulating half a tone higher in the final verse—a "key change"—is frequently used.

Moving all the notes of a piece up or down while maintaining the same intervals. Chords are transposed depending on the singer's vocal range.

The compatible, pleasing simultaneous sounding of two or more notes. A major triad is an example of a consonant chord.

The tense, uneasy simultaneous sounding of notes. Requires a "resolution"—moving to consonance. Used to create tension and drama.

A basic chord consisting of three notes. Root note + third degree + fifth degree. Major and minor triads are the most commonly used.

The chord on the 5th degree of the scale. The opposite of the tonic—it creates tension and pulls toward the tonic's resolution. In C major, it is G major.

The chord on the 4th degree of the scale. In C major, it is F major. The I-IV-V progression is the most classic chord sequence. Typical of blues, rock, and pop music.

A series of sequential chords. The I-V-vi-IV progression is the most widely used in the world—thousands of famous songs are based on this progression.

Several independent melodies played at the same time. J.S. Bach is a master of polyphony. The fugue is the most developed form of polyphony.

The art of combining two independent melodies according to harmonic rules. The most important compositional technique of the Baroque era. It means "note against note."

Adapting existing music for a different instrument, ensemble, or style. A symphonic orchestral version of a rock song is an arrangement.

The metal strips on a guitar's fretboard. A note is played by pressing the string behind a specific fret. Each fret creates a half-tone difference.

A magnetic sensor on an electric guitar that converts the vibration of the strings into an electrical signal. Singlecoil produces a thin, bright sound; humbucker produces a full, strong sound.

A device that amplifies the weak signal of an electric instrument. It raises the guitar's sound to a listenable level. There are tube and solid-state types.

A foot-operated device that adds various effects to the guitar's sound. Distortion, delay, reverb, and chorus are the most popular types of effects pedals.

An effect that makes the guitar signal distorted, rough, and noisy. It is a symbol of rock and metal music. The difference from overdrive is that distortion is a more extreme saturation.

The reflection of sound in a space. Reverb in a large church is different from reverb in a small room. Adding artificial reverb in the studio is a standard procedure.

An effect where sound is repeated in the same way after a certain amount of time. U2's "The Edge" is famous for his use of a delay pedal. It creates a sense of depth.

A device that separately adjusts various frequency ranges (bass, mid, treble) of a sound. It shapes the "color" of the sound.

A device that narrows the dynamic range by reducing loud sounds and amplifying quiet ones. It is essential in professional studio recordings.

A digital communication protocol for musical instruments to connect with computers and other devices. MIDI is used to connect a piano keyboard to a computer. It has been a standard since 1983.

Software for creating, recording, and editing digital music. GarageBand, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and FL Studio are the most popular DAWs.

Condenser — sensitive, detailed, ideal for studio. Dynamic — durable, noise-resistant, for live performance. The SM58 is the best-selling dynamic microphone.

Tuning the guitar so that all strings sound a chord when played open. Open D and Open G are tunings loved by blues guitarists. It is convenient for slide guitar.

A small device that clamps all strings on the guitar fretboard at a certain fret. It is used to transpose all chords to play a piece in any key without changing fingering.

A multi-movement classical music form for one or two instruments. It consists of three sections: exposition, development, and recapitulation. Beethoven is a master of sonatas.

An extensive multi-movement work for a large orchestra. It usually consists of 4 movements. Beethoven, Mozart, and Brahms are masters of the symphony.

A work performed by a soloist instrument together with an orchestra. Guitar concerto, piano concerto, and violin concerto are the most popular forms.

A polyphonic form in which the main melody is introduced in different voices one after another. J.S. Bach is the greatest master of the fugue. It requires a very complex counterpoint technique.

From French: "Study". A piece written to practice a specific technical difficulty. Chopin's Études are masterpieces in both technical and artistic aspects.

From Latin: "Playing before". Initially performed as an opening for a larger work; later became an independent piece. Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier" preludes are famous.

From French: "Without preparation". A piece that sounds spontaneously created but is actually written down. Schubert and Chopin's impromptus are the most performed.

A work written for four musicians. String quartet (2 violins + viola + cello) is a classic form of chamber music.

A large ensemble consisting of many instrumentalists. It consists of string, wind, and percussion sections. A symphony orchestra can consist of 80-100 musicians.

A vocal ensemble consisting of many singers. Soprano, alto, tenor, and bass are the four main choral voices. It has types such as chamber choir (16-40) and symphonic choir (100+).

From Italian: "In the church style". Performance using only voice without instrumental accompaniment. Modern groups like Pentatonix combine a cappella technique with organic beatbox.

From Italian: "Obstinately". A melody, rhythm, or chord that is repeated in the same way many times. It is the basis of minimalist music, as well as rock (riff).