Introduction to Musical Terminology
ELEMENTS OF NOTATION
Notation is a system of signs used in writing music. The written signs for the time value (length, duration) of musical tones are called notes. The written signs for pauses (intervals of silence) between the tones are called rests.
NOTES AND RESTS
Whole note ๐ Half note ๐ Quarter note ๐
Whole rest ๐ป Half rest ๐ผ Quarter rest ๐ฝ
Eighth note ๐ 16th note ๐ ก 32nd note ๐ ข 64th note ๐ ฃ
Eighth rest ๐พ 16th rest ๐ฟ 32nd rest ๐ 64th rest ๐
Whole note ๐ = 2 ๐ , or 4 ๐ , or 8 ๐ , or 16 ๐ ก, or 32 ๐ ข, or 64 ๐ ฃ
Half note ๐ = 2 ๐ , or 4 ๐ , or 8 ๐ ก, or 16 ๐ ข, or 32 ๐ ฃ
Quarter note ๐ = 2 ๐ , or 4 ๐ ก, or 8 ๐ ข, or 16 ๐ ฃ
Eighth note ๐ = 2 ๐ ก, or 4 ๐ ข, or 8 ๐ ฃ
Sixteenth note ๐ ก = 2 ๐ ข, or 4 ๐ ฃ
Thirty-second note ๐ ข = 2 ๐ ฃ
THE STAFF
The staff consists of five parallel horizontal lines. Notes are written on the lines, or in the spaces between. For higher or lower tones, additional short lines are provided, called leger lines.
THE CLEFS
A clef is a sign written at the head (beginning) of the staff to fix the position of one note. The most common clefs are:
the G clef (treble clef)
the F clef (bass clef)
the C clef, which designates a line on the staff as c1 (middle C). It acquires a different name according to the line used:
THE SCALES
The staff and clefs together fix the pitch of the notes, showing whether they are high or low. A series of eight successive notes on the staff forms what is called a scale. To name the notes of the scale, we use the first seven letters of the alphabet, A B C D E F G. Scales are named after the notes on which they begin, which is called the keynote. The scale of C, written in whole notes, in the bass and treble clefs, is as follows:
The C written on the leger line just below the treble staff and just above the bass staff, is called middle C.
The notes in the same vertical line are of the same pitch and have the same name. For ordinary purposes, any note marked C (c) is called simply "C." But, in order to fix the place which any given note occupies among all the others (that is, to fix its "absolute pitch"), the whole range of musical tones is divided into sections of seven notes each, called "octaves," and lettered and named as shown:
PITCH REGISTERS
In order to indicate the exact location of a note in the total gamut, the following system is used in this encyclopedia:
CHROMATIC SIGNS
The chromatic signs are set before notes to raise and lower their pitch.
The sharp โฏ raises its note a semitone;
The flat โญ lowers its note a semitone;
The natural โฎ restores its note to the natural pitch on the staff (without chromatic signs);
The double sharp ๐ช raises its note two semitones;
The double flat ๐ซ lowers its note two semitones;
The sign โฎโฏ restores a double sharped note to a sharped note;
The sign โฎโญ restores a double flatted note to a flatted note.
THE INTERVALS
An interval is the difference in pitch between two notes. In measuring an interval, it is customary to take the lower note as the basis, and to measure up to the higher note. When the two notes are exchanged and the measurement is made downward, the interval is called "inverted."
DIATONIC INTERVALS OF THE MAJOR SCALE
ALL STANDARD INTERVALS AND THEIR INVERSIONS
THE KEYS
A key is a scale employed harmonically, that is, employed to form chords and successions of chords. On the keynote C, or on any other note, two different species of scale or key may be built up:
Such a key or scale is called major when its third and sixth are major intervals. It is minor when its third and sixth are minor intervals. The succession of intervals in every major key is the same as that in C major; in every minor key, as in C minor. To adjust the intervals properly, chromatic signs are employed, as shown below.
TABLE OF MAJOR KEYS
It will be seen, on passing round the circle in either direction, that the keynotes of the successive keys always follow each other at the interval of a perfect fifth; hence, this circle of keys, ending where it began, is called the circle of fifths.
CHORDS
A chord is formed by a succession of from three to five different tones, built up in intervals of diatonic thirds from a given tone, or root. A three-tone chord is a triad; a four-tone chord is a seventh chord (chord of the seventh); a five-tone chord is a ninth chord (chord of the ninth).
Triads in Major
Triads in Minor
Seventh Chords in Major
Seventh Chords in Minor
Ninth chords
When the root of the chord is the lowest tone, the chord is in the fundamental position; when some other tone is the lowest, the chord is inverted. Each triad has two inversions; each seventh chord has three.
Inversions of Triad
Inversions of Seventh Chord
The first inversion of a triad is called a 6 chord.
The second inversion of a triad is called a
The first inversion of a seventh chord is called a
The second inversion of a seventh chord is called a
The third inversion of a seventh chord is called a 2 chord.
TIME SIGNATURES
The time signature appears after the clef, at the beginning of a movement; the lower figure shows the kind of notes taken as the unit of measure, while the upper figure shows the number of these notes that can fit a measure, and the groupings of beats.
For instance:
COMPARATIVE TABLE OF TEMPO MARKS
| CLASS I | |
| Indicating a Steady Rate of Speed | |
| Largo (broad, stately) | Group I General signification of terms is SLOW. |
| Largamente | |
| Larghetto | |
| Grave (heavy, dragging) | |
| Lento (slow) | |
| Adagissimo | |
| Adagio (slow, tranquil) | |
| Adagietto | |
| Andantino | |
| Andante (moving, going along) | Group II General signification of terms is FAST. |
| Moderato | |
| Allegretto | |
| Allegramente | |
| Allegro (brisk, lively) [con moto, vivace] [agitato, appassionato] | |
| Presto (rapid) [con fuoco, veloce] | |
| Prestissimo |
| CLASS II | |
| Indicating Acceleration | |
| Accelerando | (with increasing rapidity) |
| Stringendo | (swiftly accelerating, usually with a crescendo) |
| Affrettando | |
| Incalzando | |
| Doppio movimento | (twice as fast) |
| Piรน mosso | (a steady rate of speed, faster than preceding movement) |
| Piรน moto | |
| Veloce | |
| CLASS III | |
| Indicating a Slackening in Speed | |
| Rallentando | (gradually growing slower) |
| Ritardando | |
| Allargando | |
| Tardando | |
| Slentando | |
| Strascinando | |
| Molto meno mosso | (๐ = ๐ del movimento precedente) (half as fast) |
| Ritenuto | (a steady rate of speed, slower than preceding movement) |
| Meno mosso | |
| Meno moto | |
| Calando | (growing slower and softer) |
| Deficiendo | |
| Mancando | |
| Morendo | |
| Sminuendo | |
| Smorzando |
DYNAMIC MARKINGS
| ITALIAN TERM | ABBREVIATION | MEANING |
| piano | p | soft |
| pianissimo | PP | very soft |
| mezzo piano | mp | moderately soft |
| mezzo forte | mf | moderately loud |
| forte | f | loud |
| fortissimo | ff | very loud |
| crescendo | cresc. | becoming gradually louder |
| diminuendo | dim. or dimin. | becoming gradually softer |
| descrescendo | descresc. | |
| forte-piano | fp | loud, suddenly followed by soft |
| forzato | fz | forcing the tone, accenting the |
| sforzando | sf or sfz | note |
| sforzando-piano | sfp | accent, suddenly followed by piano |
A composer may increase the number of fs or ps, i.e. ff, extremely loud, or pppppp very, very soft.
To many of the above markings, composers often add other modifying words, such as:
| ITALIAN TERM | MEANING | EXAMPLE |
| piรน | more | piรน piano (more softly) |
| meno | less | meno forte (less loud) |
| molto | much, very | crescendo molto (getting much louder) |
| non troppo | not too much | non troppo piano (not too soft) |
| subito | suddenly | subito forte (suddenly loud) |
| poco a poco | little by little | poco a poco ritardando (slowing little by little) |
The following signs are frequently used over a musical passage to indicate crescendo and decrescendo, respectively:
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