TASC Music key terms

The set of five parallel horizontal lines and four spaces on which musical notes are written; vertical position on the staff shows pitch, with higher positions meaning higher sounds.

A symbol placed at the start of a staff that fixes which lines and spaces correspond to which pitches; the treble and bass clefs are the most common examples.

How high or low a sound is perceived to be, determined by the frequency of the vibrating source; pitch is what note names such as C or G describe.

The pattern of durations and accents that organizes sounds in time; rhythm gives music its sense of movement and is notated with note values and rests.

The steady underlying pulse of a piece of music, felt as a recurring point in time; performers often count beats aloud to stay together.

The recurring grouping of beats into measures, shown by a time signature such as 4/4 or 3/4; meter determines which beats feel strong or weak.

A segment of music containing a fixed number of beats, separated from neighboring segments by vertical bar lines on the staff.

Two stacked numbers at the start of a piece: the upper shows beats per measure, the lower shows which note value receives one beat.

The speed at which music is performed, often given in beats per minute or by Italian words such as adagio (slow) and allegro (fast).

A sequence of single pitches heard one after another that forms a recognizable musical line, often the part a listener would sing or hum.

The sound produced when pitches are sounded together, and the study of how chords progress and support a melody.

Three or more pitches sounded at the same time; a triad, built from stacked thirds, is the basic chord type in tonal music.

An ordered set of pitches arranged stepwise within an octave; major and minor scales supply the note material most Western music draws on.

The central pitch and scale around which a piece of music is organized, giving a sense of home or resolution; keys are named for their tonic, such as C major.

The distance in pitch between two notes, measured in steps of the scale such as a third or a fifth, and described as major, minor, or perfect.

The interval between a pitch and the next higher or lower pitch of the same name; the two sound so alike that they are treated as the same note class.

How loud or soft music is played, indicated by symbols or words such as piano (soft), forte (loud), and crescendo (gradually getting louder).

The way individual notes are attacked and released, described by markings such as staccato (short and detached) or legato (smoothly connected).

A short, coherent musical idea that sounds complete in itself, roughly comparable to a sentence in speech; phrases combine to build larger sections.

The overall plan or structure of a piece, described by labels for its sections; common patterns include binary (AB), ternary (ABA), and theme and variations.

A memorable melodic idea that a piece states and then develops, varies, or returns to; themes help listeners follow the structure of longer works.

A restatement of a theme with deliberate changes to melody, harmony, rhythm, or texture, often collected into a set of variations as a musical form.

A change from one key to another within a single piece, usually prepared by chords that make the new key sound like a temporary home.

How musical lines are combined and layered, ranging from a single unaccompanied melody to many independent parts sounding at once.

The technique of combining two or more independent melodic lines so that they sound well together, each retaining its own character.

The distinctive tone color that lets a listener tell instruments or voices apart even when they play the same pitch at the same loudness.

Groups of instruments classified by how sound is produced: strings (violin, cello), woodwinds (flute, clarinet), brass (trumpet, horn), and percussion (timpani, snare drum).

A large ensemble of string, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments led by a conductor, typically performing composed works for concert performance.

The person who stands before an ensemble and shapes its performance by indicating tempo, entries, dynamics, and expression through gestures.

The highest standard singing voice type, usually a female voice; alto, tenor, and bass name the lower types in the same four-part classification.

A group of singers who perform together, commonly divided into soprano, alto, tenor, and bass sections and often accompanied by a keyboard or small ensemble.

Rewriting or playing music at a different pitch level than written, keeping the same intervals so the piece sounds in a new key.

A symbol such as a sharp, flat, or natural placed before a note to raise or lower it for that measure, overriding the key signature.

Sharps or flats placed after the clef at the start of each staff, indicating which notes are consistently raised or lowered throughout the piece.

A written symbol showing silence for a specific duration; each note value has a matching rest, such as a quarter rest or half rest.

A rhythmic effect created by stressing a weak beat or the offbeat, so the expected pulse is displaced and the music feels lively or unsettled.

Creating music in performance without a fully written-out part, as in jazz solos, where players invent melodies over a given harmonic pattern.

A category of music defined by shared style, purpose, or tradition, such as symphony, opera, jazz, blues, or folk song.

A historical era whose music shares recognizable traits, such as the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and twentieth-century periods.