Many terms we use in music today come from other languages, so it isn’t always easy to determine what they mean. Here is a list of common musical terms.
Category: Music Theory
Clip N’ Save: Simple Guide to Musical Ornaments
Musical ornaments, such as grace notes, trills, and turns, are a great way to add color and variation to a melodic line of music.
Clip N’ Save: Breaking Down Cut Time
When playing in cut time, notes are played at half the duration they would normally be played at. A whole note is two beats, a half note is one beat, etc.
Clip N’ Save: Musical Modes
While most musicians are familiar with major and minor keys, there are also other scale forms called modes, which includes Dorian, Phrygian and so on.
Clip N’ Save: Magical Modulations
Understanding modulations is important for both composers and performers, because it can give you an idea about where the piece is going and why.
Clip N’ Save: Become an Arpeggio Aficionado
An arpeggio is a broken out chord played in a sequence. Practicing arpeggios is a great way to build your skillset and improve your musical agility.
Clip N’ Save: Guide to Instrument Ranges
When composing a piece of music, it is important to keep in mind instrument ranges. Here is a list of some of the most common ranges to keep in mind.
Clip N’ Save: Identifying Texture in Music
The terms polyphonic, homophonic, and monophonic are used for identifying texture in music, among others, and describe the relationship between lines in a song.
Clip N’ Save: How to Vary a Melody
If you have ever wondered how to vary a melody, we’re here to help. Learn about inversion, retrograde, retrograde inversion, augmentation and diminution.
Clip N’ Save: Guide to Key Signatures
Key signatures tell us which key a piece of music is in, and let us know which notes need to be played sharp, flat, and natural.