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APPENDIX 1 MUSICAL TERMS
12-bar blues Amusical genre of African-American origin based on blues scales, with chord progressions 12
measures long.
32-bar form Asong form (AABA) consisting of 32 measures divided into four 8-measure sections, with a
repeating A section and a contrasting B section.
Accent Asign (>) placed above or below a note head indicating to play that note louder than surrounding
notes.
Accidental Asign used to alter a pitch. There are five accidentals: sharp, flat, natural, double sharp, and double
flat.
Adagio It. “At ease”; a slow tempo marking.
Alla breve The time signature or 2/2 time; simple duple meter with the half note as the pulse note.
Allegro It. Fast tempo indication.
Alto clef (see C clef) The sign ( ) indicating that the middle line (line 3) is middle C.
Anacrusis Note or notes of an incomplete measure at the beginning of a piece of music (also called “pick up).
(See Upbeat.)
Andante It. “Moving along”; a walking tempo.
Antecedent phrase The first section of a period which ends on the dominant (a half cadence), an inconclusive
ending.
Articulation An indication of how smoothly or detached notes are to be played. Symbols or words may be
used; for example, staccato(detached) and legato(connected).
Augmented interval The perfect interval or major interval increased by a half step. For example, a perfect
fourth (P4) is C–F; an augmented fourth (A4) is C–F#.
Authentic cadence Aresting or ending of a section of music with the last two chords consisting of a dominant
(V) to a tonic (I). Occasionally, the leading tone chord (vii ̊) may be used as a substitute chord instead of
the dominant.
Bar line Avertical line through the horizontal lines of a staff or staves separating music into measures.
Bass clef (F clef) The sign ( ) indicating that the fourth line from the bottom is the F below middle C.
Beam Ahorizontal line connecting the end of note stems of rhythmic values smaller than a quarter note;
replaces the flag on individual notes.
Beat The steady pulse of music.
Binary form Atwo-part form (AB) with each section repeated, and the B section in a contrasting but related key.
Cclef Movable clefs that designate the line to represent middle C. (See Alto clefand Tenor clef.)
Cadence The ending point of a phrase or section of music.
Changing meter (also Polymeter or Complex meter) Meters that change within a piece of music. For example,
when the beginning time signature is 3/4 and changes to 3/8 and then to 4/8.
Chord Three or more pitches that sound simultaneously. (See Seventh chordand Triad.)
Chord progression Aseries of adjacent chords.
B
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C