The Complete Idiot’s Music Glossary
transposition Translating pitch.
treble clef A clef, used by higher-pitched voices and instruments, that places
middle C on the first ledger line below the staff.
triad Three notes, each a third apart from the previous. Most chords are built
on triads.
triplet A group of three notes performed in the space of two.
tritone An interval consisting of three whole steps; sometimes called “the
Devil’s interval.”
unison (1) Two notes of the same pitch. (2) Voices or instruments all singing
or playing the same pitch.
upbeat The eighth-note “and” after the downbeat.
vivace Tempo marking for a lively tempo.
voice Melodic or harmonic lines.
voice leading The motion of a single voice.
voicing The way the notes of a chord are arranged.
whole step An interval equal to two half steps.
woodwind The family of instruments that produce sound by vibrating a
wooden reed. The woodwind family includes the clarinet, saxophone, oboe, and
bassoon. Also included are the flute and the piccolo, which do not use reeds.
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