272 Appendix A
staff An assemblage of horizontal lines and spaces that represent different
pitches.
string The family of instruments that produces sound by moving a bow across
a string. The string family includes the violin, viola, cello, and double bass.
subdominant The fourth degree of the scale, or the chord built on the fourth
degree (IV).
submediant The sixth degree of a scale, or the chord built on that degree (vi).
subtonic The seventh degree of a scale, or the chord built on that degree
(vii°). (In classical theory, the subtonic is the lowered seventh, while the normal
seventh is called the leading tone.)
supertonic The second degree of a scale, or the chord built on that degree (ii).
suspension A nonchord note used within a chord to create tension. The sus-
pended note is typically the fourth of the chord, which then resolves down to
the third.
syncopation An accent on an unexpected beat—or the lack of an accent on an
expected beat.
tempo The rate of speed at which beats are played in a song.
tempo primo Return to the tempo designated at the beginning of a piece.
tenor voice The highest male voice.
theme A recurring melodic or rhythmic pattern or idea; the main melodic
phrase in a composition.
third The interval between the first and third degree of a scale; can be either
minor (three half steps) or major (two whole steps).
thirteenth chord A triad with four notes added, a seventh, ninth, eleventh,
and thirteenth above the root of the chord.
tie A curved line over or under two or more notes that “ties” the two notes
together into one.
timbre Sound quality (as in “That trumpet player has a rich timbre”).
time signature A symbol with two numbers, one on top of the other (like a
fraction), that indicates the basic meter of a song. The upper number indicates
how many beats are in a measure; the bottom number indicates the type of note
that receives one beat.
tonality The organization of musical notes around a tonic, or home pitch,
based on a major or minor scale or mode.
tone A sound played or sung at a specific pitch. (The term is also used some-
times to indicate timbre, or sound quality.)
tonic The primary note in a scale or key; the first degree of a scale or a chord
built on that degree (I).
transpose See transposition.
transposing instruments Those instruments that are not notated at their true
pitch. For example, the trumpet is notated a full step higher than it sounds; when