Music glossary

Setting the pitch of each string (or note) of an instrument. In standard guitar tuning the open strings are E, A, D, G, B, E, from the 6th to the 1st; other tunings, such as Drop D, change one or more strings.

In practice: Tuner

The note every instrument tunes to so they can play together: the current standard is concert A (A4) at 440 Hz. Some orchestras tune a little higher, so the tuner on this site lets you set A from 430 to 450 Hz.

In practice: Tuner

The number of vibrations per second of a sound, measured in hertz (Hz). The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch: concert A is 440 Hz and the A an octave above is 880 Hz.

In practice: Tuner

A unit for measuring tuning: one cent is a hundredth of a semitone, so an octave has 1,200 cents. The ear barely notices a difference of up to about 5 cents, which is the range where the tuner on this site turns green.

In practice: Tuner

The quality of a sound that makes it seem low or high, set by the frequency of the vibration. It is not the same as volume (loudness) or timbre (the colour of the sound).

In practice: Tuner

The smallest distance between two notes in Western music, such as from E to F or from C to C♯; on the guitar it is one fret. Each semitone multiplies the frequency by about 1.0595, and 12 semitones make an octave.

In practice: Harmony

A distance of two semitones, such as from C to D; on the guitar it is two frets. Careful: in some languages “tone” is also used as a synonym for key (“the song is in the key of G”).

In practice: Scales

The distance between two notes, counted in degrees and measured in semitones: from C to G is a perfect fifth, 7 semitones. It gives its name to the major third, the perfect fourth and all the others, and it is the basis of ear training.

In practice: Learn

The interval between one note and the next with the same name, higher or lower. The frequency doubles with each octave (A 440 Hz, A 880 Hz) and an octave has 12 semitones; vocal range is usually measured in octaves.

In practice: Singing

A sequence of notes in order of pitch, within an octave, following a fixed pattern of tones and semitones. Melodies, solos and the chords of a key come from it.

In practice: Scales

A seven-note scale with the pattern whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. C major uses only the white keys of the piano: C, D, E, F, G, A, B. It is the one that sounds “happy” and the basis of the diatonic chords.

In practice: Scales

The natural minor scale has seven notes in the pattern whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole and sounds darker than the major. A minor uses the same notes as C major, starting on A: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. There are also the harmonic and melodic minor.

In practice: Scales

A five-note scale with no semitones between its notes, a favourite for rock, blues and popular-music solos. The A minor pentatonic has the notes A, C, D, E, G.

In practice: Scales

The minor pentatonic with one extra note, the “blue note” (the flat fifth, or sharp fourth). The A blues scale has the notes A, C, D, E♭, E, G.

In practice: Scales

A scale made by starting the same sequence of notes on another degree. The modes of the major scale are Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian, each with its own character: D Dorian uses the notes of C major, from D to D.

In practice: Scales

The set of notes and chords that revolves around one note of rest, the tonic. G major, for example, uses the G major scale and has the G chord as its centre.

In practice: Harmony

The major and minor keys that share the same notes and the same key signature, such as C major and A minor, or G major and E minor. The relative minor is always three semitones below the major.

In practice: Harmony

A set of three or more notes played together. It is defined by its root note and its quality (major, minor, with a seventh…), which the chord symbol writes: C, Am, G7.

In practice: Chords

A chord of three notes stacked in thirds: root, third and fifth. The basic triads are major, minor, diminished and augmented; C major is C, E, G.

In practice: Chords

A four-note chord: a triad plus the seventh, such as C7 (C, E, G, B♭) and Cmaj7 (C, E, G, B). It is the basis of jazz and bossa nova harmony.

In practice: Chords

A chord played with a note other than the root in the bass. In the first inversion the third is in the bass; in the second, the fifth. C/E is C major in first inversion.

In practice: Chords

A chord whose lowest note is not the root, written with a slash: C/E is a C with E in the bass, and G/B is a G with B in the bass. It is the way to make the bass line walk note by note.

In practice: Chords

A system that writes chords with letters and signs over the lyrics: C, Dm, G7, F♯m7(♭5). Each letter is a note (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) and the rest gives the quality of the chord.

In practice: Chords

The way the notes of a chord are spread out: which notes, in which octave and in which order. The same chord has many voicings, more open or more closed, and each one changes the colour of the sound.

In practice: Chords

A chord played note by note, in sequence, instead of all at once. It can go up, down or alternate, and it is the basis of many fingerpicking patterns, solos and vocal warm-ups.

In practice: Chords

A two-note chord, root and fifth (sometimes with the octave), with no third, so it is neither major nor minor. It is written with a 5, as in E5, and is widely used in distorted rock.

In practice: Chords

The chords built on each note of a scale, using only the notes of that scale. In C major, the diatonic chords are C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, B°.

In practice: Harmony

The position of a note or a chord within the scale, counted from the tonic and written in roman numerals (I, ii, V). In the key of C, the fifth degree is G.

In practice: Learn

The role of a chord in the key: tonic (rest), subdominant (moving away) or dominant (tension that asks for resolution). In C major, C is the tonic, F the subdominant and G the dominant.

In practice: Harmony

A diagram that orders the 12 keys in fifths (C, G, D, A, E…), where every step up a fifth adds one more sharp to the key signature. It shows which keys are neighbours and which chords go together.

In practice: Harmony

A sequence of chords that repeats through a song, such as I–V–vi–IV. The composer on this site suggests the next chord of a progression by the mood it creates.

In practice: Compose

A clamp that holds all the strings down at one fret and raises the pitch by a semitone per fret, so you can play easy chord shapes in another key. With the capo on fret 2, the C shape sounds as D.

In practice: Harmony

Changing a song or progression to another key by moving every note and chord by the same distance: going up 2 semitones takes C to D and G to A. It is used to fit a song to a voice or an instrument.

In practice: Harmony

A technique in which one finger, usually the index, presses several strings at once on the same fret, like a bar. It is what makes the F chord possible on guitar and lets you slide the same shape to any fret.

In practice: Chords

A way of playing in which the strings of a chord sound one by one, with the fingers (or a pick), instead of being strummed together. Usually the thumb takes care of the bass and the other fingers of the high strings.

In practice: Backing track

A pattern of right-hand motions, down and up, that gives the rhythm of the guitar accompaniment. Pop, samba, reggae and bossa nova each have their own.

In practice: Learn

The rhythmic feel of a style, made of rhythm and accents: the groove of baião, of samba, of the blues. In the backing track, the groove sets how bass, drums and chords fit together.

In practice: Backing track

A base with harmony, bass and drums, without the melody, to play or sing over. On this site you write the chords and the base plays in a loop, at the tempo and groove you choose.

In practice: Backing track

Beats per minute: how many beats fit in 60 seconds, the most common measure of tempo. Each beat lasts 60,000 ÷ BPM milliseconds; at 120 BPM, that is 500 ms.

In practice: Metronome

The speed of the music. It can be given in BPM or by an Italian term, such as Andante (at a walking pace) and Allegro (fast and lively), whose BPM ranges vary by source.

In practice: Metronome

The division of music into regular groups of beats, shown as a fraction at the start of the staff. The top number says how many beats are in each bar; the bottom one, which note value gets one beat: in 4/4, four quarter notes.

In practice: Metronome

A time signature in which each beat divides into two parts, such as 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4. A waltz, in 3/4, has three beats per bar.

In practice: Metronome

A time signature in which each beat divides into three, such as 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8. 6/8 has two beats, each with three eighth notes.

In practice: Metronome

A time signature in which the beats group into unequal parts, such as 7/8 counted 2+2+3 or 5/4 counted 3+2. It is common in jazz, progressive rock and Balkan music.

In practice: Metronome

Dividing each beat into smaller equal parts: two eighth notes, three triplets, four sixteenth notes. Counting the subdivision keeps the rhythm steady; the metronome on this site plays from 1 to 8 clicks per beat.

In practice: Metronome

A group of notes that divides the beat in a different way from normal. The most common is the triplet: three notes in the place of two, such as three eighth notes in a quarter-note beat. There are also quintuplets, sextuplets and septuplets.

In practice: Metronome

Shifting the accent to a weak beat or to the weak part of a beat: the note starts off the strong beat and is held through it. It is what gives samba and funk their swing.

In practice: Learn

A note that falls between the beats, on the weak part of the beat (the “and” of 1-and-2-and). In reggae, the guitar plays the offbeat.

In practice: Learn

Two or more rhythms with different pulses at the same time, such as 3 against 2 (three notes in the time of two) or 4 against 3. The metronome on this site plays each voice with its own sound, to practise these ratios.

In practice: Metronome

A device that marks time with regular clicks, at a number of beats per minute you choose. It is used to practise accurately, raise speed gradually and keep the rhythm steady.

In practice: Metronome

A way of playing in which eighth notes are uneven: the first lasts longer than the second, much like a triplet whose first two notes are tied. It is the mark of jazz and blues; the metronome on this site has a swing option.

In practice: Metronome

The interval between the original sound and its echo, in milliseconds. For the echo to land in the groove, a fraction of the beat is used: at 120 BPM, the quarter note lasts 500 ms and the dotted eighth, 375 ms.

In practice: Metronome

The span between the lowest and the highest note a voice sings firmly, measured in notes, semitones or octaves. The test on this site counts the note you hold for half a second.

In practice: Singing

The part of the range where a voice sounds most comfortable and where the melody of a song spends most of its time. It is shorter than the range and helps you choose the key to sing in.

In practice: Singing

The division of voices into types by range and timbre: bass, baritone and tenor among the male voices; contralto, mezzo-soprano and soprano among the female ones. The range suggests the type, but timbre and a singing teacher decide.

In practice: Singing

A singing exercise on a vowel, without lyrics, in which a short phrase is repeated going up or down a semitone at a time. It warms up the voice, trains pitch and widens the comfortable range.

In practice: Singing

The symbol at the start of the staff that says which note is on each line. The treble clef marks G on the second line and is for high voices and instruments; the bass clef marks F on the fourth line and is for low ones.

In practice: Learn

The set of five lines and four spaces on which notes are written: the higher the note on the staff, the higher the pitch. Ledger lines extend the staff above and below.

In practice: Learn

The sharps or flats written right after the clef, which apply to the whole piece and show the key. One sharp (F♯) means G major or E minor; one flat (B♭), F major or D minor.

In practice: Learn

Symbols that show how long each note lasts: whole note, half note, quarter note, eighth note, sixteenth note and so on, each worth half of the one before. In 4/4, the quarter note gets one beat.

In practice: Learn

A sign that changes the pitch of a note: the sharp (♯) raises it a semitone, the flat (♭) lowers it a semitone and the natural (♮) cancels the change. It lasts until the end of the bar.

In practice: Learn

Practice in recognising intervals, chords, scale degrees and rhythms by ear, without seeing the score. The site has exercises in rounds of 10, with rhythmic dictation and “sing the note”.

In practice: Learn