Beginning Band Vocabulary
updated 4/6/12
Beginning Band Vocabulary List 2011-2012
For other Beginning band tips and info CLICK HERE
STAFF … system of five parallel lines and spaces upon which all music is written. Each line and space stands for one musical sound (pitch). Because there are so many different pitches used on the piano, in band, and in orchestra, there are five different staffs.
CLEF or CLEF SIGN … labels used to identify the different staffs
TREBLE (G) CLEF … “treble” is used to identify high sounds, voices, or instruments in music. This clef labels the staff used by the highest instruments: bells, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet and horn.
BASS (F) CLEF … “bass” (pronounced “base”) is used to identify low sounds, voices, or instruments in music. This clef labels the staff used by the lowest instruments: trombone, baritone, and tuba.
PERCUSSION CLEF .. symbol used to indicate the staff upon which non-pitched percussion music is written
NOTES … symbols written on the staff to indicate sounds
REST … symbols written on the staff to indicate silences
TIME SIGNATURE … two numbers written at beginning of every staff after the clef sign, dealing with counting and grouping of beats
FOUR-FOUR (4/4) TIME … is the most common time signature. Beats are counted in groups of four.
WHOLE NOTE … a whole note lasts for 4 beats or counts of sound. It is called a whole note because it takes up the whole group of 4 beats in 4/4 time. It is the plainest, simplest looking note, described as a plain “note head”, not colored in, and with nothing added to it
WHOLE REST … a whole rest lasts for four counts of silence . Called “whole” because it takes up the whole group of 4 beats in 4/4. Looks like a little black rectangle.
MEASURE … a measure is the official name for a group of beats. In 4/4 time, each measure contains four beats.
BAR LINES … vertical lines on the staff (looks like fence posts), that show where each measure stops and/or starts
DOUBLE BAR LINES .. two bar lines right next together (one usually thicker than the other)… shows the end of a song or section
HALF NOTE … two counts of sound, described as a note head that is not colored in, plus a stem.
HALF REST … two counts of silence. Looks similar to a whole rest. You can tell them apart because a half rest always shares a measure with something else.
QUARTER NOTE … one count of sound, described as a colored-in note head, plus a stem.
QUARTER REST … one count of silence. Mr. W calls it a squiggly black line
MUSICAL ALPHABET … the musical alphabet includes the first seven letters of the regular alphabet: A B C D E F G After G, it starts over with A and keeps repeating … ABCDEFGABCDEFG, etc
REPEAT SIGN .. tells you to go back to beginning and play the whole song again. The sign looks like 2 dots, always placed in front of a double bar
TIE … a curved line that conneects 2 or more notes of same pitch. It ties them together into one long note
HARMONY … two or more different notes played at the same time
DUET … a piece of muisc written for 2 different parts to be played together
TWO-FOUR (2/4) TIME … a time signature in which there are two beats in every measure.
THREE-FOUR (3/4) TIME … a time signature in which there are three beats in every measure
DYNAMICS … markings that tell you how soft or loud to play
- pp pianissimo … very soft
- p piano … soft
- mp mezzo piano … medium soft
- mf mezzo forte … medium loud
- f forte … loud
- ff fortissimo … very loud
- cresc. / crescendo … gradually get louder
- dim./ diminuendo or decrescendo … gradually get softer
TEMPOs … markings that tell you how fast or slow to play
- largo … slow or very slow
- andante … medium slow, at a walking pace
- moderato … moderately, medium speed
- allegro … fast
- rit./ritardando … gradually slow down
- accel./accelerando … gradually speed up
ARTICULATIONS …. markings that tell you how to tounge or play the notes
- regular tounge (tah) …. no special markings
- legato (dah) … play smoothly (sometimes also marked with a tenuto mark {-}
- slur … a curved line connecting 2 or more notes of different pitches. After tounging first note, connect the rest together smoothly without tounging
- staccato … marked with a dot above or below each note. Play short, light, and separated.
- accent (<) … stress each note, put a little extra air behind it ( or hit harder for drums)