Staff: Five lines and four spaces where notes are written Treble clef: Clef for higher notes; circles the G line Bass clef: Clef for lower notes; marks the F line Alto clef: C clef used for viola; middle C on the center line Ledger line: A short line extending the staff Grand staff: Treble and bass staves joined together Middle C: The C near the center of the piano keyboard Octave: Interval of eight scale steps with the same note name Half step: Smallest interval on a piano, adjacent keys Whole step: Two half steps Sharp: Raises a note by a half step Flat: Lowers a note by a half step Natural: Cancels a sharp or flat Enharmonic: Same pitch, different name, like C sharp and D flat Accidental: A sharp, flat or natural not in the key signature Key signature: Sharps or flats at the start showing the key Circle of fifths: Diagram of keys arranged by fifths Order of sharps: F C G D A E B Order of flats: B E A D G C F Major scale pattern: Whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half Natural minor scale pattern: Whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole Relative minor: A minor key sharing a key signature with a major key; starts a minor third below Parallel key: Major and minor keys sharing the same tonic Harmonic minor: Minor scale with a raised seventh Melodic minor: Minor scale with raised sixth and seventh going up Pentatonic scale: Five-note scale Chromatic scale: All twelve pitches in half steps Whole-tone scale: Six-note scale of all whole steps Tonic: First scale degree; the home note Supertonic: Second scale degree Mediant: Third scale degree Subdominant: Fourth scale degree Dominant: Fifth scale degree Submediant: Sixth scale degree Leading tone: Seventh scale degree, a half step below the tonic Interval: Distance between two pitches Perfect intervals: Unison, fourth, fifth and octave Major third: Interval of four half steps Minor third: Interval of three half steps Perfect fifth: Interval of seven half steps Tritone: Interval of six half steps, an augmented fourth or diminished fifth Consonance: A stable, pleasing combination of notes Dissonance: A tense combination that seeks resolution Triad: A three-note chord built in thirds Major triad: Root, major third and perfect fifth Minor triad: Root, minor third and perfect fifth Diminished triad: Two stacked minor thirds Augmented triad: Two stacked major thirds Seventh chord: A triad plus a seventh above the root Dominant seventh: Major triad with a minor seventh Root position: Chord with its root in the bass First inversion: Chord with the third in the bass Second inversion: Chord with the fifth in the bass Roman numeral analysis: Labeling chords by scale degree, upper case for major Primary chords: I, IV and V Cadence: Chord pair that ends a phrase Authentic cadence: V to I Plagal cadence: IV to I, the 'Amen' cadence Half cadence: Phrase ends on V Deceptive cadence: V to vi, avoiding the expected ending Harmonic progression: A sequence of chords Modulation: Changing from one key to another Tempo: Speed of the music Allegro: Fast and lively Andante: Walking pace Adagio: Slow Presto: Very fast Ritardando: Gradually slowing Accelerando: Gradually speeding up Fermata: A hold on a note or rest Time signature: Numbers showing beats per measure and the note that gets a beat Simple meter: Each beat divides into two Compound meter: Each beat divides into three Syncopation: Emphasis on weak beats Anacrusis: Pickup notes before the first full measure Whole note: Four beats in 4/4 Dotted note: A dot adds half the note's length Tie: A curve joining two notes of the same pitch Slur: A curve connecting different notes to be played smoothly Triplet: Three notes in the time of two Forte: Loud Piano: Soft Crescendo: Gradually getting louder Diminuendo: Gradually getting softer Staccato: Short and detached Legato: Smooth and connected Dynamics: Loudness levels in music Timbre: The tone color of a sound Texture: How layers of sound combine Monophonic: A single melodic line Homophonic: Melody with chordal accompaniment Polyphonic: Multiple independent melodic lines Counterpoint: Combining independent melodies Fugue: Polyphonic piece built on an imitated subject Canon: A melody imitated exactly by another voice later Motive: A short, recurring musical idea Phrase: A musical sentence Binary form: Two sections, AB Ternary form: Three sections, ABA Rondo: A form where the main theme returns, ABACA Sonata form: Exposition, development, recapitulation Theme and variations: A tune repeated with changes Figured bass: Baroque shorthand using numbers to show chords Transposition: Moving music to a different key Ostinato: A repeated musical pattern Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/tp-ap-music-theory