Skip to content
Hello Music Theory | Learn To Read Music
  • Learn
  • Study Guides
  • Worksheets
  • Music Glossary
  • Online Metronome
  • Quizzes
  • Log In

Resources / Glossary

Glossary Of Musical Terms

Written by Dan Farrant

Are you feeling lost in a sea of musical terms? You’re not alone. Music is its own language, and it can be confusing. That’s why we’re creating this glossary of music terms.

From basic terms like ‘melody’ and ‘rhythm’ to more complex ones like ‘negative harmony,’ we break things down in a way that’s easy to understand. Each term links to a guide that explains it further. So go ahead, explore, and make the language of music a little less mysterious with our music dictionary!

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

A


  • AABA Form
  • Absolute Music
  • Accidental
  • Adagio
  • Aeolian Mode
  • Allegro
  • Altered Chord
  • Alto Clef
  • Anacrusis
  • Andante
  • Andantino
  • Aria
  • Articulation
  • Augmented Chord

B


  • Ballad
  • Bass Clef
  • Basso Continuo
  • Beats Per Minute (BPM)
  • Binary Form
  • Bridge

C


  • Cadence
  • Cadenza
  • Canon
  • Cantata
  • Circle Of Fifths
  • Chord
  • Chromatic Scale
  • Clef
  • Coda
  • Compound Interval
  • Concert Pitch
  • Concerto
  • Counterpoint
  • Crescendo

D


  • Decrescendo
  • Diatonic Scale
  • Diminished Chord
  • Dorian Mode
  • Dotted Note
  • Duplet
  • Dynamics

E


  • Enharmonic Equivalent
  • Extended Chord

F


  • Figured Bass
  • Form
  • Fugue

G


  • Gregorian Chant

H


  • Half Diminished Chord
  • Harmonic Function
  • Harmony
  • Homophonic
  • Hook

I


  • Interval
  • Inverted Interval
  • Ionian Mode

K


  • Key
  • Key Signature

L


  • Legato
  • Leitmotif
  • Lick
  • Locrian Mode
  • Lydian Mode

M


  • Medley
  • Melody
  • Metronome
  • Mixolydian Mode
  • Moderato
  • Modes
  • Modulation
  • Monophonic
  • Motif
  • Motion

N


  • Negative Harmony
  • Neapolitan Chord

O


  • Octave
  • Ornament
  • Ostinato

P


  • Parallel Key
  • Perfect Pitch
  • Pentatonic Scale
  • Phrase
  • Phrygian Mode
  • Picardy Third
  • Pitch
  • Polyphonic
  • Program Music

R


  • Refrain
  • Relative Key
  • Relative Pitch
  • Rest
  • Rhythm
  • Riff
  • Rondo Form
  • Root
  • Round
  • Rubato

S


  • Scale
  • Secondary Dominant
  • Seventh Chord
  • Slash Chord
  • Slur
  • Solfege
  • Sonata Form
  • Species Counterpoint
  • Staccato
  • Staff
  • Stave
  • Strophic Form
  • Suspended Chord
  • Syncopation

T


  • Tempo
  • Tenor Clef
  • Ternary Form
  • Tetrachord
  • Texture
  • Theme And Variation
  • Through Composed Form
  • Tied Note
  • Timbre
  • Time Signature
  • Tone Poem
  • Treble Clef
  • Triad Chord
  • Triplet
  • Tritone
  • Tritone Substitution
  • Tuplet
  • Twelve Tone Technique

W


  • Whole Tone Scale
Learning Or Teaching Music Theory?

Signup for Our Newsletter and Get Our
Free Ebook With 40+ of Our Favorite
Music Theory Resources Here

Get In Touch

contact@hellomusictheory.com

About Us

About us

Contact Us

FAQs

Reviews

Company Info

Disclaimer

Privacy Policy

Refund Policy

Terms Of Use

© Hello Music Theory 2025 | Sitemap