Musical Terms Glossary — Intermediate

100+ terms for quick lookup. Organised by category. Find any term in seconds. Includes all beginner terms (expanded where definitions deepen at intermediate level) plus new intermediate terms.

Italian Terms — Dynamics

Term	Symbol	Meaning
Pianissimo	pp	Very soft
Piano	p	Soft
Mezzo-piano	mp	Moderately soft
Mezzo-forte	mf	Moderately loud — the most common everyday playing volume
Forte	f	Loud
Fortissimo	ff	Very loud
Sforzando	sfz, sf	A sudden, strong accent on a single note or chord — louder than surrounding notes
Crescendo	<	Gradually get louder
Diminuendo / Decrescendo	> or dim.	Gradually get softer
Subito	sub.	Suddenly — used with dynamics: subito piano (sub. p) = suddenly soft
Sempre	—	Always — sempre forte = always loud (maintain the dynamic)
Poco a poco	—	Little by little — poco a poco crescendo = get louder gradually
Molto	—	Very, much — molto forte = very loud

Italian Terms — Tempo

Term	Symbol	BPM Range	Meaning
Grave	—	25-45	Very slow, solemn, heavy
Largo	—	40-66	Very slow and broad
Adagio	—	66-76	Slow, at ease
Andante	—	76-108	Walking pace
Moderato	—	108-120	Moderate speed
Allegro	—	120-156	Fast, lively
Vivace	—	156-176	Lively and fast
Presto	—	168-200	Very fast
Prestissimo	—	200+	As fast as possible

Italian Terms — Tempo Changes

Term	Symbol	Meaning
Accelerando	accel.	Gradually speed up
Ritardando	rit.	Gradually slow down
Rallentando	rall.	Gradually slow down (nearly identical to ritardando)
Rubato	—	“Stolen time” — flexible tempo where some beats are slightly longer or shorter for expression. The overall pulse remains.
A tempo	—	Return to the original tempo (used after a rit. or accel.)

Italian Terms — Expression & Character

Term	Meaning
Cantabile	In a singing style — make the melody flow like a voice
Con brio	With brilliance and spirit
Con moto	With motion — don’t drag the tempo
Dolce	Sweetly, gently
Espressivo	(espress.) With expression — play with feeling and nuance
Grazioso	Gracefully, elegantly
Maestoso	Majestically, with grandeur
Animato	Animated, lively
Tranquillo	Tranquil, calm, peaceful

Articulation Terms

Term	Symbol	Meaning
Legato	Curved line (slur)	Play smoothly and connected — each note flows into the next
Staccato	Dot above/below note	Play short and detached — lift finger quickly after pressing
Tenuto	Short horizontal line above/below note	Hold the note for its full value; also can mean a slight emphasis
Accent	> above/below note	Play the note louder/stronger than surrounding notes
Marcato	^ above/below note	Strongly accented — even more emphasis than a regular accent
Slur	Curved line over multiple notes	Play the notes smoothly as one phrase (not the same as a tie)
Tie	Curved line between same-pitch notes	Hold the note for the combined duration of both tied notes
Fermata	𝄐	Hold the note longer than written — performer decides how long

Theory Terms

Term	Definition
Accidental	A sharp (#), flat (b), or natural sign that changes a note’s pitch outside the key signature. Lasts for the rest of that measure.
Arpeggio	The notes of a chord played one at a time in sequence, either ascending or descending.
Augmented triad	A triad with a root, major 3rd, and augmented (raised) 5th. Sounds tense, unstable.
Bar / Measure	A section of music between two bar lines containing a fixed number of beats.
Beat	The basic unit of time in music.
Chord	Three or more notes played simultaneously.
Chromatic	Moving by half steps, using every key (black and white).
Circle of fifths	A diagram showing all 12 keys arranged by ascending 5ths (clockwise: C-G-D-A-E-B-F#/Gb-Db-Ab-Eb-Bb-F). Shows key signature relationships.
Clef	A symbol at the start of the staff indicating which notes the lines and spaces represent (treble or bass).
Compound time	Time signatures where each beat divides naturally into 3 (e.g., 6/8 = 2 beats of 3 eighth notes).
Counterpoint	The art of combining two or more independent melodic lines that sound good together. Bach was the master.
Diatonic	Notes belonging to a particular key or scale. Opposite of chromatic.
Diminished triad	A triad with a root, minor 3rd, and diminished (lowered) 5th. Sounds tense, wants to resolve.
Dominant	The 5th degree of a scale, or the chord built on it. Strong pull back to the tonic (I).
Dominant 7th	A major triad with an added minor 7th (e.g., G7 = G-B-D-F). The strongest “pull” chord in tonal music.
Enharmonic	Two names for the same pitch: F# and Gb, C# and Db — same key on the keyboard, different names.
Flat (b)	Lowers a note by one half step.
Half step	The smallest distance between two keys on the keyboard (e.g., E to F, C to C#).
Harmonic minor	A natural minor scale with the 7th degree raised by a half step, creating a leading tone.
Harmony	Two or more notes sounding together. Chords create harmony.
Interval	The distance between two notes, named by counting letter names (C to E = a 3rd).
Inversion	A chord rearranged so a note other than the root is on the bottom.
Key signature	The sharps or flats at the beginning of each staff line indicating the key.
Major 7th	A major triad with an added major 7th (e.g., Cmaj7 = C-E-G-B). Warm, dreamy sound.
Melody	A sequence of single notes forming a recognisable tune.
Melodic minor	A minor scale with raised 6th and 7th ascending, natural minor descending.
Minor 7th	A minor triad with an added minor 7th (e.g., Am7 = A-C-E-G). Smooth, jazzy sound.
Modulation	Changing from one key to another within a piece.
Natural	Cancels a sharp or flat, returning a note to its unaltered pitch.
Note	A single musical sound with a specific pitch and duration.
Parallel major/minor	Major and minor keys sharing the same starting note (C major and C minor). Different key signatures.
Relative major/minor	Major and minor keys sharing the same key signature (C major and A minor). Different starting notes.
Scale	A series of notes in ascending or descending order, following a specific pattern of whole and half steps.
Secondary dominant	A dominant 7th chord that temporarily “points to” a chord other than the tonic. E.g., D7 in the key of C points to G (V/V).
Sequence	A melodic or harmonic pattern repeated at a different pitch level.
Sharp (#)	Raises a note by one half step.
Tonic	The first degree of a scale — the “home” note/chord that everything resolves to.
Transposition	Moving a piece or passage to a different key while keeping all the intervals the same.
Voice leading	The way individual notes in chords move from one chord to the next. Smooth voice leading = small movements.
Whole step	Two half steps (e.g., C to D, E to F#).

Mode Names

Mode	Starting Degree	Character	Example from C
Ionian	1st (= major scale)	Bright, happy	C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
Dorian	2nd	Minor with a brighter feel, jazzy/funky	D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D
Phrygian	3rd	Dark, Spanish/flamenco flavour	E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E
Lydian	4th	Dreamy, floating, cinematic	F-G-A-B-C-D-E-F
Mixolydian	5th	Major but with a bluesy edge, rock/blues	G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G
Aeolian	6th (= natural minor)	Sad, melancholic	A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A
Locrian	7th	Unstable, rarely used alone	B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B

Form & Structure Terms

Term	Definition
Binary (AB)	A two-part form: Section A followed by Section B. Common in Baroque dances.
Ternary (ABA)	A three-part form: Section A, contrasting Section B, then A returns. Very common in classical music.
AABA	A 32-bar song form common in jazz standards and pop: 8 bars A, 8 bars A, 8 bars B (the “bridge”), 8 bars A.
Verse-chorus	Modern pop/rock form: alternating verses (changing lyrics) and choruses (repeated hook).
Intro	Opening section before the main theme begins.
Outro	Closing section that brings the piece to an end.
Bridge	A contrasting section that connects other sections — provides variety before returning to familiar material.
Coda	A concluding passage that brings a piece to its final end. Marked by the coda symbol.
Interlude	A short passage between main sections, often instrumental.
Vamp	A short repeated pattern (usually 1-2 bars) used as an introduction or transition. Common in jazz and pop.
Tag	A short ending added after the main form — often repeating the last phrase 2-3 times with a final resolution.
D.S. al Coda	”From the sign to the coda” — go back to the segno sign, play until you see “To Coda,” then jump to the coda section.
D.C. al Fine	”From the beginning to the end” — go back to the start and play until the “Fine” marking.
Sonata form	A large-scale classical structure: Exposition (themes presented), Development (themes explored/transformed), Recapitulation (themes return).

Genre & Performance Terms

Term	Definition
Blues scale	A 6-note scale: root, b3, 4, b5 (blue note), 5, b7. Example in C: C-Eb-F-Gb-G-Bb. The foundation of blues and rock.
Chart	Informal term for any written-out music, especially in jazz/pop — “read the chart.”
Chorus (jazz)	One complete pass through the song’s chord progression. “Take another chorus” = improvise over the form again.
Comping	Short for “accompanying” — playing chords rhythmically behind a soloist or singer. Essential jazz/pop skill.
Fake book	A collection of lead sheets (melody + chord symbols only). Called “fake” because you “fake” the arrangement.
Head	The main melody of a jazz tune. “Play the head” = play the written melody (as opposed to improvising).
Lead sheet	A single-staff chart showing melody with chord symbols above. You create your own accompaniment.
Lick	A short melodic phrase used in improvisation — a musical “vocabulary word” you can insert into solos.
Nashville number system	A chord notation system using numbers instead of letters: 1=I, 2=ii, 3=iii, 4=IV, 5=V, 6=vi, 7=viio. Key-independent.
Ostinato	A short musical pattern repeated persistently throughout a section or piece (e.g., the “Clocks” piano riff).
Pentatonic	A 5-note scale. Major pentatonic: 1-2-3-5-6. Minor pentatonic: 1-b3-4-5-b7. Sounds good over almost anything.
Riff	A short, catchy, repeated musical phrase — often the hook of a song.
Shell voicing	A jazz chord voicing using only root, 3rd, and 7th (omitting the 5th). Lean, clear sound for comping.
Shuffle	A rhythmic feel where pairs of 8th notes are played with a long-short swing (like triplets: long-short, long-short).
Swing	A rhythmic feel where 8th notes are played unevenly — the first longer, the second shorter. Foundation of jazz rhythm.
Syncopation	Emphasising notes on normally weak beats or off-beats. Creates rhythmic tension and groove.
Turnaround	A short chord progression (usually 2 bars) at the end of a form that leads back to the beginning.
Voicing	The specific arrangement of notes in a chord — which octave, which notes doubled or omitted. Same chord, different voicings.
Walking bass	A bass line that moves mostly by step, one note per beat, “walking” through the chord tones. Common in jazz.

Indian Music Terms

Term	Pronunciation	Definition
Alankar	ah-lun-KAAR	Melodic exercises/patterns within a raga — the Indian equivalent of scales and arpeggios.
Aroha	aa-ROH-ha	The ascending pattern of notes in a raga. May skip notes or use zigzag patterns.
Avaroha	ah-vah-ROH-ha	The descending pattern of notes in a raga. Often different from the aroha reversed.
Bandish	bun-DISH	A fixed composition in a raga, with lyrics set to a specific taal. The “head” of Indian classical music.
Dadra	DAAD-raa	A 6-beat taal: Dha Dhi Na
Drut	DROOT	Fast tempo in Indian music.
Gamak	guh-MUK	A heavy oscillation between two notes — an ornamental technique adding weight and intensity.
Jhaptaal	JHUP-taal	A 10-beat taal: Dhi Na
Keherwa	keh-HER-waa	An 8-beat taal: Dha Ge Na Ti
Madhya laya	MUD-ya LIE-ah	Medium tempo in Indian music.
Matra	MAAT-raa	A single beat in Indian rhythm — the smallest time unit in a taal.
Meend	MEEND	A glide/slide between two notes — on keyboard, achieved using the pitch bend wheel.
Raga	RAA-gah	A melodic framework defining which notes to use, their ascending/descending order, emphasis, and mood. More than a scale — includes rules for ornamentation and phrasing.
Rupak	ROO-puk	A 7-beat taal: Ti Ti Na
Sam	SUM	The first beat of a taal cycle — the most important beat where melodies resolve.
Sargam	sur-GUM	The Indian note naming system: Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni (equivalent to Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti).
Taal	TAAL	A rhythmic cycle in Indian music — defines the number of beats and the pattern of accents.
Taan	TAAN	A fast melodic passage in a raga, often improvised — shows virtuosity and mastery of the raga.
Tabla	TUB-laa	A pair of hand drums — the primary rhythmic instrument in North Indian classical music.
Tanpura	tun-POO-raa	A drone instrument providing the continuous pitch reference (Sa and Pa) in Indian music.
Teentaal	TEEN-taal	The most common taal: 16 beats divided into 4 groups of 4. Clap on beats 1, 5, 13; wave on beat 9.
Thaat	THAAT	A parent scale in Indian music theory — 10 thaats classify all ragas (similar to Western modes).
Vadi	VAA-dee	The most important note in a raga — the “king” note, emphasised and lingered upon.
Samvadi	sum-VAA-dee	The second most important note — the “minister” note, usually a 4th or 5th from the vadi.
Vilambit	vi-LUM-bit	Slow tempo in Indian music.

Keyboard & Technology Terms

Term	Definition
Audio In	A port on the CT-X9000IN that lets you play audio from a phone/tablet through the keyboard’s speakers.
DAW	Digital Audio Workstation — software for recording, editing, and producing music (GarageBand, MuseScore, FL Studio).
Layer	Playing two tones simultaneously — e.g., piano + strings together on the CT-X9000IN.
MIDI	Musical Instrument Digital Interface — a protocol that lets keyboards communicate with computers and other devices. Records note data (which key, how hard, how long), not audio.
Modulation wheel	A wheel controller (usually left of the keys) that adds vibrato or other effects. On CT-X9000IN, used with pitch bend.
Pitch bend	A wheel that smoothly raises or lowers the pitch — used for meend (glide) effects in Indian music.
Polyphony	The number of notes a keyboard can sound simultaneously. CT-X9000IN has 64-note polyphony.
Registration memory	Saves and recalls complete keyboard setups (tone, rhythm, tempo, effects) with one button press. CT-X9000IN has 32 registrations (4 banks of 8).
Split	Dividing the keyboard so each half plays a different tone — e.g., bass in LH, piano in RH.
Transpose	A keyboard function that shifts all notes up or down by a set number of semitones without changing fingering.

Musical Terms Glossary — Intermediate Course 100+ terms for instant reference