| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | a tempo | return to original speed |
| 2. | accelerando | gradually speeding up |
| 3. | accent | extra stress on a note |
| 4. | adagio | slow tempo |
| 5. | allegro | fast lively tempo |
| 6. | andante | walking pace tempo |
| 7. | articulation | how notes are attacked |
| 8. | attack | start of a note |
| 9. | balance | relative loudness among parts |
| 10. | band | instrumental performing group |
| 11. | bass | lowest common male voice |
| 12. | baton | stick used for conducting |
| 13. | beat | basic pulse of music |
| 14. | blend | unified ensemble sound |
| 15. | brass | trumpets, horns, trombones, tubas |
| 16. | breath | planned breathing point |
| 17. | cadence | phrase-ending harmonic pattern |
| 18. | cantabile | in a singing style |
| 19. | chord | three or more notes together |
| 20. | chromatic | using semitone movement |
| 21. | coda | closing section |
| 22. | con brio | with vigor and spirit |
| 23. | counterpoint | independent melodic lines combined |
| 24. | crescendo | gradually getting louder |
| 25. | cue | signal to begin playing |
| 26. | cutoff | signal to stop sound |
| 27. | dal segno | from the sign |
| 28. | diatonic | within the key |
| 29. | diminuendo | gradually getting softer |
| 30. | downbeat | first beat of a measure |
| 31. | dynamics | loudness levels in music |
| 32. | entrance | point where a part begins |
| 33. | espressivo | with expression |
| 34. | expression | communicated musical feeling |
| 35. | fermata | held note or rest |
| 36. | fine | the end |
| 37. | gesture | conducting movement with meaning |
| 38. | harmony | combined sounding pitches |
| 39. | ictus | point marking the beat |
| 40. | instrumentation | choice of instruments used |
| 41. | interpretation | performer’s artistic understanding |
| 42. | interval | distance between two pitches |
| 43. | intonation | accuracy of pitch |
| 44. | key | tonal center of music |
| 45. | largo | broad slow tempo |
| 46. | ledger line | extra line above or below |
| 47. | legato | smooth and connected |
| 48. | lift | light upward rhythmic feel |
| 49. | major | key or chord quality |
| 50. | marcato | marked and emphatic |
| 51. | measure | group of beats in notation |
| 52. | meter | pattern of strong and weak beats |
| 53. | minor | key or chord quality |
| 54. | mode | type of scale pattern |
| 55. | moderato | moderate tempo |
| 56. | modulation | change to another key |
| 57. | motif | short recurring musical idea |
| 58. | note | written musical sound |
| 59. | octave | interval of eight notes |
| 60. | orchestra | large instrumental ensemble |
| 61. | orchestration | scoring for instruments |
| 62. | part | music for one performer |
| 63. | pattern | standard conducting beat shape |
| 64. | phrasing | shaping of musical lines |
| 65. | pickup | notes before first full bar |
| 66. | pitch | highness or lowness of sound |
| 67. | preparation | readying a gesture or entrance |
| 68. | presto | very fast tempo |
| 69. | pulse | steady underlying beat |
| 70. | register | range area of pitches |
| 71. | release | end of a note |
| 72. | repeat | play again |
| 73. | reprise | return of earlier material |
| 74. | rest | silence of set duration |
| 75. | rhythm | timing pattern of notes |
| 76. | ritardando | gradually slowing down |
| 77. | rubato | flexible expressive timing |
| 78. | scale | ordered series of pitches |
| 79. | segno | navigation sign in score |
| 80. | sforzando | sudden strong accent |
| 81. | soli | section playing alone |
| 82. | solo | single featured performer |
| 83. | staccato | short and detached |
| 84. | staff | five lines for notation |
| 85. | subdivision | dividing beats into smaller parts |
| 86. | subito | suddenly |
| 87. | tacet | do not play |
| 88. | tempo | speed of the music |
| 89. | tenuto | held for full value |
| 90. | theme | main musical idea |
| 91. | time signature | beats per measure marking |
| 92. | transposition | shifting music to another key |
| 93. | triplet | three notes in two’s time |
| 94. | tuning | adjusting pitch to match |
| 95. | tutti | all performers together |
| 96. | unison | same pitch together |
| 97. | upbeat | beat before the downbeat |
| 98. | vivace | lively fast tempo |
| 99. | voicing | arrangement of chord tones |
| 100. | woodwinds | flutes, reeds, and related instruments |