Explore Music Theory with clear music dictionary guides to notes, scales, chords, rhythm, harmony, melody, and musical structure.
Transposition is the process of shifting a piece of music, a passage, or a single note to a different pitch level while preserving its intervallic relationships. It is a fundamental technique used by composers, arrangers, and performers across many musical styles.
A time signature is a notational convention that defines how many beats are in each measure and which note value receives one beat. It shapes the rhythmic feel of a piece and is a fundamental element of Western music notation.
A diminished chord is a triad built from two minor thirds stacked together, producing a tense, unresolved sound. It appears frequently in Western harmony as a passing or leading‑tone chord and is essential for creating chromatic movement.
The tritone is a musical interval spanning three whole tones, equivalent to an augmented fourth or diminished fifth. It is known for its dissonant sound and has played a pivotal role in Western harmony, theory, and composition.
The major scale is a seven‑note diatonic scale characterized by a specific pattern of whole and half steps, forming the basis of much Western tonal music.