Explore Notation & Symbols with clear music dictionary guides to clefs, notes, rests, accidentals, repeats, and score markings.
An accidental is a symbol placed before a note to raise or lower its pitch by a semitone or whole tone, temporarily altering the key signature. Sharps, flats, naturals, double sharps, and double flats are the most common accidentals used in Western staff notation.
A flag is the curved line attached to a note stem that indicates a duration shorter than a quarter note. Flags appear on eighth notes, sixteenth notes, and smaller values, and their number determines the exact rhythmic length.
A caesura is a musical notation indicating a brief, complete pause or interruption in the flow of sound, often written as // and interpreted as a moment of silence at the performer’s discretion.
In musical notation, fine is a term that marks the concluding point of a piece or a section, often following a repeat or a da capo instruction. It signals performers to end the work at that location, sometimes after a coda.
The pianissimo symbol, written as pp, indicates that a passage should be played very softly. It is a standard dynamic marking used across classical and contemporary scores to convey a delicate, subdued sound.
A rest is a musical notation symbol that indicates a period of silence for a specific duration, mirroring note values and essential for rhythm in all styles of Western music.
The sforzando (sfz) is a dynamic marking that signals a sudden, strong accent on a note or chord. It appears as the abbreviation “sfz” above or below the staff and directs the performer to attack the pitch with an immediate, brief emphasis.
A double sharp (𝄪) is an accidental that raises a written note by two semitones, equivalent to a whole‑step increase, and is used in highly chromatic music and certain key signatures.
In music notation, an accent is an articulation mark indicating that a note should be emphasized more strongly than surrounding notes. It affects dynamics, attack, and sometimes duration, giving the passage a sharper, more pronounced character.
Dal segno (Italian for “from the sign”) is a repeat instruction in Western music notation that tells the performer to return to a specific sign, the segno, later in the score. It is often combined with al Coda or al Fine to create extended repeats.