Breath Mark (Music Notation)
A breath mark is a small notation symbol that indicates where a performer should take a brief breath or pause, helping to shape phrasing without affecting the measured rhythm.
Notation & Symbols
Explore Notation & Symbols with clear music dictionary guides to clefs, notes, rests, accidentals, repeats, and score markings.
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Sharp (music notation)
The sharp symbol (♯) is an accidental that raises the pitch of a note by one semitone. It appears to the left of a notehead or at the beginning of a key signature, indicating that the affected pitch is to be played a half step higher than written.
Flat (musical symbol)
The flat (♭) is a musical accidental that lowers a pitch by one semitone. It appears to the left of a note or in key signatures and is essential for indicating pitch alterations in Western notation.
Legato Mark (Music Notation)
The legato mark, commonly rendered as a curved line (slur) connecting two or more notes, indicates that they should be played smoothly without perceptible separation. It is a fundamental articulation symbol used across a wide range of musical styles.
Crescendo (musical dynamic)
A crescendo is a notation indicating that the music should gradually become louder, typically shown as a long, opening hairpin. It guides performers to increase dynamic intensity over a specified span of notes or measures.
Mezzo Piano (mp) Symbol: Definition, Notation, and Performance
Mezzo piano, abbreviated mp, is a dynamic marking indicating a moderately soft volume. It appears as the letters “mp” placed above or below the staff and guides performers to play between piano and mezzo forte levels.
Double flat (musical accidental)
A double flat (𝄫) is an accidental that lowers a note’s pitch by two semitones, used in highly chromatic music and complex key signatures.
Score (Music)
A musical score is a written representation of a composition that displays all instrumental and vocal parts, rhythms, pitches, dynamics and expressive markings, allowing performers to interpret the work accurately.
Figured Bass
Figured bass is a Baroque notation system that places numbers and accidentals beneath a bass line to indicate the chords a continuo player should realize.
Tie (Music)
A tie is a curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch, indicating that they should be sounded as a single sustained tone whose duration equals the combined values of the tied notes. Unlike a slur, a tie does not affect articulation, only length.