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.
Notation & Symbols
Explore Notation & Symbols with clear music dictionary guides to clefs, notes, rests, accidentals, repeats, and score markings.
Read More →
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.
Da Capo (musical term)
Da capo, abbreviated D.C., is an Italian instruction meaning “from the head.” It tells performers to repeat a section of music from the beginning, often in conjunction with al fine or al coda.
Fortissimo (ff) Symbol
Fortissimo, abbreviated ff, is a dynamic marking that instructs musicians to play very loudly, typically louder than forte. It appears as two stacked f’s beneath the staff.
Chord Chart
A chord chart is a form of music notation that displays chord symbols above a single staff, providing the harmonic framework for a piece without specifying exact notes or rhythms. It is widely used in popular, jazz, and rock music to guide accompanists, improvisers, and arrangers.
Pick-up Note
A pick‑up note, also called an anacrusis, is a brief musical figure that precedes the first full measure of a piece. It creates an upbeat that leads directly into the downbeat of the opening bar.
Phrase Mark (music notation)
A phrase mark is a curved line placed above or below a staff that indicates the beginning and end of a musical phrase. It helps performers shape the music by showing how groups of notes should be connected and articulated as a single expressive unit.
Ottava (musical notation)
Ottava is a notation symbol that tells performers to shift a passage an octave higher (8va) or lower (8vb). It streamlines reading extreme registers and appears in many instrumental and vocal scores.
Fermata
A fermata is a musical notation indicating that a note, chord, or rest should be held longer than its written value. The exact duration is left to the performer’s discretion, often guided by the surrounding musical context.