Here is a glossary of musical terms that should be learned by all musicians.
| Accent | Special stress given to a musical note within a phrase. |
| Adagio | Indication that the music should be played at a speed not as slow as larghetto. 66 – 75 ticks per minute. |
| Allegro | Lively, or happy. Often used to indicate a fast piece, but not as fast as presto. 120 – 167 ticks per minute. |
| Andante | Indication of tempo (at a walking pace). 76 – 107 ticks per minute. |
| Arpeggio | This is when a chord played one-note-at-a-time instead of simultaneously. |
| Chord | A combination of three or more tones sounded simultaneously. |
| Clef |
This musical symbol is used to indicate the pitch of written notes. There are primarily three clefs used in modern music as seen below: |
| Dynamics | The loud and soft variations within a musical piece. |
| Head | A slang term for the main melody, often used in jazz. |
| Larghetto | Indication that the music should be played at a tempo not quite so slow as largo. 60 – 65 ticks per minute. |
| Largo | Indication that the music should be played slowly, in a broad manner. 40 – 59 ticks per minute. |
| Major Chord | A chord with three notes called a triad, that combines the first, third, and fifth notes of a major scale. Major chords have a happy or cheerful sound. |
| Measures | Sections of music organized with a certain number of beats determined by the time signature. For example, one measure in 4/4 time might be made up of four quarter (1/4) notes, or 8 eighth (1/8th) notes. |
| Melody | A rhythmically organized sequence of single tones so related to one another as to make up a particular musical phrase or idea. |
| Metronome | A device that marks time at a steady beat in adjustable intervals, to help keep a steady beat while playing music. |
| Minor Chord | A chord with three notes called a triad, that combines the first, flatted third, and fifth notes of a major scale. Minor chords have a darker, melancholy sound. |
| Moderato | Moderate, as in a moderate speed. 108 – 119 ticks per minute. |
| Muting | Touching played strings lightly to deaden their sound. |
| Neck | Section of the guitar that includes the fretboard and carries the strings from the body to the head of the guitar. |
| Note | A single sound, or its representation in music notation. This corresponds to a musical frequency. For example the a middle A note is 440 Hz. |
| Nut | Raised bar at the top of the fretboard that supports the strings and stops their vibration, as they run to the head of the guitar. |
| Octave | The same note up or down 12 half-steps, which is also equal to twice, or half of its frequency. For example, a middle A at 440 Hz., up 12 half-steps is still an A note but sounds higher as it is at 880 Hz. |
| Palm muting | A technique in which the palm of the right hand is laid on the strings just above the bridge, so that the strings are slightly muffled; this is different from muting, where the strings are deadened. |
| Pitch | A distinct musical note. This also corresponds to a frequency. For example, Concert A is 440 Hz. |
| Power chords | Chords that use only the two lowest strings of a normal chord; indicated by the symbol “5” (e.g. “A5” for an A power chord). The chords are created using the first and fifth steps of a major or minor scale. |
| Prestissimo | Very fast indeed. Faster than presto. 181 – 208 ticks per minute. |
| Presto | Fast. Indication that the music be played at a fast tempo. 168 – 180 ticks per minute. |
| Reference notes | Properly tuned notes used to tune another instrument by comparison. |
| Rhythm | A regular pattern formed by a series of notes of differing duration and stress. |
| Riff | A short musical phrase that a song is based on. |
| Root | The note from which a chord is built. For example, the root of the A minor chord is the A note. |
| Staff or Stave | A set of five horizontal lines and four spaces that each represent a different pitch. With percussion instruments the lines and spaces represent different percussive sounds (bass drum, cymbals, etc.) |
| Syncopation | Stressing a beat which is normally weak. |
| Guitar Tabs or Tablature | A system of notation using letters and symbols to indicate playing directions (See Lesson 88). |
| Tempo | Rate of speed at which music is played, usually expressed in Beats Per Minute (BPM). |
| Tie | A curved line connecting two identically-pitched notes, implying that only the first note is to be plucked, but sustained for the entire duration of the two notes combined. |
| Triad | This is a chord that uses the first note of a scale (called the Root), combined with the third note and the fifth note. |