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Music Symbols and Their Meanings

This document provides definitions for various music symbols used in musical notation, including clefs like treble and bass clef, notes and rests, dynamics like piano and forte, tempo markings, repeats, and other indications for articulation, expression, and structure. It explains concepts such as crescendos, decrescendos, grace notes, fermatas, and signs for repeats, da capo, dal segno, coda, and volta brackets.

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Matt Weiser
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721 views3 pages

Music Symbols and Their Meanings

This document provides definitions for various music symbols used in musical notation, including clefs like treble and bass clef, notes and rests, dynamics like piano and forte, tempo markings, repeats, and other indications for articulation, expression, and structure. It explains concepts such as crescendos, decrescendos, grace notes, fermatas, and signs for repeats, da capo, dal segno, coda, and volta brackets.

Uploaded by

Matt Weiser
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Expressive Elements
  • Music Symbols Introduction
  • Playing Techniques and Effects
  • Miscellaneous Symbols

MUSIC SYMBOLS

CLEFS

Treble Clef

Metronome Mark NOTE RELATIONSHIPS

Bass Clef NOTES AND RESTS Triplet

Multi-Measure Rest DYNAMICS Double Bar Line Piano Soft

Slur

Mezzo-piano - Half as soft as piano Beamed Notes TIME AND TEMPO Pianissimo - Very soft. Usually the softest indication in a piece of music Forte Loud Common Time Mezzo-Forte - Half as loud as forte Cut Time Fortissimo - Very loud. Usually the loudest indication in a
1

MUSIC SYMBOLS
piece Sforzando - Denotes an abrupt, fierce accent on a single sound or chord Decrescendo - A gradual decrease in volume, usually extends for several notes Crescendo - A gradual increase in volume, usually extends for several notes

Dal Segno - Tells the performer to repeat playing of the song starting at the nearest segno. This is followed by al fine or al coda Segno - Sign that marks the beginning or end of a musical repeat, used with dal segno Coda - Indicates a forward jump in the song to its ending passage, marked with the same sign. Only used after playing through a D.S. al coda or D.C. al coda

ACCENTS or ARTICULATIONS

Staccato

Volta Brackets (1st and 2nd endings) - Denote that a repeated passage is to be played in different ways on different playing

Fermata

Grace Note REPEATS Da Capo - Tells the performer to repeat playing of the song from its beginning. This is followed by al fine or al coda

Repeat Signs - Enclose a passage that is to be played more than once

Simile Marks - Denote that preceding groups of beats or

MUSIC SYMBOLS
measures are to be repeated, more than once

MUSIC SYMBOLS 1 CLEFS Treble Clef Bass Clef NOTES AND RESTS Multi-Measure Rest
MUSIC SYMBOLS 2 piece Sforzando - Denotes an abrupt, fierce accent on a single sound or chord Decrescendo - A gradual
MUSIC SYMBOLS 3 measures are to be repeated, more than once

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