No matter your age, learning something new can be quite daunting. When it comes to learning music, apart from the instrument itself, there is also a lot of theory and terminology that goes with it.

Just like anything else, it takes practise to get the hang of all the jargon, and once you get more familiar and comfortable with it, everything becomes easier. Here is some of the important musical terminology needed when learning to play an instrument:

How it’s all written down
At first sight, sheet music looks like a big confusing mess, but once you get the basic understanding of what everything means and stands for, it becomes much less overwhelming.

Sheet music is all written down on staves, or staffs, which are sets of 5 horizontal lines with 4 spaces in between. On the staves are bars or bar lines; vertical lines from the top to the bottom line which divide the stave into sections to make the music easier to read.

Most of the instructions for the music will be found at the beginning of each stave, namely:

The Clef – A symbol at the very beginning of a stave which defines the pitch of the notes found in that particular stave. There is either the Treble Clef, which represents the higher range of notes, or the Bass Clef, which represents the lower range.
The Key Signature – A combination of sharps or flats representing the form in which those respective notes are to be played.
The Time Signature – A notational convention written like a fraction that determines how many beats are in a bar, and the value of each beat in that particular piece to set the tempo.

Tempo and dynamics
Tempo refers to speed, and dynamics refer to loudness or softness. When reading music, words will be written to indicate how the music is to be played throughout the piece:

Allegro – lively and fast
Andante – at a slow walking pace
Moderato – at a moderate speed
Presto – very fast
Accelerando – to gradually get faster
Rallentando – to gradually get slower
Legato – notes must flow smoothly
Staccato – notes are to be short, detached, and crisp
Piano – softly (Pianissimo – very softly)
Forte – loudly (Fortissimo – very loudly)
Crescendo – to gradually get louder
Diminuendo – to gradually get softer

All about the notes
Every note has 3 forms; its natural, sharp, and flat equivalent. The Key Signature mentioned earlier determines how each note is to be played. If throughout the piece there are changes, there will be indications accordingly.

Natural – Note is played in its original pitch
Sharp – Note is raised by one semitone
Flat – Note is lowered by one semitone

For more information about notes, tones and semitones, click here.

There is so much terminology to learn when it comes to music theory. Of course, having a tutor to explain and guide you will help to understand and memorise everything much more easily.

If you’re interested in learning a musical instrument, consider taking music lessons at the School of Popular Music in Guernsey. We offer classes and individual tutoring for all ages for a vast range of instruments, as well as vocal training. Click here to get in touch today.