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| music alphabet |
A B C D E F G |
| piano keyboard |  |
| staff |
5-line, 4-space grid used to notate musical pitch |
| clef |
Gives specific pitch names to each line and space of staff |
| treble
clef |
Denotes relatively
high pitches |
| bass
clef |
Denotes relatively
low pitches |
| grand staff |
Treble and bass clef joined by a bracket or brace |
| C
clef |
Denotes location of middle C |
|
octave |
The next higher or lower pitch with the same letter name |
| ledger lines |
Short lines added above or below the staff to extend its range |
| 8va | Indicates the written pitch should be played one octave higher or lower |
| half step |
Smallest interval on piano keyboard (the distance between adjacent keys) |
| whole step |
Equivalent of two half steps (the distance between two keys with one key intervening) |
| accidentals |
Symbols used to alter pitch |
| sharp |
Raises the pitch by one half step |
| flat |
Lowers the pitch by one half step |
| natural |
Negates a previous accidental |
| double sharp | Raises the pitch one whole step |
| double flat | Lowers the pitch one whole step |
| enharmonics |
Pitches that sound the same but are named and notated differently |
| dynamics | Loudness or softness of musical sound |
| timbre |
Individual quality of a sound (tone color)
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