A capella - Unaccompanied choral music

Accelerando  - An increase, or acceleration of the tempo, or pace of a piece

Accent - Extra force given to a marked note. Indicated with a > above the note

Accidental - A sharp, flat or natural given to a note that is not indicated in the key signature

Adagio - Slow, but faster than largo. A slow movement is called an adagio

Aerophone - An instrument, which produces sound by air being blown through it

Allegretto - Fairly quick, but not as much as allegro

Allegro - Quick and lively, but not as much as presto

Alto - The lowest female voice or a clef for instruments such as the viola

Andante - A walking speed, but not too slow

Anthem - See in section on Genres

Antiphonal - When two or more sets of instruments or voices sing against each other in a question - answer style, playing alternately

Arco - Use of the bow by the player of a string instrument. Normally follows a passage of pizzicato

Aria - See in section on Genres

Atonal - Music without a sense of key, by Schoenberg and others in the early 1900s

Brass - A family of instruments. See in section on Instrumental Families

Choir- A group of singers usually comprising sopranos, altos, tenors and basses

Chordophone- An instrument that produces sound by the vibration of strings

Chorus - See in section on Genres

Concerto - See in section on Genres

Concerto Grosso - See in section on Genres

Contrapuntal - This is when the melody is shared between the different instruments playing, to produce an overall melody when all the instruments are playing

Discord -" A combination of notes including one or more dissonant intervals". This means a combination of notes that don't sound 'right' together

Flat - When a note is played a semitone down from its natural state

Grave - A term meaning very slow, slower than largo

Homophonic - All the parts play the same rhythm although they play different notes

Idiophone - An instrument that sounds as a consequence of being hit

Imitation - Where the opening pattern of a musical phrase played by one voice or instrument is copied in another, not necessarily at the same pitch

Keyboards - A family of instruments. See Instrumental Families

Key Signature - Symbols at the beginning of a stave showing which notes are to be played flat or sharp throughout a piece of music

Largo - A term meaning slow, but not as slow as grave

Membranophone - An instrument that produces sound by the vibration of a stretched skin, e.g. drums

Modes - Before the modern practice of major and minor keys was developed, players and composers used modes in music. Playing all the white notes on a piano, from any note to that note a further octave up can create a mode. (e.g. A-A)

Monophonic - Music written in only one voice, or with only one melody line throughout the range of instruments

Motet- See in section on Genres

Opera - See in section on Genres

Oratorio - See in section on Genres

Percussion - A family of instruments. See in Instrument Families

Piano Trio - A group of three instruments including: A piano, a violin and a cello

Pizzicato - When a stringed instrument is played not with a bow, but plucked with the fingers. Opposite of arco

Polyphonic - This is music written with several different parts for different instruments. May be contrapuntal

Presto - Very fast, faster than Allegro

Recitative - In oratorios - A sung solo punctuated by chords

Rubato - To play with a flexible tempo

Sharp - When a note is played a semitone up from its natural note

Sonata - See Sonata

Soprano - The highest female voice

Stave - The lines upon which music notation is written

String Quartet - A group of four string instruments including: two violins, one viola and a cello. See also String Quartet in Genres

Strings - A family of instruments. See Strings in Instrument Families

Symphonic Poem - See Symphonic Poem in Genres

Symphony - See Symphony in Genres

Trio Sonata - See Trio Sonata in Genres

Troubadours - A musician who makes their living wandering from place to place, performing for rich families and their courts

Woodwind - A family of instruments. See Woodwind in Instrument Families