C: The key of C.

C Clef: A clef that indicates which line represents C on a staff, as opposed to a G clef, or an F clef.

Cabalistic Numerological Symbolism: A method of inbedding hidden messages in music, by using a code of numbers based on which notes are used, their durations, arrangement, subdivision, etc., whereby the composer made symbolic referrence to specific persons, places, or things and/or events in some way associated with the music.

Cacophony: A discordant or dissonant sound.

Cadence: The melodic or harmonic ending of a piece, or the sections or phrases within a piece. A chord progression that gives a feeling of resolution, or conclusion.

Cadenza: An extended solo passage, usually near the end of a piece, improvised by the performer, or sometimes written out by the composer.

Cambiata: In counterpoint, a nonharmonic tone inserted between a dissonance and its resolution.

Camera: Secular chamber music, as opposed to church music, or chiesa.

Camerata: Small art or music schools dating from the 16th century.

Cancel: A natural sign, used to remove a previously applied accidental.

Cannon: "Rule". In counterpoint, a melody that is repeated exactly by a different voice, entering a short interval after the original voice.

Cantata: "Sung". A multi-movement vocal work for concert or church performance by a choir, sometimes soloists, and an instrumental ensemble.

Canticle: A non-metrical hymn or Song.

Canto Fermo: A cantus firmus.

Cantus Firmus: "Fixed Song". A pre-existing melody, used as the foundation for a polyphonic work. Used in counterpoint, Canti Firmus were usually based on ecclesiatical chant.

Canzona: A song, or ballad, or "in the style of a song".

Capellmeister: Kapellmeister.

Cappella: See a cappella.

Cello: In the violin family, the tenor instrument, played while held between the knees.

Cent (¢): A logarithmic unit of measure used for musical intervals equal to exactly of 1/1200th of an octave or 1/100th of a semitone, the smallest interval in the standard Western music scale, providing a precise way to describe tuning and intervals.

Chamber Music: Music for small ensemble.

Chanson: A Song, usually secular. This term is usually applied to works composed during the Medieval and Renaissance periods, though many twentieth-century composers also apply the term to their own works.

Chant: A simple, repetitive melody sung by one or more singers without musical accompaniment.

Chorale: A German Lutheran hymn tune.

Chord: A set of notes, usually three or four, played simultaniously; usually containing a root, and other tones which have a tonal relationship to that root.

Chordal: A form of music in which a single melody is accompanied by sets of chords, rather than a competing counter melody.

Chromatic: Motion by half steps; or pitches used outside of the diatonic scale in which they normally occur.

Chromatic scale: A scale consisting of all twelve pitches of the Western chromatic system, in ascending or descending order.

Classical Era: The musical period from the late 1700s to the mid 1820s, characterized by more rigidly defined musical forms, increased attention to instrumental music, and the evolution of the symphony.

Clef: In sheet music, the symbol at the beginning of a staff to indicate the pitch of the notes. In modern practice, only three clefs are commonly used, the G clef or treble clef, the F clef or bass clef, and the C clef, when used as an alto clef.

Close Harmony: A harmonic voicing technique in which all the parts involved remain as close together as the chords allow, often within a single octave.

Clusters: Groups of notes that are the interval of a second apart from one another.

Coda: The closing section of a movement; a musical section bringing a piece to a close.

Coloratura: "Coloring". Elaborate coloration of the melodic line, usually by a vocalist.

Comic Opera: An opera with light-natured music, comedy, and a happy ending. In contrast to grand opera.

Common Chord: A chord composed of a root, third, and fifth.

Common Time: 4/4 meter; 4/4 time.

Common Tone: A note that remains the same between two different chords.

Compound Interval: An interval greater than an octave, such as a ninth, or eleventh.

Composition: An original musical work or production, or the process of creating or writing a musical work or production.

Concert: A public performance of music.

Concertante: A piece for two or more instruments with orchestral accompaniment.

Concerto: A piece for soloist(s) and orchestra.

Consequent: The second phrase in a musical period, in a fugue, the answer.

Consonance: Sounds that are in agreement in terms of physical generation of sound and are pleasing to the ear; i.e. sounds found in the harmonic series of a pitch being harmonized, in contrast to dissonance.

Consort: A Renaissance chamber group.

Continuo: Basso continuo.

Contralto: In classical and operatic singing, the lowest female voice.

Contrapuntal: Music that has two or more independent but harmonically related melodic parts played at the same time.

Copla: A form of Spanish popular song that derives from the copla poetic form. A copla poem has four verses of four lines each, with each line having no more than eight syllables. These poems have one of three meters - the romance meter (8- 8a 8- 8a), the seguidilla meter (7- 5a 7- 5a), or the redondilla meter (8a 8b 8b 8a).

Counter-Melody: A simultaneously played or sung secondary melody meant to “counter” and complement the primary melody. A lot of the classic game tunes use counter-melodies.

Counterpoint: The combination of two or more melodic lines played against one another. A horizontal structure built upon competing melodic lines, rather than a chordalsetting.

Countertenor "Against the tenor". The highest male singing voice, above tenor.

Crab Cannon: A contrapuntal piece in which one part is identical to another, but backwards.

Crecendo: A gradual increase in volume.

Cue: Indication by the conductor or a spoke word or gesture for a performer to make an entry. Small notes that indicate another performer's part.

Cut time: 2/2 meter; indicates that two beats should be played in the time of three.

Last updated: 8/18/2024

Select Resources: A Dictionary of Muical Terms, edited by J. Stainer and W. A. Barrett
Elson's Music Dictionary, Louis C. Elson
Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary, Richard Cole - Virginia Tech Department of Music and Ed Schwartz - Learning Technologies
Glossary of music terms from Naxos Digital Services Ltd.
Glossary of musical terminology, Aleksandar Tamindžić
Classical musical terms, Classical.dj
Music Dictionary, Dolmetsch Online
The New GROVE Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie