Music notation glossary

Every symbol that appears in sheet music: note values, rests, accidentals, clefs, time signatures, dynamics, articulation, repeats, ornaments and tempo markings — with the symbol to copy.

Every symbol on one chart, with picture and meaning →

Note values

Whole notefour beats in common time Half notetwo beats Quarter noteone beat Eighth notehalf a beat Sixteenth notea quarter of a beat Dotted noteone and a half times as long Tripletthree notes in the time of two Tietwo notes become one

Rests

Whole resta bar of silence Half resttwo beats of silence Quarter restone beat of silence Eighth resthalf a beat of silence General pauseeveryone is silent

Accidentals

Sharpa semitone higher Flata semitone lower Naturalback to the plain note Double sharptwo semitones higher Double flattwo semitones lower Key signaturethe accidentals at the start of the line

Clefs

Treble clefthe clef for the higher notes Bass clefthe clef for the lower notes Alto clefmiddle C on the middle line Tenor clefmiddle C on the fourth line Octave clefan octave lower than written

Time signatures

4/4 timefour quarter notes per bar 3/4 timethree quarter notes per bar 6/8 timetwo groups of three eighths Cut timecount in half notes Common timestands for 4/4 Upbeatthe incomplete first bar

Dynamics

pianissimo (pp)very soft piano (p)soft mezzo-forte (mf)moderately loud forte (f)loud Crescendogrowing louder decrescendogrowing softer sforzato (sf, sfz)a single sharp accent

Articulation

Staccatodetached, short Tenutoheld, given full length Accentattacked with emphasis Marcatomarked, strongly stressed Legato and slurplay smoothly connected Fermatahold beyond the written value

Repeats and jumps

Repeat signgo back and play again First and second endingfirst time, second time Da capo (D.C.)from the beginning Dal segno (D.S.)from the sign Codathe closing section Finethe end is here Bar repeatplay the same bar again

Tempo markings

Gravesolemn and very slow, 25–45 Largobroad and very slow, 40–60 Larghettoa little less broad than largo, 60–66 Adagioslow and stately, 66–76 Andanteat a walking pace, 76–108 Andantinoslightly more moving than andante, 80–108 Moderatomoderate, 108–120 Allegrettomoderately fast, 112–120 Allegrofast and bright, 120–168 Vivacelively and brisk, 140–176 Prestovery fast, 168–200 Prestissimoas fast as possible, from 200 Accelerandogetting faster Ritardandogradually slowing A tempoback to the previous speed Rubatofree in time

Ornaments

Trillrapid alternation with the note above Mordenta quick dip below and back Turnaround the note Grace notea small note before Arpeggioroll the chord Glissandoslide from note to note

Intervals

Unisonthe same note, zero semitones Secondone or two semitones Thirdthree or four semitones Fourthfive semitones Fifthseven semitones Sixtheight or nine semitones Seventhten or eleven semitones Octavetwelve semitones Tritonesix semitones

Further signs

Barlinethe boundary between two bars Final barlinethe piece ends here Ledger linea line for notes outside the staff Octave sign (8va)play an octave higher Pedal markpress the sustain pedal Breath markbreathe here Staffthe five lines Bracethe bracket joining staves

Anotona does this for you

Photograph a page of sheet music or play the melody — Anotona finds the key, engraves the notes and transposes them into any other. Free.

See Anotona

Every note on this page is computed, not typed in — following the rule that also makes F# major spell its seventh degree E#, not F.