Guitar 1 Glossary
A
a: the letter name used to identify the right-hand ring finger
Accidental: a symbol that directs you to alter the pitch of a natural note
Accompaniment: background music to the melody of a piece of music
Action: the distance from the strings to the top of the frets
Alternate chord fingering: various left-hand fingering combinations used to play chords
Amplifier: used to amplify the sound of an electric guitar
Arpeggio: the individual notes of a chord played in succession
B
Back: the flat part of the guitar body that does not contain the sound hole or the bridge
Bass clef: a symbol placed on the left side of the staff indicating the lower range of pitches
Bass strings: the fourth, fifth, and sixth strings of the guitar
Bar lines: vertical lines that divide the tablature staff into equal parts called measures
Barre: a fingering technique in which one finger is used to stop multiple strings on a fret
Barre chords: movable chords in which your first finger is used to hold down multiple strings
Beat: the basic unit of time in music
Blues scale: A scale that contains the same notes as the pentatonic minor, but with one note added: the sharped fourth degree (#4)
Brass instruments: wind instruments made of brass or other materials played using a conical or semispherical mouthpiece
Bridge: the part of the body of the guitar where the strings are attached to the body
Bridge pins: used to secure the strings to the bridge of a steel-string guitar (somewhat shaped like an ice cream cone)
Bridge saddle: a part of the bridge that determines one end of the vibrating portion of the strings
Brush strum: a strum in which the multiple strings are played using the “nail side” of the right-hand fingers
C
Capo: a tool that guitarists use to change the key of a piece of music
Casual position: seated, with the guitar resting on the right leg
Circle of fifths: an image that shows the relationships between the major and minor keys and their key signatures. The keys are arranged around a circle in fifths (going clockwise) and fourths (going counterclockwise).
Classical position: holding the guitar on the left leg, secured at four places
Clef symbols: symbols used to distinguish between lower and higher pitch ranges
Chord: three or more notes that are played together
Chord accompaniment: chords played as a background to a melody
Chord diagram: a fretboard diagram used to show where to place the left-hand fingers in order to play a chord
Chord progression: a series of chords
Chord quality: a term used to describe the unique type of sound for a given chord (major, minor, dominant seventh, etc.)
Chord shape: the shape of the left-hand fingers when playing a given chord
Chord symbol: letters, numbers, and other characters used to abbreviate a chord name
Chord tones: the individual notes of a chord
Common finger: a finger common to chords played in succession
Comping: a term used in jazz to describe chord and rhythm accompaniments
Compose: to create a piece of music
Composer: a person who writes music
Composer credit: listing of the composer's name at the beginning of a music composition
Concentration: complete attention or focus
Conducting pattern: a visual representation of meter, using the hand(s)
Copyright: to legally protect original work, including music compositions
Countermelody: a secondary melody (or tune) that accompanies the primary melody
Count-off: a spoken or played series of sounds used to establish the tempo and entrance point in music
D
Double bar line: two adjacent vertical lines (one thin line and one thick line) that mark the end of a piece of music
Downstroke: a stroke in which the strings are played using a downward motion (toward the floor) with a guitar pick or the right-hand fingers (or thumb)
Duet: an ensemble for two performers
Duration: the length of time that sound or silence lasts
Dynamics: the volume (loudness or softness) of sound
E
Electrophones: Musical instruments that produce sound by converting electrical current into wave forms
Ending bar line (double bar): indicates the end of a piece of music
Enharmonic notes: two different note names that share the same pitch
Ensemble: a group of two or more musical performers
F
Fingerstyle guitar solo: a piece of music for guitar, using the right-hand fingers to sound the strings
Five R's: Use the Five R's to help you build a strong foundation in learning to improvise guitar solos.
The first "R" stands for Run. To play a run, you would move up or down all or part of the scale.
The second "R" stands for Repeat. A repeat may consist of a single note played several times or a series of notes played several times.
The third "R" stands for Reverse. To play a reverse, you would change the direction of a run.
The fourth "R" stands for Rest. At times, it is a good idea to stop to allow time for the music to breathe. The contrast can also help your music to sound more interesting.
The fifth "R" stands for Rhythm. Another way to spice up your solo is to mix longer and shorter note durations. Here is a run that uses no variation in note duration. Now listen to the difference as the run is played using a pattern of long- and short-note durations.
Flat: lowers the pitch of a note or a symbol that directs you to lower the pitch of a note by one half step
Flat note: a note that is one fret lower in pitch than a natural note
Form: 1. the shape of the fingers, hands, and arms when playing the guitar 2. the structure of a musical composition
Free stroke: strokes in which right-hand fingers pluck strings without touching (or resting on) adjacent strings or when plucking a string with a right-hand finger, the finger does not touch (or rest on) the adjacent string (also known as tirando)
Frets: thin wire bars (built in to the guitar fretboard) on which strings are held down with the left hand fingers (to change the pitch)
Fretboard: the part of the guitar that contains the frets
Fretboard diagram: a diagram used to show where to place the left-hand fingers
Frequency: Frequency is the rate at which sound wave cycles occur. As the distance between the highest points of each wave cycle decreases, the number of cycles per second (hertz or Hz) increases.
Function name: names assigned to scale degrees, describing the function of the scale degrees (tonic, supertonic, median, subdominant, dominant, submediant, leading tone)
G
Gears: parts that connect the tuners to the rollers (on a classical guitar) or to the posts (on a steel-string or electric guitar)
Guide finger: a finger that maintains contact with a string when the left hand is moving up or down the fretboard
Guitar: a fretted instrument, usually with six strings
Guitar footstool: used to elevate the left leg in order to raise the neck of the guitar
Guitar pick (plectrum): a small plastic tool used to play the strings of the guitar (also known as plectrum)
Guitar stand: a wooden or metal frame used to hold the guitar
Guitar strap: a strap used to hold the guitar while standing or a long strip of flexible material used to hold the guitar
Guitar tablature: an ancient system of musical notation that uses lines, numbers, and symbols
Guitar tuner: a tool used to aid in tuning the guitar
H
Head: the part of the guitar that contains the tuners
Half step: a term that describes the distance between two notes on adjacent frets
Hammer-on: a slur technique in which you use a left-hand finger (like a hammer) to produce a sound from a guitar string
Harmonic minor scale: a variation of the natural minor scale in which the seventh note is raised by a half step
Harmony: additional pitches that serve as a background (or accompaniment) to the melody
I
i: the letter name used to identify the right-hand index finger
Iambic tetrameter: iambic (unstressed followed by stressed) tetra (prefix meaning four) meter (the rhythmic arrangement of poetry).
Improvisation: the act or art of creating new music spontaneously
Improvise: to create new music spontaneously
Isometric exercise: an exercise in which muscles are contracted against resistance
Iteration: a single execution of a set of instructions that are to be repeated
Interval: the distance between two notes (or pitches) in music
J
Jazz: twentieth century American music style characterized by frequent use of improvisation
K
Key: the tonal center in music or the scale upon which a musical composition is built
Key signature: sharps or flats placed to the right of the treble clef, indicating the key of the music
L
Ledger lines: short lines used to notate higher pitches above the staff, and lower pitches below the staff
Licks: a series of notes forming a short musical idea
Line notes: notes positioned on a musical staff so that the note head lies on a line of the staff
Lower bout: the widest part of the guitar body
Lute: an ancestor of the guitar, popular in the 16th and 17th centuries
M
m: the letter name used to identify the right-hand middle finger
Major scale: a scale with the following interval pattern (W = whole step; H = half step): WWHWWWH
Manuscript paper: paper with lines of preprinted music staves
Measure: an equal groupings of beats
Melodic minor scale: a variation of the natural minor scale in which the sixth and seventh scale degrees are raised by one half step when ascending, and lowered to their natural position when descending
Melody: the most recognizable part of a music composition; the part you would sing, hum, or whistle
Meter: the grouping of beats into equal parts called measures
Metronome: a tool that musicians use to help maintain a steady beat during practice or a practice tool that keeps a steady beat at various speeds
Metronome marking: indicates the number of beats per minute
Modes: interrelated scales, each beginning on a different degree of a the same major scale: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian
Movable chords: chord shapes that do not require the use open strings
Music: an art form using sound and silence over time
Musical composition: a written or improvised piece of music
Music eras: historical eras of music: Pre-Medieval, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern
Musical instruments: tools used to produce musical sound
Musical phrase: a series of notes representing a complete musical idea, similar to a complete sentence in language
Musician: a person who composes or performs music
Music notation: any system that uses written symbols to represent musical sound and silence
Music staff: five lines (and four spaces) used for notating pitches
Music stand: used to hold sheet music and books while practicing or performing
Music styles: different types of music including classical, folk, jazz, country, bluegrass, blues, and rock
Music theory: the study of how and why music works
N
Natural: a symbol that directs you to cancel an accidental that occurred previously in a measure
Natural minor scale: a scale built with the following pattern of whole steps (W) and half steps (H): WHWWHWW
Natural notes: notes (or pitches) named after the first seven letters of the alphabet (A, B, C, D, E, F, and G)
Neck: the long part of the guitar that connects the head to the body
Notes: a musical pitch or symbols used to notate pitch and duration of pitch on the staff
Note head: the oval shaped part of a note
Note values: the duration of musical sounds
Nut: the part where the strings contact the guitar near the head
O
Octave: the distance in pitch between two notes of the same name, where one is twice the frequency of the other
Offbeat: a beat (or portion of a beat) that is not typically accented (or emphasized) in a measure
Open position chords: chords requiring the use of one or more open strings
Open string: a string played without the use of a left-hand finger
P
Palm mute: a technique in which the performer rests the side of the right palm against the strings at the bridge, creating a muted sound when the strings are played
Passion: the desire and enthusiasm to accomplish a goal
Patience: a calm, composed, and diligent mind-set throughout an experience or undertaking
Pentatonic scale: a scale form based on five unique notes. The Latin root penta means five, like a pentagon. Tonic refers to tones. So the word pentatonic literally means five tones.
Percussion instruments: musical instruments that produce sound when struck by another object, or by being shaken or rattled
Perseverance: steady persistence in pursuit of a goal, often while overcoming challenges
Phrase: a part of a melody that represents the equivalent of a complete musical "sentence"
Pick guard: the part that helps to prevent the guitar from being damaged by a guitar pick
Pick strum: a strum in which multiple strings are played using a downward motion with the guitar pick
Pick-up notes: notes that precede the first complete measure of a music
Pitch: sound determined by the frequency of sound waves
Planning: determining a path or process to accomplish goals
Pluck: to play a string with a right-hand finger (or thumb)
Plucking: playing a string using the right-hand fingers or thumb (or playing)
Posts: the parts of a steel-string or electric guitar where the strings are fastened to the head
Power chord: a chord built using the root and fifth notes
Practice: focused repetition to acquire or polish a skill
Primary chords: chords built on the first, fourth, and fifth scale degrees
Pull-off: a slur technique in which you use a pulling (or plucking) motion with a left-hand finger to produce a sound on the guitar
Pulse: a rhythmic pattern that helps give the illusion that music is alive and moving
Q
Quartet: an ensemble made up of four musicians
R
Range: the distance from the lowest to the highest pitches that may be produced from a given musical instrument
Rehearsal: the act of practicing to prepare for a performance
Relative tuning: tuning the guitar to itself
Rest stroke: when plucking a string with a right-hand finger, the finger comes to rest on the adjacent string (also known as apoyando)
Rest values: symbols that represent periods of silence in music
Rests: periods of silence in music
Rhythm: the organization of music in time, using note and rest values
Right-hand fingering: letter names for the right-hand fingers, based on the Spanish word for each finger:
p (pulgar) = the name of the right-hand thumb
i (indice) = the name of the right-hand index finger
m (media) = the name of the right-hand middle finger
a (anular) = the name of the right-hand ring finger
Rollers: the parts of a classical guitar where the strings are fastened to the head
Root note: the note on which a chord is built
Root strum: an accompaniment pattern in which you play the root note of a chord followed by strumming the remainder of the strings
S
Scale: an organized series of tones from which music is written
Scale degrees: the individual notes of a scale
Seventh chords: chords built using four notes called the root, third, fifth, and seventh
Sharp: raises the pitch of a note or a symbol that directs you to raise the pitch of a note by one half step
Sharp note: a note that is one fret higher in pitch than a natural note
Sides: the curved parts of the guitar that connect the soundboard (or top) to the back
Slide: a technique in which you produce sound by sliding a left-hand finger up or down a string
Slur: two (or more) notes in which the first note is sounded with the right hand, and the next note is sounded by the left hand (hammer-ons or pull-offs)
Solo: a piece of music to be performed by one performer
Soundboard: the flat part of the guitar body that contains the sound hole and the bridge
Sound hole: a part of the guitar from which sound is released
Space notes: notes positioned on a musical staff so that the note head lies in the space between two lines of the staff
Staff: five horizontal lines on which music is notated
Standard music notation: a system of notating pitch and the duration of each pitch
Standing position: standing, using a strap to support the guitar
Stem: the vertical line attached to a note head
Stopping: holding a string securely against a fret in order to produce a different pitch
Strap buttons: buttons used to attach a strap to the guitar
Strings: six nylon or metal wires that are stretched between the nut and the bridge saddle of the guitar
String instruments: musical instruments that produce sound through vibrating strings
Strong beat: the emphasized beat of a measure
Strum: Playing multiple strings by using a sweeping (or brushing) motion with a guitar pick (or the right-hand thumb or fingers) or using a pick (or the right-hand thumb or fingers) to play the notes of a chord using downward and/or upward motions
Strum marks: diagonal slashes used to indicate where and when to strum in a piece of music
Swing rhythm: an altered rhythm in which eighth notes are played as long-short note values
Synchronization: the coordination of two or more events (or actions), causing them to occur at the same point in time.
T
Tablature staff: six horizontal lines representing the six strings of the guitar
Tempo: the speed at which music is played
Tempo markings: terms or symbols indicating the speed or pace of a piece of music
Ternary form: a three-part musical form
Tie: a curved line connecting two rhythm values to create a longer rhythm value
Timbre: the type or quality of sound being produced
Time signature: a symbol indicating the number of beats per measure, and the type of note which will receive one beat or indicates the number of beats in each measure, and the type of note that equals one beat
Thumb sweep: a strum in which multiple strings are played using a downward motion with the right-hand thumb
Tone knobs: knobs that control the timbre of the electric guitar
Transpose: change the melody and accompaniment of a piece of music to a different key center
Treble clef: a symbol placed on the left side of the staff indicating the upper range of pitches
Treble strings: strings 1, 2, and 3 on the guitar (the higher pitched strings) or the first, second, and third strings of the guitar
Tremolo bar: a tool is used to change the pitch of the strings for special effects on the electric guitar
Triad: a three-note chord made up of a root, third, and fifth
Triplets: three notes played (evenly) in the time of one beat
Truss rod: a threaded mechanism, spanning the neck of the guitar (inside the neck), used to keep the neck and fretboard aligned properly
Tuners: knobs used to adjust the pitch of the open strings
Tuning: adjusting the string tension to produce correct pitches of the open strings
U
Unison: two notes with the same pitch
Upper bout: the second-widest part of the guitar body
Upstroke: using a guitar pick to play strings with an upward motion
V
Vihuela: a 15th century stringed instrument similar to the guitar
Volume knobs: knobs that control the dynamic level of the electric guitar
W
Waist: the narrow part of the guitar body between the upper bout and lower bout
Wind instruments: musical instruments that produce sound through a vibrating column of air
Whole step: a term that describes the distance between two notes that are two frets apart in distance (as applied to the guitar)
Woodwind instruments: wind instruments made of wood or other materials, played using a mouthpiece with reeds or an open blow hole