| MUSICAL TERM | MEANING |
| alto | Alto is the highest adult male or lowest female voice. Alto is also a musical instrument with the second or third highest pitch in the group. |
| carol | Carol is a hymn or song celebrating Christmas. |
| chord | Chord is a combination of three or more tones sounded together and in harmony. |
| concerto | Concerto is a musical composition written for solo instrument and orchestra, wherein the soloist plays the melody and the orchestra plays the accompaniment. |
| conductor | Conductor is a person who directs a choir's or orchestra's performance through gestures and facial expressions indicating the dynamics, phrasing, style and tempo. |
| contralto | Contralto is the lowest female singing voice. Soprano refers to the highest female or boy's singing voice. |
| dynamics | Dynamics refers to the varying intensities of sound (loudness or softness) in a musical work. |
| falsetto | Falsetto refers to a voice above one's natural range, such as a male singing reaching a female pitch by partial use of vocal cords. |
| fanfare | Fanfare is a short sounding or flourish of trumpets for military or ceremonial purposes. |
| intermezzo | Intermezzo is a short piece of music between main divisions of an extended musical work. |
| movement | Movement is a section of a larger piece of music. |
| octave | Octave is the interval of eight tones between one musical note and the next note of the same name above or below it. |
| octet | Octet is a musical composition written for a group of eight voices or instruments. |
| operetta | Operatta is a short or light play with words sung to music. |
| opus | Opus is a musical composition conveniently numbered in order as one of a composer's works. |
| oratario | Oratario is an extended cantata (musical composition for voices and orchestra) usually with a biblical theme. |
| overture | Overture is an orchestral composition forming a prelude to an opera or other large musical performance. |
| pitch | Pitch determines how high or low a note sounds. |
| polyphony | Polyphony (or Counterpoint) refers to a combination of melodies or a composition in this style. |
| quartet | Quartet is a musical composition for a set of four musicians (instruments or voices). |
| quintet | Quintet is a musical composition for a set of five musicians (instruments or voices). |
| scale | Scale refers to a fixed series of successive tones (either ascending or descending) in a music system. |
| soprano | Soprano refers to the highest female or boy's singing voice. Contralto is the lowest female voice. |
| stave | Stave or (Staff) is the set of five horizontal parallel lines on which musical notation is written. |
| tempo | Tempo is the rate of a piece of music. |
| theme | Theme is a short melodious passage, which is repeated in a musical work. |
| timbre | Timbre is the characteristic quality of a musical tone that distinguishes one instrument from another and is determined by the sound harmonies. |
| trio | Trio is a musical composition for a set of three musicians (instruments or voices). |
