Glossary

A glossary of music-related terms referenced throughout the blog.

Compass: The scope or range of pitches available to an instrument; can refer to both the instrument itself and the range used in a specific composition
(Note: All compasses are written in concert pitch unless otherwise noted.)

Embouchure: The use and placement of the mouth muscles and tongue when playing a wind instrument.

Flat: i) The sign ♭, placed before a note or in a key signature, indicating that the note should be lowered by a half step; ii) describes a note that is too low in pitch

Helmholtz Pitch Notation: Distinguishes different octaves with upper and lower case and sometimes superscript or subscript primes ( ' or , ).

Labeling octaves using Helmholtz Pitch Notation

Pedal Tone: The first note in the harmonic series on a brass instrument.  (Also called the fundamental pitch.)

Sharp: i) The sign ♯, placed before a note or in a key signature, indicating that the note should be raised by a half step; ii) describes a note that is too high in pitch.

Transpose: reproduce (a note or piece) in a different key by raising or lowering in pitch.