Wikipedia:Music basic topics
These should be the most basic topics in the field--topics about which we'd like to have articles soon. Please see the most basic encyclopedia article topics for general instructions on constructing this list, and consult complete list of encyclopedia topics.
Most basic of the most basic
- People
- Basic concepts
- Pitch - Rhythm - Tempo - Note - Harmony - Musical instrument - Musical piece - Scale - Musical notation - Musical style
Classical composers
Music theory
absolute pitch - accidental - alteration - arpeggio - arrangement - atonality - augmentation - bitonality - break - broken chord - cadence - cadenza - da capo - a cappella - chord - chromaticism - church modes - clef - coda - counterpoint - diatonic - dissonance - dominant - dynamics - exposition - harmony - improvisation - interval - inversion - key - legato -major scale - melody - microtone - minor scale - monody - monophony - musicology - musical notation - octave - orchestration - musical ornament - pentatonic scale - pitch - polyphony - rhythm - scale - solfège - sonata form - syncope - temperament - tempo - tone - transposition - tremolo - trill - tuning - twelve-tone technique - vibrato
Music terms
a cappella - accelerando - adagio - ad libitum - allegretto - allegro - allentando - andante - andantino - appassionato - appoggiatura - bar - beat- continuo - crescendo - diminuendo - dolce- glissando - largo - larghetto - metronome - obbligato - orchestra - ostinato - presto - riff - string quartet - rubato - sostenuto - staccato - strophic - through-composed
wind instrument - woodwind instrument - brass instrument - percussion instrument - string instrument - electronic instrument - keyboard instrument
Voices
alto - baritone - bass - castrato - choir - coloratura - countertenor - falsetto - mezzo-soprano - soprano - tenor
Musical styles
See Musical genre.
bel canto - brass music - canon - chamber music - close harmony - fugue - hymn - madrigal - motet - opera - operetta - oratorio - passion - pastorale - raga - rai - recitative - rhapsody - serenade - serial music - shanty - sonata - song - suite - symphony - tango music