The Complete Idiot''s Guide to Music Theory

bass
The lowest pitch of a chord (not necessarily the root).
bass clef
A clef, used by lower-pitched voices and instruments, that places
middle C on the first ledger line above the staff.
bass voice
The lowest male voice.
beat
Any pulsing unit of musical time.
block chord
An unbroken chord.
blues progression
A 12-bar sequence of chords common in blues and jazz
music, as follows: I-I-I-I-IV-IV-I-I-V7-V7-I-I.
brass
The family of instruments, typically made of brass, that produce sound
by blowing through a mouthpiece. The brass family includes the trumpet,
trombone, tuba, and French horn.
cadence
A pause or stopping point, typically a short chord progression
inserted at the end of a phrase or piece of music.
chord
Three or more notes played simultaneously.
chord progression
A series of chords over a number of measures.
chord sheet
A sheet of music containing only the chords of a song.
chromatic
Pitches outside the underlying key or scale. The opposite of 
diatonic
.
chromatic scale
A scale containing 12 equal divisions of the octave—all the
white keys and black keys within an octave.
Classical music
Music associated with that period from 1750 to 1820, char-
acterized by simple lyrical melodies, often expressed in majestic orchestral and
choral works. Notable Classical-era composers include Ludwig van Beethoven,
Franz Joseph Haydn, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
clef
A graphic symbol placed at the beginning of the staff to indicate the pitch
of the notes on the staff.
coda
A short section at the end of a composition.
common time
The 4/4 time signature.

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The Complete Idiot’s Music Glossary
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