A term that means increase in tempo, or speeding up.
What is accelerando?
100
A change in the rhythm or sound, as for solos, stop time, or section features. Example: the rhythm section may stop the music to feature a soloist or move to a half time feel for soloist to ad lib or speak.
What is a break or breakdown?
100
A form indicator used in the jazz idiom that describes the melody of a tune.
What is the head?
100
A repeated melodic section of a song, usually following the Introduction and preceding the Chorus. Lyrically, this section tells a story or moves the song forward.
What is a verse?
100
A visual cue to stop playing, usually given by the conductor or band leader. It may be indicated by hand, voice, head nod, or baton.
What is a cut off?
200
A term that means decrease in tempo, or slowing down.
What is ritard or ritardando?
200
A short improvisation, usually featuring a single instrument such as the drums. This device may be used to interact with a soloist, create a transition, or build between sections.
What is a fill?
200
a term that refers to the tag or outro section. It is usually a special ending added to the song form. It may also be indicated using alternate symbol.
What is the coda?
Daily Double: What is its alternate symbol?
200
A term that refers to the beginning of a song.
What is the top?
200
A term that means to improvise a very short rhythm which anticipates a written figure. This is often performed by a drummer, but may be performed by the vocalist or any member of the rhythm section.
What is a set up?
300
A tempo term that means to perform freely, expressively, or without a steady beat. This tempo indication is usually used for a lead instrument or singer to perform while the band/other instrument interacts and follows. Rarely used in heavily groove-oriented idioms.
What is rubato?
300
a groove with a steady tempo but loosely improvised rhythm patterns. This term is often used in the jazz idiom.
What is broken time?
300
A song segment in addition to the verse and chorus, often placed between repetitions of the chorus or adjacent to an instrumental solo.
What is the bridge?
300
A term that means to repeat an indicated passage until directed to change. This may extend for a specific amount of time or until cued.
What is a vamp?
300
The first beat of a measure or phrase.
What is a downbeat?
400
A term that means to push ahead of the tempo, usually increasing the speed as the music progresses. Although pushing ahead is sometimes intentional, this term is often associated with pushing ahead unintentionally.
What is rushing?
400
A symbol used to hold or sustain a note and/or chord indefinitely or until the cutoff cue. It is often referred to as a bird’s eye.
What is a fermata?
400
A melodic section of a song that is repeated at regular intervals throughout a song. It may also be referred to as the refrain, the hook, the B Section. It generally occurs after a verse or bridge.
What is the chorus?
400
A phrase or group of measures used as a transition between sections of a song. This is most often described as the progression from a Chorus back into a verse, or the transition into or out of the bridge. It may also be used to set up a song.
What is a turnaround?
400
This term means "to change keys."
What is modulate?
500
A phrase indicating a perfectly synchronized groove; a musically tight, locked-in, great feel. This does not necessarily mean that the band is playing exactly on the beat.
What is "in-the-pocket?"
500
A stop time figure or concerted rhythmic figure that indicates a strongly accented rhythmic moment.
What is a hit?
500
A term or abbreviation that literally means “from the head.” It is a form indicator that directs you to the top of the piece.
What is D.C. or Da Capo?
500
A musical road map of a piece indicating song form. This may include chords, rhythms, specific parts, and/or stylistic information. It is simpler and smaller than a lead sheet.
What is a chart?
500
This term refers to a type of bass line that moves in even steps, articulating each quarter note and connecting chord changes with melodic voice-leading as opposed to comping patterns. It is used most often in Jazz and Country Swing styles. Often, the drummer will play a typical swing pattern on the ride cymbal and the piano and guitar accentuates the triplet feel of the groove with syncopated hits and edgy comping.