Techniques
196 terms
Alberti bass
A broken-chord accompaniment pattern in which the notes of a chord are played in the order lowest-highest-middle-highest
Auto-Tune
A pitch correction software that adjusts vocal intonation, also used as a deliberate vocal effect.
DAW
Digital audio workstation; software used to record, edit, mix, and produce music on a computer.
EQ
Equalisation; an audio tool that boosts or cuts specific frequency ranges to shape tone.
Klangfarbenmelodie
A musical technique where a melody is distributed across different instruments or timbres, creating a "melody of tone colors."
Luftpause
A brief, unwritten pause for breath in a musical phrase, typically indicated by a small comma or apostrophe above the staff.
Nachschlag
An ornamental note or group of notes that follows and decorates the main note, essentially the reverse of a grace note.
Nashville tuning
A guitar stringing method using only the high-octave strings from a twelve-string set on a six-string guitar.
Sprechstimme
A vocal technique between singing and speaking, where the performer approximates the indicated pitches with heightened, dramatic speech.
a cappella
Singing without instrumental accompaniment, with voices providing all musical parts.
accompaniment
The musical background that supports a solo melody or voice.
ad libitum
At the performer's discretion — an instruction allowing freedom in tempo, ornamentation, or inclusion.
agogic accent
An accent created by slightly lengthening a note rather than playing it louder, using duration rather than volume to create emphasis.
alberti bass
A left-hand keyboard accompaniment pattern that breaks a chord into a repeated sequence of low-high-middle-high notes, creating a gentle, flowing texture.
alberti bass pattern
The ubiquitous left-hand keyboard accompaniment pattern of low-high-middle-high notes, named after Domenico Alberti, that defines the texture of Classical-era piano music.
alternate picking
A guitar picking technique that strictly alternates between downstrokes and upstrokes.
arco explained
A direction to resume playing with the bow after a pizzicato passage on a string instrument
arrangement
An adaptation of a musical composition for different instruments or voices than originally intended.
artificial harmonic
A harmonic produced by stopping a string with one finger and lightly touching it with another finger a perfect fourth above
attacca
A direction at the end of a movement indicating that the next movement should follow immediately without pause.
barre chord
A guitar chord where one finger presses across all or several strings simultaneously.
baton
A thin stick used by a conductor to direct an ensemble.
bel canto
An Italian vocal technique and operatic style emphasising beautiful tone, agility, and smooth legato.
bel canto technique
An Italian school of singing emphasising beauty of tone, smooth legato, agile coloratura, and elegant phrasing
bottleneck
A glass or metal slide used on the finger for slide guitar, originally made from a broken bottle neck.
bottleneck slide
A guitar technique using a glass or metal tube on the finger to slide along the strings, producing a smooth, vocal-like portamento associated with blues and country.
bowing
The technique of drawing a bow across strings to produce sound.
bowing techniques
The various methods of drawing the bow across the strings that produce different tonal qualities and articulations
cajon technique
Playing methods for the box drum including bass tones (center), snare tones (top edge), ghost notes, and finger techniques that replicate a full drum kit from a single wooden box.
cantabile
An Italian performance direction meaning "in a singing style," indicating that the performer should make the instrument sing like a human voice.
capo
A clamp placed across the strings of a fretted instrument to raise the pitch of all strings simultaneously.
chorus effect
An audio effect that duplicates a signal with slight pitch and timing variations to create a shimmering, thickened sound.
circular breathing
A wind instrument technique allowing continuous sound production by inhaling through the nose while expelling air from the cheeks
click track
A steady metronome pulse played through headphones during recording to keep musicians in time.
col
An Italian preposition meaning "with the" (masculine singular), used in numerous performance directions to indicate a technique or pairing.
col arco
With the bow; an instruction to resume bowing after pizzicato.
col legno
A string technique where the wood of the bow is used to strike or bounce on the strings.
col legno battuto
A string technique where the player strikes the strings with the wooden stick of the bow, producing a dry, percussive clicking sound.
col legno tratto
A string technique in which the bow is drawn across the strings using the wood of the bow rather than the hair
coloratura
Elaborate vocal ornamentation featuring rapid runs, trills, and leaps.
coloratura technique
Virtuosic vocal technique featuring rapid runs, trills, leaps, and ornamentation that demonstrates extreme agility, precision, and range.
comping
Playing chords and rhythmic accompaniment behind a soloist or vocalist.
compression
An audio effect that reduces the dynamic range of a signal by attenuating loud parts and boosting quiet parts.
con
An Italian preposition meaning "with," appearing in numerous musical performance directions to indicate manner or style.
con sordino
With a mute; an instruction to play with a mute attached to the instrument.
con sordino effect
An instruction to use a mute on a string or brass instrument, producing a softer, more veiled tone quality by dampening vibrations.
con sordino explained
A direction to play with a mute, creating a softer, more veiled tone quality
conductor
A person who directs an orchestra, choir, or other musical ensemble using gestures and a baton.
continuo
A continuous bass accompaniment in Baroque music, typically played by harpsichord and cello.
countertenor voice
A male voice type that sings in the alto or mezzo-soprano range using a developed head voice or falsetto technique, reviving Baroque-era roles originally sung by castrati.
cross-picking
A flatpicking guitar technique using alternating up and down pick strokes across non-adjacent strings to create a rolling, banjo-like pattern.
cross-rhythm explained
The simultaneous use of two or more conflicting rhythmic patterns that create a complex composite rhythm
crossfade
A smooth transition where one audio signal fades out while another simultaneously fades in.
cutting contest
An informal competition between jazz musicians to determine who can play with the most skill and creativity.
damper pedal
The right pedal on a piano that lifts all dampers, allowing strings to vibrate freely.
damping
Stopping or reducing the vibration of strings or other resonating parts to control sustain.
delay
An audio effect that records a signal and plays it back after a set time interval, creating echoes.
distortion
An effect that clips the audio signal to produce a gritty, aggressive, harmonically rich guitar tone.
divisi
A direction for a section of an ensemble to split into two or more groups, each playing a different part.
double stop
Playing two strings simultaneously on a bowed string instrument.
double stop explained
The technique of playing two notes simultaneously on a bowed string instrument
double tonguing
A wind instrument technique using alternating syllables (tu-ku or da-ga) to produce rapid articulation faster than single tonguing allows.
drone
A sustained or repeated note, usually in the bass, that persists throughout a passage or piece.
drop D tuning
A guitar tuning where the lowest string is tuned down one whole step from E to D.
drum fill
A short, improvised or composed rhythmic passage that bridges sections of a song.
embouchure
The position and use of the lips, tongue, and facial muscles when playing a wind or brass instrument.
extended technique
Any method of sound production on an instrument that goes beyond its standard playing technique
falsetto
A vocal technique producing pitches above the normal range by using a lighter mechanism.
feedback
The howling or sustained tone produced when amplified sound from a speaker re-enters a microphone or guitar pickup.
field recording
The practice of recording sounds outside a studio environment — nature, urban soundscapes, speech, music — for use in composition, documentation, or sound art.
figured bass realisation
The practice of reading figured bass numbers and improvising a complete keyboard accompaniment from them
figured bass realization
The practical skill of improvising a full keyboard accompaniment from a bass line with numerical chord symbols, essential to Baroque performance practice.
fill
A short rhythmic or melodic passage played between phrases to maintain momentum.
fingerpicking
A guitar technique where individual strings are plucked by the fingers rather than strummed.
flageolet
A natural harmonic produced on a string instrument by lightly touching the string.
flanger
An audio effect that creates a sweeping, jet-like sound by mixing a signal with a slightly delayed copy.
fluttertongue
A technique where the player rolls their tongue rapidly while playing a wind instrument.
four on the floor
A steady kick drum pattern hitting on every beat of a 4/4 bar, fundamental to dance music.
fuzz
An extreme distortion effect that produces a thick, buzzy, almost synthesiser-like guitar tone.
gain staging
The process of managing signal levels at each point in the audio chain to optimise quality and avoid distortion.
gamaka
Ornamental pitch movements in Indian classical music, including slides, oscillations, and grace notes.
ghost note
A very quiet, barely audible note played to add rhythmic texture and feel without melodic prominence.
glissando explained
A continuous slide between two pitches, covering all intermediate frequencies
glottal stop
A brief, percussive closure of the vocal cords used in singing and speech to cleanly articulate the beginning of a note or word.
hammer-on
A guitar technique where a fretting-hand finger strikes the string onto the fretboard to sound a note without picking.
harmonics
High, ethereal tones produced by lightly touching a string at specific points.
harmonics explained
Pure, flute-like tones produced on string instruments by lightly touching the string at specific nodal points
head arrangement
A musical arrangement worked out collectively by ear rather than written down.
hocket
A medieval technique in which a melody is shared between two voices, with each voice resting while the other sings
improvisation
The spontaneous creation of music during performance.
instrumentation
The specific combination of instruments used in a musical work or performance.
isorhythm
A medieval compositional technique in which a fixed rhythmic pattern is repeated independently of the melodic pattern
jam session
An informal gathering where musicians improvise together without rehearsal or predetermined arrangements.
konnakol
The art of performing rhythmic patterns vocally in South Indian Carnatic music.
layering
The production technique of stacking multiple sounds or recordings to create a rich, complex texture.
legato explained
A smooth, connected style of playing or singing in which notes flow seamlessly into one another
legato technique
A guitar approach emphasising smooth, connected notes using hammer-ons and pull-offs rather than picking.
lick
A short, self-contained melodic phrase used as part of an improvisation or solo.
loop
A repeating section of audio or MIDI that cycles continuously to form the foundation of a track.
mastering
The final stage of audio production that prepares a mix for distribution across all playback systems.
meend
A smooth, continuous glide between notes in Indian classical music, essential to raga expression.
messa di voce
A vocal technique of gradually swelling and diminishing volume on a single held note.
metronome
A device that produces regular clicks at an adjustable tempo, used for practising music.
mixing
The process of combining multiple recorded tracks into a balanced stereo or surround sound recording.
multiphonics
A technique for producing multiple notes simultaneously on a wind instrument.
multiphonics explained
A technique of producing two or more pitches simultaneously on an instrument normally capable of only one note at a time
mute
A device attached to an instrument to soften or alter its tone.
mute explained
A device attached to an instrument to soften its tone, creating a more veiled and intimate sound
natural harmonic
A harmonic produced by lightly touching an open string at a nodal point without pressing it to the fingerboard
natural harmonics
Ethereal, flute-like tones produced on string instruments by lightly touching the string at specific nodal points while bowing, allowing only certain overtones to sound.
open tuning
A guitar tuning where the open strings form a complete chord without fretting.
orchestration
The art of assigning musical material to specific instruments in an ensemble.
ornamentation
The practice of decorating a melody with additional notes that embellish the original line
ostinato explained
A short musical pattern that repeats persistently throughout a passage or entire composition
overdrive
A warm, natural-sounding distortion effect that simulates a tube amplifier pushed to its limits.
palm mute
A guitar technique where the picking hand rests lightly on the strings near the bridge to dampen them.
palmas
Rhythmic hand-clapping patterns that are an essential part of the flamenco ensemble.
passaggio
The transitional range between vocal registers where the voice must shift.
pedal
A foot-operated lever on a piano, organ, or harp that alters the sound or pitch.
pedalling
The use of the piano's pedals to sustain notes, soften tone, or create selective resonance
phaser
An audio effect that creates a swirling, undulating tone by splitting a signal and shifting the phase of one copy.
phasing
A compositional technique where two identical patterns gradually drift out of synchronization, creating evolving rhythmic and melodic interference patterns.
pitch shift
An audio effect that raises or lowers the pitch of a sound without changing its duration.
pizzicato Bartók
An extended string technique, also called snap pizzicato, where the string is pulled up and released so it snaps back against the fingerboard with a sharp percussive crack.
pizzicato explained
The technique of plucking the strings of a bowed instrument with the fingers instead of using the bow
plectrum
A small flat tool used to pluck or strum the strings of an instrument, also called a pick.
polytempo
A compositional technique where two or more simultaneous musical parts proceed at different tempos, creating a complex, layered temporal texture.
portamento
A smooth, continuous glide from one pitch to another.
portamento explained
A vocal or instrumental technique of sliding smoothly from one pitch to another, passing through all intermediate pitches
prepared guitar
An extended technique where objects are placed on or between the strings of a guitar to alter its timbre, inspired by John Cage's prepared piano concept.
prepared piano
A piano whose sound has been altered by placing objects — bolts, screws, rubber, felt — between or on the strings.
prepared piano explained
A piano whose sound is altered by placing objects on or between the strings
prepared piano history
John Cage's technique of placing objects between piano strings to transform the instrument into a one-person percussion ensemble with radically altered timbres.
producer
The person who oversees and shapes the creative and technical aspects of a recording.
pull-off
A guitar technique where a fretting finger plucks the string as it lifts off, sounding a lower note.
quantise
To snap recorded notes or beats to a rigid timing grid, correcting rhythmic imprecision.
rasgueado
A flamenco guitar strumming technique using rapid, sequential finger strikes for rhythmic power.
record
A physical medium for storing and reproducing music, or the act of capturing a performance.
remix
An alternative version of a song created by rearranging, adding, or removing elements from the original recording.
retrograde
A compositional technique where a melody is played backwards.
reverb
An audio effect that simulates the natural reflections of sound in a physical space.
rhythm section
The instruments that provide the rhythmic and harmonic foundation: typically drums, bass, piano, and guitar.
rim shot
A drum stroke where the stick hits both the drumhead and the rim simultaneously, producing a sharp crack.
rubato
Expressive freedom in tempo, stretching or compressing time for musical effect.
rubato explained
The expressive flexibility of tempo in which some beats are slightly lengthened and others shortened, while the underlying pulse remains steady
sample
A recorded snippet of sound extracted from an existing recording and reused in a new composition.
sampling
The technique of taking a portion of an existing recording and reusing it in a new composition.
scordatura
An alternative tuning of a stringed instrument to achieve unusual effects.
scordatura explained
The technique of deliberately mistuning one or more strings of a stringed instrument to achieve unusual sonorities or facilitate difficult passages
score reading
The skill of reading and mentally hearing a full orchestral score, interpreting multiple simultaneous instrumental parts from a single document.
scratching
A DJ technique of manually moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable to create rhythmic sounds.
senza
An Italian musical term meaning "without," used to cancel or suspend a previous instruction.
sequencer
A device or software that records, edits, and plays back MIDI data or audio in a predetermined order.
sidechain compression
A production technique where one audio signal controls the compressor on another, creating a rhythmic pumping effect.
sight-reading
The ability to perform music at first sight, without prior rehearsal.
sight-transposition
The skill of reading music in one key while playing it in another, performed in real time without a written transposed part
simile
A performance direction indicating that the performer should continue in the same manner as previously indicated.
slap bass
A percussive bass technique using thumb strikes and finger pops on the strings.
slide
A gliding movement between two pitches, or the U-shaped tube on a trombone that changes pitch.
slide guitar
A technique where a smooth, hard object is pressed against guitar strings and moved along the neck to produce gliding pitches.
sound design
The art of creating and manipulating audio elements, from synthesiser patches to sound effects.
spiccato explained
A bowing technique in which the bow bounces lightly off the string, producing short, clear notes with a ringing quality
sprechgesang
A vocal technique between singing and speaking, in which the voice touches a pitch and then falls away
staccato explained
A short, detached style of playing in which notes are separated by silences
stride piano
A jazz piano style where the left hand alternates between bass notes and mid-range chords in a striding motion.
string bending
Pushing or pulling a guitar string sideways to raise its pitch smoothly.
sul ponticello
Bowing near the bridge of a string instrument, producing a thin, glassy tone.
sul ponticello effect
A string technique of bowing very close to the bridge, producing a thin, glassy, metallic tone rich in high overtones, used for eerie or otherworldly effects.
sul ponticello explained
A string technique in which the bow is drawn near the bridge, producing a thin, glassy, overtone-rich sound
sul tasto
Bowing over the fingerboard, producing a soft, flute-like tone.
sweep picking
A guitar technique using a continuous picking motion across strings to play rapid arpeggios.
swing feel
A rhythmic approach where pairs of eighth notes are played unevenly, with the first note longer than the second.
tam-tam technique
Playing techniques for the large orchestral gong including striking with various mallet types, bowing the edge, and using friction to excite specific overtones.
tapping
A guitar technique where both hands tap notes directly on the fretboard.
taqasim
An improvised solo passage in Arabic music that explores a maqam without fixed rhythm.
throat singing
A vocal technique in which a single singer produces two or more simultaneous pitches by manipulating the vocal tract to isolate and amplify overtones.
throat singing techniques
A family of vocal techniques from Central Asia, particularly Tuva, in which a single singer simultaneously produces two or more distinct pitches by manipulating overtones.
throat singing variants
Regional variations of overtone singing including Tuvan khoomei, Mongolian khöömii, Inuit katajjaq, and Sardinian cantu a tenore, each with distinct techniques and cultural contexts.
trading fours
A jazz practice where soloists alternate four-bar improvised phrases.
transcription
A written-out version of a performance, or an adaptation of a piece for a different instrument.
transpose
To move a piece of music to a higher or lower key.
tre corde
An instruction to release the una corda pedal, returning to full volume.
tremolo explained
The rapid repetition of a single note or rapid alternation between two notes, creating a trembling effect
tremolo picking
A guitar and mandolin technique involving extremely rapid alternate picking of a single note or string
tuning
The process of adjusting an instrument's pitch to a standard reference or to match other instruments.
turntablism
The art of using vinyl turntables as musical instruments rather than mere playback devices.
tutti
An instruction for the full ensemble to play together, as opposed to a solo passage.
una corda
The left pedal on a piano, shifting the hammers to strike fewer strings for a softer tone.
vamp
A repeated chord progression or riff used as an introduction, interlude, or background for improvisation.
vibrato
A slight, rapid variation in pitch used to add warmth and expression to a note.
vibrato explained
A slight, rapid fluctuation of pitch used to enrich and warm the tone of a sustained note
virtuoso
A musician with extraordinary technical skill.
vocals
The sung or spoken parts of a musical performance.
vocoder
An electronic device that imposes the spectral characteristics of a vocal signal onto a synthesiser sound.
walking bass
A bass line that moves in steady quarter notes, stepping through chord tones and passing tones.
whammy bar
A tremolo arm attached to an electric guitar bridge that alters string tension to bend pitch up or down.