Musical Terms for Guitarists
A comprehensive A-Z guide to essential musical terminology that every guitarist should know. Master the language of music and enhance understanding of guitar playing.
Why Learn Musical Terms?
Understanding musical terminology is crucial for any guitarist who wants to communicate effectively with other musicians, read music notation, and deepen their theoretical knowledge. This guide covers essential terms from basic concepts to advanced theory, all explained in the context of guitar playing.
Whether you're a beginner learning first chords or an advanced player exploring complex theory, this reference will help you navigate the language of music with confidence.
Musical Terms Index
A
Accent
Emphasis placed on a particular note or beat to make it stand out
Accidental
A sharp (#), flat (♭), or natural (♮) sign that modifies a note's pitch. Sharp raises the pitch, flat lowers it, and natural cancels any previous sharp or flat.
Action
The distance between the strings and the fretboard; affects playability
Alternate Picking
Picking technique alternating between downstrokes and upstrokes
Arpeggio
Playing the notes of a chord in succession rather than simultaneously
Articulation
The manner in which notes are played (e.g., staccato, legato, accented)
Artificial Harmonics (Pinch)
Harmonics created by picking a string while simultaneously touching it with the thumb at a specific fret distance
Augmented
An interval or chord that is raised by a half-step from its major form
Augmented Fifth
An interval of 8 semitones (e.g., C to G#)
B
Bar
Another term for measure; a segment of music containing a specific number of beats
Barre Chord
A chord where one finger presses down multiple strings across the same fret
Beat
The basic unit of time in music; the steady pulse you feel in a song
Bend
A guitar technique where you push or pull a string to raise its pitch
Bend and Release
A technique where you bend a string up to a target pitch, then release it back to the original pitch
Bridge
A section of a song that connects verses and choruses; also the guitar part that holds strings
C
Capo
A device that clamps across the guitar neck to raise the pitch of all strings
Chord
Three or more notes played simultaneously
Chord Tone
A note that belongs to a chord (root, third, fifth, etc.)
Chromatic
Using all twelve pitches within an octave, including sharps and flats
Circle of Fifths
A visual representation of key signatures and their relationships
Comping
Accompanying another musician using rhythmic chords
D
Diatonic
Notes or chords that belong to a specific key or scale
Diminished
An interval or chord that is lowered by a half-step from its minor form
Dominant
The fifth degree of the major scale; often refers to the V chord in a key
Dominant Chord
A major chord built on the fifth degree of a scale (V chord), creating tension that resolves to the tonic
Dominant Seventh Chord
A dominant chord with an added minor seventh (1-3-5-b7), creating strong tension that resolves to the tonic
Double Stop
Playing two notes simultaneously
Drop D Tuning
A tuning where the low E string is lowered to D (D-A-D-G-B-E), commonly used in rock, metal, and folk music for easier power chords
Drop Tuning
Lowering one or more strings below standard pitch
E
Eighth Note
A note that receives half a beat in 4/4 time
Enharmonic
Two notes that sound the same but are written differently (e.g., C# and Db)
F
Fingerpicking
Playing guitar strings with individual fingers instead of a pick
Flat
A symbol (♭) that lowers a note by a half-step
Fret
The metal strips on the guitar neck that divide it into semitones
G
Gig
A live performance or concert
Glissando
Sliding from one note to another
H
Half Step
The smallest interval in Western music (e.g., C to C#)
Hammer-on
A technique where you strike a string with a fretting finger to sound a note
Harmonic Minor Scale
A natural minor scale with a raised 7th degree, creating a more dramatic, exotic sound
Harmony
The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes
Hybrid Picking
Using a pick and fingers simultaneously to pluck notes
I
Inversion
Rearranging chord tones so a note other than the root is in the bass
Interval
The distance between two notes
First Inversion
A chord inversion where the third is in the bass instead of the root
Second Inversion
A chord inversion where the fifth is in the bass instead of the root
Third Inversion
A chord inversion where the seventh is in the bass instead of the root
J
Jam
An informal musical session where musicians play together
K
Key
The tonal center of a piece of music; determines which notes and chords are used
Key Signature
Sharps or flats at the beginning of a staff that indicate the key
L
Legato
Playing notes smoothly and connected
Lick
A short musical phrase or pattern, often used in solos, usually in the higher range of the instrument
M
Major Chord
A chord built with a root, major third, and perfect fifth, creating a bright, happy sound
Major Scale
A seven-note scale with the pattern whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half
Measure
A segment of music containing a specific number of beats
Melodic Minor Scale
The major scale with a minor 3rd (b3), or natural minor with raised 6th and 7th degrees
Minor Chord
A chord built with a root, minor third, and perfect fifth, creating a darker, sadder sound
Mode
A variation of a scale starting from a different note
N
Natural
A note that is neither sharp nor flat; also the symbol (♮) that cancels sharps/flats
Natural Harmonics
Bell-like tones produced by lightly touching strings at specific points
Natural Minor Scale
A seven-note scale with the pattern whole-half-whole-whole-half-whole-whole, also called the Aeolian mode
O
Octave
The interval between two notes with the same name, one higher than the other
Open Chord
A chord that includes one or more open (unfretted) strings
Open Tunings
Alternative tunings where the open strings form a chord
P
Palm Muting
A technique where you lightly rest your palm on the strings near the bridge to create a muted sound
Pedal Point
A sustained note, usually in the bass, while harmonies change above it
Pentatonic
A five-note scale commonly used in many styles of music
Perfect Fifth
An interval of 7 semitones (e.g., C to G)
Perfect Fourth
An interval of 5 semitones (e.g., C to F)
Pickup
A device that converts string vibrations into electrical signals
Pitch
How high or low a note sounds
Pre Bend
A technique where you bend a string before picking it, then release it to the original pitch
Pull-off
A technique where you pull a finger off a string to sound a lower note
Q
Quarter Note
A note that receives one beat in 4/4 time
R
Rhythm
The pattern of beats and accents in music
Root
The fundamental note of a chord or scale
S
Scale
A specific pattern of intervals that creates a musical framework, typically spanning an octave
Selective Picking
A guitar technique that combines pick strokes with left-hand hammer-ons and pull-offs to create fluid phrases where only certain notes are actually picked while others are produced by fretting hand techniques
Sharp
A symbol (#) that raises a note by a half-step
Slide
A technique where you slide your finger from one fret to another
Standard Tuning
The standard guitar tuning: E-A-D-G-B-E (low to high)
Staccato
Playing notes short and detached
Sweep Picking
A technique where you sweep the pick across multiple strings in one motion
T
Tempo
The speed of the music, measured in beats per minute (BPM)
Tone
The quality or character of a sound
Tonic
The first degree of a scale; the home note of a key
Tremolo
Rapid repetition of a single note
Triad
A three-note chord consisting of a root, third, and fifth
Tuning
The pitch of each string on the guitar
U
Unison
Two or more notes of the same pitch played together
V
Vibrato
A slight variation in pitch created by moving the finger back and forth
W
Whole Step
An interval of two half steps (e.g., C to D)