Outline of music

See also: Index of music articles

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to music:

Music – human expression in the medium of time using the structures of sounds or tones and silence. It is expressed in terms of pitch, rhythm, harmony, and timbre.

General topics

• Music theory –
• Musical acoustics –
• Band (music) –
• Composition –
• Ensemble –
• Genre –
• Instrument –
• Musical keyboard –
• Mode –
• Musician –
• Music and politics –
• Music history –
• Music lessons –
• Music technology –
• Musical notation –
• Musical terminology –
• Musical theatre –
• Tuning –
• Musicology –
• Philosophy of music –
• Theatre music –

History of music

Main article: History of music

• Timeline of musical events –

By region or ethnicity

• Timeline of trends in Australian music –
• Timeline of Chinese music –
• Timeline of trends in Italian music –
• Timeline of trends in Russian music –
• Timeline of music in the United States –

Music industry topics

Main article: Music industry

• Album –
• Compact disc (CD) –
• Compact Cassette –
• Concert –
• Concert tour –
• Grammy Awards –
• Music recording sales certification –
• Performance –
• Record –
• Record industry –
• Recording studio –

People

• A&R –
• ASCAP –
• Band manager –
• Booking agent –
• BMI –
• Copyright collective –
• Disc jockey –
• MCPS –
• Musician – person who writes, performs, or makes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music.
  • Instrumentalist – one who plays a musical instrument.
    • Traditional instrumentalist – one who plays folk music on traditional instruments such as gongs.
    • Classical instrumentalist – one who plays classical music, usually with Western orchestral instruments such as the violin, flute etc.
    • Instrumentalists who plays popular music – one who plays with instruments in the big band, e.g. the electric guitar, drums, saxophone, trumpet, trombone etc.
  • Singer – a vocalist.
  • Composer – person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media.
    • Songwriter –
    • Arranger –
  • Conductor – leads a musical ensemble. A conductor may simultaneously act as an instrumentalist in the ensemble.
  • Recording artist – creates recorded music, such as CDs and MP3 files.
• Musicians' Union –
• Publisher –
• PRS –
• Record producer –
• Record label –
• Record distributor –
• Tour promoter –
• Road crew ("roadies") –
• Performance rights organisation –

Ensembles

Main articles: Musical ensemble and list of musical ensembles

• Band –
• Organ trio –
• Power trio –
• Choir –
• Concert band –
• Duet –
• Marching Band –
• Orchestra –
• Quartet –
• Quintet –
• Big band –

Genres of music

Main articles: Musical genre and List of musical genres

Examples of genres:   

• Ballet –
• Blues –
• Classical –
• Country –
• Electronic –
• Electronic dance –
• Electronica –
• Funk –
• Gospel –
• Grunge –
• Hip hop –
• Jazz –
• Latin –
• Metal –
• Neue Deutsche Härte –
• Opera –
• Progressive rock –
• Reggae –
• Punk rock –
• Rhythm and blues –
• Rock –
• Ska –

Music by region

Main article: List of cultural and regional genres of music

Musical compositions

Types of musical pieces and compositions

Main article: Musical form

Single-movement forms

• Strophic form (AA...) –
• Binary form (AB) –
• Ternary form less often tertiary (ABA) –
• Arch form (ABCBA)

Multi-movement forms

• Ballet –
• Cantata –
• Chorale –
• Concerto –
• Dance –
• Etude –
• Fantasia –
• Fugue –
• Mass –
• Opera –
• Oratorio –
• Prelude –
• Requiem –
• Rhapsody –
• Sonata –
• Suite –
• Symphonic poem –
• Symphony –

Sections of a piece or composition

Main article: Section (music)

• Introduction –
• Exposition –
• Recapitulation –
• Verse –
• Refrain (chorus) –
• Bridge –
• Interlude –
• Guitar solo –
• Conclusion –
• Coda –
• Fadeout

Musical notation

Main article: Musical notation   See also: Modern musical symbols and Sheet music.

• Staff –
  • Clefs –
  • Key signature –
    • Key –
  • Time signature –
    • Beats –
  • Bars (Measures) –
  • Ledger lines –
• Grand staff –
• Notes –
  • Note values –
  • Dotted notes –
  • Ties –
• Accidentals –
  • Tempo –
  • Dynamics –
• Lyrics (included on vocal music) –
• Score (for ensembles) –

Variations of musical notation

• Percussion notation –
• Figured bass –
• Lead sheets –
• Chord charts –
  • Shape note system –

Musical skills and procedures

• Absolute pitch –
• Ear training –
• Fingering –
• Learning music by ear –
• Modulation –
• Numerical sight-singing –
• Practice –
• Relative pitch –
• Sight reading –
• "Swinging" –
• Transposition –
• Tuning –
• Virtuosity –

Vocal ranges

• Vocal range –

Female ranges

• Soprano –
• Mezzo-soprano –
• Contralto –

Male ranges

• Boy soprano –
• Sopranist –
• Alto –
• Tenor –
• Baritone –
• Bass-baritone –
• Bass –

Instruments

Main articles: Musical instrument and List of musical instruments

• Wind instruments –
• Percussion instruments –
• String instruments –
• Voice –
• Electronic instruments –
• Keyboard instruments –

See also the List of musical instruments by Hornbostel-Sachs number

See also

• Index of music articles
• Glossary of musical terminology
• List of music software

External links

• Taxonomy of musical instruments
• The Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary, with definitions, pronunciations, examples, quizzes and simulations
• The Music-Web Music Encyclopedia, for musicians, composers and music lovers
• Dolmetsch free online music dictionary, complete, with references to a list of specialised music dictionaries (by continent, by instrument, by genre, etc.)
• Musico-Dico, a little music encyclopedia.
• "On Hermeneutical Ethics and Education: Bach als Erzieher", a paper by Prof. Miguel Ángel Quintana Paz in which he explains the history of the different views hold about music in Western societies, since the Ancient Greece to our days.
• BBC Blast Music For 13- to 19-year-olds interested in learning about, making, performing and talking about music.
• Musical Terms - Glossary of music terms from Naxos
• Monthly Online Features From Bloomingdale School of Music, addressing a variety of musical topics for a wide audience
• Arts and Music Uplifting Society towards Transformation and Tolerance Articles meant to stimulate people’s awareness about the peace enhancing, transforming,
• PhilosophyOfMusic.org edited by Dustin Garlitz