Guitar Basics

Guitar one of the most well-know intsument in popular music of the 19th century and later. Countless jazz and popular songs have been composed within the structure of this series or progression of chords.
The basic blues progression uses 3 chords - the Tonic (I) or the chord that the song is centered on, the Dominant (V) or the chord based on the fifth step of the Tonic scale, and the Subdominant (IV) or the chord based on the fourth step of the Tonic scale. In the example below, we use the key of F major. Thus the Tonic is F, the Dominant is C and the Subdominant is B-flat.

There is a cadence starting in measure 9 going from the Dominant (V) to the Subdominant (IV) finally to the Tonic (I) in measure 11. There are many variations on this cadence and may be V-IV-I or V-I or II-V-I, etc.


General Elements of the 12-bar Blues progression:

1. The progression is 12 measures long.
2. The 5th measure is typically the Subdominant (IV chord), or the chord based on the fourth step of the Tonic scale.
3. The 9th measure begins a cadence progressing to the Tonic (I chord).

a cappella Choral music performed without instrumental accompaniment.

Accelerando A symbol used in musical notation indicating to gradually quicken tempo.

Accent An emphasized note

Accent Stress of one tone over others, making it stand out; often it is the first beat of a measure

Accessible Music that is easy to listen to and understand.

Accompaniment Music that goes along with a more important part; often harmony or rhythmic patterns accompanying a melody.

Acoustics 1. The science relating to thecreation and dissipation of sound waves. 2. The way in which sound productionis affected by the physical properties of the room or chamber in which they areproduced

Action The height of the strings from the fretboard

Adagio A tempo having slow movement; restful at ease.

Allegretto Moderately fast, lively. Faster than Andante, slower than allegro

Allegro A direction to play lively and fast.

Alto Lowest of the female voices. Also contralto.

Anatomy of the guitar

Andante Moderately slow, a walking speed

Bar Also called a measure, a bar is a segment of written music in which there is a designated number of beats

Baroque Time in music history ranging from the middle of the 16th to the middle of the 17th centuries. Characterized by emotional, flowery music; written in strict form.

Bass Note Lowest note of a chord

Beat The unit of musical rhythm.

Binary form Two part form; the structure of a musical composition consisting of two main sections.

Body The guitar's body is of utmost importance: it provides the resonance that shapes the tone of an electric or acoustic guitar and provides the volume (or heft) of an acoustic guitar. It also may consist of: flattop (or just top): the "front" of the guitar. treble/upper bout: the (usually) smaller curved part closest to the strings. base/lower bout: the (usually) larger curved part behind the bridge. waist: the inwardly curved part between the two bouts. Factors that affect a guitar body's tonal qualities include the type of wood, the construction (whether layered or one-piece, hollow or solid-body), shape and size, and more. However, a solid-body electric guitar's shape is mostly aesthetic rather than functional.

Bridge The bridge is found somewhere between the middle and bottom of the body. Depending on the guitar, the strings may originate from the bridge or they might simply be supported by it. Most electric guitars allow the bridge to be raised or lowered, an adjustment necessary in setting up the guitar which may easily and safely be performed by any guitarist. This is typically done by adjusting screws, which are either thumbscrews which can be rotated with the fingers, or traditional screws requiring a screwdriver. Acoustic guitars usually have a bridge and saddle arrangement. The strings originate at the bridge, usually held in by pegs. The strings then pass over a saddle, a flat piece of material held on its side. The saddle can be made of many materials, but the most common are either plastic or bone. Synthetic bone substitutes are becoming more common.

Cadence A sequence of chords that brings an end to a phrase, either in the middle or the end of a composition.

Cadenza Initially an improvised cadence by a soloist; later becoming an elaborate and written out passage in an aria or concerto, featuring the skills of an instrumentalist or vocalist.

Canon A musical form where the melody or tune is imitated by individual parts at regular intervals. The individual parts may enter at different measures and pitches. The tune may also be played at different speeds, backwards, or inverted.

Cantabile A style of singing which is characterized by the easy and flowing tone of the composition.

Cantata Music written for chorus and orchestra. Most often religious in nature.

Capo A device for transposing a fretted string instrument such as the guitar

Capriccio A quick, improvisational, spirited piece of music.

Carol A song or hymn celebrating Christmas.

Castrato Male singers who were castrated to preserve their alto and soprano vocal range.

Cavatina A short and simple melody performed by a soloist that is part of a larger piece.

Chamber music Written for 2 to 10 solo parts featuring one instrument to a part. Each part bears the same importance.

Chant Singing in unison, texts in a free rhythm. Similar to the rhythm of speech.

Choir Group of singers in a chorus.

Chorale A hymn sung by the choir and congregation often in unison.

Chord Simultaneous combination of three or more tones that constitute a single block of harmony.

Chord progression A string of chords played in succession.

Chorus A group singing in unison.

Chromatic scale Includes all twelve notes of an octave.

Classical Referring to that period from approximately 1750 1800, characterized musically by objectivity of the composer, emotional restraint, and simple harmonies.

Classical The period of music history which dates from the mid 1700’s to mid 1800’s. The music was spare and emotionally reserved, especially when compared to Romantic and Boroque music.

Classicism The period of music history which dates from the mid 1800’s and lasted about sixty years. There was a strong regard for order and balance.

Clavier The keyboard of a stringed instrument.

Clef In sheet music, a symbol at the beginning of the staff defining the pitch of the notes found in that particular staff.

Coda Closing section of a movement.

Concert master The first violin in an orchestra.

Concerto A composition written for a solo instrument. The soloist plays the melody while the orchestra plays the accompaniment.

Conductor One who directs a group of performers. The conductor indicates the tempo, phrasing, dynamics, and style by gestures and facial expressions.

Consonance A simultaneious sounding of tones that produces a feeling of rest, i.e., a feeling that there is no need for further resolution.

Contralto Lowest female singing voice.

Counterpoint Two or three melodic lines played at the same time.

Courante A piece of music written in triple time. Also an old French dance.

Crescendo Gradually growing louder

Da Capo From the beginning. A direction to repeat the entire compositon from the beginning to the place where the word "fine" appears or to the end.

Deceptive cadence A chord progression that seems to lead to resolving itself on the final chord; but does not.

Development Where the musical themes and melodies are developed, written in sonata form.

Diminuendo Gradually growing softer

Dissonance A simultaneous sounding of tones that produces a feeling of tension or unrest and a feeling that further resolution is needed.

Dissonance Harsh, discordant, and lack of harmony. Also a chord that sounds incomplete until it resolves itself on a harmonious chord.

Dolce Sweetly, softly

Double-Stop Playing two notes simultaneously on a string instrument.

Drone Dull, monotonous tone such as a humming or buzzing sound. Also a bass note held under a melody.

Duet A piece of music written for two vocalists or instrumentalists.

Dynamics Pertaining to the loudness or softness of a musical composition. Also the symbols in sheet music indicating volume.

Dynamics Varying intensities of sound throughout a given musical composition. (Piano, Mezzo Piano, Forte, etc.)

Elegy An instrumental lament with praise for the dead.

Encore A piece of music played at the end of a recital responding to the audiences enthusiastic reaction to the performance, shown by continuous applause.

Energico A symbol in sheet music a direction to play energetically.

Enharmonic Interval Two notes that differ in name only. The notes occupy the same position. For example: C sharp and D flat.

Ensemble The performance of either all instruments of an orchestra or voices in a chorus.

Espressione Expressively

Espressivo A direction to play expressively.

Etude A musical composition written solely to improve technique. Often performed for artistic interest.

Exposition The first section of a movement written in sonata form, introducing the melodies and themes.

Expressionism Atonal and violent style used as a means of evoking heightened emotions and states of mind.

Falsetto A style of male singing where by partial use of the vocal chords, the voice is able to reach the pitch of a female.

Fermata A pause, stop, or interruption as that before the cadenza of a concerto.

Fermata To hold a tone or rest held beyond the written value at the discretion of the performer.

Fifth The interval between two notes. Three whole tones and one semitone make up the distance between the two notes.

Finale Movement or passage that concludes the musical composition.

Fine The end of a musical piece

Flat A symbol indicating that the note is to be diminished by one semitone.

Form The structure of a piece of music.

Forte A symbol indicating to play loud.

Fortissimo Very loud

Fourth The interval between two notes. Two whole tones and one semitone make up the distance between the two notes.

Fretboard On the front side of the neck is the fretboard, or fingerboard. On it will be a number of metal frets, usually 20 to 24. Strings are held down behind a fret to change the note a string will produce. The first fret is the one nearest the nut (see below), unless there is one immediately after the nut, which is called a "zero fret".

Fugue A composition written for three to six voices. Beginning with the exposition, each voice enters at different times, creating counterpoint with one another.

Gain How much an amplifier increases the signal level is called the gain. This is usually measured in decibels (dB). Mathematically speaking, the gain is equal to the output level divided by the input level. (for power gain in decibels gain is computed by the relation G(dB)=10log(Pout/Pin)(Electrical)).

Galliard Music written for a lively French dance for two performers written in triple time.

Gavotte A 17th century dance written in Quadruple time, always beginning on the third beat of the measure.

Glee Vocal composition written for three or more solo parts, usually without instrumental accompaniment.

Glissando Sliding between two notes.

Grandioso Word to indicate that the movement or entire composition is to be played grandly.

Grave Word to indicate the movement or entire composition is to be played very slow and serious.

Grazioso Word to indicate the movement or entire composition is to be played gracefully.

Gregorian Chant Singing or chanting in unison without strict rhythm. Collected during the Reign of Pope Gregory VIII for psalms and other other parts of the church service.

Gusto In good taste, tasteful

Harmony Pleasing combination of two or three tones played together in the background while a melody is being played. Harmony also refers to the study of chord progressions.

Headstock (Head) The headstock lies at the end of the guitar's neck. The major mechanical purpose of the headstock is to support the tuning machines (tuners) which terminate the strings of the instrument. A secondary purpose is identification; many guitar makers use a distinctive headstock shape, perhaps with logo or model information, or imitate that of a more well-known brand.

Homophony Music written to be sung or played in unison.

Hymn A song of praise and glorification. Most often to honor God.

Impromptu A short piano piece, often improvisational and intimate in character.

Instrumentation Arrangement of music for a combined number of instruments.

Interlude Piece of instrumental music played between scenes in a play or opera.

Intermezzo Short movement or interlude connecting the main parts of the composition.

Interpretation The expression the performer brings when playing his instrument.

Interval The distance in pitch between two notes.

Intonation The manner in which tones are produced with regard to pitch.

Introduction The opening section of a piece of music or movement.

Istesso tempo The same tempo. (The tempo remains as before, after a change was made)

Just Itonation (just IN-toe-nay-shun) A manner of tuning in which the intervals are tuned so that they do not beat. In keyboard tuning, this means that the fifths are tuned very small in order to make most of the thirds pure.

Key System of notes or tones based on and named after the key note.

Key signature The flats and sharps at the beginning of each staff line indicating the key of music the piece is to be played.

Klangfarbenmelodie The technique of altering the tone color of a single note or musical line by changing from one instrument to another in the middle of a note or line.

Largo Large, broad, slow and stately

Leading note The seventh note of the scale where there is a strong desire to resolve on the tonic.

Legato Word to indicate that the movement or entire composition is to be played smoothly.

Leitmotif A musical theme given to a particular idea or main character of an opera.

Lento Slow

Libretto A book of text containing the words of an opera.

Ligature Curved line connecting notes to be sung or played as a phrase.

Madrigal A contrapuntal song written for at least three voices, usually without accompaniment.

Maestoso Majestic, dignified

Maestro Refers to any great composer, conductor, or teacher of music.

Major One of the two modes of the tonal system. Music written in major keys have a positive affirming character.

March A form of music written for marching in two step time. Originally the march was used for military processions.

Measure The unit of measure where the beats on the lines of the staff are divided up into two, three, four beats to a measure.

Medley Often used in overtures, a composition that uses passages from other movements of the composition in its entirety.

Melody An arrangement of single tones in a meaningful sequence

Meno Less

Mezzo The voice between soprano and alto. Also, in sheet music, a direction for the tempo to be played at medium speed.

Mezzo forte Moderately loud

Mezzo piano Moderately soft

Minor One of the two modes of the tonal system. The minor mode can be identified by the dark, melancholic mood.

Minuet Slow and stately dance music written in triple time.

Modes Either of the two octave arrangements in modern music. The modes are either major or minor.

Modulation To shift to another key.

Molto, molta Much

Monotone Repetition of a single tone.

Motif Primary theme or subject that is developed.

Movement A separate section of a larger composition.

Musette A Boroque dance with a drone bass.

Musicology The study of forms, history, science, and methods of music.

Natural A symbol in sheet music that returns a note to its original pitch after it has been augmented or diminished.

Neck The neck of a guitar extends from the body. Some guitars may have it glued on, which is a set neck, and some may have it bolted on. A few guitars are made entirely of one piece of wood, or at the least, one piece of wood comprises the neck and part of the body, up to where the bridge is located, with the sides attached. Set necks are almost universal amongst acoustic guitars. The bolt-on or screw-on neck is similarly common with electric guitars. Both acoustic and electric guitars usually have a steel truss rod going through the neck. It counteracts the pull of the strings on the neck, strenghtening it, and reducing its curvature to an appropriate amount, also allowing for further adjustments if needed. Classical guitars do not require a truss rod, because there is less tension from their strings. Adjusting the truss rod is a step in setting up the guitar, but only an experienced luthier are encouraged to perform this adjustment. There have been several examples of alternative materials for the manufacture of guitar necks, the most noteable being a carbon fibre composite, the neck being the only structural requirement for string tension.

Neoclassical Movement in music where the characteristics are crisp and direct.

Nocturne A musical composition that has a romantic or dreamy character with nocturnal associations.

Nonet A composition written for nine instruments.

Notation First developed in the 8th century, methods of writing music.

Nut All strings pass through the nut at the end of the fretboard. It roughly divides the fretboard and headstock. Its function is to maintain proper string spacing and provide an endpoint for the string. On acoustic guitars, the nut and saddle are usually made of similar material. Electric guitars commonly use plastic, synthetics, and sometimes metal. As tremolo bars can cause tuning problems, guitars equipped with them usually have some manner of locking nut, where the strings are clamped down. Fender has recently introduced the roller nut, a nut incorporating a system of ball bearings similar to a locking nut, but easier on the strings.

Obbligato An extended solo, often accompanying the vocal part of an aria.

Octave Eight full tones above the key note where the scale begins and ends.

Octet A composition written for eight instruments.

Opera A drama where the words are sung instead of spoken.

Operetta A short light musical drama.

Opus Convenient method of numbering a composer’s works where a number follows the word “opus”. For example, Opus 28, No. 4.

Oratorio An extended cantata on a sacred subject.

Orchestra A large group of instrumentalists playing together.

Orchestration Arranging a piece of music for an orchestra. Also, the study of music.

Ornaments Tones used to embellish the principal melodic tone.

Ostinato A repeated melodic or rhythmic fragment

Ostinato A repeated phrase.

Overture Introduction to an opera or other large musical work.

Parody A composition based on previous work. A common technique used in Medieval and Renaissance music.

Part A line in a contrapuntal work performed by an individual voice or instrument.

Partial A harmonic given off by a note when it is played.

Partita Suite of Baroque dances.

Pastoral A composition whose style is simple and idyllic; suggestive of rural scenes.

Pentatonic Scale A musical scale having five notes. For example: the five black keys of a keyboard make up a pentatonic scale.

Phrase A single line of music played or sung. A musical sentence.

Phrase A small section of a composition comprising a musical thought. Comparable to a sentence in language.

Pianissimo Very soft

Piano An instruction in sheet music to play softly. Abbreviated by a “p”.

Piano Soft, softly

Pitch The frequency of a note determining how high or low it sounds.

Pizzicato String instruments that are picked instead of bowed.

Polyphonic Music Music in which two or more melodies sound simultaneously

Polyphony Combining a number of individual but harmonizing melodies. Also known as counterpoint.

Polyrhythms Music in which two or more keys are used simultaneously in a given composition

Polytonality Combination of two or more keys being played at the same time.

Portamento A mild glissando between two notes for an expressive effect.

Prelude A short piece originally preceded by a more substantial work, also an orchestral introduction to opera, however not lengthy enough to be considered an overture.

Presto A direction in sheet music indicating the tempo is to be very fast.

Progression The movement of chords in succession.

Quadrille A 19th century square dance written for 4 couples.

Quartet A set of four musicians who perform a composition written for four parts.

Quintet A set of five musicians who perform a composition written for five parts.

Recapitulation A reprise.

Recital A solo concert with or without accompaniment.

Recitative A form of writing for vocals that is close to the manner of speech and is rhythmically free.

Reed The piece of cane in wind instruments. The players cause vibrations by blowing through it in order to produce sound.

Refrain A repeating phrase that is played at the end of each verse in the song.

Register A portion of the range of the instrument or voice.

Relative major and minor The major and minor keys that share the same notes in that key. For example: A minor shares the same note as C major.

Relative pitch Ability to determine the pitch of a note as it relates to the notes that precede and follow it.

Renaissance A period in history dating from the 14th to 16th centuries. This period signified the rebirth of music, art, and literature.

Reprise To repeat a previous part of a composition generally after other music has been played.

Requiem A dirge, hymn, or musical service for the repose of the dead.

Resonance When several strings are tuned to harmonically related pitches, all strings vibrate when only one of the strings is struck.

Retrograde A form of contrapuntal imitation in which the melody is played backwards.

Reverb When sound is produced in an enclosed space ,multiple reflections build up and blend together, creating reverberation, or reverb. This is most noticeable when the sound stops but the reflections continue, decreasing in amplitude, until they can no longer be heard. The time it takes for the sound pressure level of the reverberation to decay 60 decibels is known as the reverberation time, or RT(60).

Rhythm The variation of the accentuation of sounds or other events over time.

Rhythm The element of music pertaining to time, played as a grouping of notes into accented and unaccented beats.

Ricercar Elaborate polyphonic composition of the Boroque and Renaissance periods.

Rigaudon A quick 20th century dance written in double time.

Ritardando Gradually growing slower

Rococo A musical style characterized as excessive, ornamental, and trivial.

Romantic A period in history during the 18th and early 19th centuries where the focus shifted from the neoclassical style to an emotional, expressive, and imaginative style.

Rondo A musical form where the principal theme is repeated several times. The rondo was often used for the final movements of classical sonata form works.

Root The tone of the scale upon which a chord is built

Root Position The postion of a chord in which the root appears as the lowest tone.

Round A canon where the melody is sung in two or more voices. After the first voice begins, the next voice starts singing after a couple of measures are played in the preceding voice. All parts repeat continuously.

Rubato An important characteristic of the Romantic period. It is a style where the strict tempo is temporarily abandoned for a more emotional tone.

Scale Successive notes of a key or mode either ascending or descending.

Scherzo Pertaining to the sonata form, a fast movement in triple time.

Scordatura The retuning of a stringed instrument in order to play notes below the ordinary range of the instrument or to produce an usual tone color.

Septet A set of seven musicians who perform a composition written for seven parts.

Sequence A successive transposition and repetition of a phrase at different pitches.

Serenade A lighthearted piece, written in several movements, usually as background music for a social function.

Sextet A set of six musicians who perform a composition written for six parts.

Sforzando Explosively

Sharp A symbol indicating the note is to be raised by one semitone.

Single Coil A single coil or just single is a type of pickup for the electric guitar. As its name indicates, it is composed of wire wrapped in a single coil around magnets.

Slide A glissando or portamento. Also refers to the moving part of a trombone.

Slur A curve over notes to indicate that a phrase is to be played legato.

Slur A curved line drawn over two or more notes of different pitches, indicating that they are to be executed in a smoothly connected manner without a break.

Sonata Music of a particular form consisting of four movements. Each of the movements differ in tempo, rhythm, and melody; but are held together by subject and style.

Sonata form A complex piece of music. Usually the first movement of the piece serving as the exposition, a development, or recapitulation.

Sonatina A short or brief sonata.

Song cycle A sequence of songs, perhaps on a single theme, or with texts by one poet, or having continuos narrative.

Soprano The highest female voice.

Sostenuto Sustained

Spirito Spiritedly

Staccato Separate. Sounded in a short, detached manner

Staccato Short detached notes, as opposed to legato.

Staff Made up of five horizontal parallel lines and the spaces between them on which musical notation is written.

Stretto Pertaining to the fugue, the overlapping of the same theme or motif by two or more voices a few beats apart.

String Quartet A group of 4 instruments, two violins, a viola, and cello.

Suite A loose collection of instrumental compositions.

Symphony Three to four movement orchestral piece, generally in sonata form.

Syncopation The rhythmic result produced when a regularly accented beat is displaced onto an unaccented beat.

System A combination of two or more staves on which all the notes are vertically aligned and performed simultaneously in differing registers and instruments.

Tablature A six-line staff that graphically represents the guitar fingerboard, with the top line indicating the highest sounding string (high E). By placing a number on the appropriate line, the string and fret of any note can be indicated. The number 0 represents an open string. The 0's mean that string is played "open" (no finger) and the other numbers indicate which fret you place your finger on. An 'X' means to muffle, not let it ring. #1|-------------------------------Hi-E-string----------------------------- #2|-------------------------------B--------------------------------------- #3|--------------------------G-------------------------------------------- #4|---------------------D------------------------------------------------- #5|----------------A------------------------------------------------------ #6|-------Lo- E-string----------------------------------------------------

Tablature A system of notation for stringed instruments. The notes are indicated by the finger positions.

Temperament Refers to the tuning of an instrument.

Tempo Indicating speed.

Tempo The rate of speed at which a musical compostion is performed

Tenor 1. A high male voice between alto and baritone. In early polyphonic music, it sang the cantus firmus in long held notes. 2. Instruments in the tenor range.

Tessitura The range of an instrumental or a vocal part.

Theme A melodic or, sometimes a harmonic idea presented in a musical form.

Theme A short musical passage that states an idea. It often provides the basis for variations, development, etc.

Timbre Tone color, quality of sound that distinguishes one verse or instrument to another. It is determined by the harmonies of sound.

Time Signature A numeric symbol in sheet music determining the number of beats to a measure.

Tonal Pertains to tone or tones.

Tonality The tonal characteristics determined by the relationship of the notes to the tone.

Tone 1. A musical sound 2. The quality of a musical sound

Tone The intonation, pitch, and modulation of a composition expressing the meaning, feeling, or attitude of the music.

Tone less Unmusical, without tone.

Tonic The first tone of a scale also known as a keynote.

Treble The playing or singing the upper half of the vocal range. Also the highest voice in choral singing.

Tremolo Quick repetition of the same note or the rapid alternation between two notes.

Tremolo Bar The tremolo bar, also called the "tremolo arm," "whammy bar," or "vibrato bar," is found on part of electric guitars. It was popularized on the Fender Stratocaster, and is now seen on many different models, including some hollow-body electrics. Another popular type of tremolo bar is the Floyd Rose. Its base will be located below the bridge. Pushing down on the bar will lower the pitch of the strings, and pulling it up will raise the pitch. Rapidly pushing and releasing (or pushing and pulling for exaggerated effect) will produce a modulation in pitch, called vibrato. Vibrato is often confused with tremolo (modulation in volume), hence the misnomer tremolo bar.

Triad Three note chords consisting of a root, third, and fifth.

Trill Rapid alternation between notes that are a half tone or whole tone apart.

Trio A composition written for three voices and instruments performed by three persons.

Triple time Time signature with three beats to the measure.

Triplet Three notes played in the same amount of time as one or two beats.

Tritone A chord comprised of three whole tones resulting in an augmented fourth or diminished fifth.

Tune A rhythmic succession of musical tones, a melody for instruments and voices.

Tuning The raising and lowering a pitch of an instrument to produce the correct tone of a note.

Tutee Passage for the entire ensemble or orchestra without a soloist.

Tutto, Tutta All, whole

Twelve tone music Music composed such that each note is used the same number of times.

Unison Two or more voices or instruments playing the same note simultaneously.

Verismo A form of Italian opera beginning at the end of the 19th century. The setting is contemporary to the composer’s own time, and the characters are modeled after every day life.

Vibrato Small fluctuation of pitch used as an expressive device to intensify a sound.

Vibrato Creating variation pitch in a note by quickly alternating between notes.

Virtuoso A person with notable technical skill in the performance of music.

Vivace Direction to performer to play a composition in a brisk, lively, and spirited manner.

Voice One of two or more parts in polyphonic music. Voice refers to instrumental parts as well as the singing voice.

Volume Degree of loudness or softness of a sound.

Waltz Ballroom dance type in triple meter; in the Romantic era, a short, stylized piano piece.

Whole tone scale A scale consisting of only whole tone notes. Such a scale consists of only 6 notes.

Whole note A whole note is equal to 2 half notes, 4 quarter notes, 8 sixteenth notes, etc.

Xylophone A percussion instrument consisting of a row of chromatically tuned wooden bars, arranged in the manner of a piano keyboard. The bars are supported by a wooden frame over resonator tubes and they are sounded by being struck with mallets. Currently, the standard xylophone has a range of three-and-a-half octaves (f to c4). Commercial sizes can have as few as three octaves and as many as five octaves. The xylophone sounds one octaves higher than the written note.

Yodel (yõ -del) A style of singing or calling that involves switching the registers of the voice rapidly from head voice to chest voice (or falsetto and natural voice). The peculiar high warbling of the Swiss and Tyrolean mountaineers.

Zither Family of string instruments with a sound box over which strings are stretched; they may be plucked or bowed. Zithers appear in many shapes and are common in traditional music throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.