Appendix One

Glossary

accent: A dynamic effect that places an emphasis on a note or chord.

accidentals: Symbols in written music to raise (# - sharpen) or lower ( -flatten) notes by semitones. A double flat () lowers the pitch by a tone. A natural () cancels the accidental alteration.

acoustic guitar: A hollow-bodied guitar that does not require electronic amplification.

action: The strings' playability along the neck. Action is affected by the strings' distance from the neck, the neck straightness, and the string gauge.

altered chord: A chord or scale in which one or more of the notes is changed to a note not normally associated with that scale.

archtop: A guitar, often an acoustic, with a curved top (soundboard) and F-holes similar to a violin's.

arpeggio: Literally, “like a harp”—that is, playing the notes of a chord one after the other rather than together. Also known as a broken chord.

artificial harmonics: Harmonics produced by fingering a note on the frets and lightly touching the string a fourth higher.

atonal: Not part of the tonal system of major and minor keys; in no key at all.

augmented (see also diminished): Intervals increased by a semitone are known as augmented intervals. The augmented chord is a major chord with the fifth raised a semitone.

bebop, hard bop: A style of jazz that emerged in the 1940s, using fast melodic lines over adventurous extended harmonies, The terms bop and bebop are interchangeable, and hard bop usually refers to the 1950s blues-influenced variant.

binding: Thin strips of wood or plastic that seal the edges of the body.

blues: An African-American style of music that uses a scale including flattened thirds, fifths, and sevenths, known as the “blue notes” in a scale. A blues style has a predominantly twelve-bar form.

body: The main part of the guitar, to which the bridge and neck are attached. On acoustic guitars and some electrics, the body serves as a resonating chamber.

boogie-woogie: A style of blues and jazz with a repetitive rhythmic bass figure derived from early jazz piano-playing

bossa nova: A Brazilian rhythmic style of jazz and popular music widespread in the United States and Europe in the 1960s.

bottleneck guitar: A technique using a metal bar or tube rather than the fingers of the left hand to play notes and chords, and to slide from one to another.

braces: Interior wooden strips that strengthen a hollow-bodied guitar. Brace size and configuration partly determine a guitar's tone.

break: In jazz, a short solo passage without accompaniment that usually occurs at the end of a phrase.

bridge: The structure that holds the saddle (or saddles), over which strings pass on the guitar body. Most bridges can be adjusted to raise or lower string height, changing the guitar's action and intonation.

capo: A spring-loaded, adjustable clamp that becomes in effect a “moveable nut.” It fits over the neck and covers all the strings at a given fret, raising the pitch of the strings and allowing a singer or flamenco player to play in a different key and still use open-string chords and fingering.

chamber music: Music for small groups of players (usually no more than nine). The term chamber jazz is sometimes used for the more formal style of small combo such as the Modern Jazz Quartet.

changes: The sequence of chords used as a basis for improvisation in jazz.

choking: Damping the strings of the guitar to give short staccato chords.

chords: Any combination of three notes played together, usually based on the triad formed by the first, third, and fifth notes of the scale. For example, the chord of C major consists of C (the root of the chord), F, and G. Chords can be in root position—that is, with the root as the bass note—or various inversions using other notes in the chord as the bass.

chord substitutions: In jazz, alternatives to the conventionally used chords in a sequence.

chorus: On an electric guitar, simulates the effect of more than one instrument playing the same note.

chromatic: Chromatic notes are those that fall outside the notes of the key a piece of music is in. The chromatic scale is a twelve-note scale moving in semitones.

classical: The term classical is used loosely to describe art music to distinguish it from folk, jazz, rock, pop, and so forth, but more precisely it refers to the period of music from around 1750 through 1830.

comping: Jazz jargon for accompanying.

compression: On an electric guitar, boosts the volume of quieter notes, and reduces that of louder ones, evening out the sound of fast passages.

counterpoint, contrapuntal: The playing of two or more tunes at the same time, within the same harmonic framework. The added tunes are sometimes called countermelodies.

country (and western): A predominantly white, rural popular music originally from the Southern and Western United States.

cutaway: An indented area of the body that allows the guitarist's fretting hand to access notes higher up the neck.

delay (echo): On an electric guitar, mimics the echo effect by playing a delayed copy of the original sound.

detuning: Intentionally putting one or more of the strings out of tune for a specific effect.

diatonic: Using the notes of the major scale.

diminished: Intervals decreased in size by a semitone are known as diminished intervals. The diminished chord is based on intervals of a minor third, and the so-called diminished scale consists of alternating tones and semitones.

distortion: Change of tone quality with a harsh sound, achieved by overdriving an amplifier, or the use of a distortion pedal, fuzz box, or overdriver.

double stopping: Forming a chord by stopping two or more strings with the left hand on the frets.

double or (multi) tracking: Recording technique enabling a player to superimpose a number of “takes” of a particular piece.

dreadnought: A large-bodied, steel-strung acoustic guitar.

drone strings: Strings not intended to be played with the fingers, but tuned to vibrate in sympathy with the main instrument's strings.

effects: Numerous special effects are possible on a modern electric guitar, including chorus, compression, delay, distortion, enhancer, expander, flanger, fuzz, harmonizer, Leslie, octave divider, overdrive, panning, preamp, reverb, tremolo, vibrato, volume pedal, and wah-wah (see separate listings for each).

enhancer: On an electric guitar, device to improve sound definition.

expander: The opposite of compressor, increasing the range of volume on an electric guitar.

F-holes: Violin-style F-shaped sound holes, usually found in pairs.

feedback: The loud whine produced by a microphone or pickup receiving and amplifying its own signal from a loudspeaker.

fill: In jazz and rock, a short melodic figure played by an accompanying instrument between phrases.

fingerpicking: Right-hand technique in which the strings are plucked by individual fingers.

Flamenco: A Spanish style of playing, singing, and dancing. Forms of flamenco include alegrias, buierias, fandangos, farrucas, ganadinas, malaguena, seguidillas, siguiryas, soleas, and tarantas, and the guitar often interjects falsetas (melodic improvised interludes) into these forms. Techniques in flamenco guitar-playing include alzapua (up-and-down strokes with the thumbnail), apagado (left-hand damping), golpe (tapping on the body of the guitar), picado (fingerstyle), and rasqueado (strumming by unfurling the fingers across the strings).

flanger: On an electric guitar, a chorus-type effect, using a delayed signal with a slight pitch variation.

flat-top: A guitar whose soundboard, or top, is flat.

fretboard: The wooden strip, usually of hardwood, attached atop the neck and into which the frets are set. Also called the fingerboard.

frets: Metal wires set into the fret-board at precise distances, allowing the strings to sound the correct pitches along the neck.

folk: The music of rural cultures, usually passed down orally. The word folk is also used to describe composed music in the style of true folk music, particularly after the “folk revival” of the 1950s.

free jazz: A jazz style of the 1960s, which is freely improvised without reference to a specific tune or harmonic sequence.

fusion: A jazz-rock fusion, but also any form of “crossover” from one style to another.

fuzz: On an electric guitar, a form of distortion, operated by a fuzz pedal.

gig bags: A portable padded bag made of either canvas, nylon, or leather that you can use as an alternative to a hard case. They zip shut and offer about the same protection as a piece of soft leather luggage.

glissando: A slide from one note to another.

grace notes: Short notes played just before the main note of a tune as an ornament.

groove: A repeated rhythmic pattern in jazz and rock

guitar synthesizer: Guitars with built-in synthesizers for dramatically altering the sound, or equipped with MIDI to control external synthesizers, drum machines, and so on.

habafiera: A Cuban dance, or its rhythm.

hammer-on: Notes played by hammering the string with the fingers of the left hand, rather than plucking with the right hand.

harmonics: Notes with an ethereal tone higher than the pitch of the string, produced by lightly touching the string at certain points.

harmonizer: On an electric guitar, a chorus-type effect adding a sound in harmony with the original signal.

head: In jazz, the statement of the tune before and after the improvised solos.

headstock: The structure at the end of the neck that holds the tuning machines.

interval: The distance between two notes. For example, C to G is a fifth (that is, five notes of the scale); C to E is a third (three notes); and C to C is an octave (eight notes).

inversion: see chords.

jazz: African-American in origin, characterized by the use of improvisation, “blue notes,” and syncopated rhythms.

Latin: Music of Latin-American origin, including dance rhythms such as the habafiera, samba, rumba, bossa nova, and so on.

legato: Smoothly, not staccato.

Leslie: The Leslie cabinet, originally for use with electronic organs, contains a rotating speaker, giving a swirling effect to music played on an electric guitar.

licks: In jazz and rock, short, almost clichéd, phrases inserted into a solo or used as rills.

machine head: See tuning peg.

microtone: Interval of less than a semitone.

MIDI: Musical Instrument Digital Interface. This allows musical instruments such as electric guitars and synthesizers to communicate with sequencers, effects boxes, computers, and so on.

minimalism: A movement in music from the 1960s using static harmonies, repeated patterns, and a minimum of material.

modes: Scales using the notes of the diatonic scale, other than the major and minor scales. The modes, such as Dorian, Phrygian, and Aeolian, originated in medieval music, but were adopted by jazz players in the 1950s.

modulate: Move from one key to another.

neck: The long structure that runs from the body to the headstock, and onto which the fretboard is attached. Necks have a longitudinal curve that can be adjusted by means of the truss rod. The width, shape, and curvature of the neck largely determine a guitar's playability.

nut: The notched fitting—usually of bone, ivory, ebony, metal, or plastic—that guides the strings from the fret-board to the tuning pegs.

octave divider: On an electric guitar, an early form of harmonizer, adding a sound an octave above or below the original signal.

open tuning: Tuning the strings of the guitar to a specific chord, rather than the conventional E-A-D-G-B-E. There are also other nonconventional tunings, such as D-A-D-G-A-D.

overdrive: On an electric guitar, a form of distortion.

overdubs: Parts added to a recording after the original take.

panning: On an electric guitar, moving the source of the sound within the stereo field.

partial chords: Chords not using all the strings of the guitar.

passing chords: Chords used “in passing” from one harmony to another, not part of the main harmonic sequence.

pedal note: A repeated bass note that supports a sequence of changing harmonies.

pentatonic: A scale of five, rather than the more usual seven, notes.

phasing: On an electric guitar, playing two identical sounds slightly out of phase with one another.

pick or plectrum: Object used for striking the guitar strings, usually made from plastic.

pickguard: A protective plate on the body of the guitar that protects the top from being scratched by a pick or fingers.

pickup: The device on electric guitars that picks up and transmits the sound of the strings to the amplifier.

pickup switch: Allows pickups to be turned on individually or in various combinations.

potentiometer (pot): A variable resistor used for an electric guitar's volume and tone controls. Amplifiers also have pots.

preamp: With an electric guitar, the preamplifier can be used as a form of tone control, or to boost the signal.

pull-off: A note played by pulling the string with the fingers of the left hand.

raga: A scale used in Indian music. There are hundreds of different ragas, many using microtones.

ragtime: An African-American style of music, a precursor of jazz.

reverb: On an electric guitar, this mimics the echo effect, either by a built-in spring reverb or a digital electronic emulation.

rhythm and blues: African-American pop music originating in the late 1940s, the precursor to rock-and-roll.

riff: In jazz and rock, a short, repeated melodic phrase.

rock, rock-and-roll: Rock evolved in the 1950s from rhythm and blues, and in its 1960s form became known simply as rock.

rubato: Not strictly in tempo—played freely and expressively.

rumba (rhumba): Afro-Cuban dance.

saddle: The fitting that guides the strings over the bridge. Most electric guitars have individual saddles for each string. These can be adjusted to change a string's length and thus intonation.

scales: A series of ascending or descending notes in a specific key, the basis for compositions in the tonal system.

segue: Moving without a break to the next movement, section, or number.

semitone: A half-step, or halftone. The smallest interval in the diatonic scale—for example, the distance between E and F, or B and C.

serial, twelve-tone: Avant-garde compositional method using the twelve notes of the chromatic scale in series, without reference to traditional harmony or tonality.

slide: A style of guitar-playing using bottleneck, where notes and chords slide from one to another.

solid-body: A guitar whose body is made from a solid piece of wood or is a solid lamination. Most electrics are solid bodies; some are semi-hollow

soundboard: The resonating top of an acoustic guitar.

sound hole: A hole (or holes) in the top of a guitar through which sound is emitted.

staccato: Detached. Staccato notes or chords are short and clipped, not smoothly moving to the next.

straight eights: In jazz, playing straight eights means playing exactly on the beat, whereas swing indicates that the rhythm should be interpreted more freely. (See also swing.)

string-bending: Using the fingers of the left hand to pull a string to one side, “bending” the pitch of the note.

strings: The cords that are plucked to cause vibrations that produce a guitar's sound. Most guitar strings are solid wire or thin wire wrapped around a solid core; classical guitars have nylon and metal-wound nylon strings. A string's thickness (gauge) depends on its position on the guitar and the relative thickness of the entire six-string set.

swap fours: In jazz, when soloists alternate improvisations with one another every four bars.

swing: A style of jazz of the 1940s, mainly for big bands. Also an instruction to play rhythms freely. (See also straight eights.)

syncopation: Shifting the accent of a melody off the main beat of the bar—a characteristic of jazz and much rock and pop music.

tailpiece: The device that holds the strings' ball ends.

tempo: The underlying speed of a piece of music.

timbre: The tone quality of a sound.

tonal, tonality: Relating to the system of major and minor keys.

tone (whole tone): An interval of two semitones—for example, the distance between C and D, or F and G.

tremolo: On an electric guitar, small and rapid variation in the volume of a note. This effect is often confused with vibrato; the tremolo arm or bar is used to bend the pitch of notes on electric guitars.

trill: Rapid alternation between one note and the note above.

truss rod: A metal rod that runs lengthwise through the neck, increasing its strength and allowing adjustment of the longitudinal curve.

truss rod adjusting nut: The part of the truss rod system that can be tightened or loosened to alter rod tension.

tuning pegs: Devices set into the head-stock that anchor strings and allow them to be tuned. Each tuning machine consists of a post, a geared mechanism, and a tuning key.

turnaround: In jazz, the harmony under the last phrase of a tune, taking the music back to the beginning for its repeat.

unison: On exactly the same note. For example, on a twelve-string guitar, the pairs of strings are tuned in unison—that is, to the same note. In jazz, the tune of the head is often played by several instruments in unison.

vamps, vamping: Repeated accompanying figure in jazz and popular music before the melody begins.

vibrato: On an electric guitar, small and rapid variation in the pitch of a note.

voicing: The spacing of the notes in a chord.

volume pedal: Means of altering the volume of sound for an electric guitar, useful in creating the “fade-in” effect or as a “swell” pedal.

wah-wah: With an electric guitar, the wah-wah pedal controls the relative bass and treble response of a sound. Fully down it has a high treble tone; fully up it emphasizes the bass. The characteristic “wah-wah” sound is achieved by rocking the pedal back and forth.

whole-tone scale: A six-note augmented scale formed entirely of intervals of a whole tone, such as C-D-E-F#-G#-A#.