Musical Symbols

This page lists all the various symbols in the Musical Symbols category.

Modern musical symbols are the marks and symbols that are widely used in western musical scores, styles, and instruments today. This is intended to be a comprehensive guide to the various symbols encountered in modern musical notation. These symbols are used in modern pieces of Western music to describe a composition in its fundamentals – pitch, rhythm, tempo – and, to some degree, its articulation.

Symbols in this category:

Accolade, brace

Connects two or more lines of music that are played simultaneously. Depending on the instruments playing, the brace, or accolade, will vary in designs and styles.

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Alto clef

When the C-clef is placed on the third line of the stave, it is called the alto clef. As with all C-clefs, this line indicates the position of middle C.

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Bar or Measure (music)

Used to separate measures. Bar lines are extended to connect the upper and lower staffs of a grand staff.

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bariton clef

Because it is equivalent to the F-clef on the third line, the C-clef on the fifth line version of the baritone clef is a rarity.

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Baritone clef

When the F-clef is placed on the third line, it is called the baritone clef.

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Bass clef

When the F-clef is placed on the fourth line, it is called the bass clef. This is the only F-clef used today, so that the terms "F-clef" and "bass clef" are often regarded as synonymous.

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Bassnectar Bassdrop Symbol

Lorin Ashton, better known under his stage name Bassnectar, is an American DJ and record producer.

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Blohsh

Blohsh is the lopsided stick figure copyrighted by Billie Eilish.

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Bold double bar line (or barline)

Used to indicate the conclusion of a movement or an entire composition.

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Breath Mark

In a score, this symbol tells the performer or singer to take a breath (or make a slight pause for non-wind instruments).

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BTS logo

BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a seven-member South Korean boy band that began formation in 2010 and debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment.

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C clef

This clef points to the line (or space, rarely) representing middle C, or approximately 262 Hz

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Caesura

Indicates a brief, silent pause, during which time is not counted. In ensemble playing, time resumes when conductor or leader indicates.

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Dotted bar line (or barline)

Subdivides long measures of complex meter into shorter segments for ease of reading, usually according to natural rhythmic subdivisions.

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Double bar line (or barline)

Used to separate two sections of music. Also used at changes in key signature, time signature or major changes in style or tempo.

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