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.

Read more »

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.

Read more »

Bar or Measure (music)

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

Read more »

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.

Read more »

Baritone clef

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

Read more »

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.

Read more »

Bassnectar Bassdrop Symbol

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

Read more »

Blohsh

Blohsh is the lopsided stick figure copyrighted by Billie Eilish.

Read more »

Bold double bar line (or barline)

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

Read more »

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).

Read more »

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.

Read more »

C clef

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

Read more »

Caesura

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

Read more »

Dotted bar line (or barline)

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

Read more »

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.

Read more »

Have a discussion about the Musical Symbols category with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this symbols category to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Musical Symbols." Symbols.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 3 Dec. 2024. <https://www.symbols.com/category/18/Musical+Symbols>.

    We need you!

    Help us build the largest human-edited symbols collection on the web!

    Graphical Index

    Use our unique search feature to find a symbol based on its various graphical characteristics:


    • Symmetry:
    • Shape:
    • Colors:
    • Curveness:
    • Crossing:

    Quiz

    Are you a world flags master?

    »
    A Bolivia
    B Micronesia
    C Hong Kong
    D Bahamas