Music Words Word Search

About this puzzle

The words musicians use to talk about how music works. Melody, harmony and rhythm are the building blocks; tempo, scale, octave and chord describe how notes are organized; verse, chorus and lyrics belong to songs; and crescendo, staccato and fermata are instructions written on the page, in Italian, as many musical directions are. TREBLE names the higher range of notes, as in the treble clef.

The default layout is Hard on a 15×15 grid. Easy, Medium and Hard each use their own checked layout of the same words, and every one can be printed in standard or large print on US Letter or A4.

Word notes

Harmony

Two or more notes sounding together, supporting and coloring the melody.

Tempo

The speed of the music, marked in beats per minute or with Italian words such as allegro (fast) and adagio (slow).

Chord

Three or more notes played together; a major chord is built from the first, third and fifth notes of a scale.

Octave

The distance from one note to the next note with the same name — eight notes of a major scale, counting both ends.

Crescendo

Gradually getting louder.

Staccato

Notes played short and detached.

Fermata

A symbol telling the performer to hold a note longer.

Try this after the puzzle

Listen to a favorite song and identify its verse, chorus and tempo. Then clap a simple rhythm, sing a short scale, and try a crescendo (getting louder) and staccato (short, detached notes) with your voice or hands. Older students can find three Italian terms on a page of sheet music.

All 14 words

Melody · Harmony · Rhythm · Tempo · Chord · Octave · Scale · Lyrics · Chorus · Verse · Crescendo · Staccato · Treble · Fermata