Bar or Measure: A division in the music that contains a fixed number of beats. There are usually two to six beats to a bar.
Beat: A musical unit; the pulse of the music.
Chord Changes: These dictate the flow of the piece musically. Chord Changes usually begin every eight to twelve bars.
Composer: The author of a musical piece.
Dynamics: How loud or soft the music is.
Embrochure: The way a wind musician forms his lips with his mouthpiece to create sound.
Ensemble: A group of musicians.
Head: The main melody section of a jazz piece.
Improvisation: The creation of a new melody on the spot.
Solo: One musician playing a melody, sometimes from a written series of notes and sometimes from improvisation.
Syncopation: The timing of notes in a manner so that notes are not always on the downbeats. These are usually unexpected rhythms.
Tempo: How fast or slow a piece of music is played.