Trying to learn about music can get a little hairy if you don't know what some of those weird terms mean. We've compiled a little glossary that should help explain some commonly used terms that might cause confusion.

Bow: A long curved wooden rod attached to taut horsehair. It produces the sound when drawn across the strings.

Bridge: A white colored wooden spacer that keeps the strings elevated above the fingerboard.

Chord: A set of harmonic tones played simultaneously as a group.

Dynamics: Variances in loudness or softness.

Ensemble: Any group where musicians play together. It can be an entire orchestra or a small chamber music group.

Fingerboard: The ebony or rosewood piece of wood on which the fingers are placed to change the length of the string on a stringed instrument.

Homophony: Music with a solo melodic part, accompanied by one or more parts of harmony.

Pegs: The black rods in the scroll of a stringed instrument around which the strings are wound.

Polyphony: Music with multiple lines of melody playing at once. This is different from homophony, which normally has only line of melody with supporting harmony.

Scroll: The very top of a stringed instrument where the pegs are located.

Solo: A musician playing by himself or herself.

Strings: Long metal cords that produce sound when the bow is drawn across them. A string player can vary the pitch of the sound produced by lengthening or shortening the string with his/her fingers.

Tailpiece: A section of wood at the very bottom of a stringed instrument to which the strings are attached.

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