American Terms In Music Theory

It would be nice if all terms in music theory were the same all over the world, but unfortunately it isn’t the case!

In America there has emerged more modern terms which have overtaken some of the traditional European terms for music theory elements. This page hopes to highlight a few of those


Stave has been replaced by Staff

In America Staff is now the most commonly used term for the five lines that music is written on. The word stave has been used for centuries, but is now considered ancient in the USA, but it is still widely used in british english.

A ‘Bar’ should be Called ‘A Measure’

Music is divided into horizontal sections of beats called ‘Bars’ or ‘Measures’. In the Manual of Modern Practice by Gardner Read (1979) The author suggests that the word ‘bar’ should refer to the vertical lines separating the music, while the word ‘measure’ should refer to the space in between the vertical lines. Musicians in practice use the two words interchangeably all over the world.(1)

Rhythm Names

Probably the biggest difference between modern music theory naming conventions and traditional European names is the use of Whole Note rather than Semibreve, Half Note rather than Minim and so on.

The American system uses a proportional mathematical system, so the notes are referred to by their mathematical value, rather than an abstract value as in the European system. Here is a chart explaining the different values of the notes, and their American modern name.

Half Step’ replaces ‘Semitone’

The Semitone is the musical interval which is equivalent to any two adjacent keys on the piano. This interval is a very important one in music and these two terms are used interchangeably anywhere in the world. The use of ‘half step’ is far more common in the United States.

‘Whole Step’ replaces ‘Tone’

The Whole Step is the musical interval of a major second. The whole step is made up of two half steps, and the Tone is made up of two semitones. This is quite simple to understand, as long as you use one system consistently.

These American terms are now in common use all over the world, but it is unlikely that they will become standardized everywhere, as there is a great many people who use the European equivalents.

1. Read, Gardner. (1979) Music Notation: A Manual of Modern Practice, 2nd ed., New York: Taplinger Publishing Company, p.183.