An audio track, consisting of short tones, that acts as a metronome, helping musicians play at a preselected tempo. May be recorded on tape, or on a MIDI sequencer.

A time signature synonymous with 4/4 time.

This is one of two time signatures (the other being Cut-Time) that do not have to be written as numbers. Four-four time (4/4) is used so much that it is often called Common Time and is notated as a bold C.

Using a drumstick, this is played by laying the stick across the drumhead with the end of the stick extending past the rim. The palm/heel of the hand stays in contact with the drumhead (close to center), dampening the snare drum while holding the stick. Lift the stick, keeping one end of stick on the head, and the other comes down and hits the rim. When played properly, it sounds much like a woodblock. The most popular way to play this is to flip the stick around so that the butt of the stick is used across the rim; giving the deepest and lowest tone possible.

Originally a section of music used in a film or video (aka cue mark), ranging from a short piece of background music to a complex score. The specific parts of the music that correlate to the visual events are referred to as "cue points" or "hit points".

The term cue also refers to a visual or audible makers or signals. A visual cue may come from a conductor or band leader to direct or signal other musicians, or appear on sheet music (aka musical cue) to help ensemble musicians coordinate their playing. An audio cue could be any words, as in a lyric, or sounds, such as a particular part performed by a specific instrument. For the musician, a cue is often used to signal when to stop, start, or perform a particular rhythmic pattern or section within the music.

A time signature synonymous with 2/2 time.

This is one of two time signatures (the other being Common Time) that do not have to be written as numbers. When 4/4 or Common Time is cut in half the result is 2/2 or Cut-Time, written as a C with a vertical slash slicing the C in half.

See also cut-time feel

Playing any groove twice as fast as its regular tempo, while the measures of music continue as normal. Often confused with Half-time. To achieve this, the back-beat is played on the & or AND of the beat, rather than the normal fashion ... playing on beats 2 and 4 as in 4/4 time. There is also a music notation for cut-time where the music is written normally, but you are instructed to play it twice as fast ... which is what cut-time means.

This terms is used in relation to the pulse of the music, which, 99% of the time, is the quarter-note.