List of musical symbols

Updated: 11/5/2025, 10:42:04 PM Wikipedia source

Musical symbols are marks and symbols in musical notation that indicate various aspects of how a piece of music is to be performed. There are symbols to communicate information about many musical elements, including pitch, duration, dynamics, or articulation of musical notes; tempo, metre, form (e.g., whether sections are repeated), and details about specific playing techniques (e.g., which fingers, keys, or pedals are to be used, whether a string instrument should be bowed or plucked, or whether the bow of a string instrument should move up or down).

Tables

· Instrument-specific notation › Guitar

Symbol

Spanish

pulgar

Italian

pollice

Latin

pollex

English

thumb

French

pouce

Portuguese

polegar

Symbol

Spanish

índice

Italian

indice

Latin

index

English

index

French

index

Portuguese

indicador

Symbol

Spanish

medio

Italian

medio

Latin

media

English

middle

French

majeur ou médius

Portuguese

médio

Symbol

Spanish

anular

Italian

anulare

Latin

anularis

English

ring

French

annulaire

Portuguese

anular

c, x, e, q

Symbol

c, x, e, q

Spanish

meñique

Italian

mignolo

Latin

minimus

English

little

French

auriculaire

Portuguese

mínimo

Symbol	Spanish	Italian	Latin	English	French	Portuguese
p	pulgar	pollice	pollex	thumb	pouce	polegar
i	índice	indice	index	index	index	indicador
m	medio	medio	media	middle	majeur ou médius	médio
a	anular	anulare	anularis	ring	annulaire	anular
c, x, e, q	meñique	mignolo	minimus	little	auriculaire	mínimo

· Instrument-specific notation › Piano › Other piano notation

English

Col 1

English

Left hand

L.H.

Right hand

R.H.

left hand

Col 1

left hand

Left hand

right hand

German

Col 1

German

Left hand

l.H.

Right hand

r.H.

linke Hand

Col 1

linke Hand

Left hand

rechte Hand

French

Col 1

French

Left hand

m.g.

Right hand

m.d.

main gauche

Col 1

main gauche

Left hand

main droite

Italian

Col 1

Italian

Left hand

m.s.

Right hand

m.d.

mano sinistra

Col 1

mano sinistra

Left hand

mano destra

Spanish

Col 1

Spanish

Left hand

m.i.

Right hand

m.d.

mano izquierda

Col 1

mano izquierda

Left hand

mano derecha

	Left hand	Right hand
English	L.H.	R.H.
English	left hand	right hand
German	l.H.	r.H.
German	linke Hand	rechte Hand
French	m.g.	m.d.
French	main gauche	main droite
Italian	m.s.	m.d.
Italian	mano sinistra	mano destra
Spanish	m.i.	m.d.
Spanish	mano izquierda	mano derecha

· Instrument-specific notation › Organ

English

Col 1

English

Great

Swell

Choir

Pedal

Solo

Orchestral

Antiphonal

Echo

Positiv

Gt. or G

Col 1

Gt. or G

Great

Sw. or S

Swell

C. or Ch.

Choir

Ped. or Pd.

Pedal

So.

Solo

Orch.

Orchestral

Ant.

Antiphonal

Echo.

Echo

Pos.

German

Col 1

German

Great

Hauptwerk or Oberwerk

Swell

Schwellwerk or Brustwerk

Choir

Chor

Pedal

Pedale

Solo

Orchestral

Orchester

Antiphonal

Echo

Widerhall

Positiv

Hw. or Ow.

Col 1

Hw. or Ow.

Great

Sw. or Bw.

Swell

Ch.

Choir

Ped.

Pedal

Sol.

Solo

Orch.

Orchestral

Ant.

Antiphonal

Echo.

Echo

Pos.

French

Col 1

French

Great

Grand-Orgue

Swell

Recit

Choir

Grand-Chœur

Pedal

Pédale

Solo

Orchestral

Bombarde

Antiphonal

Antiphonaire

Echo

Écho

Positiv

Positif

G.O.

Col 1

G.O.

Great

Swell

G.C.

Choir

Ped. or Péd.

Pedal

Sol.

Solo

Bom. or B.

Orchestral

Ant. (rare)

Antiphonal

Écho.

Echo

Pos.

Dutch

Col 1

Dutch

Great

Hoofdwerk

Swell

Zwelwerk

Choir

Koor

Pedal

Pedaal

Solo

Orchestral

Bovenwerk

Antiphonal

Antifonaal

Echo

Positiv

Rugwerk

Hw.

Col 1

Hw.

Great

Zw.

Swell

Choir

Ped.

Pedal

Sol. or Solo

Solo

Bw. (not to be confused with German Brustwerk)

Orchestral

Ant.

Antiphonal

Echo

Rw. (not to be confused with French recit)

	Great	Swell	Choir	Pedal	Solo	Orchestral	Antiphonal	Echo	Positiv
English	Great	Swell	Choir	Pedal	Solo	Orchestral	Antiphonal	Echo	Positiv
English	Gt. or G	Sw. or S	C. or Ch.	Ped. or Pd.	So.	Orch.	Ant.	Echo.	Pos.
German	Hauptwerk or Oberwerk	Schwellwerk or Brustwerk	Chor	Pedale	Solo	Orchester	Antiphonal	Widerhall	Positiv
German	Hw. or Ow.	Sw. or Bw.	Ch.	Ped.	Sol.	Orch.	Ant.	Echo.	Pos.
French	Grand-Orgue	Recit	Grand-Chœur	Pédale	Solo	Bombarde	Antiphonaire	Écho	Positif
French	G.O.	R.	G.C.	Ped. or Péd.	Sol.	Bom. or B.	Ant. (rare)	Écho.	Pos.
Dutch	Hoofdwerk	Zwelwerk	Koor	Pedaal	Solo	Bovenwerk	Antifonaal	Echo	Rugwerk
Dutch	Hw.	Zw.	K.	Ped.	Sol. or Solo	Bw. (not to be confused with German Brustwerk)	Ant.	Echo	Rw. (not to be confused with French recit)

References

"Music Notation and Engraving – Braces and Bracket, Colorado College Music Department
https://sites.coloradocollege.edu/musicengraving/engraving-convention/braces-and-bracket/
Essential Dictionary of Music Notation
Csee.essex.ac.uk
https://web.archive.org/web/20151122164204/http://csee.essex.ac.uk/camerata/unlp_asooja_long_14.pdf
Examples of the older rest symbol are found in the work of English music publishers up to the 20th century, e.g., W. A.
Rudiments and Theory of Music Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, London 1958. I,33 and III,25. The former s
Contemporary Orchestration: A Practical Guide to Instruments, Ensembles, and Musicians
The Cambridge Companion to Shostakovich
https://doi.org/10.1017%2FCCOL9780521842204.006
"No Fortissimo? Symphony Told to Keep It Down" by Sarah Lyall, The New York Times (20 April 2008)
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/arts/music/20noise.html
Rudiments and Theory of Music Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, London 1958. V,29
George Heussenstamm, The Norton Manual of Music Notation (New York and London: W. W. Norton & Company), p. 16
Anthony Donato, Preparing Music Manuscript (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall), pp. 42-43
Grove Music Online
https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fgmo%2F9781561592630.article.07829
The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
http://www.abrsm.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=4234
Sounds That Resonate: Selected Developments in Western Bar Percussion During the Twentieth Century