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Cantus Firmus: Cantus Firmus, in literal translation "firm chant" is a fixed melody taken from plainsong (which later became known as Gregorian chant), that composers of the 14th through 17th century used as the basis of polyphonic composition, against which other tunes are set in counterpoint. During the 16th century, cantus firmi (pl.) were used as the upper voice of a choir (see WFTD: Lied). In Joseph Fux's pedagogical work of music theory, Gradus ad Parnassum, cantus firmus formed the basis of teaching his species counterpoint. The cantus firmus is traditionally written in alto clef, beginning and ending on the tonic of the key. The note durations are of equal value, with the whole note being the traditional value. The range of the cantus firmus melody is usually no more than an octave. Occasionally the range stretches as far as a 10th, but most cantus firmi move within a much smaller range; limited to a 6th or even just a 5th above the tonic. German composers in the Baroque period, most notably Bach, used chorale melodies as cantus firmi.

C-weighting	Cabinet	Cabinet Grand
Cache RAM	Cadence (or Close)	Cadillac Tailpiece
California Rebel	Camber	Canned Music (Slang)
Canon	Cans	Cantilever
Cantus Firmus	Capacitance	Capacitor
Capo	Capstan	Capsule
Capture	CardBus	Cardioid
Carillon	Carrier	Cart Machine
Cartridge	Carved-top Guitar	Case Candy
Cassette Tape	Cat's Eye	Cat 5
Cat 6	Cathode	Cathode Biased
CBR	CBS Era	CCIR
CCIR 468-weighting	CCIR ARM-weighting	CC Number
CD+G	CD-ROM	CD-RW
CD24	CDDA	CD Extra
CDR	CD Text	Cedar
Celesta	Cent	Center Frequency
Center block	Center Tap	Centronics
Centronics 50	Challenge/Response	Chambered Body
Chamberlin	Chamfer	Channel Separation
Channel Status Bit	Channel Strip	Channel Voice Messages
Chart	Chase	Chatoyancy
Chipset	Chitarra Batente	Choke
Chooser	Chops	Chord
Chordophone	Chorus	Chroma
Chroma Keying	Chromatic (Chromatic Scale)	Chromatic Tailpiece
CIRC	Circle of Fifths	Circuit Breaker
Circumaural	CISC	CITES
CITES	Cittern	Clamping Voltage
Class-D Amplifier	Class A	Class AB
Class B	Class H	Classic
Claves	Clavinet	Claw/Drum Claw
Clear Coat	Clearwood	Clef
Click and Hold	Click Track	Client Ref
Clipboard	Clipping	Clock
Close-miking	Closed Ear	Cluster
CLV	CMOS	Common Mode Rejection
CMRR	CMYK	CNC
Coaxial Cable	Coda	Code
CODEC	Coercivity	COI KB 2200
Coil	Coil Tap	Coincident
Coloration	Comb Filter	Combination/Combi
Combo Amp	Combo Organ	Comb String Converter
Commission	Common Time	Comp/Comping
Compact Disc	Compact Flash	Companding
Compass	Compensation (guitar)	Compilation Score
Compile	Component Video	COM Port
Composite Track	Composite Video	Compound Interval
Compound Meter	Compound Radius	Compression
Compression (data)	Compression Driver	Compressor
Concertina	Concert Pitch	Condenser Microphone
Conductor	Confidence Monitoring	Conform
Conga	Consecutive interval	Console
Consonance	Con Sordino	Constant Directivity
Constant Q	Contact Mic	Contact Pressure (Headphones)
Continue	Continuity	Continuo
Continuous Controller	Contour Amount	Control Panel
Control Room	Control Surface	Control Voltage
Conversion Latency	Convolution	Cool
Copy	Copyleft	Copyright
Coral Sitar	CoreAudio	CoreMIDI
Corrupt/Corruption	COSM	Coulomb
Counter	Counterpoint	Count off (Count in)
Coupling	CPU	CPUCycle
Crash	CRC	Crescendo
Crest Factor	Critical Band	Critical Distance
Cross-Modulation	Crossfade	Crossover
Crossover Cable	Crossover Distortion	Cross Platform
Cross Stick	Cross Stick Crosstalk	Cross Switch
Crosstalk	Crotchet	CRT
CRV	CS-80	Csound
CS Update	Cue	Cue List (Cue Sheet)
Current	Current Limiting	Cursor
Cut	Cut-Only Equalizer	Cutaway