| a |
the first letter of the musical alphabet |
| |
note of the musical scale used generally for tuning |
| |
the musical pitch relating to 440 oscillations per second of vibration, or any octave transposition of that
pitch |
| a battuta |
with the beat, in strict time |
|
a capella |
"as in the church"; unaccompanied (for voices only) |
| |
sung music without instrumental accompaniment |
|
a capriccio |
in a fanciful or capricious style |
|
a due |
direction that two instruments notated on one staff should unison.
However, the term is also used to mean divisi |
| |
both instruments on the same part are to play |
|
a piacere |
at pleasure |
|
a poco |
bit by bit, gradually |
|
a punto d'arco |
play with the point of the bow |
|
a tempo |
return to the original rate of speed or tempo before the
accelerando |
| |
in the original tempo |
|
ab |
off; Used in organ music |
|
abandon |
freely, without restraint |
| abbreviations |
slash through the stem of a note means play an equal duration of eighth
notes |
| |
two slashes indicate sixteenths, three indicate thirty seconds,
etc |
| |
slashes through an octave chord indicate to alternate the notes of the
octave |
| |
one or more large percent signs following a series of notes means to repeat the same thing |
| |
the word "segue" written above or below a chord means to play it
broken |
|
abellimenti |
embellishments, ornaments |
|
abendmusik |
evening music |
|
abnehmend |
diminishing |
|
abschnitt |
section |
|
absolute music |
music free from extra-musical implications; opposite of program
music |
| |
music written for its own sake, with no direct reference to anything outside itself. it has no words and does not depict a
story |
|
absolute pitch |
see perfect pitch |
|
abstract music |
same as absolute music |
|
abstrich |
down bow |
|
abzug |
scordatura |
|
acalanto |
Brazilian cradle song |
|
accelerando |
getting faster |
| accelerando |
term in general use to show that the music should be played at an increasing
speed |
| accent |
attack the note louder |
| |
emphasis on a particular musical beat or sub-beat |
|
acciaccatura |
a very short grace note played simultaneously on the beat with the main note and released
quickly |
| accidental |
a sign indicating that a particular note is played sharper or flatter than normal for the key signature of the piece. it refers to the bar where it occurs and not to any subsequent bars, unless it is repeated
there |
| accidentals |
sharps, flats, and naturals other than those in the key signature which are written in the body of the
music |
|
accompagnato |
the accompaniment must follow the singer so that the singer can vary the tempo, or speed, at
will |
| accompaniment |
a vocal or instrumental part that supports the primary part, or provides background for a
soloist |
| accompany |
to perform with another performer, but in a subordinate capacity.
Their term is not used when two performers have equal status, as in a violin and piano
sonata |
|
accopiato |
tied |
|
accordatura |
the set of pitches that one uses in tuning a stringed
instrument |
| accordion |
an instrument made of two endpieces connected by bellows. the end pieces contain reeds which produce the sound. usually the right endpiece is configured as a piano keyboard and the left endpiece is configured with buttons that produce bass notes and
chords |
|
accordo |
chord |
|
accuse |
with emphasis |
| achromatic |
not chromatic, see also diatonic |
|
achtel |
eighth note or quaver |
| acoustic |
used to distinguish a non-electric instrument from the electric version-e.g., an acoustic
guitar |
| acoustics |
the science relating to the creation and dissipation of sound
waves |
| |
the way in which sound
productions affected by the physical properties of the room or chamber in which they
are produced |
| action |
mechanical device for transferring the forces produced elsewhere (on an instrument) to the parts that produce the
sound |
| |
the mechanism on a harp which articulates with the foot pedals and shortens the effective vibrating length of the
strings |
|
ad libitum |
at the discretion of the performer , improvised,
freely |
|
adagietto |
a bit faster than adagio |
|
adagio |
played slowly, but not as slowly as largo |
| |
indication of tempo and is sometimes used to describe a slow movement, even when the indication of speed at the start of the movement may be different.
The diminutive form adagietto is a little faster than adagio |
|
adagissimo |
extremely slow |
| adaptation |
arrangement made to take advantage of the characteristics of a different instrument from that for which the piece was originally
written |
|
added sixth |
the addition of a sixth to a triad, heard often in contemporary and popular
music |
|
adiagietto |
not quite so slow as adagio. can also be used to mean a short adagio
composition |
| advent |
Christian religious observance which takes place in the four weeks immediately
preceding Christmas |
|
aeolian |
a scale where the half tones occur between 2 and 3, and 5 and
6 |
|
aeolian harp |
an stringed instrument activated by a current of
air |
|
aeolian mode |
a medieval mode whose scale pattern is that of playing a to a on the white keys of a piano. this scale is also called the natural minor
scale |
|
aequalstimmen |
the eight-foot pipes of an organ |
|
aerophones |
wind instruments |
|
aerophor |
device invented to provide additional air for wind instruments when the breath would not
suffice |
|
affannato |
sad, in distress |
|
affannoso |
anxious |
|
affettuoso |
tender, passionate, affectionately |
|
affibile |
gentle |
|
afflito |
afflicted, sad |
|
affrettando |
quickening, hurrying |
|
agevole |
smooth |
|
agiatamente |
relaxed, easily |
|
agitato |
excited, fast, agitated |
|
agnus dei |
"lamb of god". in the mass, the fifth part of the
ordinary |
|
agogic |
a way of accentuating a note by holding it for a long time, rather than by playing it
forcefully |
|
agogic accent |
a stress which is perceived solely because of prolongation of duration, not due to increased volume or pitch
variation |
|
agrements |
embellishments, ornamentation |
| air |
a song or melody, or a simple tune for voice or instrument, as in
Bach's Air on the G string |
| |
appearing sometimes with the earlier English spelling ayre, means a tune or melody, for voice or
instrument |
| air tune |
see aria |
|
akathistos |
famous Byzantine hymn to the virgin |
|
akoluthia |
order of service of the Byzantine church |
|
akzent |
accent |
|
al fine |
to the end |
| al a la |
at the, to the |
|
alberti bass |
a bass line in broken or appreggiated chords |
| |
(from Domenico Alberti, an 18th-century Italian musician who used it in his harpsichord sonatas) |
|
albumblatt |
a page or leaf from a book, or a short, easy piece |
|
aleatory |
a piece of music whose composition or performance depends on improvisation, or on chance. the ad lib passages of baroque keyboard pieces are aleatory, as are those by modern composers who deliberately leave elements in an indeterminate state or compose using notes generated at random on a
computer |
|
alla all' |
after the manner of |
|
alla breve |
a duple tempo in which the half note gets the beat |
|
alla marcia |
in march style |
|
allargando |
getting slower and broadening |
|
allegretto |
fast and lively, but not as fast as allegro |
|
allegro |
fast and lively, but not as fast as presto |
|
allemand |
a slow dance movement which originated in
Germany but then, during the baroque period, became established as the first movement of a suite. also refers to a specific step in square dancing, and is sometimes used incorrectly to refer to a
German folk dance |
|
allemande |
a German dance (the word itself is French) in 4/4 time, often the first dance in a baroque dance suite, where it is frequently followed by a courante, a more rapid dance. the allemande, which appears in earlier
English sources often as alman, almain or with similar spellings, is generally moderate in
speed |
|
allentando |
getting slower |
| alphorn |
primitive horn used in the alps |
| alt |
pitches appearing above the lines of the treble
staff |
| alteration |
the use of a sharp or flat to raise or lower a pitch from
it's natural state |
|
altered chord |
a chord in which a note has been changed from its normal position, usually
chromatically |
| |
see also harmonic analysis |
| altissimo |
very high |
|
alto |
lower range of the female voice |
| |
the second part from the top |
|
alto clef |
a clef where c is the third line on the staff. see viola
clef |
|
am griffbrett |
bow nearer to the fingerboard |
|
am steg |
bow nearer to the bridge |
|
ambitus |
the range of melodies of Gregorian chant |
| amore |
love |
|
anacrusis |
upbeat |
| analysis |
the study of the form and structure of music |
|
anche |
reed organ stop |
|
ancia |
reed |
|
ancora |
encore, again |
|
andacht |
devotion |
|
andante |
word used to suggest the speed of a piece of music, at walking pace. the diminutive andantino is ambiguous and means either a little faster or a little slower than andante, more often the
former |
|
andantino |
andante tempo except just a bit slower |
| |
a short piece in andante tempo |
|
anfang |
to the top; see da capo |
|
anglaise |
English country dance |
|
angoscioso |
sorrowful, aggrieved |
|
anhemitonic |
whole-tone scale |
|
anima |
spirit or life |
|
animato |
animated, lively |
|
anlaufen |
to get louder |
|
anmutig |
graceful |
|
anonymous |
of unknown authorship |
|
anreissen |
a forceful attack on the strings (of violin or other stringed
instrument) |
|
ansatz |
embouchure or position of vocal mechanism |
|
anschlag |
touch (in piano) |
| anschwellend |
crescendo, swelling |
| answer |
a musical phrase appearing to respond to another, particularly in a fugue, where the first entry of the main theme is called the subject and the second is called the
answer |
|
antara |
quechua name for the panpipe. Also known as zampona,
rondador, capador |
| antecedent |
the theme of a fugue or canon; the first part of a musical
cycle |
| anthem |
an anthem is a short vocal composition. in the church of England
the word indicates such a composition often using a non-liturgical text (i.e. not part of the official service).
A full anthem is for full choir, without soloists, while a verse anthem makes contrasting use of solo singers. both these forms flourished in the church of
England from the late 16th century |
| anticipation |
a note sounded before the chord to which it belongs, so that at first it is heard as a discord with the preceding
chord |
|
antico |
antique, old |
|
antienne |
see antiphon |
|
antiphon |
a religious chant, often part of roman catholic and
Greek orthodox church services. may be sung as responses between a single voice and a group of voices, or between two different groups of singers. the effect of this back-and-forth is described as
antiphonal |
| antithesis |
in the fugue, the answer |
|
antwort |
answer |
| anvil |
instrument comprised of steel bars, played by striking with a wooden or metal
beater |
|
anwachsend |
crescendo |
|
aperto |
open |
|
appagiatura |
note of embellishment, or grace note. |
|
appasionato |
passionately |
|
appenato |
suffering, pained or grieved |
|
applied music |
practical music |
|
appoggiando |
supporting, very legato |
|
appoggiatura |
a musical ornament written just before or after the main note, which takes attention away from the main note and halves its time. it may be written using an auxiliary note in small
type, or it may be unwritten and inserted by the performer according to the conventions of the the period. chiefly an 18th-century
practice |
|
arabesque |
a short, decorative piece. it is a term that is sometimes applied to instrumental music. also a finely balanced ballet position in which the weight of the boy is on one leg, while the other leg is extended
behind |
|
arcato |
bowed |
|
archet |
bow |
|
archlute |
a lute with two separate pegboxes, one for the fingered strings and one for the basses or
drones |
|
arcicembalo |
micro tonic instrument of the 16th century having multiple manuals and at least 18 keys per
octave |
|
arco |
is used as an indication to string-players that they should use the bow, rather than pluck with the fingers (see
pizzicato) |
|
ardente |
fiery |
|
ardito |
bold |
|
ardore |
with ardor |
|
aria |
an aria is a song or air. the word is used in particular to indicate formally constructed songs in opera. the so-called da capo aria of later baroque opera, oratorio and other vocal compositions, is an aria in which the first section is repeated, usually with additional and varied ornamentation, after the first two sections. the diminutive arietta indicates a little aria, while arioso refers to a freer form of aria-like vocal
writing |
|
arietta |
a shorter and lighter aria |
| arioso |
in the style of an air or song |
|
armure |
key signature |
|
arpa |
harp |
|
arpeggio |
chord wherein the tones are struck in sequence, rather than together, and usually
sustained |
| arrange |
to set for one instrument (or instruments) a piece of music that was originally composed for
another |
| arrangement |
an adaptation of a given composition into a form other than as originally composed. |
|
ars antiqua |
"old art". refers to the old musical practices of Europe during the 12th and 13th
centuries |
|
ars nova |
"new art". a term invented by Philippe de Vitry to describe the music of his era, the 14th century, as opposed to the music of earlier
generations |
|
art song |
a serious vocal composition, generally for voice and piano. denotes a self-contained work, as opposed to an
aria |
| articulation |
the type of attack used to play one note or a group of
notes |
|
aspiratamente |
breathy, flowing, smooth |
|
assai |
appears often in indications to performers of the speed of a piece of music, as in allegro assai, very fast, or allegro assai moderato, very moderately
fast |
|
assez |
enough |
|
asymmetric meter |
sometimes called composite meter. complex time - meter such as 7/8 that mixes simple and compound
pulses |
|
atempause |
very short rest, used for articulation and phrasing. sometimes expressed by an
apostrophe |
| atonal |
music that lacks a tonal center, or in which all pitches carry equal
importance |
| atonality |
the notes of an octave are played independently without a key
center |
|
attacca |
direction to the musician, meaning "proceed to the next section without a
pause" |
| attack |
the style of starting phrases |
|
aubade |
a morning-song. a well known example is the siegfried idyll, a work written by
Richard Wagner to be played for his second wife cosima on the morning of her
birthday |
|
aufgeregt |
excited |
|
aufsatz |
tube of an organ pipe |
|
aufschnitt |
mouth of an organ pipe |
|
aufstrich |
upbow |
|
auftakt |
upbeat |
| augmentation |
lengthening of note values used in a theme to alter the melody without changing the
pitches |
|
augmented chord |
contains a root, a major third, and an augmented
fifth |
|
augmented intervals |
intervals which are one semitone larger than major or
perfect |
|
augmented sixth chord |
a chord which contains an augmented sixth above the bass, in addition to various other tones, which determine whether the chord is a
German sixth chord, French sixth chord, Italian sixth chord, Neapolitan sixth chord, or doubly augmented sixth
chord |
| augmented |
raised, or enlarged. generally refers to the raising of a pitch chromatically by one half
step |
|
aural training |
ear training |
|
ausdruck |
expression |
|
aushalten |
sustain |
|
auslosung |
on a piano, the escapement |
|
ausweichung |
modulation |
|
authentic cadence |
a cadence that starts of the fifth of the key, and resolves to the
tonic |
|
autoharp |
instrument of the Zither family |
| ayre |
old spelling of air, referring to a composition written for several voices, often without instrumental accompaniment; popular around the early 17th
century |
