| d |
the key of d |
| |
d numbers are used instead of opus numbers to catalogue works by
Schubert |
|
da |
by, from, for, through |
|
da capo |
from the top |
|
da capo al coda |
go back to the beginning and play until the coda sign.
When you reach the coda sign, skip to the coda |
|
da capo al fine |
repeat from the beginning to the end-fine |
|
dal |
from the, by the |
| dal segno |
from the sign |
|
dal sengo al fine |
repeat from the sign |
| damper |
a device that stops (damps) the vibration of a string |
|
damper pedal |
pedal of a piano that gets the dampers away from the string, producing sustained
sound |
| dance |
a way of expressing emotions by movement. there are a wide variety of styles, forms, and techniques.
All dance is accompanied by some form of music |
|
dance band |
a band that plays music for the purpose of social dancing, popular between 1920 and 1950. famous bandleaders include
Benny Goodman. Instruments played usually include bass and drums, saxophones, trumpets, and
trombones |
|
danza |
dance |
|
danzon |
Cuban dance in 2/4, classically in rondo form |
|
dead interval |
interval between the ending note of one phrase and the first note of the
next |
| debut |
a performer's first public recital |
|
deceptive cadence |
where the dominant tonality resolves to any chord other than the tonic, most especially when it goes instead to the
sixth |
|
deceptive cadence |
interrupted cadence |
|
dechors |
emphasized |
| decibel |
the standard unit of measurement for the intensity of sound.
Often abbreviated to db |
|
deciso |
determined |
|
declamando |
an instruction to a player, or singer, meaning 'in a declamatory
manner' |
|
decrescendo |
soften, decrease gradually in intensity |
|
decuplet |
group of ten notes played in the time of eight |
| degree |
the space between two notes |
|
del, della |
of the |
|
deliberamente |
deliberately |
|
delicatamente |
delicately |
|
delicatezza |
delicateness |
|
delicatissimo |
very delicate |
|
delicato |
an instruction to a player meaning that the music should be played or sung with a light, delicate
touch |
|
delie |
an instruction to a player meaning that the notes should be played
separately from each other, or in a free
way |
|
delirante |
instruction to a player to play in a mad, frenzied
way |
|
delizioso |
an instruction to player to play in a sweet and sensuous
way. it is most commonly used in musical passages that are played by the string section of the
orchestra |
|
demi |
half |
| demisemiquaver |
a time value, denoting an eighth of a crotchet. a bar of common time (four crotchets) contains thirty-two demisemiquavers. it is also called the thirty-second
note |
|
demi-tone |
means a very soft tone, produced by playing with restraint, or
underplaying |
|
demi-voix |
to be sung very softly |
|
deploration |
composition written upon the death of a musician, usually by a
student |
|
derb |
robust |
|
descant |
soprano or tenor voice |
| |
the melodic line or counterpoint accompanying an existing
melody |
| |
the upper part of a polyphonic composition |
|
descriptive music |
program music |
|
detache |
detached bowing, staccato |
|
detonieren |
to wobble or sing not true to pitch |
|
deutlich |
clear |
| development |
the elaboration of melodic, thematic, or harmonic progressions in a
piece |
|
dezime |
the interval of the tenth |
|
di |
of, from, to, by |
|
di molto |
very |
|
diabolus in musica |
the devil in music. a name for the tritone |
|
diacisma |
a micro tonic interval |
|
dialogue |
vocal composition in the form of questions and
answers |
|
diapason |
the octave and everything in between. the principal stop on an
organ |
|
diatesseron |
the interval of the fourth |
| diatonic |
pertaining to a scale, it means a standard major or minor key without
chromatics |
| diction |
enunciation, whether clear or not, in singing or
speaking |
| didgeridoo |
Australian aboriginal wind instrument, made out of a tree trunk that
is up to six feet long |
|
dies irae |
"day of wrath". the sequence for the requiem mass |
|
diese |
sharp sign |
|
diesis |
diatonic semitone of the Pythagorean scale |
|
differential tone |
when two loud notes are played together a third sound may be heard. the difference in
vibration between the two original notes is the differential tone |
|
digitone |
a system of music notation wherein the 12 tones of the octave are indicated by
numbers |
|
diluendo |
growing softer, diluted |
| dim |
abbreviation of diminuendo. It means diminishing |
| diminish |
to lessen certain intervals, which are then known as diminished, or to subject a melody to
diminution |
|
diminished chords |
chords having as their highest and lowest notes a diminished
interval |
|
diminished fifth |
one semitone lower than a perfect fifth. In other words, an interval where the secondary note is the fifth tone above the first note in any given scale.
The perfect fifth of c in the scale of c major, for example, is c to g. the
diminished fifth is g flat. |
|
diminished seventh chord |
a chord which contains a root, a minor third, a diminished fifth, and a diminished
seventh |
|
diminuendo |
growing gradually softer |
|
diminuition |
the shortening of note values used in a theme to alter the melody without changing the
pitches |
| direct |
a directional indicator at the end of a staff to show the position of the first note of the succeeding
staff |
| dirge |
composition for performance at funerals or memorials for the
dead |
|
dirigent |
conductor, to conduct |
| discord |
a combination of notes that sounds incomplete and strikes unpleasantly on the
ear |
|
disinvolto |
easy |
|
disjunct motion |
progression via skips |
| disposition |
the arrangement of control devices on an organ
console |
| dissonance |
notes that conflict, or sound outside of a chord in which they occur.
Such notes usually fall outside of the overtones which are being generated by the note or chord that is
sounding |
| dissonance |
when two or more notes are sounded together to produce a
discord |
|
dital |
a key on a guitar or lute, that, when pressed, raises the pitch a
semitone |
|
dital harp |
a guitar shaped lute of 12 to 18 strings, each equipped with a dital |
|
dithyramb |
song in honor of Dionysus |
|
ditonus |
major third |
| diva |
a term of adulation for a leading female opera singer, usually a soprano.
Famous divas include Maria Callas and Jessye Norman |
|
divertimento |
short entertaining composition |
| divertimento |
an entertaining instrumental piece made up of several short
movements |
|
divertissement |
an entertaining ballet included in an opera or play for comic relief or
variation |
|
divisi |
divided. used to show that two or more different parts are to be played at the same time on a piece of
music |
| do |
the key note of a scale in movable do system |
|
doctor of music |
the highest musical degree |
| dodecaphonic |
pertaining to twelve tones |
| dodecaphony |
a harmonic system employing the twelve-tone principle of composition, developed by composer
Arnold Schoenberg in 1923. This system gives equal status to all twelve tones chromatically available in the octave.
In traditional harmony, the third and fifth are the most important. |
|
dodecuple scale |
the chromatic scale as used in the twelve tone system |
|
dodecuplet |
a group of 12 notes performed in the time of 8 |
|
doigte |
fingering |
|
dolce |
softly, sweetly, delicately |
|
dolcemente |
sweetly |
|
dolcian |
an early bassoon |
|
dolcissimo |
very sweet |
|
dolendo |
sorrowful |
| dolente |
instruction to a musician or singer to perform a passage in a sad,
sorrowful manner |
|
dolore |
grief |
| doloroso |
with grief |
| dominant |
the fifth note of the diatonic scale. this applies to
major and minor keys. The dominant note in the key of c is g, for
example |
|
dominant chord |
the triad of the dominant |
|
dominant seventh chord |
the dominant triad plus a minor seventh. the dominant seventh resolves very satisfyingly to the
tonic |
|
domra |
a Russian and central Asian plucked instrument, rather like a lute or mandolin.
The domra has a convex back and there are usually three strings. it is played in folk
music |
|
donnermachine |
a thunder simulator |
|
dopo |
after, or afterward |
|
doppel |
double |
|
doppio |
double, in duplicate |
|
doppo |
after |
|
dorian |
the second mode, the scale having half steps between degrees 2 & 3, and 6 &
7 |
|
dorian mode |
a medieval mode whose scale pattern is that of playing d to d on the white keys of a piano. |
| dot |
following a note, indicates the note is half again as long. above or below a note, indicates
staccato |
| dots |
dots are dots: a dotted minim, for example, is a dotted half
note |
| double |
to add another octave |
|
double appogiatura |
two grace notes before the melody note |
|
double bar |
a pair of vertical lines at the end of a bar indicates a section of music has ended. if it is preceded by repeat marks-two dots in the middle of the stave-the music is to be played
again |
|
double bar-line |
it marks the end of a piece of music |
|
double bass |
this is the largest stringed instrument of the orchestra, with the lowest range.
It has four or five strings and is played with a bow. There are generally eight in a symphony orchestra.
The double bass is also used, generally plucked in, in jazz and dance music to provide or stress the
rhythm |
|
double bassoon |
plays an octave lower than the bassoon |
|
double chorus |
the use of two separate choruses |
|
double concerto |
a concerto for two solo instruments, and orchestra |
|
double corde |
double stop |
|
double counterpoint |
a passage in which the lines cross |
|
double croche |
sixteenth note |
|
double dot |
a single dot adds half the original value; a double dot halves it again and adds
that |
|
double flat |
an accidental that lowers the note it precedes by one whole
step |
|
double fugue |
a fugue with two themes that occur at the same time |
|
double note |
breve |
|
double octave |
the interval of two octaves |
|
double quartet |
a composition for eight |
|
double reed |
two pieces of cane that vibrate against each other instead of the
instrument |
|
double sharp |
raises the pitch one whole step |
|
double stem |
seen when two voices written together in one staff come into
unison |
|
double stop |
the holding down of two strings on a stringed instrument at the same time, so that they are played
simultaneously |
|
double theme |
fugue theme that goes on past the entrance of the answer, including also the counterpoint to the
answer |
|
double tonguing |
a tongue fluttering technique used often by flautists to articulate fast
passages |
|
doubly augmented sixth chord |
an augmented sixth chord, which contains a sharp second from the
tonic |
|
douce |
instruction to play or sing sweetly |
|
doucement |
instruction to play or sing sweetly |
|
douloureux |
sorrowful |
|
doux |
instruction to play or sing sweetly. also doucement and douce (both
French, meaning 'gently' or 'soft'). |
|
down bow |
when bow is pulled down from the frog |
| downbeat |
the downward motion of the conductor's baton or hand, which marks the stressed beats in a bar. in 4/4 time, for example, these are the first and third beats of the bar; the upbeats are the unstressed second and fourth beats in the
bar |
|
downbow |
the downward bow stroke in violin playing |
|
dragma |
notation consisting of double-stemmed semi-breves |
|
dramatic soprano |
a female singer with a slightly lower range than a lyric
soprano |
|
dramatic tenor |
a male singer with a slightly lower range than a lyric
tenor |
|
drame lyrique |
opera |
|
drame lyrique |
an alternative term for an opera |
|
dramma per musica |
another term for opera, popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.
It can also refer to the libretto alone |
|
drangend |
pushing forward |
|
dreifach |
triple |
|
dreiklang |
triad |
|
dreitaktig |
in groups or phrases of three bars |
|
droit |
right (opposite of left) |
| drone |
a string or pipe that sounds a single pitch |
| drone-bass |
a bass on the tonic, or tonic and dominant, throughout a movement or a piece, as in a musette |
| drum |
percussion instrument with a skin or other membrane, called a drum head, stretched over a hollow space. it is struck with a stick or the
hands |
|
drum kit |
drum set |
|
drum machine |
an electronic instrument that is preprogrammed with rhythmic patterns and corresponding
synthesized percussion sounds |
|
drum pad |
a block of material on which a drummer practices the use of sticks away from the
drums |
|
drum roll |
a quick, continuous succession of strokes on the drum |
|
drum set |
drum kit, sometimes drum set |
|
duda |
a primitive form of bagpipe found in Poland in the
16th-century |
|
dudelsack |
bagpipe |
| duet |
a duet is a piece of music written for two performers.
On the piano such a piece would involve two players on one
instrument |
|
dulciana |
organ stop |
| dulcimer |
an instrument that originated in Persia. strings, which are stretched over a soundboard, are hit by hammers.
The type popular in the U.S. is the Appalachian dulcimer and is plucked, not
hammered |
|
dulcitone |
tuning fork celeste |
|
dumka |
Polish, sad ballad |
| duo |
two musicians who play duets together. Duo's often play sonata duets for violin and piano, two pianos (or one piano with four hands), or violin and cello. |
|
duolo |
grief |
| duple |
two beats per measure |
| duplet |
group of two notes played in the same time as normally would take for
three |
|
duplex instruments |
instruments that are a combination of two instruments |
|
duplum |
in the organa and clausulae the part above the tenor |
|
dur |
major |
|
duramente |
roughly |
|
durchbrochene arbeit |
technique in which melody fragments alternate between different
instruments |
|
durchfuhrung |
in sonata form, the development, in the fugue, the
exposition |
|
durchgangsnote |
passing note |
|
durchkomponiert |
through-composed |
|
durezza |
hard, harsh |
|
dux, comes |
in fugue, canon, the statement and answer of the theme |
| dynamics |
the varying gradations of loudness and softness in music |
