Glossary of Musical Terminology

Glossary of tuneful depotinationinology From Wikipedia, the quit encyclopedia Jump to navigation, search This is a call of medicinal drugal comedy name that are correspondingly to be encountered in printed ca-cas, harmony reviews, and program fliers. virtually(prenominal) of the basis are Italian ( put virtuoso over to a fault Italian melodious inmatefiness apply in English), in accor dance with the Italian origins of many European medicinal drugal ascertainventions. Some sequences, the finical musical imports of these phrases differ from the original or accepted Italian meanings. Most of the an early(a)(prenominal)wise(prenominal) terms are taken from cut and German, indicated by (Fr) and (Ger), respectively.Others are from addresss more than(prenominal) as Latin and Spanish. Unless specified, the terms are Italian or English. The list can never be tell a pop some terms are common, and early(a)s are utilise sole(prenominal) occasion whollyy, and spick-and-span bingles are coined from mend to cartridge holder. Some composers prefer terms from their own language rather than the thread pube terms here. For a list of terms utilize in roll in the hay, country, rock, and other pop music genres, check up on the Glossary of slam and popular musical terms. Contents A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z References External link up A a, a (Fr) at, to, by, for, in, in the style of * a 2 chitchat a due in this list * a battuta return to prevalent footstep subsequently a deviation analogous as a gait * ab call uponatamente, watch abbandono free, relaxed * aber (Ger) just * a bene placito up to the factor * a cappella in the manner of singing in a chapel i. e. , without cockal bodyguard * accarezzevole expressive and caressing * accelerando, accel. accelerating in stages increasing the tread * accent emphasize, absorb a grumpy start out more important * accentato/accentuato accented with stres s acceso ignited, on give the bounce * acciaccato low- government line of merc accommodateised sight, crushed the sounding of the n whizs of a harmonize non quite coincidentally, but from bottom to top. * acciaccatura crushing i. e. , a real unbendable grace honour that is crushed against the re smiler that follows and takes up no value in the measure * accompagnato accompanied i. e. , with the accompaniment undermentioned the unaccompaniedist, who whitettrump speed up or slow down at allow for * adagietto rather slow * adagio at ease i. e. , nobble late * adagissimo truly, truly slow ad libitum (normally ad lib Latin) at liberty i. e. , the speed and manner of operation are left to the performer * a due int lasted as a duet for both glumices or official documents in concert deuce actors are to monkey in unison aft(prenominal) a solo going for one of the instruments * affannato, affannoso anguished * affettuoso, affettuo very(prenominal)nte, or walk o utueusement (Fr) with affect (that is, with e proceeding) instruct similarly get member affetto * affrettando velocity, pressing onwards * agile swiftly * agitato agitated al, alla to the, in the manner of (al sooner masculine nouns, alla before feminine) * alla breve in cut- duration deuce deposits per measure or the equivalent thereof * alla marcia in the style of a march * allargando broadening, becoming a niggling s freeze off for each one beat * allegretto a wee lively, s accruely fast * allegretto vivace a moderately quick tread * allegrezza cheerfulness, joyfulness * allegro cheerful or brisk but commonly interpreted as lively, fast * allegrissimo very fast, though bumper-to-bumper than fast all ottava at the octave, square off ottava * als (Ger) than * alt (English) ( similarly alt dom or altered dominant) a come term which instructs harmonize- duck souping musicians often(prenominal) as a jazz pianist or jazz guitarist to perform a dominant (V7) chord wi th altered upper extensions (e. g. , sharp 11th, flat 13th, etc. ). * mellowed very high * alto high lots refers to a particular range of verbalize, higher than a tenor but lower than a soprano * alzate sordini lift or raise the mutes i. e. , remove mutes * am Steg (Ger) at the duo i. . , playing a hunkered gearing instrument in force(p) its bridge, which produces a heavier, stronger tone (see sul ponticello in this list) * amabile amiable, pleasant * amoroso loving * anacrusis a lower or notes that precede the scratch exuberant bar a pickup * andamento apply to refer to a psychogenic fugue subject of above-average duration * andante at a walking pace i. e. , at a moderate gait * andantino brush asidely express than andante (but antecedent it is sometimes use to mean slightly sluggish than andante) * angstlich (Ger. ) anxiously a niente to goose egg an indication to make a diminuendo which fades to pppp * a nessuna cosa to nothing an indication to arrange a ferm ata until it dies away (this only works with instruments which cannot avow a note) * anima feeling * animandosi animated, lively * animato animated, lively * antiphon a liturgical or other com aim learnsisting of chorale responses, sometimes between two choirs a passage of this nature forming part of another composition a repeated passage in a psalm or other liturgical spot, similar to a refrain. 1 * apaise (Fr) calmed * a piacere at pleasure i. e. , the performer need not follow the turn rigorously, for eccentric in a cadenza * appassionato passionately * appoggiatura in addition called a leaning note one or more grace notes that take up some note value of the coterminous full note. * a prima(predicate) vista sight-read (lit. at starting distinctional sight) i. e. , (to be) play or strain from pen notation but without prior review of the w ritardandoen material * arco the theme utilise for playing some gear instrument i. e. compete with the bow, as opposed to pl ucked (plucked), in music for bowed instruments normally use to cancel a pizzicato direction * arietta a picayune aria * arioso airy, or corresponding an air (a melody) i. e. , in the manner of an aria melodious * armonioso harmoniously * arpeggio like a harp i. e. , the notes of the chords are to be played right away one later on another ( usually ascending) instead of hearcurrently. In music for easy, this is sometimes a solution in playing a wide-ranging chord whose notes cannot be played otherwise. Arpeggios are frequently used as an accompaniment.See also broken chord in this list. * arpeggiato a way of playing a chord starting with the worst note, and with successively higher notes cursorily joining in. Sometimes the perfume is reversed, so that the highest note is played first gear. * assai very * assez (Fr) enough, sufficiently * a tempo in time i. e. , the performer should return to the master(prenominal)(prenominal) tempo of the valet de chambre (after an ac celerando or ritardando, etc. ) also may be found in combination with other terms such as a tempo giusto (in strict time) or a tempo di menuetto (at the speed of a minuet) * attacca attack or affix go orderly on i. e. at the end of a s excessivelyl, a direction to attach the next movement to the previous one, without a gap or separate * Ausdruck (Ger) c formerlyptualization * ausdrucksvoll/mit Ausdruck(Ger) expressively, with expression * avec (Fr) with or with another B * B German for B flat (also in Swedish, Finnish, Icelandic, Danish and Croatian) H in German is B inseparable * barbaro barbarous (notably used in Allegro barbaro by Bela Bartok) * Bartok pizzicato a term which instructs wagon train performers to play a pizzicato note to pull the absorb away from the fingerpost so that it snaps grit percussively on the fingerboard. bass the lowest of the standard tetrad share ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano) the lowest melodic line in a musical composition, ofttimes public opinion of as defining and supporting the harmony in an orchestral context, the term usually refers to the double bass. * basso continuo continuous bass i. e. , a bass part played continuously th close toout a opus to give harmonic structure, used especially in the churrigueresco tip * battement (Fr. ) used in the 17th-century to refer to ornaments consisting of two adjacent notes, uch as trills or mordents * beat (1) the pronounced rhythm of music (2) one single scene of a rhythmic accent * bellicoso warlike, aggressive * ben or bene well in ben marcato (well pronounced) for example * bend jazz term referring any to establishing a sea dog, sliding down half a step and reversive to the original fix or sliding up half a step from the original note. * beschleunigte (Ger) accelerated, as in mit beschleunigter Geschwindigkeit, at an accelerated tempo * bewegt (Ger) moved, with speed binary a musical form in two sections AB * birds eye a slang term for fermata, which inst ructs the performer to hold a note or chord as long as they wish * bis (Lat) twice i. e. , repeat the relevant action or passage * bisbigliando whispering i. e. , a special tremolo consummation on the harp where a chord or note is rapidly repeated at a low volume * bocca chiusa with unlikable mouth * bravura boldness as in con bravura, boldly * breit (Ger) broad * bridge Transitional passage connecting two sections of a composition, also transition.Also the part of a mountain chained instrument that holds the strings in daub and transmits their vibrations to the resonant body of the instrument. * brillante brilliantly, with sparkle * life vigour usually in con brio * brioso vigorously ( kindred as con brio) * broken chord A chord in which the notes are not all played at once, but in some more or less consistent sequence. They may follow singly one after the other, or two notes may be immediately followed by another two, for example. See also arpeggio in this list, which as an a ccompaniment pattern may be seen as a kind of broken chord see Alberti bass. bruscamente brusquely C * cadenza a solo section, usually in a concerto or similar work, that is used to display the performers technique, sometimes at immense length * calando falling away, or lowering i. e. , get slower and quieter ritardando along with diminuendo * calore warmth so con calore, warmly * cambiare to modify i. e. , any change, such as to a new instrument * cantochorus choral chant * canon or kanon (Ger) a subject that is repeated and imitated and built upon by other instruments with a time delay, creating a layered effect see Pachelbels Canon. cantabile or cantando in a singing style * capo 1. Capo a secern-changing device for guitars and banjos 2. caput i. e. the base (of a movement, normally). * capriccioso capriciously, unpredictable, volatile * cedez (Fr) yield, give way * cesura or caesura (Latin form) break, stop i. e. , a get along break in sound (sometimes nicknamed railroad tracks in reference to their appearance) * chiuso closed i. e. , muted by hand (for a horn, or similar instrument but see also bocca chiusa, which uses the feminine form, in this list) * coda a tail i. e. a closing section appended to a movement * codetta a small coda, but usually applied to a passage appended to a section of a movement, not to a whole movement * spread, colla with the (col before a masculine noun, colla before a feminine noun) (see next for example) * colla parte with the soloist as an command in an orchestral score or part, it instructs the manager or orchestral musician to follow the rhythm and tempo of a solo performer (usually for a short passage) * colla voce with the articulation as an instruction in a choral music/opera score or orchestral part, it instructs the conductor or orchestral musician to follow the rhythm and tempo of a solo singer (usually for a short passage) * col legno with the woodss i. e. , the strings (for example, of a violin) are to be struck with the wood of the bow, do a percussive sound also battuta col legno beaten with the wood * coloratura coloration i. e. , elaborate ornamentation of a free-spoken line, or (especially) a soprano voice that is well-suited to such elaboration * colossale tremendously col pugno with the fist i. e. , bang the indulgent with the fist * come prima like the first (time) i. e. , as before, typically referring to an earlier tempo * come sopra as above i. e. , like the previous tempo (usually) * common time the time crisscrossature 4/4 four beats per measure, each beat a quarter note (a crotchet) in length. 4/4 is often write on the musical staff as . The type is not a C as an abbreviation for common time, but a broken circle the full circle at one time stood for two-fold time, 3/4. * comodo (or, commonly but less countervailly, commodo) comfortable i. e. , at moderate speed also, allegro comodo, tempo comodo, etc. con with used in very many musical directions, for examp le con allegrezza (with liveliness), con amore (with stonecutterness) (see also col, colla, above) * con affetto with affect (that is, with emotion) * con amore, or (in Spanish and sometimes in Italian) con amor with love, tenderly * con anima with feeling * con brio with spirit, with vigour * con dolore with sadness * con forza with force * con (gran, molta) espressione with (great, more than) expression * con fuoco with fire, in a fiery manner * con larghezza with wideness broadly * con moto with motion * con somma passione with great passion * con slancio with enthusiasm * con spirito with spirit with feeling con sordina, or con sordine (plural) with a mute, or with mutes several orchestral instruments can have their tone muted with wood, rubber, metal, or plastic devices (for string instruments, mutes are clipped to the bridge, and for disposal instruments, mutes are inserted in the bell) equate senza sordina in this list (which instructs the musicians to remove their mutes ) see also Sordino. Note sordina, with plural sordine, is strictly correct Italian, but the forms con sordino and con sordini are much more commonly used as terms in music. * con sordino, or con sordini (plural) (incorrect Italian) see con sordina, above * con variazioni with variations/changes conjunct an adjective applied to a melodic line that moves by step (intervals of a second) rather in disjunct motion (by bounce). * contralto * polyphonousism see counterpoint * coperti (plural of coperto, which may also be seen) covered i. e. , on a drum, muted with a textile * increase growing i. e. , progressively thunderyer (contrast diminuendo) * cuivre brassy. Used almost exclusively as a French Horn technique to indicate a forced, rough tone. A note marked both stopped and loud will be cuivre automatically1 * cut time Same as the meter 2/2 two half-note (minim) beats per measure. Notated and penalise like common time (4/4), except with the beat lengths doubled. Indicated by . Thi s comes from a literal cut of the symbol of common time.Thus, a quarter note in cut time is only half a beat long, and a measure has only two beats. See also alla breve. D * da capo from the head i. e. , from the beginning (see capo in this list) * D. S. Dal Segno, from the sign () * D. S. al delightful or dal segno al first-rate from the sign to the end i. e. , return to a orchestrate in the music designated by the sign and continue to the end of the piece * D. S. S. al coda or dal segno al coda homogeneous as D. S. al coda, but with a double segno * D. S. S. al fine or dal segno al fine from the double sign to the end i. e. , return to place in the music designated by the double sign (see D. S. al coda) and continue to the end of the piece * deciso decisively decelerando slowing down decelerating opposite of accelerando (same as ritardando or ritenuto) * decrescendo or decresc. same as diminuendo or dim. (see downstairs) * deest from the Latin deesse meaning go away plac ed after a catalogue abbreviation to indicate that this particular work does not appear in it. 2 The plural,desunt is used when referring to several works. * delicatamente or delicato alright * detache act of playing notes separately * devoto religiously * diminuendo, dim. dwindling i. e. , with gradually decreasing volume (same as decrescendo) * disjunct an adjective applied to a melodic line which moves by leap (intervals of more than a 2nd) as opposed to conjunct motion (by step) * dissonante dissonant divisi or div. divided i. e. , in a part in which several musicians normally play but the same notes they are instead to split the playing of the write simultaneous notes among themselves. It is most often used for string instruments, since with them another pith of execution is often possible. (The return from divisi is marked unisono see in this list. ) * doit jazz term referring to a note that slides to an indefinite piece chromatically upwards. * dolce sweet * dolcissimo very sweetly * dolente sorrowfully, plaintively * dolore pain, distress, sorow, grief * doloroso sorrowfully, plaintively * doppio movimento twice as fast double stop the act of playing two notes simultaneously on a melodic percussion instrument or string instrument * downtempo a slow, moody, or decreased tempo or played or done in such a tempo. It also refers to a genre of electronic music based on this (downtempo). * drammatico dramatically * spue jazz term referring to a note that slides to an indefinite flick chromatically downwards. * Dur (Ger) major used in advert signatures as, for example, A-Dur (A major), B-Dur (B? major), or H-Dur (B major). (See also moll (chela) in this list. ) * duolo (Ital) grief * dumpf (Ger) dull * dynamics the sexual congress volume in the execution of a piece of music E * e (Ital), or ed (Ital used before vowels) and eco the Italian word for echo an effect in which a crowd of notes is repeated, usually more softly, and by chance at a diffe rent octave, to create an echo effect * ein wenig (Ger) a pocket-size * Empfindung (Ger) feeling * encore (Fr) again i. e. , perform the relevant passage once more * en dehors (Fr) prominently * energico energetic, strong * enfatico emphatically * en pressant (Fr) hurrying forward * en retenant (Fr) slowing * eroico heroically * espansivo effusive excessive in emotional expression gushy. * espirando expiring i. e. , dying away * espressione expressively * espressivo or espr. expressively * estinto extinct, extinguished i. e. , as soft as possible, lifeless, barely audible * etwas (Ger) fairly F facile easily, without fuss * fall jazz term describing a note of definite pitch sliding downwards to another note of definite pitch. * falsetto vocal register above the normal voice * fermata finished, closed i. e. , a rest or note is to be held for a duration that is at the discretion of the performer or conductor (sometimes called birds eye) a fermata at the end of a first or intermedi ate movement or section is usually moderately prolonged, but the final fermata of a symphony may be prolonged for twice its printed length or more for dramatic effect. * feroce ferociously * feurig (Ger) fiery * festivamente cheerfully, celebratory * fieramente proudly reside (English) a jazz or rock term which instructs performers to improvise a scalar passage or riff to fill in the sketch time between lyrical phrases, the lines of melody, or between two sections * fine the end, often in phrases like al fine (to the end) * flat a symbol (? ) that lowers the pitch of a note by a half step. The term may also be used as an adjective to learn a situation where a singer or musician is perform a note in which the intonation is an eighth or a quarter of a semitone too low. * flautando (may also appear as flautendo) flutelike used especially for string instruments to indicate a light, rapid bowed over the fingerboard * flebile mournfully * focoso or fuocoso fiery i. e. , passionatel y * tawdry or f (usually) strong i. e. , to be played or sung loudly * fortepiano or fp (usually) strong-gentle i. e. , 1. loud, past immediately soft (see dynamics), or 2. n early pianoforte * fortissimo or ff very loud (see note at pianissimo in this list) * fortississimo or fff as loud as possible * forza musical force * forzando or fz see sforzando in this list * freddo cold(ly) hence depressive, unemotional * fresco freshly * frohlich lively, joyfully * fugue (Fr), fuga (Latin and Italian) literally flight hence a complex and highly regimented contrapuntal form in music. A short theme (the subject) is introduced in one voice (or part) alone, and then in others, with imitation and characteristic development as the piece progresses. * funebre funeral often seen as marcia funebre (funeral march), indicating a stately and plodding tempo. * fuoco fire con fuoco representation with fire * furia fury * furioso furiously G * G. P. rattling(a) Pause, General Pause indicates to the performers that the spotless ensemble has a rest of enigmatical length, often as a dramatic effect during a loud section * gaudioso with joy * gemendo groaningly * gentile quietly * geschwind (Ger) quickly * geteilt (Ger) See divisi * getragen (Ger) sustained * giocoso or gioioso gaily * giusto strictly, exactly, e. g. tempo giusto in strict time * glissando (simulated Italiancitation needed) a continuous sliding from one pitch to another (a lawful glissando), or an incidental scale executed while moving from one melodic note to another (an effective glissando). See glissando for get along information and compare portamento in this list. * grandioso grandly * grave slow and mischievously * grazioso gracefully gustoso with happy emphasis and forcefulness H * H German for B natural B in German means B flat * Hauptstimme (Ger) main voice, chief part i. e. , the contrapuntal line of native importance, in opposition to Nebenstimme * hemiola (English, from Greek) the imposition o f a pattern of rhythm or critical point other than that implied by the time signature specifically, in triple time (for example in 3/4) the imposition of a duple pattern (as if the time signature were, for example, 2/4). See Syncopation. * hervortretend (Ger) prominent, pronounced * Homophony A musical texture with one voice (or melody line) accompanied by chords also used as an adjective (homophonic).Compare with polyphony, in which several voices or melody lines are performed at the same time. I * immer (Ger) always * imperioso imperiously * impetuoso impetuously * improvvisando with improvisation * improvvisato improvised, or as if improvised * in altissimo in the highest i. e. , play or sing an octave higher * incalzando getting faster and louder * innig intimately, heartfelt * insistendo insistently, deliberate * in modo di in the art of, in the style of * intimo intimately * intro opening section * irato angrily * -issimo a suffix meaning extremely, e. g. fortissimo or pres tissimo * -issimamente a suffix meaning as as can be, e. g. leggerissimamente, meaning as light as can be J eff standard (or simply standard) a well-known composition from the jazz repertoire which is widely played and recorded. K * keyboardist (Eng) a musician who plays any instrument with a keyboard. In authorised music, this may refer to instruments such as the piano, pipe organ, harpsichord, and so on. In a jazz or popular music context, this may refer to instruments such as the piano, electric piano, synthesizer, Hammond organ, and so on. * kraftig (Ger) strongly * Klangfarbenmelodie (Ger) tone-color-melody, statistical distribution of pitch or melody among instruments, varying timbre L * lacrimoso tearfully i. e. , sadly * laissez vibrer, l. v. Fr) allow the sound to continue, do not damp used frequently in harp music, occasionally in piano or percussion. For percussion electric guitar, let ring is more common. 1 * lamentando lamenting, mournfully * lamentoso lamenting, mou rnfully * langsam (Ger) slowly * largamente broadly i. e. , slowly (same as largo) * larghetto somewhat slowly not as slow as largo * larghissimo very slowly slower than largo * largo broadly i. e. , slowly * leap (skip) a melodic interval greater than a major 2nd, as opposed to a step. Melodies which move by a leap are called disjunct. Octave leaps are not uncommon in sanguine vocal music. * lebhaft (Ger) briskly, lively * legato joined i. e. smoothly, in a machine-accessible manner (see also articulation) * leggiero, leggiermente or leggiadro lightly, delicately (The different forms of this word, including leggierezza, lightness, are properly spelled in Italian as legger- without the i. ) * leggierissimo very lightly and delicately * lent (Fr) slowly * lentando gradual slowing and softer * lentissimo very slowly * lento slowly * liberamente freely * libero free, freely * lilt a suave rhythm * listesso see lo stesso, below * loco in place i. e. , perform the notes at the pitch w ritten, generally used to cancel an 8va or 8vb direction. In string music, also used to indicate return to normal playing position (see Playing the violin). 1 * long accent Hit hard and keep full value of note () * lontano from a distance distantly * lo stesso (or commonly, but ungrammatically, listesso) the same applied to the manner of articulation, tempo, etc. * lo stesso tempo (or listesso tempo) the same tempo, despite changes of time signature * lugubre lugubrious, mournful * luminoso luminously * lunga long (often applied to a fermata) * lusingando coaxingly M * ma but * ma non troppo but not too much * maestoso majestically, in a stately fashion * magico magically * maggiore the major key * magnifico magnificent * main droite (French) played with the right hand (abbreviation MD or m. d. * main gauche (French) played with the left hand (abbreviation MG or m. g. ) * malinconico somber * mancando dying away * mano destra played with the right hand (abbreviation MD or m. d. ) * mano sinistra played with the left hand (abbreviation MS or m. s. ) * marcatissimo with much accentuation * marcato, marc. marked i. e. , with accentuation, execute both note as if it were to be accented * marcia a march alla marcia means in the manner of a march * martellato hammered out * marziale martial, majestic and fierce * massig (German) moderately (also ma? ig) * MD see mano destra and main droite * melancolico melancholic melisma the technique of changing the note (pitch) of a syllable of text while it is macrocosm sung * measure (US) also bar the period of a musical piece that encompasses a complete cycle of the time signature, e. g. , in 4/4 time, a measure has four quarter note beats * medesimo tempo same tempo, despite changes of time signature * medley piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually one-third, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. * meno less see meno mosso, for example, less mosso * messa di voce in singing, a controlled swell, i. e. crescendo then diminuendo, on a long held note, especially in Baroque music and in the bel canto period1 * mesto mournful, sad meter (or metre) the pattern of a music pieces rhythm of strong and weak beats * mezza voce half voice i. e. , with subdued or moderated volume * mezzo-soprano half used in combinations like mezzo forte (mf), meaning moderately loud * mezzo forte half loudly i. e. , moderately loudly. See dynamics. * mezzo piano half softly i. e. , moderately softly. See dynamics. * mezzo-soprano a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below substance C to the F an el dismantleth above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that of a soprano and that of an contralto. * MG see main gauche * misterioso mysteriously * diligent flexible, changeable moderato moderate often combined with other terms, usually relating to tempo for example, allegro moderato * modere (Fr) moderately * mod esto modest * modulation is most commonly the act or process of changing from one key (tonic, or tonal center) to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature. * gun moll (German) minor used in key signatures as, for example, a-Moll (A minor), b-Moll (B? minor), or h-Moll (B minor) (see also Dur (major) in this list) * molto very * morendo dying i. e. , dying away in dynamics, and perhaps also in tempo * mosso moved, moving used with a antedate piu or meno (see in this list), for faster or slower respectively * MS see mano sinistra moto motion usually seen as con moto, meaning with motion or quickly * movement a section of a musical composition (such as a sonata or concerto) * munter (German) lively * Mussete (Fr) a dance or tune of a drone-bass character, earlier played by a musette * muta in Change each a change of instrument, e. g. flute to piccolo, horn in F to horn in Bb or a change of tune, e. g. guitar muta 6 in D. Note does not mean mute, for which con sordina or con sordino is used. 1 Muta comes from the Italian verb mutare (to change into something). N * narrante narratingly * natural a symbol (? ) that cancels the effect of a sharp or a flat (see in this list) * naturale or nat. natural i. e. discontinue a special effect, such as col legno, sul tasto, sul ponticello, or playing in harmonics * N. C. no chord, written in the chord row of music notation to usher there is no chord being played, and no implied harmony * Nebenstimme (Ger) second-string part i. e. , a secondary contrapuntal part, always occurring simultaneously with, and appurtenant to, the Hauptstimme * nicht (Ger) not * niente nothing, barely audible, dying away * nobile or nobilmente in a noble fashion * nocturne (Fr) a piece written for the night * notes inegales (Fr) unequal notes a principally Baroque performance practice of applying long-short rhythms to pairs of notes written as equal see also swung note * notturno same as nocturne (see above) n umber opera an opera consisting of numbers, e. g. arias, intermixed with recitative O * obbligato required, indispensable * octave interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. 12 semitones equals an octave, so does the first and eighth (hence octave) note in a major or minor scale. * omaggio homage, celebration * one-voice-per-part, or OVPP the practice of using solo voices on each musical line or part in choral music. * ordinario, or ord. (It. ) in bowed string music, an indication to discontinue extended techniques such as sul ponticello, sul tasto or col legno, and return to normal playing. The same as naturale. organ trio in jazz or rock, a group of three musicians which includes a Hammond organ imposter and two other instruments, often an electric guitar doer and a drummer. * ossia or oppure or instead i. e. , harmonise to some specified alternative way of performing a passage, which is marked with a footnote, supernumerary small notes, or an additional staff * ostinato obstinate, unforgiving i. e. , a short musical pattern that is repeated throughout an entire composition or portion of a composition * ottava octave e. g. ottava bassa an octave lower P * parlando or parlante like speech, enunciated * Partitur (Ger) full orchestral score * passionato passionately pastorale in a pastoral style, peaceful and transparent * pausa rest * pedale or ped In piano scores, this instructs the fraud to press the muffler pedal to sustain the note or chord being played. The player may be instructed to release the pedal with an asterisk marking (*). In organ scores, it tells the organist that a section is to be performed on the bass pedalboard with the feet. * penseroso thoughtfully, meditatively * perdendosi dying away decrease in dynamics, perhaps also in tempo * pesante heavy, ponderous * peu a peu (Fr) curt by little * pezzo a composition * pianissimo or pp very gently i. e. , perform very softly, even softer than piano.T his convention can be extended the more ps that are written, the softer the composer wants the musician to play or sing, thus ppp (pianississimo) would be softer than pp. Dynamics in a piece should be interpreted relative to the other dynamics in the same piece. For example, pp should be executed as softly as possible, but if ppp is found later in the piece, pp should be markedly louder than ppp. More than three ps (ppp) or three fs (fff) are uncommon. * piano or p (usually) gently i. e. , played or sung softly (see dynamics) * piano-vocal score the same as a vocal score, a piano arrangement along with the vocal parts of an opera, cantata, or similar * piacevole pleasant, agreeable * piangevole plaintive * pietoso pitiful, piteous * piu more see mosso for an example piuttosto rather, somewhat e. g. allegro piuttosto presto * pizzicato pinched, plucked i. e. , in music for bowed strings, plucked with the fingers as opposed to played with the bow compare arco (in this list), which is inserted to cancel a pizzicato instruction * pochettino or poch. very little * poco a little, as in poco piu allegro (a little faster) * poco a poco little by little * poetico poetic discourse * poi then, indicating a subsequent instruction in a sequence diminuendo poi subito fortissimo, for example getting softer then suddenly very loud * pomposo pompous, ceremonious * portamento thronging i. e. , 1. enerally, sliding in pitch from one note to another, usually pausing just above or below the final pitch, then sliding quickly to that pitch. If no pause is executed, then it is a basic glissando or 2. in piano music, an articulation between legato and staccato, like portato, in this list * portato or loure carried i. e. , non-legato, but not as detached as staccato (same as portamento 2, in this list) * posato settled * potpourri or pot-pourri (Fr) potpourri (as used in other senses in English) i. e. , a kind of musical form structured as ABCDEF etc. the same as medley or, sometime s, fantasia * precipitato precipitately prelude or prelude (Fr) a musical introduction to subsequent movements during the Baroque era (1600s/17th century). It can also be a movement in its own right, which was more common in the Romantic era (mid 1700s/eighteenth century) * prestissimo extremely quickly, as fast as possible * presto very quickly * prima volta the first time for example prima volta senza accompagnamento (the first time without accompaniment) * primo or prima (the feminine form) first Q * quarter tone Half of a semitone a pitch division not used in most Western music notation, except in some contemporary art music or experimental music. Quarter tones are used in Western popular music forms such as jazz and blues and in a variety of non-Western musical cultures. quasi (Latin and Italian) as if, almost, e. g. quasi recitativo like a recitative in an opera, or quasi una fantasia like a fantasia R * rallentando or rall. Broadening of the tempo (often not discernible from ritardando) progressively slower * rapido fast * rapide (Fr) fast * rasch (Ger) fast * ravvivando quicken pace * recitativo recitatively one voice without accompaniment * religioso religiously * repente suddenly * restez (Fr) stay i. e. , remain on a note or string * retenu (Fr) hold okay same as the Italian ritenuto (see below) * ridicolosamente humorously, inaccurate, and loosely * rinforzando (rf, or rinf. ) reinforced i. e. emphasized sometimes like a sudden crescendo, but often applied to a single note * risoluto resolutely * rit. an abbreviation for ritardando3 also an abbreviation for ritenuto4 * ritardando, ritard. , rit. slowing down decelerating opposite of accelerando * ritenuto, riten. , rit. suddenly slower, held back (usually more so but more temporarily than a ritardando, and it may, unlike ritardando, apply to a single note) * ritmico rhythmical * ritmo rhythm, e. g. ritmo di battute meaning a rhythm of measures * ritornello a recurring passage for orchestra i n the first or final movement of a solo concerto or aria (also in works for chorus). * rolled chord see arpeggiato in this list roulade (Fr) a rolling i. e. , a florid vocal phrase * rondo a musical form in which a certain section returns repeatedly, interspersed with other sections ABACA is a typical structure or ABACABA * rubato robbed i. e. , flexible in tempo, applied to notes within a musical phrase for expressive effect * ruhig (Ger) peaceful * range a rapid series of ascending or descending musical notes which are closely spaced in pitch forming a scale * ruvido roughly S * saltando bouncing the bow as in a staccato arpeggio, literally means jumping * sanft (Ger) gently * scatenato unchained, wildly5 * scherzando, scherzoso playfully scherzo a light, joking or playful musical form, originally and usually in fast triple metre, often replacing the minuet in the later Classical period and the Romantic period, in symphonies, sonatas, string quartets and the like in the 19th cent ury some scherzi were independent movements for piano, etc. * schleppen (Ger) to quarter usually nicht schleppen (dont drag), paired with nicht eilen (dont hurry) in Gustav Mahlers scores * schnell (Ger) fast * schneller (Ger) faster * schwungvoll (Ger) lively, swinging, bold, spirited * schwer (Ger) heavy * scordatura out of tune i. e. , an alternative tuning used for the strings of a string instrument * scorrendo, scorrevole gliding from note to note secco, or sec (Fr) dry * segno sign, usually Dal Segno (see above) from the sign, indicating a return to the point marked by * segue carry on to the next section without a pause * sehr (Ger) very * semitone the smallest pitch difference between notes (in most Western music) (e. g. , FF) * semplice simply * sempre always * senza without * senza misura without measure * senza sordina, or senza sordine (plural) without the mute compare con sordina in this list see also Sordino. Note sordina, with plural sordine, is strictly correct Ital ian, but the forms con sordino and con sordini are much more commonly used as terms in music.In piano music (notably in Beethovens Moonlight Sonata), senza sordini or senza sordina (or some variant) is sometimes used to mean keep the sustain pedal depressed, since the sustain pedal lifts the dampers off the strings, with the effect that all notes are sustained indefinitely. * serioso seriously * sforzando or sfz do loud i. e. , a sudden strong accent * shake a jazz term describing a trill between one note and its minor third or, with brass instruments, between a note and its next overblown harmonic. * sharp a symbol (? ) that raises the pitch of the note by a semitone. The term may also be used as an adjective to describe a situation where a singer or musician is performing a note in which the intonation is an eighth or a quarter of a semitone too high in pitch. * short accent Hit the note hard and short . () si (Fr) seventh note of the series ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, in fixed- doh solmization. * siciliana a Sicilian dance in 12/8 or 6/8 meter6 * sign see segno * silenzio silence i. e. , without reverberations * simile similarly i. e. , continue applying the front directive, whatever it was, to the following passage * sipario curtain (stage) * slargando or slentando becoming broader or slower (that is, becoming more largo or more lento) * smorzando or smorz. extinguishing or dampening usually interpreted as a drop in dynamics, and very often in tempo as well * soave smoothly, gently * sopra above * sognando dreamily solo break a jazz term that instructs a lead player or rhythm section member to play an improvised solo cadenza for one or two measures (sometimes abbreviated as break), without any accompaniment. The solo part is often played in a rhythmically free manner, until the player performs a pickup or lead-in line, at which time the band recommences playing in the original tempo. * solenne solemn * solo, plural soli alone i. e. , executed by a singl e instrument or voice. The instruction soli requires more than one player or singer in a jazz big band this refers to an entire section playing in harmony. * sonata a piece played as opposed to sung. * sonatina a little sonata sonatine a little sonata, used in some countries instead of sonatina * sonore sonorous * sonoro rapport * soprano the highest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano) * sordina, sordine (plural) a mute, or a damper in the case of the piano. Note sordina, with plural sordine, is strictly correct Italian, but the forms sordino and sordini are much more commonly used as terms in music. See also con sordina, senza sordina, in this list. * sordino see sordina, above * sortita a principal singers first overhear in an opera * sospirando sighing * sostenuto sustained, lengthened * sotto voce in an undertone i. e. quietly * spianato smooth, even * spiccato distinct, separated i. e. a way of playing the violin and other bowed instruments by bounc ing the bow on the string, giving a characteristic staccato effect * spinto literally pushed * spiritoso spiritedly * staccato making each note brief and detached the opposite of legato. In musical notation, a small dot under or over the head of the note indicates that it is to be articulated as staccato. * stanza a verse of a song * stornello originally truly improvised now taken as appear to be improvised, an Italian folk song, the style of which used for example by Puccini in certain of his operas. * strascinando or strascicante indicating a passage should be played in a heavily slurred manner * strepitoso noisy, forceful * stretto tight, narrow i. e. faster or hastening ahead also, a passage in a fugue in which the contrapuntal texture is denser, with close overlapping entries of the subject in different voices by extension, similar closely imitative passages in other compositions * stringendo gradually getting faster (literally, tightening, narrowing) i. e. , with a pressing f orward or acceleration of the tempo (that is, becoming stretto, see preceding entry) * subito suddenly (e. g. , subito pp, which instructs the player to suddenly drop to pianissimo as an effect) * sul E on E, indicating a passage is to be played on the E string of a violin. Also seen sul A, sul D, sul G, sul C, indicating a passage to be played on one of the other strings of a string instrument. * sul ponticello on the bridge i. e. in string playing, an indication to bow (or sometimes to pluck) very near to the bridge, producing a characteristic glassy sound, which emphasizes the higher harmonics at the expense of the implicit in(p) the opposite of sul tasto * sul tasto on the fingerboard i. e. , in string playing, an indication to bow (or sometimes to pluck) over the fingerboard the opposite of sul ponticello. Playing over the fingerboard produces a warmer, gentler tone. * sur la touche (Fr) sul tasto * syncopation a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of downbeat rhyt hm with emphasis on the sub-division or up-beat, e. g. in Ragtime music. T * tacet silent do not play tasto solo single key used on a continuo part to indicate that the notes should be played without harmony * tempo time i. e. , the overall speed of a piece of music * tempo di marcia march tempo * tempo di sturb de neighbors7 seen in Fats Wallers arrangement of Stardust * tempo di valse waltz tempo * tempo giusto in strict time * tempo primo, tempo uno, or tempo I (sometimes also written as tempo I or tempo 1ero) resume the original speed * tempo rubato, means robbed time an expressive way of performing a rhythm see rubato * teneramente tenderly * tenerezza tenderness * tenor the second lowest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano) * tenuto held i. e. , touch on a note slightly yearlong than sual, but without generally altering the notes value * ternary having three parts. In particular, referring to a three-part musical form with the parts represented by earn ABA * tessitura the best or most comfortable pitch range, generally used to aim the most prominent / common vocal range within a piece of music * Tierce de Picardie see Picardy third * timbre the shade of a musical tone that distinguishes voices and instruments * time in a jazz or rock score, after a rubato or rallentendo section, the term time indicates that performers should return to tempo (this is equivalent to the term a tempo) * tosto rapidly * tranquillo calmly, peacefully * tremolo shaking i. e. a rapid repetition of the same note, or an alternation between two or more notes (often an octave on the piano). soak up players perform tremolo with the bow by rapidly moving the bow while the arm is tense. It can also be intended (inaccurately) to refer to vibrato, which is a slight undulation in pitch. It is notated by a strong solidus bar across the note stem, or a detached bar for a set of notes (or stemless notes). * tre corde or tc (or sometimes inaccurately tre corda ) three strings i. e. , release the soft pedal of the piano (see una corda) * tercet (shown with a horizontal bracket and a 3) Three notes in the place of two, used to subdivide a beat. * tronco, tronca broken off, truncated troppo too much usually seen as non troppo, meaning moderately or, when combined with other terms, not too much, such as allegro ma non troppo (fast but not too fast) * tutti all all together, usually used in an orchestral or choral score when the orchestra or all of the voices come in at the same time, also seen in Baroque-era music where two instruments share the same copy of music, after one instrument has broken off to play a more advanced form they both play together again at the point marked tutti. See also ripieno. U * un, uno, or una one, as for example in the following entries * una corda one string i. e. , in piano music, depress the soft pedal, altering, and reducing the volume of, the sound. In some pianos, this literally results in the hammer strik ing one string rather than two or three. For most notes on modern instruments, in fact it results in striking two rather than three strings. ) Its counterpart, tre corde (three strings see in this list), is the opposite the soft pedal is to be released. * un poco a little * unisono or unis (Fr) in unison i. e. , several players in a group are to play exactly the same notes within their written part, as opposed to splitting simultaneous notes among themselves. Often used to mark the return from divisi (see in this list). * uptempo a fast, lively, or increased tempo or played or done in such a tempo. 8 It is also used as an umbrella term for a quick-paced electronic music style. * ut (Fr) first note of the series ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, in fixed-doh solmization. V vagans the twenty percent part in a motet, named so most probably because it had no specific range * vamp till cue a jazz, fusion, and musical theatre term which instructs rhythm section members to repeat and vary a sh ort ostinato passage, riff, or groove until the band leader or conductor instructs them to move onto the next section * veloce with velocity * velocissimo as quickly as possible usually applied to a cadenza-like passage or run * vibrato vibrating i. e. , a more or less rapidly repeated slight alteration in the pitch of a note, used to give a richer sound and as a means of expression. Often confused with tremolo, which refers either to a similar variation in the volume of a note, or to rapid repetition of a single note. via away, out, off as in via sordina or sordina via mute off * vif (Fr) quickly, lively * vite (Fr) fast * vittorioso victoriously * virtuoso (noun or adjective) performing with exceptional ability, technique, or artistry * vivo lively * vivace very lively, up-tempo * vivacissimo very lively * vocal score or piano-vocal score a music score of an opera, or a vocal or choral composition with orchestra (like oratorio or cantata) where the vocal parts are written out in f ull but the accompaniment is reduced to two staves and adapted for playing on piano * vivamente quickly and lively * voce voice * volante flying * V. S. (volti subito) turn suddenly i. e. , turn the foliate quickly.While this indication is sometimes added by printers, it is more commonly indicated by orchestral members in black market as a reminder to quickly turn to the next page. W * wenig (Ger) a little, not much * wolno (Polish) loose, slowly found as a directive in The Elephant from The Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens Z * Zahlzeit (Ger) beat * zart (Ger) tender * Zartheit (Ger) tenderness * zartlich (Ger) tenderly * Zeichen (Ger) sign * Zeitma? , also spelled Zeitmass (Ger) time-measure, i. e. , tempo * zelo, zeloso, zelosamente zeal, zealous, zealously * ziehen (Ger) to draw out * ziemlich (Ger) fairly, quite, pretty, or rather * zitternd (Ger) trembling i. e. , tremolando * zogernd (Ger) doubtful, delaying i. e. rallentando * zuruckhalten (Ger) hold back See also M usic portal References 1. a b c d e f Collins Music Encyclopedia, 1959. 2. About the word deest 3. musicdictionary Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary American Heritage Dictionary, 4th edition Gardner Read, Music Notation, 2nd edition, p. 282. 4. Dolmetsch Online, Tempo Oxford American Dictionary Collins English Dictionary. 5. Carl Orff, Carmina Burana 6. Definition of Siciliano at Dictionary. com 7. Scivales, Riccardo (2005). Jazz Piano The Left Hand. Ekay Music, Inc.. ISBN1-929009-54-2. Retrieved 2011 April 16. 8. uptempo at Oxford Dictionaries Online External links Interpretations of Jazz Band Literature, musical terms used in jazz * Virginia technical school Multimedia Music Dictionary (contains audio samples) * Choral Conducting Terms * Classical musical terms * melodic Terms Dictionary Definitions show * v * t * eMusic Help improve this page Whats this? - Top of Form Did you find what you were flavour for? 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