Glossary
glossary of musical terms
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M
N | O | P | Q | R |S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A |
|
| a 2 | When instruments such as 1st violins share the same part or divide the same part into 2 |
| absolute music | Simply music, i.e. not ‘Programme music’ |
| a cappella | Unaccompanied vocal music |
| a tempo | In time, resume original speed |
| accent | Emphasis on a note |
| acciaccatura | A grace note that is played as quickly as possible |
| accidental | Collective name for sharp, flat and natural |
| acoustics | The science or study of sound |
| a piacere | At pleasure |
| a 2 absolute music: |
Music not explicitly connected with words or specific meaning but exists simply as it is. |
| accelerando | Getting gradually faster. |
| adagietto | Quite slow |
| adagio | Slowly. Slower than andante, but faster than largo. Literally, at ease. |
| Ad libitum/ad lib. | At pleasure – left to the performer |
| aeolian mode |
One of the scales of ancient Greece. The white notes from A to A on a keyboard |
| affetuoso | Tenderly |
| affrettando | Hurrying. |
| alberti bass |
Simple accompaniment, consisting of broken chords. It takes its name from Domenico Alberti |
| alla | In the style of. |
| alla marcia |
In the style of a march. |
| allargando | Broadening out. |
| allegretto | Slightly less fast than allegro, and perhaps lighter texturally. |
| allegro | A fast or fairly lively tempo. |
| allegro assai |
Very quick. |
| andante | Moderately slow tempo, between allegro and adagio. Walking pace. |
| andantino | Could mean either slightly less faster or slower than andante. |
| appassionato | With passion. |
| arco | Played by drawing the bow across the strings. |
| aria | A composition for solo voice and accompaniment often contained within an opera, usually in ternary form. |
| arpeggio | A chord whose pitches are sounded one after another in succession rather than simultaneously. |
| atonality | Having no particular key or tonal area. |
| autograph | The original manuscript of a composition written in the composers hand. |
 |
|
B
| ballad | A story on song. A song with a narrative |
| ballade | A Romantic piece, i.e written by composers such as Chopin and Brahms |
| bar | a measure of music in equal proportions |
| bagatelle | A fairly short, simple composition. |
| barcarolle | Means ‘boat-song’ and is a lyrical piece in triple time often in ternary form. |
| barline | Lines drawn vertically on the stave to separate bars (measures) |
| baritone | Vocal range midway between tenor and bass |
| bass | Lowest male voice. = Lower part of the musical stave, as opposed to treble |
| bass clef | Also called the F clef used by instruments like the bass, cello, tuba and bassoon |
| baroque | Period in Western music from approximately 1600 to around 1750. |
| berceuse | A cradle song and a quiet instrumental piece |
| binary form | Form containing two parts, each section repeated, as in Bach’s keyboards suites. |
| boogie-woogie | Jazz style of playing featuring an ostinato bass |
| bolero | Spanish dance in triple time. |
| bourree | Baroque suite dance in 2/2 |
| breve | Note equal to two semibreves |
| bridge passage | A transition to link the first subject to the second subject in Sonata Form |
| bridge | The transition section in a sonata (exposition) linking the 1st subject with the 2nd. |
| brillante | Brilliant – with sparkle. |
| brio | Vigour (Con Brio – with vigour) |
| broken chord | A chord in which the notes are played one after another |
|
C
| cadence | The point in music where the melody and/or chord sequence leads the listener to experience a sense of temporary or permanent close giving a sense of repose or resolution. |
| cadenza | Section towards the end of a piece of music where a performer has an opportunity to perform an elaborate improvisation. |
| calando | Getting softer and slower. (dying away) |
| canon | Exact imitation of the melody in one voice by another, continued for more than one phrase. A round is a good example. |
| cantabile | In the manner or style of a song. |
| cantata | Choral or solo vocal form of the Baroque period of religious or secular, generally with more than one movement and accompanied by instruments. |
| capriccio | A caprice (in a free, light-hearted style) |
| chaconne | Similar to the Passacaglia |
| chamber music | Music for small ensembles |
| chord | Three or more notes played simultaneously. |
| chromatic (scale) | A scale containing all 12 pitches of the western notation system. |
| chromaticism | The use of chromatic intervals |
| classical (period) |
Music composed approximately between 1750-1820. Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven were the main composers of the period. |
| coda | Concluding section of a composition. |
| col. con | With. |
| col legno | Use the wood (back) of the bow (for string players) |
| colla voce | With the voice. As an accompanist follows the singer. |
| come prima | As at first |
| common time ( C ) | Another name for 4/4 time signature |
| comodo | Convenient (at a convenient pace) |
| compound intervals | Intervals greater than an octave |
| compound time | Each beat in a bar amounts to a dotted note. E.g: 6/8 is 2 dotted |
| crotchet beats | (Compound = duple) |
| concert pitch | Tuning standard where the ‘A’ above middle C = 440 Hz or 440 vibrations per second |
| con anima | With deep emotion. |
| con brio | With vigour |
| con moto | With movement |
| con sordini |
String direction – to play with mutes. |
| con spirito | With spirit |
| concertante |
A work for a group of solo instruments and orchestra |
| concerto | Work for one or more solo instruments accompanied by orchestra, often in three or more movements. |
| concerto grosso | Baroque concerto contrasting a small group of soloists (concertino) against a small orchestra (ripieno). |
| concord | A chord which sounds harmonious, as opposed to a discord which sounds dissonant |
| continuo | A bass line (used in Baroque period) with figures below as a shorthand system to enable a harpsichordist (or organist) to improvise the harmonies that are suggested by the bass line. |
| corrente | An 18th century Italian or French dance in triple time in Binary form. |
| contrapuntal | Two (or more) melodic voices combining harmoniously within a score. |
| contrary motion | Moving in opposite directions |
| corda | A string |
| counter-exposition | A second exposition in Fugue immediately following the first, but with the voices entering in a different order |
| counterpoint | 2 or more melodic lines playing simultaneously |
| courante | A Baroque dance in triple time and binary form. Varies in character from country to country. |
| crescendo | Getting louder, usually gradually. |
| crotchet | Note lasting for 1 whole beat |
|
D
| da capo/D.C. | From the beginning |
| dal segno/D.S. | From the sign |
| deciso | Decisively |
| decrescendo | (diminuendo) Gradually softer. |
| delicato | Delicately |
| descant | A higher part above the main melody |
| development | The second section in a sonata form. |
| diminished | Perfect or minor intervals that are flattened a semitone |
| diminished seventh | A four note chord comprising stacked minor thirds |
| diminuendo, decrescendo | Getting softer. The opposite of Crescendo. |
| discord/dissonance | A chord or interval that sounds inharmonious and requires resolution |
| divisi/div. | Divide into two or more groups (for orchestral players) |
| divertimento | Chamber works composed by Mozart and others around the late 18th Century. |
| divisi | When (for instance) Violins 1 & 2 have double notes written on the score and divide themselves so that violin 1 plays the upper part and violin 2 the lower. |
| dolce | Sweetly. |
| dolcissimo/dolciss. | Very sweetly |
| dolente | Sadly. |
| dolore | Grief, sorrow |
| doppio (movemento) | Double (the speed) |
| dominant | The fifth note of the major or minor scale and the chord that is built upon that note. |
| dominant seventh | A major triad with a flattened seventh note added |
| doppio | Double |
| doppio moviment | Twice as fast |
| double barline | Two vertical lines denoting the end of a piece of music |
| dotted rhythm | When a dotted note is (repetitively) followed by a shorter note producing the characteristic long-short (dah dee dah dee) rhythm. |
| double flat | A semitone lower than an ordinary flat. E.g: Ebb =Db |
| double sharp |
A semitone higher than an ordinary sharp. E.g: F double sharp = G |
| double stop | Two strings played simultaneously on a stringed instrument. |
| duet | A piece for two performers |
| duo | A duet |
| duple time | Where the bar is divided into two beats, e.g: 2/4, 2/2, 6/8
dynamics The ‘louds’ and ‘softs’ of music. |
|
E
| ecossaise | A Scottish dance in 3/4 |
| ein wenig | A little |
| elegy, elegie | A song of lament |
| embouchure | The positioning of the lips in relation to the mouthpiece for woodwind and brass players |
| encore | Again (as an excited audience would request) |
| energico | Energetic |
| enharmonic | Different names for the same sounding note, e.g: C# could also be described as Db |
| ensemble | A group of performers |
| epilogue | A concluding or ending part. |
| episode | 1) In the development of a Fugue, passages that link the subjects together. 2) In Rondo form (or ternary) the sections that alternate with the main theme. |
| espressione |
Expression. |
| espressivo | With feeling (expression) |
| essential note | An actual note of the chord, as opposed to a passing note |
| etwas | Somewhat |
| etude | A study – usually a piece designed to display the performers technique. |
| exposition | 1) The first section of sonata form in which musical themes or ideas are introduced. Usually the music begins in the tonic key and concludes in the dominant. 2) In a fugue, the first subject is imitated and developed by several voices. |
| extemporization |
Improvisation |
|
F
| facile | Easy, Simple |
| fanfare | Flourish of trumpets |
| fantasia, fantasie |
A piece in improvisatory style |
| falsetto | A male voice singing notes higher than their normal range |
| fantasy | Type of composition unlike formal music, but where form is unimportant and suggests extemporisation. |
| figured bass |
Also known as continuo, whereby keyboard players in the baroque era played the bass line and extemporaneously filled in the chords, denoted by figures, e.g: 6, 6/4, 5/3 |
| finale | Final movement of a sonata, symphony, string quartet or similar work. fine The end. |
| first inversion | The 3rd (as in degree of the scale) note of the chord is in the bass first subject The first theme/melody in Sonata form |
| flamenco | Spanish dance with accompanying guitar playing |
| forte | To be played loudly, abbreviated form is fforte piano (fp) Loud, then soft |
| fortissimo | To be played very loudly, shortened to ff |
| forza(ando) | Force(ing) |
| french (german, italian) sixth | Augmented 6th chords named after European nationalities. See Wikipedia |
| fugue, fugal | A highly contrapuntal form perfected by J.S. Bach where imitation of up to four subject themes is developed. |
| fundamental note | The primary note of the harmonic series |
| fuoco | Fire. |
| furioso | Furiously. |
|
G
| galliard | A 16th and 17th century dance in quick triple time |
| gavotte | A gracious Baroque dance in duple time. |
| general pause (G.P.) | Rest or pause for the entire orchestra/ensemble. |
| german (french, italian) sixth | Augmented 6th chords named after European nationalities. See Wikipedia |
| gigue | Baroque suite dance in 6/8 or 12/8, lively and in Binary (AB) form. Often the last movement of the suite |
| giocoso | Merrily, happily, stems from jokily. |
| giusto | Exact, correct. Think of ‘just so’ |
| glissando | Sliding from one pitch to another, sounding all pitches in between. |
| groundbass | A short repetitive bass tune with varied treatment above it grandioso In a grand manner. |
| grave | Very slow. |
| grazioso | Gracefully. |
|
H
| H B | natural (ger.) |
| habanera | Slow (Cuban) song and dance in simple duple time and dotted rhythm |
| harmonic series | The tones (or partials) which exist above a fundamental note. |
| harmony | The combination of notes, melody and accompaniment |
| harmonic progression | The succession of chords in a piece of music. Also popularly called the chord sequence. |
| harmony | If melody is the bones then harmony is the flesh. The notes that are added to a melody (or bass line) to give it added beauty and pleasantly sounding structure. |
| hemiola | When music shifts the emphasis of the rhythm from duple to triple (or visa versa) |
|
I
| immer | Always (ger.) |
| imitation | The statement of a single motive or melody by two or more voices in succession, often in staggered entrances so one part continues as another enters, as in a round. |
| imperfect cadence | Chord I, II or IV – V |
| impetuoso | Impetuously |
| impressionism | Term used to describe music by composers such as Ravel and Debussy. The use of dissonance was used to create new moods and effects. |
| impromptu | A improvised piece, e.g: Schubert’s Impromptus |
| incalzando | Getting faster and louder |
| interlude | Piece of music played between other pieces. |
| intermezzo | In 18th century, a comic work performed between the acts of a serious opera. In the 19th and 20th centuries, a middle movement in a larger work, or a short lyrical piece written for piano. |
| interrupted cadence | Chord V – VI |
| interval | The distance between two notes, measured by scale degrees or steps. |
| invention | A short contrapuntal piece stemming from a single musical idea. e.g. Bach’s 2 part inventions. |
| inversion | Turned upside down as in chords/intervals |
| italian (french, german) sixth |
Augmented 6th chords named after European nationalities. See Wikipedia |
|
J
| jazz | Popular style music with syncopation and improvisation |
|
K
| key | The relationship between pitches that establish the tonal centre of music. Most music is written in either a major or minor key but can move to other keys before moving back to the ‘home’ key. |
| key-note | Tonic note: the first note of the key. E.g: C is the key-note of C major (or minor) |
| key signature | The sharps or flats at the beginning of each staff, indicating the key. |
|
L
| langsam | Slow (ger.) |
| langsamer | Slower |
| largamente | Broadly |
| larghetto | Faster than Largo |
| largo | Very slow tempo. Often used in solemn and funereal music. |
| leading-note | Seventh degree of the scale E.g: In G major the Leading-note is F# |
| ledger lines | Short lines above or below the stave to accommodate notes higher or lower than the stave |
| legato | Smoothly. |
| leggiero | Lightly. |
| lento | Slowly. Somewhere between Largo and Adagio. |
| leitmotiv | A theme that represents a character or idea |
| libretto | Words of an opera |
| lieder ohne worte | Songs without words |
| lied, lieder | German songs of the Romantic era |
| l’istesso tempo | An instruction to performers to maintain the same tempo despite a change in time signature or character. |
| loco | At normal pitch (indicated after a passage an octave higher or lower) |
| lunga pausa | Long pause |
| lusingando | In a coaxing style |
|
M
| madrigal | A contrapuntal composition for unaccompanied voices from the 16th and early 17th centuries |
| maestoso | Majestically. |
| maggiore | Major |
| ma non troppo | but not too much. May be preceded by Allegro (for instance) meaning fast but not overly. |
| mano destra | (abbr.) m.d. Right hand. |
| mano sinistra | (abbr.) m.s. Left hand. |
| marcato | Marked, accented. |
| martellato | Hammered |
| mazurka | A Polish dance in triple time. |
| measure | Unit of time made up of equal numbers of beats, divided by bar lines. (same as Bar) |
| mediant | Third degree of the scale E.g: In F major the Mediant would be A |
| meno | Less. |
| meno mosso | Less movement. |
| mesto | Sadly |
| meter | The organization of rhythm and beats. |
| mezzo forte | Moderately loud. |
| mezzo piano | Moderately soft. |
| minim | Note lasting 2 crotchet beats |
| misterioso | Mysteriously |
| minuet, menuett | A stately dance in ¾ time. Very popular in the 18th century and often forming the third movement of classical symphonies, usually with a middle section called a trio which traditionally used a smaller group of instruments. A second minuet called a trio follows |
| mit | With |
| modality, modal | A musical system based on scales popular in Renaissance and Medieval music. Often found as well in folk music. Similar to major and minor scales in some respects, but containing altered tones that color our perception of the scale. |
| moderato | Moderate tempo. Falls between andante and allegro. |
| modulation | A process whereby music shifts from one key to another. |
| molto | Very. As in molto allegro – very fast. |
| moll | Minor |
| mordents | Ornaments that start on the note, go up (upper) or down (lower) one note and back to the note again |
| morendo | Dying away. |
| mosso, moto, movimento | Movement |
| motive, motif | The shortest musical idea of rhythmic or melodic identity that retains its identity when elaborated or transformed. |
| movement | A part of a larger composition such as a symphony or concerto. The work often contains 3 or more movements and there is usually a pause in between where it is convention for audiences not to applaud. music The intellectual organization of sound and it’s written language. |
|
N
| natural | Note other than a sharp or flat |
| neoclassic, neoclassical | Certain works composed in the 20th Century in which the aesthetics and ideas employed during the classical period of the 18th century are restored. |
| neapolitan sixth | A major chord built on the flattened supertonic note. Usually in the first inversion |
| nicht | Not |
| niente | Nothing. |
| nocturne | Means night piece. A dreamy and lyrical piece (Chopin, Field) |
| nobilmente | Nobly. |
| non tanto | Not so much. |
| non troppo | Not too much. |
| nonet, nonette, nonetto | Composition for nine solo instruments |
| note-row/tone-row | A row of 12 notes arranged in any order to form a composition |
|
O
| obbligato | Cannot be omitted, where the part is obligatory |
| octave | Interval of eight notes, i.e. from C-C |
| octet | Any combination of eight performers in an ensemble |
| opera | Drama set to music in a theatre, primarily sung and accompanied by an orchestra or ensemble. |
| operetta | Little opera |
| opera buffa | Comic opera. |
| opus | Some composers have conveniently catalogued or numbered their works. Beethoven would perhaps number a piano sonata - Opus 31 No. 3. Other composers had someone do it for them i.e., K. (Koechel for Mozart) or Hob. (Hoboken for Haydn) |
| oratorio | Vocal work like an opera but without costumes and staging. |
| ornaments | Decorations, embellishments. E.g: mordents, trills, |
| ossia | Or |
| ostinato | A short musical pattern or sequence sometimes in the bass that repeats persistently |
| overture | An orchestral introduction to an opera or oratorio overture Instrumental composition intended as an introduction to an opera or other dramatic vocal work, or from the 19th century onwards could be piece of instrumental music using a similar model but intended for solo performance (often piano) |
|
P
| pastorale | In a pastoral style. |
| patetico | With emotion or feeling. |
| pedal, pedal point | A sustained note, not always in the bass upon which various harmonies continue to change. |
| pentatonic | Five-note scale and music based on such a scale, found in folk music of many cultures and sometimes in 19th- and 20th- century Western art music. |
| perdendosi | Dying away. |
| periods in music | The table below gives a rough and conveniently rounded off chronology of the various stylistic periods of music. |
| Medieval (Middle Ages) 500-1450 Renaissance Baroque Classical Romantic Twentieth Century Rococo Early Classical Impressionist Expressionist |
|
| perpetuum mobile | Continuous rhythmic motion, employing a consistent note value that proceeds rapidly without pause for an entire section or movement. |
| pesante | To be played heavily or weightily.. |
| phrase | A musical phrase resembling a phrase of speech. |
| piano | To be played softly, abbreviated form is p |
| pianissimo | To be played very softly, shortened to pp |
| piu | More. |
| pizzicato | Played by plucking the string as opposed to using a bow. |
| plagal cadence | The chord of the subdominant followed by the chord of the tonic. Known as the ‘Amen’ cadence as it always used to sing the closing amen by members of protestant churches. |
| poco a poco | Little by little. |
| polyphony, polyphonic | Music that simultaneously combines more than one voice. Literary means ‘many sounding’. |
| presto | Tempo indication for very fast. |
| prestissimo | As fast as possible |
| principal | Leader of a section of an orchestra, except for first violins who are led by the concertmaster. |
| program music, programmatic | Instrumental music often inspired by nature, art or literature, as opposed to purely musical ideas. |
|
|
Q
| quadruple time | Four beats in a bar 4/4 4/2 |
| quadruplet | A group of four notes, played in the time of three |
| quartet | A group of four performers.. |
| quasi | Like, similar to. |
| quasi una fantasia | Like a fantasia |
| quaver | Note lasting half a beat/crotchet |
|
R
| ragtime | Early type of jazz, popular from 1895-1920. Scott Joplin was a typical composer. |
| rallentando | Getting gradually slower. |
| recapitulation | A restatement of themes introduced in the exposition (or first section) of sonata form. Usually, the second subject is restated in the tonic key instead of the dominant. (as it was in the exposition) |
| recitative | Dramatic singing style, used particularly in opera, oratorio, and cantata. redundant entry An extra entry of the first voice in a Fugue, at the end of the Exposition |
| reel | A lively dance usually in 4/4. Popular in Scotland, but of Scandinavian origin |
| reggae | Rhythmic soul music, Jamaican origins |
| requiem | A Mass for the dead set to music |
| rest | Silence |
| riff | short, repetitive passage used in Jazz, Rock etc. |
| rhythm | The pattern of movement in time as defined by the duration of pitches. |
| ripieno | The term used for the orchestra in a Concerto Grosso |
| risoluto | Boldly. |
| ritardando (ritard) | Getting gradually slower. |
| ritenuto (rit.) | Hold back (the tempo) |
| riitmico | Rhythmically. |
| Romantic | The period of music history approximately from the early-19th to early-20th centuries. Emphasis on individual creative imagination. |
| rondo form | A form whereby a principal theme alternates with other (varied) themes called episodes on the pattern A B A C A, A being the principal theme and B and C being the episodes. There are other variations of this format. |
| root position | When the keynote of the chord is in the bass i.e. when C is the lowest note of the chord of C |
| round | Perpetual canon. E.g: London’s Burning. |
| rubato | Robbed time, not strict tempo. |
| ruhig | Peaceful. |
|
S
| sarabande | Baroque suite dance in slow triple time with accent on the second beat |
| scale | Notes moving up or down stepwise (from ‘Scala’ it. meaning ladder) |
| scherzo | Scherzo means “joke,” and is usually a movement or piece that is playful in style. Beethoven often substituted the minuet for the scherzo in his sonatas and symphonies; The character of a scherzo can be also be grim and sinister. |
| scherzando | Playfully. |
| schnell(er) | Quick(er) |
| score | Musical notation showing all parts arranged one underneath the other. |
| second inversion | The fifth note of the chord is in the bass |
| second subject | The second theme in Sonata form |
| segue | The next section follows without a break or continue without stopping. |
| sehr | Very |
| semibreve | Note lasting 4 beats/crotchets (whole-note) |
| semiquaver | Note lasting 1/4 value of a crotchet |
| semitone | Two closest notes. E.g ; C to C# |
| semplice | Simple. |
| sempre | Always. |
| senza | Without. |
| senza sordini | String direction – to play without mutes. |
| septet | A group of seven performers |
| sequence | When a phrase is repeated at a different pitch, either higher or lower |
| serial, serialism | Method of composition where a series of tones (pitches) in a predetermined order are used as the basis the work is built on. The ‘twelve tone’ system uses all 12 notes of the scale rather than the conventional major/minor scale system. sextet A group of six performers |
| sforzando (sf, sfz) | With a sudden accent |
| sharp | Raises the note by a semitone |
| siciliano | A slow dance in 6/8 or 12/8 |
| simile | In the same way. |
| slargando | Get gradually slower. |
| slentando | Get gradually slower. |
| slur | Curved line, meaning to play the notes smoothly |
| smorzando | Dying away. |
| sonata | Composition for one or more instruments, usually in several movements; Typically, the Baroque sonata is very different from the classical sonata however. Originally meant a work for an instrument as opposed to Cantata which indicated a vocal work. |
| sonata form | Typifies the the Classical Period, where musical ideas are introduced through exposition, development and recapitulation, sometimes finishing with a coda. The design enhanced the idea of a home key moving to its dominant, exploring other keys and then returning to the main theme but this time remaining in the tonic. |
| sonatina | A small sonata |
| sonoro | With a rich, full tone. |
| sopra | Above. |
| soprano | Highest female voice |
| sordino | Mute |
| sospirando | Sighing. |
| sostenuto | Sustained. |
| sotto | Below. |
| sotto voce | In an undertone. |
| spiccato | Detached, with springy bow ( for string players) |
| spiritoso | Spirited, lively. |
| staccatissimo | Play the notes very short and detached. |
| staccato | Short and detached. |
| stave/staff | The five lines and four spaces on which notes are written |
| strepitoso | Noisy, boisterous |
| stretto | A fugal technique where voices will enter before the previous voice is complete. |
| string family | Violin, viola, cello, double bass |
| stringendo | Gradually Getting faster |
| subdominant | 4th degree of the = scale E.g: In C major the Subdominant note is F |
| subito | Suddenly, quickly. |
| subject | Musical theme. |
| submediant | Sixth degree of the scale E.g: In C major the Submediant note is A |
| suite | Instrumental composition consisting of several movements in dance character, usually in the same key. Later suites are often extracts from an opera or ballet. |
| sul | On |
| sul G | Play on the G string |
| sul ponticello | Play near the bridge (string instruments) |
| supertonic | Second degree of the scale E.g: In C major the Supertonic note is D suspension Sustained or “held-over” note of a chord that becomes dissonant when other voices of the chord move to a new harmony, usually resolved down a step or half step. |
| suss | Sweet. |
| symphonic poem | An orchestral work that depicts stories or images. See program music. symphony In a broad sense, a work for orchestra in multiple movements. |
| syncopation | Where ‘off’ beats are accented instead of the main beats, common in jazz music. |
|
T
| tacet | To be silent |
| tablature | Use of diagrams rather than notes, informing the guitarist of the position of the fingers |
| tango | Argentinean dance in 2/4 time. |
| tanto | So much |
| tarantella | A very lively dance in 6/8, which originated in Italy |
| tempo | The speed at which music is performed. |
| tempo comodo | At a comfortable speed |
| tempo giusto | In strict time |
| tempo primo | Back to original speed. |
| tempo rubato | Freely, without strict tempo. |
| ternary form | A movement in three parts in which the first and third parts are very similar, with a contrasting middle section (A B A). |
| teneramente | Tenderly |
| tenerezza | Tenderness |
| tenor | High male voice |
| tenuto | Held on for full value. |
| theme with variations | A form in which a self-contained musical unit is followed by a series of modifications of the original material. |
| tierce de picardie | In which the final chord of a piece in a minor key is major |
| timbre | Tone-colour. The quality of sound from an instrument or singer |
| time signature | Sign after the clef and key signature, indicating the number of beats in a bar. E.g: 2/4, 6/8 |
| toccata | An Italian word meaning to ‘touch’ designed to display the brilliance of the performer. |
| tonality | Key: Major, minor |
| tone poem | Programmatic orchestral composition in one movement. |
| tonic | The first note of a scale, or the chord built upon that note. |
| transposition | Changing the pitch. E.g: raising the pitch from F major to G major |
| tranquillo | Quiet and calm. |
| traurig | Sad. |
| treble | The high part of the musical stave as opposed to the bass or lower part. An unbroken boy’s voice |
| tre corda | Release the left pedal (on the piano) |
| triad | Chord made up of three notes: Usually the 1st (root) 3rd and 5th notes of the scale combined. |
| trill | Ornament involving the written note and one higher played quickly several times |
| trio | 1) Composition in three voices. 2) Composition for three performers. 3) Second section in a symphony or sonata minuet or scherzo movement, followed by a repetition of the minuet or scherzo. |
| trionfale, trionfante | Triumphant |
| triple counterpoint | Three melodic parts interwoven |
| tritone | Three whole tones (Augmented 4th) |
| troppo | Too much |
| tutti | All. |
| twelve-bar blues | Twelve bars of repeating chord pattern used in Blues and Rock music: I,I,I,I, IV,IV,I,I V,IV,I,I |
| twelve-tone music | 20th century system of composition in which a predetermined order of the twelve notes of the chromatic scale, and variations of this pattern, are systematically followed throughout a composition. |
|
U
| una corda | Use the left pedal (on the piano) lit. one string |
| und | And. (ger.) |
| un peu | A little |
| un poco | A little |
| unison/unis. | No harmony. Everyone plays/sings the same note |
|
V
| variation | A technique of changing, modifying, or transforming a musical idea. |
| veloce | Swift. |
| vibrato | Vibrating or modulating the tone. |
| vigoroso | Vigorously |
| vivace | Lively, fast. Falls between allegro and presto. |
| voce | Voice. |
| voll | Full. |
| volta | Time. (Prima Volta – 1st time) |
| volta subito (v.s.) | Turn the page quickly. |
|
W
| waltz, walzer | Dance in triple time with accent on the first beat of the bar |
| wenig | Little. |
| whole-tone scale | Scale made up only of intervals of a whole-tone. i.e. C – D – E – F# – G# – A# – C |
| woodwind family | Flute, (piccolo), oboe, (cor anglais), Clarinet, (bass clarinet, Eb clarinet), Bassoon, (contrabassoon) |
|
XYZ
| zart | Delicate |
| zu | Too |
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