Glossary of music terminology

"Pietoso" redirects here. For the fictional character, see Hit-Girl In Rome § Characters.

A variety of musical terms are encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special musical meanings of these phrases differ from the original or current Italian meanings. Most of the other terms are taken from French and German, indicated by Fr. and Ger., respectively.

Unless specified, the terms are Italian or English. The list can never be complete: some terms are common, and others are used only occasionally, and new ones are coined from time to time. Some composers prefer terms from their own language rather than the standard terms listed here.

0–9

On these organ stops, some of the knobs have numbers indicating the length in feet of the longest (the lowest note) organ pipe of the stop

1′

"sifflet" or one foot organ stop

I

usually for orchestral string instruments, used to indicate that the player should play the passage on the highest-pitched, thinnest string

1+3⁄5′

Tierce organ stop

2′

two feet – pipe organ indication; see Organ stop § Pitch and length

2+2⁄3′

pipe organ stop for the twelfth interval

II

usually for orchestral string instruments, used to indicate that the player should play the passage on the second highest string; also used with the Cymbal stop on a pipe organ with the II indicating two ranks of pipes combined to make this stop's sound

III

usually for orchestral string instruments, used to indicate that the player should play the passage on the third-highest string; also used with the Scharf or Mixtur stop on a pipe organ with the III indicating three ranks of pipes

4′

four feet – pipe organ rank that speaks one octave higher than 8′

IV

usually for orchestral string instruments, used to indicate that the player should play the passage on the lowest-pitched, thickest string, i.e. the fourth-highest string

IV–VI

mixture stop on pipe organ; the Roman numeral indicates how many ranks of pipes the stop includes

8′

eight-foot pipe – pipe organ indication for a stop sounding at concert pitch and where the lowest note's pipe is about 8 feet long

16′

sixteen-foot pipe – pipe organ indication calling for one octave below 8′ where the lowest note's pipe is about 16 feet long

32′

thirty-two-foot pipe – pipe organ indication calling for two octaves below 8′ where the lowest note's pipe is about 32 feet long; also called sub-bass

64′

sixty-four-foot pipe – pipe organ indication calling for three octaves below 8′ where the lowest note's pipe is about 64 feet long (only a few organs in the world have this low of a pitch)

A

a or à (Fr.)

at, to, by, for, in

à la (Fr.)

in the style of...

a battuta

Return to normal tempo after a deviation. Not recommended in string parts, due to possible confusion with battuto (qv.); use a tempo, which means the same thing

a bene placito

Up to the performer

a cappella

lit. "in a chapel"; vocal parts only, without instrumental accompaniment

a capriccio

A free and capricious approach to tempo

a due (a 2)

intended as a duet; for two voices or instruments; together; two instruments are to play in unison after a solo passage for one of the instruments

a niente

To nothing; indicating a diminuendo which fades completely away

a piacere

At pleasure (i.e. the performer need not follow the rhythm strictly, for example in a cadenza)

a prima vista

lit. "at first sight". Sight-reading (i.e. played or sung from written notation without prior review of the written material; refer to the figure)

a tempo

In time (i.e. the performer should return to the stable tempo, such as after an accelerando or ritardando); 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)

ab (Ger.)

off, organ stops or mutes

abafando (Port.)

muffled, muted

abandon or avec (Fr.)

free, unrestrained, passionate

abbandonatamente, con abbandono

freely, in relaxed mode

aber (Ger.)

but

accarezzevole

Expressive and caressing

accelerando (accel.)

Accelerating; gradually increasing the tempo

accelerato

with increased tempo

accent

Accent, emphasis

accentato/accentuato

Accented; with emphasis

acceso

Ignited, on fire

accessible

Music that is easy to listen to/understand

acciaccato

Broken down, crushed; the sounding of the notes of a chord not quite simultaneously, but from bottom to top

acciaccatura

Crushing (i.e. a very fast grace note that is "crushed" against the note that follows and takes up no value in the measure)

accidental

A note that is not part of the scale indicated by the key signature.

accompagnato

Accompanied (i.e. with the accompaniment following the soloist, who may speed up or slow down at will)

accuratezza

Precision; accuracy. con accuratezza: with precision

acoustic

Relating to music produced by instruments, as opposed to electric or electronic means

ad libitum (commonly ad lib; Latin)

At liberty (i.e. the speed and manner of execution are left to the performer. It can also mean improvisation.)

adagietto

Fairly slowly (but faster than adagio)

adagio

Slowly

adagissimo

Very, very slowly

affannato, affannoso

Anguished

affetto or con affetto

with affect (that is, with emotion)

affettuoso, affettuosamente, or affectueusement (Fr.)

With affect (that is, with emotion); see also con affetto

affrettando

Hurrying, pressing onwards

agile

Agile, nimble

agitato

Agitated

al or alla

To the, in the manner of (al before masculine nouns, alla before feminine)

alcuna licenza

Used in con alcuna licenza, meaning (play) with some freedom in the time, see rubato

alla breve

In cut-time; two beats per measure or the equivalent thereof

alla marcia

In the style of a march

alla polacca

In the style of a polonaise, a ³
₄ dance

alla Siciliana

In the style of a graceful Sicilian rustic dance;

allargando

Broadening, becoming progressively slower

allegretto

A little lively, moderately fast

allegretto vivace

A moderately quick tempo

allegrezza

Cheerfulness, joyfulness

allegrissimo

Very fast, though slower than presto

allegro

Cheerful or brisk; but commonly interpreted as lively, fast

all'ottava

"at the octave", see ottava

alt (Eng.), alt dom, or altered dominant

A jazz term which instructs chord-playing musicians such as a jazz pianist or jazz guitarist to perform a dominant (V7) chord with at least one (often both) altered (sharpened or flattened) 5th or 9th

altissimo

Very high; see also in altissimo

alto

High; often refers to a particular range of voice, 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 bridge (i.e. playing a bowed string instrument near its bridge, which produces a heavier, stronger tone); see sul ponticello

amabile

Amiable, pleasant

ambitus

Range between highest and lowest note

amore or amor (Sp./Port., sometimes It.)

Love; con amore: with love, tenderly

amoroso

Loving

anacrusis

A note or notes that precede the first full bar; a pickup

andamento

A fugue subject of above-average length

andante

At a walking pace (i.e. at a moderate tempo)

andantino

Slightly faster than andante (but earlier it is sometimes used to mean slightly slower than andante)

ängstlich (Ger.)

Anxiously

anima

Soul; con anima: with feeling

animandosi

Progressively more animated

animato

Animated, lively

antiphon

A liturgical or other composition consisting of choral responses, sometimes between two choirs; a passage of this nature forming part of another composition; a repeated passage in a psalm or other liturgical piece, similar to a refrain.

antiphonal

A style of composition in which two sections of singers or instrumentalists exchange sections or music one after the other; typically the performers are on different sides of a hall or venue

apaisé (Fr.)

Calmed

appassionato

Passionate

appoggiatura or leaning note

One or more grace notes that take up some note value of the next full note.

arco

The bow used for playing some string instruments (i.e. played with the bow, as opposed to pizzicato, in music for bowed instruments); normally used to cancel a pizzicato direction

aria

Self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment (which may be provided by a pianist using an orchestral reduction)

arietta

A short aria

arioso

Airy, or like an air (a melody) (i.e. in the manner of an aria); melodious

armonioso

Harmonious

arpeggio, arpeggiato

played like a harp (i.e. the notes of the chords are to be played quickly one after another instead of simultaneously); in music for piano, 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

articulato

Articulate

assai

Much, very much

assez (Fr.)

Enough, sufficiently

attacca

Attack or attach; go straight on (i.e. at the end of a movement, a direction to attach the next movement to the previous one, without a gap or pause). Often used as "attacca subito," meaning a "sudden" movement transition (literally, "attack suddenly").

Ausdruck (Ger.)

Expression

ausdrucksvoll or mit Ausdruck (Ger.)

Expressively, with expression

avec (Fr.)

With

B

B

German for B flat (also in Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Icelandic, Danish, Croatian, Estonian and Hungarian); H in German is B natural

ballabile

(from the Italian Ballabile meaning "danceable") In ballet, a dance performed by the corps de ballet. The term Grand ballabile is used if nearly all participants (including principal characters) of a particular scene in a full-length work perform a large-scale dance.

bar, or measure

unit of music containing a number of beats as indicated by a time signature; also the vertical bar enclosing it

barbaro

Barbarous (notably used in Allegro barbaro by Béla Bartók)

baritone

A male vocal range that lies between the ranges of bass and tenor

Bartók pizzicato

An instruction to string performers to play a pizzicato note to pull the string away from the fingerboard so that it snaps back percussively on the fingerboard.

bass

The lowest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano); the lowest melodic line in a musical composition, often thought 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 accompaniment part played continuously throughout a piece by a chordal instrument (pipe organ, harpischord, lute, etc.), often with a bass instrument, to give harmonic structure; used especially in the Baroque period

battement (Fr.)

Used in the 17th century to refer to ornaments consisting of two adjacent notes, such as trills or mordents

battuto (Ital.)

To strike the strings with the bow (on a bowed stringed instrument)

beam

Horizontal or diagonal line used to connect multiple consecutive notes

beat

1. The pronounced rhythm of music
2. One single stroke of a rhythmic accent

belebt or belebter (Ger.)

Spirited, vivacious, lively

bellicoso

Warlike, aggressive (English cognate is "bellicose")

ben or bene

Well; in ben marcato ("well marked") for example

bend

In jazz, either establishing a pitch, sliding down half a step and returning to the original pitch or sliding up half a step from the original note

beschleunigt (Ger.)

Accelerated, as in mit beschleunigter Geschwindigkeit, at an accelerated tempo

bewegt (Ger.)

Moved, with speed

binary

A musical form in two sections: AB

bird's eye

Slang for fermata, which instructs the performer to hold a note or chord as long as they wish or following cues from a conductor

bis (Fr., It.)

Twice (i.e. repeat the relevant action or passage)

bisbigliando

Whispering (i.e. a special tremolo effect on the harp where a chord or note is rapidly repeated at a low volume)

bocca chiusa

with closed mouth (sometimes abbreviated B.C.)

bravura

Boldness; as in con bravura, boldly, flaunting technical skill

breit (Ger.)

Broad

bridge

1. Transitional passage connecting two sections of a composition, or between two A sections (e.g., in an A/B/A form).
2. Part of a violin family or guitar/lute stringed instrument that holds the strings in place and transmits their vibrations to the resonant body of the instrument.

brillante

Brilliantly, with sparkle. Play in a showy and spirited style.

brio or brioso

Vigour; usually in con brio: with spirit or vigour

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, which as an accompaniment pattern may be seen as a kind of broken chord; see Alberti bass.

bruscamente

Brusquely, suddenly

C

cabaletta

The concluding, rapid, audience-rousing section of an aria

cadence

A melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of resolution

cadenza

A solo section, usually in a concerto or similar work, that is used to display the performer's technique, sometimes at considerable length

calando

Falling away, or lowering (i.e. getting slower and quieter; ritardando along with diminuendo)

calma

Calm; so con calma, calmly. Also calmato meaning calmed, relaxed

calore

Warmth; so con calore, warmly

cambiare

To change (i.e. any change, such as to a new instrument)

cambiata

An ornamental tone following a principal tone by a skip up or down, usually of a third, and proceeding in the opposite direction by a step, not to be confused with changing tone.

canon or kanon (Ger.)

A theme that is repeated and imitated and built upon by other instruments with a time delay, creating a layered effect; see Pachelbel's Canon.

cantabile or cantando

In a singing style. In instrumental music, a style of playing that imitates the way the human voice might express the music, with a measured tempo and flexible legato.

cantilena

a vocal melody or instrumental passage in a smooth, lyrical style

canto

Chorus; choral; chant

cantus mensuratus or cantus figuratus (Lat.)

Meaning respectively "measured song" or "figured song". Originally used by medieval music theorists, it refers to polyphonic song with exactly measured notes and is used in contrast to cantus planus.

capo

1. capo (short for capotasto: "nut") : A key-changing device for stringed instruments (e.g. guitars and banjos)

2. head (i.e. the beginning, as in da capo)

capriccio

"A humorous, fanciful, or bizarre, composition, often characterized by an idiosyncratic departure from current stylistic norms." See also: Capriccio (disambiguation)

capriccioso

Capricious, unpredictable, volatile

cassa

Drum, usually an orchestral bass drum. Sometimes written as Gran Cassa where Gran specifically means Bass

cavalleresco

Chivalrous (used in Carl Nielsen's violin concerto)

cédez (Fr.)

Yield, give way

cesura or caesura (Lat.)

Break, stop; (i.e. a complete 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)

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

col or colla

with the (col before a masculine noun, colla before a feminine noun); (see next for example)

col canto

with the singer, see also colla voce

col legno

with the wood: for bowed strings, strike the strings with the stick of the bow (col legno battuto) or draw the stick across the strings (col legno tratto)

col pugno

With the fist (e.g., bang the piano with the fist)

coll'ottava

With the addition of the octave note above or below the written note; abbreviated as col 8, coll' 8, and c. 8va

colla parte

literally "with the part". An indication that another (written-out) part should be followed, i.e. accommodate the tempo, expression, phrasing, and possible rubato of the leading part. In vocal music, also expressed by colla voce

colla voce

literally "with the voice". An instruction, in a choral or orchestral part, that a vocal part should be followed, e.g., play the same notes as the vocal part and accommodate the tempo, expression, etc. of the vocalist

coloratura

Coloration (i.e. elaborate ornamentation of a vocal line, or a soprano voice that is well-suited to such elaboration)

colossale

Enormous, immense (notably used in the first movement of Prokofiev's second piano concerto)

come prima

As before, typically referring to an earlier tempo

come sopra

As above (i.e. like the previous tempo)

common time

The time signature ⁴
₄: four beats per measure, each beat a quarter note (a crotchet) in length. ⁴
₄ is often written on the musical staff as . The symbol is not a C as an abbreviation for common time, but a broken circle; the full circle at one time stood for triple time, ³
₄.

comodo

Comfortable (i.e. at moderate speed); also, allegro comodo, tempo comodo, etc.

comp

1. abbreviation of accompanying, accompanying music, accompaniment

2. describes the chords, rhythms, and countermelodies that instrumental players used to support a musician's melody and improvised solos.

3. Ostinato

comping (jazz)

1. to comp; action of accompanying.

con

With; used in very many musical directions, for example con allegrezza (with liveliness), con calma (calmly lit. 'with calm'); (see also col and colla)

con dolcezza

See dolce

con sordina or con sordine (plural)

With a mute, or with mutes. Frequently seen in music as (incorrect Italian) con sordino, or con sordini (plural).

concerto

Composition for solo instrument(s) and orchestra

concerto grosso

Composition for a group of solo instruments (concertino or soli) and orchestra (ripieno or tutti)

conjunct

An adjective applied to a melodic line that moves by step (intervals of a 2nd) rather than in disjunct motion (by leap).

contralto

Lowest female singing voice type

contrapuntalism

See counterpoint

coperti

(plural of coperto) covered (i.e. on a drum, muted with a cloth)

corda

String. On the piano it refers to use of the soft pedal, which controls whether the hammer strikes one or three strings; see una corda, tre corde below.

count

Series of regularly occurring sounds to assist with ready identification of beat

crescendo (cresc.)

Growing; (i.e. progressively louder) (contrast diminuendo)

cuivré

Brassy. Used almost exclusively as a French horn technique to indicate a forced, rough tone. A note marked both stopped and loud will be cuivré automatically

custos

Symbol at the very end of a staff of music which indicates the pitch for the first note of the next line as a warning of what is to come. The custos was commonly used in handwritten Renaissance and typeset Baroque music.

cut time

Same as the meter ²
₂: two half-note (minim) beats per measure. Notated and executed like common time (⁴
₄), except with the beat lengths doubled. Indicated by . This 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 also capo)

dal segno (D.S.)

From the sign ()

dal segno alla coda (D.S. alla coda)

Repeat to the sign and continue to the coda sign, then play coda

dal segno al fine (D.S. al fine)

From the sign to the end (i.e. return to a place in the music designated by the sign and continue to the end of the piece)

dal segno segno alla coda (D.S.S. alla coda)

Same as D.S. alla coda, but with a double segno

dal segno segno al fine (D.S.S. 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. alla coda) and continue to the end of the piece)

decelerando

Slowing down; decelerating; opposite of accelerando (same as ritardando or rallentando)

deciso

Firm

declamando

Solemn, expressive, impassioned

decrescendo (decresc.)

Gradually decreasing volume (same as diminuendo)

deest

From the Latin deesse meaning to be missing; placed after a catalogue abbreviation to indicate that this particular work does not appear in it; the plural, desunt, refers to several works

delicatamente

Delicately

delicato

Delicate

détaché (Fr.)

Act of playing notes separately

devoto

Pious, religious

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)

di

Of

dissonante

Dissonant

divisi (div.)

Divided (i.e. in a part in which several musicians normally play exactly the same notes they are instead to split the playing of the written simultaneous notes among themselves); it is most often used for string instruments, since with them another means of execution is often possible (the return from divisi is marked unisono)

doit

In jazz, a note that slides to an indefinite pitch chromatically upwards

dolce

Sweet; con dolcezza: with sweetness, sweetly

dolcemente

Sweetly

dolcissimo

Very sweet

dolente

Sorrowful, plaintive

dolore

Pain, distress, sorrow, grief; con dolore: with sadness

doloroso

Sorrowful, plaintive

doppio movimento

lit. Double movement, i.e. the note values are halved

double dot

Two dots placed side by side after a note to indicate that it is to be lengthened by three quarters of its value

double stop

The technique of playing two notes simultaneously on a bowed string instrument

downtempo

A slow, moody, or decreased tempo or played or done in such a tempo. Also a genre of electronic music based on this (downtempo)

drammatico

Dramatic

drone

Bass note or chord performed continuously throughout a composition

drop

In jazz, a note that slides to an indefinite pitch chromatically downwards

duolo

(Ital.) grief

dumpf (Ger.)

Dull

Dur (Ger.)

major; used in key signatures as, for example, A-Dur (A major), B-Dur (B♭ major), or H-Dur (B major) (see also Moll (minor))

dynamics

The relative 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 group of notes is repeated, usually more softly, and perhaps at a different octave, to create an echo effect

égal (Fr.)

Equal

eilend (Ger.)

Hurrying

ein wenig (Ger.)

A little

einfach (Ger.)

Simple

emporté (Fr.)

Fiery, impetuous

en animant (Fr.)

Becoming very lively

en cédant (Fr.)

Yielding

en dehors (Fr.)

Prominently, a directive to make the melody stand out

en mesure (Fr.)

In time

en pressant (Fr.)

Hurrying forward

en retenant (Fr.)

Slowing, holding back

en serrant (Fr.)

Becoming quicker

encore (Fr.)

Again (i.e. a request to perform once more a passage or a piece); a performer returning to the stage to perform an unlisted piece

energico

Energetic, strong

enfatico

Emphatic

eroico

Heroic

espansivo

Effusive; excessive in emotional expression; gushy

espirando

Expiring (i.e. dying away)

espressione

Expression; e.g. con (gran, molta) espressione: with (great, much) expression

espressivo, espress. or espr.

(Italian) Expressive

estinto

Extinct, extinguished (i.e. as soft as possible, lifeless, barely audible)

esultazione

Exultation

et (Fr.)

And

Étude (Fr.)

A composition intended for practice

etwas (Ger.)

As an adverb, little, somewhat, slightly

etwas bewegter (Ger.)

Moving forward a little

F

facile

Easy

fall

In jazz, a note of definite pitch sliding downwards to another note of definite pitch

falsetto

vocal register above the normal voice

fantasia

A piece not adhering to any strict musical form; can also be used in con fantasia: with imagination

feierlich (Ger.)

Solemn, solemnly

fermata

Stop (i.e. a rest or note to be held for a duration that is at the discretion of the performer or conductor) (sometimes called pause or bird's eye); a fermata at the end of a first or intermediate movement or section is usually moderately prolonged, but the final fermata of a symphony may be prolonged for much longer than the note's value, often twice its printed length or more for dramatic effect

feroce

Ferocious

festivamente

Cheerfully, in a celebratory mode

feurig (Ger.)

Fiery

fieramente

Proudly

fil di voce

"thread of voice", very quiet, pianissimo

fill (Eng.)

A jazz or rock term which instructs performers to improvise a scalar passage or riff to "fill in" the brief time between lyrical phrases, the lines of melody, or between two sections

fine

The end, often in phrases like al fine (to the end)

fioritura

the florid embellishment of melodic lines, either notated by a composer or improvised during a performance.

flat

A symbol (♭) that lowers the pitch of a note by a semitone. Also an adjective to describe a singer or musician performing a note in which the intonation is an eighth or a quarter of a semitone too low.

flautando

Flutelike mode; used especially for string instruments to indicate a light, rapid bowing over the fingerboard

flebile

Feeble, low volume

flessibile

flexible

focoso or fuocoso

Fiery (i.e. passionate)

forte (f)

Strong (i.e. to be played or sung loudly)

forte-piano (fp)

Strong-gentle (i.e. loud, then immediately soft; see dynamics)

fortepiano

An early pianoforte

fortissimo (ff)

Very loud (see note at pianissimo)

fortississimo (fff)

As loud as possible

forza

Musical force; con forza: with force

forzando (fz)

See sforzando

freddo

Cold; hence depressive, unemotional

fresco

Fresh

fröhlich (Ger.)

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, 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: with fire, in a fiery manner

furia

Fury

furioso

Furious

G

G.P.

Grand Pause, General Pause; indicates to the performers that the entire ensemble has a rest of indeterminate length, often as a dramatic effect during a loud section

gaudioso

With joy

gemächlich (Ger.)

Unhurried, at a leisurely pace

gemendo

Groaningly

gentile

Gentle

geschwind (Ger.)

Quickly

geteilt (Ger.)

See divisi

getragen (Ger.)

Solemnly, in a stately tempo

giocoso

Playful

gioioso

With joy

giusto

Strict, exact, right (e.g. tempo giusto in strict time)

glissando

A continuous sliding from one pitch to another (a true glissando), or an incidental scale executed while moving from one melodic note to another (an effective glissando). See glissando for further information; and compare portamento.

grace note

An extra note added as an embellishment and not essential to the harmony or melody.

grandioso

Grand, solemn

grave

Slow and serious

grazioso (Fr. gratieusement or gracieusement)

Graceful

guerriero

Warlike, martial

gustoso

(It. tasteful, agreeable) With happy emphasis and forcefulness; in an agreeable manner

H

H

German for B natural; B in German means B flat

Hauptstimme (Ger.)

Main voice, chief part (i.e. the contrapuntal line of primary importance, in opposition to Nebenstimme)

hemiola (English, from Greek)

The imposition of a pattern of rhythm or articulation 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

hold, see fermata

homophony

A musical texture with one voice (or melody line) accompanied by subordinate chords; also used as an adjective (homophonic). Compare with polyphony, in which several independent voices or melody lines are performed at the same time.

hook

A musical idea, often a short riff, passage or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener".

I

immer (Ger.)

Always

imperioso

Imperious, overbearing

impetuoso

Impetuous

improvvisando

With improvisation

improvvisato

Improvised, or as if improvised

improvise

To create music at the spur of the moment, spontaneously, and without preparation (often over a given harmonic framework or chord progression)

in alto

octave above the treble staff, G₅ to G₆

in altissimo

Octave above the in alt octave, G₆ to G₇

in modo di

In the art of, in the style of

in stand

An instruction to brass players to direct the bell of their instrument into the music stand, instead of up and toward the audience, thus muting the sound but without changing the timbre as a mute would

incalzando

Getting faster and louder

innig (Ger.)

Intimate, heartfelt

insistendo

Insistently, deliberately

intimo

Intimate

intro

Opening section of a piece

irato

Angry

-issimamente

The adverbial form of the superlative suffix (most -ly, e.g. leggerissimamente, meaning as light as can be)

-issimo

A suffix for superlative (e.g. fortissimo or prestissimo)

izq. or iz. (Spa.)

Left (hand); abbreviation of izquierda

J

Jazz standard (or simply "standard")

A well-known composition from the jazz repertoire which is widely played and recorded.

jete (Fr. jeté)

Jump; a bowing technique in which the player is instructed to let the bow bounce or jump off the strings.

K

keyboardist (Eng.)

A musician who plays any instrument with a keyboard. In Classical 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.

Klangfarbenmelodie (Ger.)

"Tone-color melody", distribution of pitch or melody among instruments, varying timbre

kräftig (Ger.)

Strong

L

lacrimoso or lagrimoso

Tearful (i.e. sad)

laissez vibrer, l.v. (Fr.)

French for lasciare vibrare ("let vibrate")

lamentando

Lamenting, mournfully

lamentoso

Lamenting, mournfully

langsam (Ger.)

Slowly

largamente

Broadly (i.e. slowly) (same as largo)

larghetto

Somewhat slow; not as slow as largo

larghezza

Broadness; con larghezza: with broadness; broadly

larghissimo

Very slow; slower than largo

largo

Broad (i.e. slow)

lasciare suonare

"Let ring", meaning allow the sound to continue, do not damp; used frequently in harp or guitar music, occasionally in piano or percussion. Abbreviated "lasc. suon."

leap or 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 florid vocal music.

lebhaft (Ger.)

Briskly, lively

legato

Joined (i.e. smoothly, in a connected manner) (see also articulation)

leggiadro

Pretty, graceful

leggierissimo

Very light and delicate

leggiero or leggiermente

Light or lightly (the different forms of this word, including leggierezza, "lightness", are spelled without the i in modern Italian, i.e. leggero, leggerissimo, leggermente, leggerezza.)

leidenschaftlich(er) (Ger.)

(More) passionately

lent (Fr.)

Slow

lentando

Gradual slowing and softer

lentissimo

Very slow

lento

Slow

liberamente

Freely

libero

Free

lilt

A jaunty rhythm

l'istesso, l'istesso tempo, or lo stesso tempo

The same tempo, despite changes of time signature, see metric modulation

lo stesso

The same; applied to the manner of articulation, tempo, etc.

loco

[in] place, i.e. perform the notes at the pitch written, 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)

long accent

Hit hard and keep full value of note (>)

lontano

Distant, far away

lugubre

Lugubrious, mournful

luminoso

Luminous

lunga

Long (often applied to a fermata)

lusingando, lusinghiero

Coaxingly, flatteringly, caressingly

M

ma

But

ma non tanto

But not much

ma non troppo

But not too much

maestoso

Majestic, stately

maggiore

The major key

magico

Magical

magnifico

Magnificent

main droite (Fr.)

[played with the] right hand (abbreviation: MD or m.d.)

main gauche (Fr.)

[played with the] left hand (abbreviation: MG or m.g.)

malinconico

Melancholic

mancando

Dying away

mano destra

[played with the] right hand (abbreviation: MD or m.d.)

mano izquierda (Spa.)

[played with the] left hand (abbreviation: m.iz.)

mano sinistra

[played with the] left hand (abbreviation: MS or m.s.)

marcatissimo

With much accentuation

marcato, marc.

Marked (i.e. with accentuation, execute every 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, solemn and fierce

mäßig (Ger.)

(sometimes given as "mässig", "maessig") Moderately

MD

See mano destra or main droite

measure

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 three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping.

melancolico

Melancholic

melisma

The technique of changing the note (pitch) of a syllable of text while it is being sung

meno

Less; see mosso, for example, meno 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 period)

mesto

Mournful, sad

meter or metre

The pattern of a music piece's rhythm of strong and weak beats

mezza voce

Half voice (i.e. with subdued or moderated volume)

mezzo

Half; used in combinations like mezzo forte (mf), meaning moderately loud

mezzo forte (mf)

Half loudly (i.e. moderately loudly). See dynamics.

mezzo piano (mp)

Half softly (i.e. moderately soft). See dynamics.

mezzo-soprano

A female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh 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 a contralto.

MG

See main gauche

minore

Minor key

misterioso

Mysterious

mit Dämpfer (Ger.)

With a mute

M.M.

Metronome Marking. Formerly "Mälzel Metronome."

mobile

Mobile, changeable

moderato

Moderate; often combined with other terms, usually relating to tempo; for example, allegro moderato

modéré (Fr.)

Moderate

modesto

Modest

modulation

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.

Moll (Ger.)

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)

molto

Very

mordent

Rapid single alternation of a note with the note immediately below or above it in the scale, sometimes further distinguished as lower mordent and upper mordent.

morendo

Dying (i.e. dying away in dynamics, and perhaps also in tempo)

mosso

Moved, moving; used with a preceding più or meno, for faster or slower respectively

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)

MS

See mano sinistra

munter (Ger.)

Lively

Musette (Fr.)

A dance or tune of a drone-bass character, originally played by a musette

muta [in...]

Change [to...]: an instruction either to change instrument (e.g. flute to piccolo, horn in F to horn in B♭) or to change tuning (e.g. guitar muta 6 in D). Note: muta comes from the Italian verb mutare (to change); therefore it does not mean "mute", for which con sordina or con sordino is used.

N

nach und nach (Ger.)

Literally "more and more" with an increasing feeling. Ex. "nach und nach belebter und leidenschaftlicher" (with increasing animation and passion)

narrante

Narrating

natural

A symbol (♮) that cancels the effect of a sharp or a flat

naturale (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 show there is no chord being played, and no implied harmony

Nebenstimme (Ger.)

Secondary part (i.e. a secondary contrapuntal part, always occurring simultaneously with, and subsidiary to, the Hauptstimme)

nicht (Ger.)

Not

niente

"nothing", barely audible, dying away, sometimes indicated with a dynamic n

nobile or nobilmente (Ital.) or Noblement (Fr.)

In a noble fashion

noblezza

Nobility

nocturne (Fr.)

A piece written for the night

notes inégales (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

See nocturne.

number opera

An opera consisting of "numbers" (e.g. arias, intermixed with recitative)

O

obbligato

Bound, constrained

octave

Interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. Twelve semitones equal an octave, so do the first and the eighth (hence "oct"ave) note in a major or minor scale.

ohne Dämpfer (Ger.)

Without a mute

omaggio

Homage, celebration

one-voice-per-part (OVPP)

The practice of using solo voices on each musical line or part in choral music.

ordinario (ord.) (Ital.) or position ordinaire (Fr.)

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 player and two other instruments, often an electric guitar player and a drummer.

oppure or ossia (Ital.)

Or (giving an alternative way of performing a passage, which is marked with a footnote, additional small notes, or an additional staff)

ostinato

Obstinate, persistent (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)

ouverture (Fr.)

see Overture

oversinging

Vocal styles that dominate the music they are performed in

overture

An orchestral composition forming the prelude or introduction to an opera, oratorio, etc.

P

parlando or parlante

Lit. speaking; like speech, enunciated

Partitur (Ger.)

Full orchestral score

passionato

Passionate

pastorale

In a pastoral style, peaceful and simple

patetico

Passionate, emotional. A related term is Pathetique: a name attributed to certain works with an emotional focus such as Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony.

pausa

rest

pedale or ped

In piano scores, this instructs the player to press the damper 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.

pensieroso

Thoughtfully, meditatively

perdendosi

Dying away; decrease in dynamics, perhaps also in tempo

pesante

Heavy, ponderous

peu à peu (Fr.)

Little by little

pezzo

A composition

piacevole

Pleasant, agreeable

piangendo

Literally 'crying' (used in Liszt's La Lugubre Gondola no. 2).

piangevole

Plaintive

pianissimo (pp)

very gently (i.e. perform very softly, even softer than piano). This convention can be extended; the more ps that are written, the softer the composer wants the musician to play or sing, thus ppp (pianissimissimo) 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 very softly, 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 (p)

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

Picardy third

A Picardy third, Picardy cadence (ˈpɪkərdi ) or, in French, tierce picarde is a harmonic device used in Western classical music. It refers to the use of a major chord of the tonic at the end of a musical section that is either modal or in a minor key.

piatti

Cymbals, generally meaning a pair of orchestral clashed cymbals

piena

Full, as, for example, a voce piena = "in full voice"

pietoso

Pitiful, piteous

più

More; see mosso

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, which is inserted to cancel a pizzicato instruction; in music for guitar, to mute the strings by resting the palm on the bridge, simulating the sound of pizz. of the bowed string instruments)

plop

In jazz, a note that slides to an indefinite pitch chromatically downwards

pochettino or poch.

Very little; diminutive of poco

pochissimo or pochiss.

Very little; superlative of poco

poco

A little, as in poco più allegro (a little faster)

poco rall

a gradual decrease in speed

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

ponticello or sul ponticello (pont.)

On the bridge (i.e. in string playing, an indication to bow or to pluck very near to the bridge, producing a characteristic glassy sound, which emphasizes the higher harmonics at the expense of the fundamental); the opposite of sul tasto

portamento

Carrying (i.e. 1. generally, 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)

portato or louré

Carried (i.e. non-legato, but not as detached as staccato) (same as portamento)

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, sometimes, fantasia)

precipitato

Precipitately

prelude, prélude (Fr.), preludio (It), praeludium (Lat.), präludium (Ger.)

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/18th century)

prestissimo

Extremely quickly, as fast as possible

presto

Very quickly

prima or primo (the masculine form)

First

prima donna

Leading female singer in an opera company

prima volta

The first time; for example prima volta senza accompagnamento (the first time without accompaniment)

Q

quartal

Composed of the musical interval of the fourth; as in quartal harmony

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)

Almost (e.g. quasi recitativo almost a recitative in an opera, or quasi una fantasia almost a fantasia)

quintal

Composed of the musical interval of the fifth; as in quintal harmony

R

rallentando or rall.

Broadening of the tempo (often not discernible from ritardando); progressively slower

rapide (Fr.)

Fast

rapido

Fast

rasch (Ger.)

Fast

rasguedo (Spa.)

(on the guitar) to play strings with the back of the fingernail; esp. to fan the strings rapidly with the nails of multiple fingers

ravvivando

Quickening (lit. "reviving"), as in "ravvivando il tempo", returning to a faster tempo that occurred earlier in the piece

recitativo

Recitative (lyrics not to be sung but to be recited, imitating the natural inflections of speech)

religioso

Religious

repente

Suddenly

reprise

Repetition of a phrase or verse; return to the original theme

restez (Fr.)

Stay in position, i.e., do not shift (string instruments)

retenu (Fr.)

Hold back; same as the Italian ritenuto (see below)

Ridicolo

Ridiculous, comical

riff

a repeated chord progression or refrain

rilassato

Relaxed

rinforzando (rf, rfz or rinf.)

Reinforcing (i.e. emphasizing); sometimes like a sudden crescendo, but often applied to a single note or brief phrase

risoluto

Resolute

rit.

An abbreviation for ritardando; also an abbreviation for ritenuto

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); opposite of accelerato

ritmico

Rhythmical

ritmo

Rhythm (e.g. ritmo di # battute meaning a rhythm of # measures)

ritornello

A recurring passage

rolled chord

See Arpeggio

rondo

A musical form in which a certain section returns repeatedly, interspersed with other sections: ABACA is a typical structure or ABACABA

roulade (Fr.)

A rolling (i.e. a florid vocal phrase)

rubato

Stolen, robbed (i.e. flexible in tempo), applied to notes within a musical phrase for expressive effect

ruhig (Ger.)

Calm, peaceful

run

A rapid series of ascending or descending musical notes which are closely spaced in pitch forming a scale, arpeggio, or other such pattern. See: Fill (music) and Melisma.

ruvido

Rough

S

saltando

Lit. "jumping": bouncing the bow as in a staccato arpeggio

sanft (Ger.)

Gently

sans nuances (Fr.)

Without shades, with no subtle variations

sans presser (Fr.)

Without rushing

sans rigueur (Fr.)

Without strictness, freely

scatenato

Unchained, wild

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 century some scherzi were independent movements for piano, etc.

schleppend, schleppen (Ger.)

In a dragging manner, to drag; usually nicht schleppen ("don't drag"), paired with nicht eilen ("don't hurry") in Gustav Mahler's scores

schlicht (Ger.)

Plain, simple

schnell (Ger.)

Fast

schneller (Ger.)

Faster

schmerzlich (Ger.)

Sorrowful

schwer (Ger.)

Heavy

schwungvoll (Ger.)

Lively, swinging, bold, spirited

scioltezza

Fluency, agility (used in con scioltezza)

sciolto

Fluent, agile

scordatura

Altered or alternative tuning used for the strings of a string instrument

scorrendo, scorrevole

Gliding from note to note

secco (sec) (Fr.)

Dry (sparse accompaniment, staccato, without resonance); with basso continuo accompaniment for recitativo, this often means that a chordal instrument will play, along with one or more sustained bass instruments. This is in contrast to accompagnato recitativo, which involves the use of continuo and other instruments with their own obbligato parts.

segno

sign, usually Dal segno (see above) "from the sign", indicating a return to the point marked by

segue

Lit. "it follows"; to be carried on to the next section without a pause

sehr (Ger.)

Very

sehr ausdrucksvoll (Ger.)

Very expressive

sehr getragen (Ger.)

Very sustained

semitone

The smallest pitch difference between notes (in most Western music) (e.g. F–F♯) (Note: some contemporary music, non-Western music, and blues and jazz uses microtonal divisions smaller than a semitone)

semplice

Simple

sempre

Always

sentimento

Feeling, emotion

sentito

lit. "felt", with expression

senza

Without

senza misura

Without measure

senza replica

Without repetition: "when a movement, repeated in the first instance, must, on the Da Capo, be played throughout without repetition."

senza sordina or senza sordine (plural)

Without the mute. See sordina.

serioso

Seriously

serrez (Fr.)

Getting faster

sforzando (sf or sfz)

Getting louder with 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; also an adjective to describe a singer or musician performing a note in which the intonation is somewhat 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; also used for the 5th note, sol, when sharpened, in solmization.

siciliana

A Sicilian dance in ¹²
₈ or ⁶
₈ meter

sign

See segno

silenzio

Silence (i.e. without reverberations)

simile

Similar (i.e. continue applying the preceding directive, whatever it was, to the following passage)

sipario

Curtain (stage)

slancio

Momentum, con slancio: with momentum; with enthusiasm

slargando or slentando

Becoming broader or slower (that is, becoming more largo or more lento)

slur

A symbol in Western musical notation (generally a curved line placed over the notes) indicating that the notes it embraces are to be played without separation (that is, with legato articulation)

smorzando (smorz.)

Extinguishing or dampening; usually interpreted as a drop in dynamics, and very often in tempo as well

soave

Smooth, gentle

sognando

Dreaming

solenne

Solemn

solo or soli (plural)

Alone (i.e. executed by a single 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. In orchestral works, soli refers to a divided string section with only one player to a line.

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.

sommo (masc.), somma (fem.)

Highest, maximum; con somma passione: with the greatest passion

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 (Deep or ringing sound)

sonoro

With full sound

sopra

Above; directive to cross hands in a composition for piano, e.g. m.s. sopra: left hand over; opposite: sotto (below)

sopra una corda or sull'istessa corda

To be played on one string

soprano

The highest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano)

sordina, sordine (plural)

A mute. Note: sordina, with plural sordine, is strictly correct Italian, but the forms sordino and sordini are much more commonly used in music. Instruments can have their tone muted with wood, rubber, metal, or plastic devices (for string instruments, mutes are clipped to the bridge; for brass instruments, mutes are inserted in the bell), or parts of the body (guitar; French Horn), or fabric (clarinet; timpani), among other means. In piano music (notably in Beethoven's 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.

sordino

See sordina.

sortita

A principal singer's first entrance in an opera

sospirando

Sighing

sostendo (Galician)

holding back (notably used in El Camino Real by Alfred Reed)

sostenuto

Sustained, lengthened

sotto voce

In an undertone (i.e. quietly)

soutenu (Fr.)

sustained

Sprechgesang

"spoken singing", expressionist vocal technique denoting pitched speaking. Used most notably in the compositions of Arnold Schoenberg such as Pierrot lunaire.

spianato

Smooth, even

spiccato

Distinct, separated (i.e. a way of playing the violin and other bowed instruments by bouncing the bow on the string, giving a characteristic staccato effect)

spinto

Lit. "pushed"

spirito

Spirit, con spirito: with spirit, with feeling

spiritoso

Spirited

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

stem

Vertical line that is directly connected to the [note] head

stentando or stentato (sten. or stent.)

Labored, heavy, in a dragging manner, holding back each note

stornello

Originally truly 'improvised' now taken as 'appearing 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; in some contexts it indicates a rhythmic motion resembling shuffling

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 forward or acceleration of the tempo, that is, becoming stretto)

strisciando

To be played with a smooth slur, a glissando

suave (Sp.)

Soft

subito

Immediately (e.g. subito pp, which instructs the player to suddenly drop to pianissimo as an effect); often abbreviated as sub.

sul

Lit. "on the", as in sul ponticello (on the bridge); sul tasto (on the fingerboard); sul E (on the E string), etc.

sul E

"on the 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.

suono reale

Actual sound; primarily used with notated harmonics where the written pitch is also the sounding pitch

sur la touche (Fr.)

Sul tasto

syncopation

A disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of downbeat rhythm with emphasis on the sub-division or up-beat (e.g. in ragtime music)

T

tacet (Lat.)

Lit. "he/she keeps silent": do not play

tasto, sul tasto or tastiera (tast.)

On the fingerboard (i.e. in string playing, an indication to bow or to pluck over the fingerboard); playing over the fingerboard produces a duller, less harmonically rich, gentler tone. The opposite of sul ponticello.

tasto solo

'single key'; used on a basso continuo part to indicate that only the written notes should be played, without RH chords as normally played by the harpsichordist/organist

tempo

Time (i.e. the overall speed of a piece of music)

tempo di marcia

March tempo

tempo di mezzo

The middle section of a double aria, commonly found in bel canto era Italian operas, especially those of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and their contemporaries as well in many early operas by Verdi. When present, the tempo di mezzo generally signals a shift in the drama from the slow cantabile of the first part to the cabaletta of the second, and this can take the form of some dramatic announcement or action to which the character(s) react in the cabaletta finale.

tempo di valzer

Waltz tempo

tempo giusto

In strict time

tempo primo, tempo uno, or tempo I (sometimes tempo I° or tempo 1^ero)

Resume the original speed

tempo rubato

"Stolen time"; an expressive way of performing a rhythm; see rubato

ten.

See tenuto

teneramente; tendre or tendrement (Fr.)

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 longer than usual, but without generally altering the note's value)

ternary

Having three parts. In particular, a three-part musical form with the parts represented by letters: ABA

tessitura

The 'best' or most comfortable pitch range, generally used to identify the most prominent / common vocal range within a piece of music

tierce de Picardie (Fr.)

See Picardy third

timbre

The quality of a musical tone that distinguishes one tone from another

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

Immediately

tranquillo

Calm, peaceful

transposition

moving a collection of notes up or down in pitch by a constant interval.

trattenuto (tratt.)

Held back with a sustained tone, similar to ritardando

tre corde (tc)

Three strings (i.e. release the soft pedal of the piano) (see una corda)

tremolo

Shaking. As used in 1) and 2) below, it is notated by a strong diagonal bar (or bars) across the note stem, or a detached bar (or bars) for a set of notes.

1. A rapid, measured or unmeasured repetition of the same note. String players perform this tremolo with the bow by rapidly moving the bow while the arm is tense;
2. A rapid, measured or unmeasured alternation between two or more notes, usually more than a whole step apart. In older theory texts this form is sometimes referred to as a "trill-tremolo" (see trill).
3. A rapid, repeated alteration of volume (as on an electronic instrument);
4. vibrato: an inaccurate usage, since vibrato is actually a slight undulation in a sustained pitch, rather than a repetition of the pitch, or variation in volume (see vibrato).

tresillo (Sp.)

A duple-pulse rhythmic cell in Cuban and other Latin American music

trill

A rapid, usually unmeasured alternation between two harmonically adjacent notes (e.g. an interval of a semitone or a whole tone). A similar alternation using a wider interval is called a tremolo.

triplet (shown with a horizontal bracket and a '3')

Three notes in the place of two, used to subdivide a beat.

triste

Sad, wistful

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)

turn

Multi-note ornament above and below the main note; it may also be inverted. Also called gruppetto.

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, una, or uno

One or "a" (indefinite article), as exemplified in the following entries

un poco or un peu (Fr.)

A little

una corda

One string (i.e., in piano music, depressing the soft pedal, which alters and reduces the volume of the sound). For most notes in modern pianos, this results in the hammer striking two strings rather than three. Its counterpart, tre corde (three strings), is the opposite: the soft pedal is to be released.

unisono (unis)

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

uptempo

A fast, lively, or increased tempo, or played or done in such a tempo; it is also 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-do solmization

V

vagans (Lat.)

Lit. "wandering": the fifth part in a motet, named so most probably because it had no specific range

vamp

Improvised accompaniment, usually a repeating pattern played before next musical passage. See vamp till cue. See comp and comping (jazz).

vamp till cue

A jazz, fusion, and musical theatre term which instructs rhythm section members to repeat and vary a short ostinato passage, riff, or "groove" until the band leader or conductor instructs them to move on to the next section

variazioni

Variations, con variazioni: with variations/changes

veloce

Fast

velocità

Speed; con velocità: with speed

velocissimo

As fast as possible; usually applied to a cadenza-like passage or run

via

Away, out, off; as in via sordina or sordina via: 'mute off'

vibrato

Vibrating (i.e. a more or less rapidly repeated slight variation in the pitch of a note, used 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.

vif (Fr.)

Lively

violoncello

cello

virtuoso

(noun or adjective) performing with exceptional ability, technique, or artistry

vite (Fr.)

Fast

vittorioso

Victorious

vivace

Lively, up-tempo

vivacissimo

Very lively

vivamente

With liveliness

vivezza

Liveliness, vivacity

vivo

Lively, intense

vocal score or piano-vocal score

A music score of an opera, musical, or a vocal or choral composition with orchestra (like oratorio or cantata) where the vocal parts are written out in full but the accompaniment is reduced to two staves and adapted for playing on piano

voce

Voice

volante

Flying

volti subito (V.S.)

Turn immediately (i.e. turn the page quickly). While this indication is sometimes added by printers, it is more commonly indicated by orchestral members in pencil as a reminder to quickly turn to the next page.

W

weich (Ger.)

Gentle, gently

wenig (Ger.)

A little, not much

weniger (Ger.)

Less

wolno (Pol.)

Loose, slowly

Z

Zählzeit (Ger.)

Beat

zart (Ger.)

Tender

Zartheit (Ger.)

Tenderness

zärtlich (Ger.)

Tenderly

Zeichen (Ger.)

Sign, mark

Zeitmaß or Zeitmass (Ger.)

Time-measure (i.e. tempo)

zelo, zeloso, zelosamente

Zeal, zealous, zealously

ziehen (Ger.)

To draw out

ziemlich (Ger.)

Fairly, quite, rather

zitternd (Ger.)

Trembling (i.e. tremolando)

zögernd (Ger.)

Hesitantly, delaying (i.e. rallentando)

zurückhalten (Ger.)

Hold back

See also

• Glossary of jazz and popular music
• Glossary of Schenkerian analysis
• List of musical symbols

External links

• Classical musical terms
• Musical Terms Dictionary Definitions
• Music Dictionary, Dolmetsch Online
• Cole, Richard; Schwartz, Ed (October 22, 2012). "Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary". Virginia Tech Department of Music. Archived from the original on October 22, 2014.
• Musical Terms – Glossary of music terms from Naxos