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A variety of
music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
al terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and
program notes A concert program is a selection and ordering, or programming, of pieces to be performed at an occasion, or concert. Programs may be influenced by the available ensemble of instruments, by performer ability or skill, by theme ( historical, progra ...
. 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 German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
, 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

; 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 ; ′ : Tierce organ stop ; 2′ : two feet – pipe organ indication; see ; ′ : 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 string adjacent to the highest-pitched, thinnest string, ie the highest string ; II : cymbal stop on pipe organ ; III : usually for orchestral string instruments, used to indicate that the player should play the passage on string adjacent to (but higher in pitch) than the lowest-pitched, thickest string, ie the third-highest string ; 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, ie the fourth-highest string ; IV–VI :
mixture stop A mixture is an organ stop, usually of principal tone quality, that contains multiple ranks of pipes including at least one mutation stop. It is designed to be drawn with a combination of stops that forms a complete chorus (for example, principals ...
on pipe organ ; 8′ : eight-foot pipe – pipe organ indication ; 16′ : sixteen-foot pipe – pipe organ indication calling for one octave below 8′ ; 32′ : thirty-two-foot pipe – pipe organ indication calling for two octaves below 8′ also called ''sub-bass'' ; 64′ : sixty-four-foot pipe – pipe organ indication (only a few organs have this deep 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. "as in a chapel"; vocal parts only, without instrumental accompaniment ;
a capriccio ''A capriccio'' (Italian: "following one's fancy") is a tempo marking indicating a free and capricious approach to the tempo (and possibly the style) of the piece. This marking will usually modify another, such as ''lento a capriccio'', often us ...
: A free and capricious approach to tempo ;
a due A due in Italian or à deux in French is a musical direction meaning "for two". Most often seen in its abbreviated form ''a2'', the marking signifies that on a staff that normally carries parts for two players, both players are to play the single ...
(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 Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...
strictly, for example in a cadenza) ; a prima vista : ''lit.'' "at first sight".
Sight-reading In music, sight-reading, also called ''a prima vista'' (Italian meaning "at first sight"), is the practice of reading and performing of a piece in a music notation that the performer has not seen or learned before. Sight-singing is used to descr ...
(i.e. played or sung from written notation but without prior review of the written material; refer to the figure) ; a tempo : In time (i.e. the performer should return to the main tempo of the piece, 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 ; (accel.) : Accelerating; gradually increasing the
tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
; 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 In music, ornaments or embellishments are musical flourishes—typically, added notes—that are not essential to carry the overall line of the melody (or harmony), but serve instead to decorate or "ornament" that line (or harmony), provide added ...
: Crushing (i.e. a very fast
grace note A grace note is a kind of music notation denoting several kinds of musical ornaments. It is usually printed smaller to indicate that it is melodically and harmonically nonessential. When occurring by itself, a single grace note indicates eith ...
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. ; : 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 Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...
or
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
means ;
ad libitum In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation. The ...
(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 : with affect (that is, with emotion) ; affettuoso, affettuosamente, or affectueusement (Fr.) : With affect (that is, with emotion); see also ''
con affetto A variety of musical terms are likely to be 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 mus ...
'' ; : 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 Tempo rubato (, , ; 'free in the presentation', literally ) is a musical term referring to expressive and rhythmic freedom by a slight speeding up and then slowing down of the tempo of a piece at the discretion of the soloist or the conductor. Ru ...
'' ;
alla breve ''Alla breve'' also known as cut time or cut common timeis a musical meter notated by the time signature symbol (a C with a vertical line through it), which is the equivalent of . The term is Italian for "on the breve", originally meaning th ...
: 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 The polonaise (, ; pl, polonez ) is a dance of Polish origin, one of the five Polish national dances in time. Its name is French for "Polish" adjective feminine/"Polish woman"/"girl". The original Polish name of the dance is Chodzony, meani ...
, a dance ; allargando : Broadening, becoming progressively slower ;
allegretto In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
: 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 A variety of musical terms are likely to be 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 mus ...
'' ; 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 A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in Sheet music, printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms Italian musical terms used in English, are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many Europea ...
; amabile : Amiable, pleasant ;
ambitus In ancient Roman law, ''ambitus'' was a crime of political corruption, mainly a candidate's attempt to influence the outcome (or direction) of an election through bribery or other forms of soft power. The Latin word ''ambitus'' is the origin ...
: Range between highest and lowest note ; amore or amor (Sp./Port., sometimes It.) : Love; ''con amore'': with love, tenderly ; amoroso : Loving ;
anacrusis In poetic and musical meter, and by analogy in publishing, an anacrusis (from , , literally: 'pushing up', plural ''anacruses'') is a brief introduction (distinct from a literary or musical introduction, foreword, or preface). It is a set of ...
: A note or notes that precede the first full bar; a pickup ;
andamento Andamento is an Italian musical term used to refer to a fugue subject of above-average length. Definition The term was coined by G.B. Martini in the second volume of his work ''Esemplare, ossia Saggio fondamentale pratico di contrappunto'' (1 ...
: Used to refer to 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 An antiphon ( Greek ἀντίφωνον, ἀντί "opposite" and φωνή "voice") is a short chant in Christian ritual, sung as a refrain. The texts of antiphons are the Psalms. Their form was favored by St Ambrose and they feature prominentl ...
: 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.''Collins Music Encyclopedia'', 1959. ; 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 An appoggiatura ( , ; german: Vorschlag or ; french: port de voix) is a musical ornament that consists of an added non-chord note in a melody that is resolved to the regular note of the chord. By putting the non-chord tone on a strong beat, ( ...
or leaning note : One or more
grace note A grace note is a kind of music notation denoting several kinds of musical ornaments. It is usually printed smaller to indicate that it is melodically and harmonically nonessential. When occurring by itself, a single grace note indicates eith ...
s 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 Pizzicato (, ; translated as "pinched", and sometimes roughly as "plucked") is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of instrument : * On bowe ...
, in music for bowed instruments); normally used to cancel a pizzicato direction ;
aria In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...
: 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 In classical music, arioso (also aria parlante ) is a category of solo vocal piece, usually occurring in an opera or oratorio, falling somewhere between recitative and aria in style. Literally, arioso means ''airy''. The term arose in the 16th ...
: 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 Chord may refer to: * Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously ** Guitar chord a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning * Chord (geometry), a line segment joining two points on a curve * Chord ( ...
are to be played quickly one after another instead of simultaneously); in music for
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
, 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 A broken chord is a chord broken into a sequence of notes. A broken chord may repeat some of the notes from the chord and span one or more octaves. An arpeggio () is a type of broken chord, in which the notes that compose a chord are played ...
; 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

; : German for B flat (also in Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Icelandic, Danish, Croatian, Estonian and Hungarian); ''H'' in German is B natural ; : (from the Italian ''Ballabile'' meaning "danceable") In
ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
the term refers to a dance performed by the ''
corps de ballet In ballet, the ''corps de ballet'' (; French for "body of the ballet") is the group of dancers who are not principal dancers or soloists. They are a permanent part of the ballet company and often work as a backdrop for the principal dancers. ...
''. 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 Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...
, or measure : unit of music containing a number of beats as indicated by a
time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...
; also the vertical bar enclosing it. ; : Barbarous (notably used in '' Allegro barbaro'' by Béla Bartók) ; : A term that instructs string performers to play a pizzicato note to pull the string away from the fingerboard so that it snaps back percussively on the fingerboard. ; : 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 The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar i ...
. ; : 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 ; (Fr.) : Used in the 17th century to refer to ornaments consisting of two adjacent notes, such as trills or
mordent In music, a mordent is an ornament indicating that the note is to be played with ''a single'' rapid alternation with the note above or below. Like trills, they can be chromatically modified by a small flat, sharp or natural accidental. The t ...
s ; (Ital.) : To strike the strings with the bow (on a bowed stringed instrument) ; : Horizontal or diagonal line used to connect multiple consecutive
notes Note, notes, or NOTE may refer to: Music and entertainment * Musical note, a pitched sound (or a symbol for a sound) in music * ''Notes'' (album), a 1987 album by Paul Bley and Paul Motian * ''Notes'', a common (yet unofficial) shortened versio ...
. ; : # The pronounced
rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...
of music # One single stroke of a
rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...
ic accent ; or (Ger.) : Spirited, vivacious, lively ; : Warlike, aggressive (English cognate is "bellicose") ; or : Well; in ''ben marcato'' ("well marked") for example ; : Jazz term referring either to establishing a pitch, sliding down half a step and returning to the original pitch or sliding up half a step from the original note. ; (Ger.) : Accelerated, as in ''mit beschleunigter Geschwindigkeit'', at an accelerated tempo ; (Ger.) : Moved, with speed ; : A musical form in two sections: AB ; : A slang term for ''
fermata A fermata (; "from ''fermare'', to stay, or stop"; also known as a hold, pause, colloquially a birdseye or cyclops eye, or as a grand pause when placed on a note or a rest) is a symbol of musical notation indicating that the note should be ...
'', which instructs the performer to hold a note or chord as long as they wish or following cues from a conductor ; (Fr., It.) : Twice (i.e. repeat the relevant action or passage) ; : Whispering (i.e. a special tremolo effect on the harp where a chord or note is rapidly repeated at a low volume) ; : with closed mouth (sometimes abbreviated B.C.) ; : Boldness; as in ''con bravura'', boldly, flaunting technical skill ; (Ger.) : Broad ; : # Transitional passage connecting two sections of a composition, or between two A sections (e.g., in an A/B/A form). # 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. ; : Brilliantly, with sparkle. Play in a showy and spirited style. ; or : Vigour; usually in ''con brio'': with spirit or vigour ; : 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 Alberti bass is a particular kind of accompaniment figure in music, often used in the Classical era, and sometimes the Romantic era. It was named after Domenico Alberti (1710–1740/46), who used it extensively, although he was not the f ...
. ; : Brusquely, suddenly


C

; cabaletta: The concluding, rapid, audience-rousing section of an aria ;
cadence In Western musical theory, a cadence (Latin ''cadentia'', "a falling") is the end of a phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don Michael Randel (199 ...
: 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 Cambiata, or ''nota cambiata'' (Italian for ''changed note''), has a number of different and related meanings in music. Generally it refers to a pattern in a homophonic or polyphonic (and usually contrapuntal) setting of a melody where a note is s ...
: 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 Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...
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 Pachelbel's Canon (also known as the Canon in D, P 37) is an accompanied canon by the German Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel. The canon was originally scored for three violins and basso continuo and paired with a gigue, known as ''Canon and ...
. ;
cantabile In music, ''cantabile'' , an Italian word, means literally "singable" or "songlike". In instrumental music, it is a particular style of playing designed to imitate the human voice. For 18th-century composers, ''cantabile'' is often synonymous wit ...
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 cantilena (Italian for "lullaby" and Latin for "old, familiar song") is a vocal melody or instrumental passage in a smooth, lyrical style. References {{classical-music-stub Classical music styles ...
: 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 Plainsong or plainchant (calque from the French ''plain-chant''; la, cantus planus) is a body of chants used in the liturgies of the Western Church. When referring to the term plainsong, it is those sacred pieces that are composed in Latin text ...
. A later term for cantus mensuratus or cantus figuratus is cantus musicus ("musical song"). ; 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 Da capo (, also , ) is an Italian musical term that means "from the beginning" (literally, "from the head"). It is often abbreviated as D.C. The term is a directive to repeat the previous part of music, often used to save space, and thus is a ...
'') ; 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 A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...
) ; cédez (Fr.) : Yield, give way ;
cesura image:Music-caesura.svg, 300px, An example of a caesura in modern western music notation A caesura (, . caesuras or caesurae; Latin for "cutting"), also written cæsura and cesura, is a Metre (poetry), metrical pause or break in a Verse (poetry), ...
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 In music, a coda () (Italian for "tail", plural ''code'') is a passage that brings a piece (or a movement) to an end. It may be as simple as a few measures, or as complex as an entire section. In classical music The presence of a coda as a st ...
: A small coda, but usually applied to a passage appended to a ''section'' of a movement, not to a whole movement ; or : with the (''col'' before a masculine noun, ''colla'' before a feminine noun); (see next for example) ; col canto : with the singing, see '' colla voce'' ;
col legno In music for bowed string instrument Bowed string instruments are a subcategory of string instruments that are played by a bow rubbing the strings. The bow rubbing the string causes vibration which the instrument emits as sound. Despite th ...
: 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 In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been ref ...
: With the addition of the octave note above or below the written note; abbreviated as ''col 8'', ''coll' 8'', and ''c. 8va'' ; : 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 The musical term ''colossale'' indicates that the performer is to play the so marked passage in a fashion that suggests immensity. An example of this rare expression can be found at the climax of the huge cadenza In music, a cadenza (from ...
: Enormous ; 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 (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...
: The
time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...
: four beats per measure, each beat a
quarter note A quarter note (American) or crotchet ( ) (British) is a musical note played for one quarter of the duration of a whole note (or semibreve). Quarter notes are notated with a filled-in oval note head and a straight, flagless stem. The stem ...
(a crotchet) in length. is often written on the
musical staff In Western musical notation, the staff (US and UK)"staff" in the Collin ...
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, . ; 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) In jazz, comping (an abbreviation of accompaniment; or possibly from the verb, to "complement") is the chords, rhythms, and countermelodies that keyboard players (piano or organ), guitar players, or drummers use to support a musician's improvi ...
:1. to comp; action of accompanying. ; con : With; used in very many musical directions, for example ''con allegrezza'' (with liveliness), ''con amore'' (with tenderness); (see also '' col'' and '' colla'') ; : See
dolce Dolce, the Italian word for 'sweet', may refer to: Places *Dolcè, a municipality in Italy *Dolce (Plzeň-South District), a municipality and village in the Czech Republic *Dolce, a village and part of Jesenice (Příbram District) in the Czech ...
; or con sordine (plural) : With a
mute Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak. Mute or the Mute may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Mute'' (2005 film), a short film by Melissa Joan Hart * ''Mute'' (2018 film), a scien ...
, 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 The concerto grosso (; Italian language, Italian for ''big concert(o)'', plural ''concerti grossi'' ) is a form of baroque music in which the musical material is passed between a small group of soloists (the ''#Concertino, concertino'') and full orc ...
: Composition for a group of solo instruments (concertino or soli) and orchestra (ripieno or tutti) ;
conjunct {{For, the linguistic and logical operation of conjunction, Logical conjunction In linguistics, the term conjunct has three distinct uses: *A conjunct is an adverbial that adds information to the sentence that is not considered part of the propos ...
: An adjective applied to a
melodic A melody (from Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combinat ...
line that moves by step (
intervals Interval may refer to: Mathematics and physics * Interval (mathematics), a range of numbers ** Partially ordered set#Intervals, its generalization from numbers to arbitrary partially ordered sets * A statistical level of measurement * Interval e ...
of a 2nd) rather in disjunct motion (by leap). ;
contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...
: Lowest female singing
voice type A voice type is a group of voices with similar vocal ranges, capable of singing in a similar tessitura, and with similar vocal transition points ('' passaggi''). Voice classification is most strongly associated with European classical music, ...
; 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 The soft pedal (or pedal, ) is one of the standard pedals on a piano, generally placed leftmost among the pedals. On a grand piano this pedal shifts the whole action (including the keyboard) slightly to the right, so that the hammers which nor ...
which controls whether the hammer strikes one or three strings; see ''
una corda The soft pedal (or pedal, ) is one of the standard pedals on a piano, generally placed leftmost among the pedals. On a grand piano this pedal shifts the whole action (including the keyboard) slightly to the right, so that the hammers which no ...
'', '' tre corde'' below. ;
count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
: Series of regularly occurring sounds to assist with ready identification of beat ;
crescendo In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpretation by the performer dependin ...
: Growing; (i.e. progressively louder) (contrast ''
diminuendo In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between note (music), notes or phrase (music), phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpreta ...
'') ; 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 ''Alla breve'' also known as cut time or cut common timeis a musical meter notated by the time signature symbol (a C with a vertical line through it), which is the equivalent of . The term is Italian for "on the breve", originally meaning th ...
: Same as the
meter The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its pref ...
: two half-note (minim) beats per measure. Notated and executed like
common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...
(), except with the beat lengths doubled. Indicated by . This comes from a literal cut of the symbol of
common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...
. Thus, a
quarter note A quarter note (American) or crotchet ( ) (British) is a musical note played for one quarter of the duration of a whole note (or semibreve). Quarter notes are notated with a filled-in oval note head and a straight, flagless stem. The stem ...
in cut time is only half a beat long, and a measure has only two beats. See also ''
alla breve ''Alla breve'' also known as cut time or cut common timeis a musical meter notated by the time signature symbol (a C with a vertical line through it), which is the equivalent of . The term is Italian for "on the breve", originally meaning th ...
''.


D

;
da capo Da capo (, also , ) is an Italian musical term that means "from the beginning" (literally, "from the head"). It is often abbreviated as D.C. The term is a directive to repeat the previous part of music, often used to save space, and thus is a ...
: 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 ; (decresc.) : Gradually decreasing volume (same as diminuendo) ; : From the
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
'' deesse'' meaning ''to be missing''; placed after a catalogue abbreviation to indicate that this particular work does not appear in it; the
plural The plural (sometimes abbreviated pl., pl, or ), in many languages, is one of the values of the grammatical category of number. The plural of a noun typically denotes a quantity greater than the default quantity represented by that noun. This de ...
, ''desunt'', is used when referring to several works ; delicatamente : Delicately ; delicato : Delicate ; détaché (Fr.) : Act of playing notes separately ; devoto : Pious, religious ;
diminuendo In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between note (music), notes or phrase (music), phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpreta ...
, dim. : Dwindling (i.e. with gradually decreasing volume) (same as
decrescendo In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpretation by the performer depen ...
) ; disjunct : An adjective applied to a
melodic A melody (from Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combinat ...
line which moves by leap (
intervals Interval may refer to: Mathematics and physics * Interval (mathematics), a range of numbers ** Partially ordered set#Intervals, its generalization from numbers to arbitrary partially ordered sets * A statistical level of measurement * Interval e ...
of more than a 2nd) as opposed to conjunct motion (by step) ; di : Of ; dissonante :
Dissonant In music, consonance and dissonance are categorizations of simultaneous or successive Sound, sounds. Within the Western tradition, some listeners associate consonance with sweetness, pleasantness, and acceptability, and dissonance with harshness ...
;
divisi In musical terminology, ''divisi'', or as typically printed ''“div.,”'' is an instruction to divide a single section of instruments into multiple subsections. This usually applies to the violins of the string section in an orchestra, although v ...
(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 : Jazz term referring to a note that slides to an indefinite pitch chromatically upwards ; : Sweet; ''con dolcezza'': with sweetness ; 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. twice as fast ; 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 In music, a double stop is the technique of playing two notes simultaneously on a stringed instrument such as a violin, a viola, a cello, or a double bass. On instruments such as the Hardanger fiddle it is common and often employed. In performin ...
: 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. It also refers to a genre of
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...
based on this (
downtempo Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may b ...
) ; drammatico : Dramatic ;
drone Drone most commonly refers to: * Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg * Unmanned aerial vehicle * Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft * Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to: ...
: Bass note or chord performed continuously throughout a composition ; drop : Jazz term referring to a note that slides to an indefinite pitch chromatically downwards ; duolo : (Ital.) grief ; dumpf (Ger.) : Dull ; Dur (Ger.): major; used in
key signature In Western musical notation, a key signature is a set of sharp (), flat (), or rarely, natural () symbols placed on the staff at the beginning of a section of music. The initial key signature in a piece is placed immediately after the clef a ...
s as, for example, A-Dur ( A major), B-Dur ( B major), or H-Dur ( B major) (see also ''
Moll Moll can refer to: As a name * Moll (surname) * Moll Anderson, interior designer, life stylist, author, and former national iHeart Radio host * Moll Anthony, aka Mary Lesson (1807–1878), Irish ''bean feasa'' (wise-woman) * Moll Cutpurse, a ...
'' (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 An encore is an additional performance given by performers after the planned show has ended, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford University Pre ...
(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 An étude (; ) or study is an instrumental musical composition, usually short, designed to provide practice material for perfecting a particular musical skill. The tradition of writing études emerged in the early 19th century with the rapidl ...
(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 : Jazz term describing a note of definite pitch sliding downwards to another note of definite pitch ; falsetto :
vocal register A vocal register is a range of tones in the human voice produced by a particular vibratory pattern of the vocal folds. These registers include modal voice (or normal voice), vocal fry, falsetto, and the whistle register. Registers originate in ...
above the normal voice ;
fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...
: A piece not adhering to any strict musical form; can also be used in ''con fantasia'': with imagination ; feierlich (Ger.) : Solemn, solemnly ;
fermata A fermata (; "from ''fermare'', to stay, or stop"; also known as a hold, pause, colloquially a birdseye or cyclops eye, or as a grand pause when placed on a note or a rest) is a symbol of musical notation indicating that the note should be ...
: 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 ''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 longer than the note's value, typically 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 A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...
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 Fioritura ( , , meaning "flourish" or "flowering"; plural ) is the florid embellishment of melodic lines, either notated by a composer or improvised during a performance. It usually involves lengthy, complex embellishments, as opposed to standardi ...
: 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. The term may also be used as an adjective to describe a situation where a singer or musician is performing a note in which the intonation is an eighth or a quarter of a semitone too 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 () : Strong (i.e. to be played or sung loudly) ; forte-piano () : Strong-gentle (i.e. loud, then immediately soft; see dynamics) ; fortepiano: An early pianoforte ; () : Very loud (see note at
pianissimo In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpretation by the performer dependin ...
) ; fortissimissimo () : As loud as possible ; forza : Musical force; ''con forza'': with force ; forzando () : 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 In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tradi ...
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 In musical terminology, ''divisi'', or as typically printed ''“div.,”'' is an instruction to divide a single section of instruments into multiple subsections. This usually applies to the violins of the string section in an orchestra, although v ...
; 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 In music, portamento (plural: ''portamenti'', from old it, portamento, meaning "carriage" or "carrying") is a pitch sliding from one note to another. The term originated from the Italian expression "''portamento della voce''" ("carriage of the ...
. ;
grace note A grace note is a kind of music notation denoting several kinds of musical ornaments. It is usually printed smaller to indicate that it is melodically and harmonically nonessential. When occurring by itself, a single grace note indicates eith ...
: 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 In music, (German for ''primary voice'') or is the main voice, chief part; i.e., the contrapuntal or melodic line of primary importance, in opposition to . (German for ''secondary voice'') or is the secondary part; i.e., a secondary contr ...
(Ger.) : Main voice, chief part (i.e. the contrapuntal line of primary importance, in opposition to ''Nebenstimme'') ;
hemiola In music, hemiola (also hemiolia) is the ratio 3:2. The equivalent Latin term is sesquialtera. In rhythm, ''hemiola'' refers to three beats of equal value in the time normally occupied by two beats. In pitch, ''hemiola'' refers to the interval of ...
(English, from Greek) : The imposition of a pattern of
rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...
or articulation other than that implied by the time signature; specifically, in triple time (for example in ) the imposition of a duple pattern (as if the time signature were, for example, ). See Syncopation. ; hervortretend (Ger.) : Prominent, pronounced ; hold, see
fermata A fermata (; "from ''fermare'', to stay, or stop"; also known as a hold, pause, colloquially a birdseye or cyclops eye, or as a grand pause when placed on a note or a rest) is a symbol of musical notation indicating that the note should be ...
;
homophony In music, homophony (;, Greek: ὁμόφωνος, ''homóphōnos'', from ὁμός, ''homós'', "same" and φωνή, ''phōnē'', "sound, tone") is a texture in which a primary part is supported by one or more additional strands that flesh ...
: A musical texture with one voice (or melody line) accompanied by subordinate chords; also used as an adjective (homophonic). Compare with
polyphony Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, ...
, in which several independent voices or melody lines are performed at the same time. ;
hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
: 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 a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
) ; : octave above the treble staff, G5 to G6 ; : Octave above the ''in alt'' octave, G6 to G7 ; in modo di : In the art of, in the style of ; in stand : A term for brass players that requires them 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 : A suffix meaning ''as ... as can be'' (e.g. leggerissimamente, meaning ''as light as can be'') ; -issimo : A suffix meaning ''extremely'' (e.g. fortissimo or prestissimo) ; izq. or iz. (Spa.) : Left (hand); abbreviation of ''izquierda''


J

; Jazz standard (or simply "
standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...
") : A well-known composition from the jazz repertoire which is widely played and recorded. ; jete (Fr. ) : Jump; a
bowing Bowing (also called stooping) is the act of lowering the torso and head as a social gesture in direction to another person or symbol. It is most prominent in Asian cultures but it is also typical of nobility and aristocracy in many European c ...
technique in which the player is instructed to let the bow bounce or jump off the strings.


K

;
keyboardist A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical inst ...
(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 ''Klangfarbenmelodie'' (German for "sound-color melody") is a musical technique that involves splitting a musical line or melody between several instruments, rather than assigning it to just one instrument (or set of instruments), thereby adding c ...
(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 Skip or Skips may refer to: Acronyms * SKIP (Skeletal muscle and kidney enriched inositol phosphatase), a human gene * Simple Key-Management for Internet Protocol * SKIP of New York (Sick Kids need Involved People), a non-profit agency aidi ...
: A
melodic A melody (from Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combinat ...
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 Florid (literally "flowery") is a word with several meanings, including red in color, ornate, and abundant or disorganized. It may also refer to: * Florid, Illinois, United States, an unincorporated community * Great Wall Florid, a car See also ...
vocal music. ; lebhaft (Ger.) : Briskly, lively ;
legato In music performance and notation, legato (; Italian for "tied together"; French ''lié''; German ''gebunden'') indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly and connected. That is, the player makes a transition from note to note wit ...
: 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 In music, metric modulation is a change in pulse rate (tempo) and/or pulse grouping ( subdivision) which is derived from a note value or grouping heard before the change. Examples of metric modulation may include changes in time signature across ...
; lo stesso : The same; applied to the manner of articulation, tempo, etc. ; loco : nplace, i.e. perform the notes at the pitch written, generally used to cancel an
8va In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
or
8vb In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
direction; in string music, also used to indicate return to normal playing position (see
Playing the violin Playing the violin entails holding the instrument between the jaw and the collar bone (see below for variations of this posture). The strings are sounded either by drawing the bow across them (''arco''), or by plucking them (''pizzicato''). The ...
) ; 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 A fermata (; "from ''fermare'', to stay, or stop"; also known as a hold, pause, colloquially a birdseye or cyclops eye, or as a grand pause when placed on a note or a rest) is a symbol of musical notation indicating that the note should be ...
'') ; 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.) : layed with theright hand (abbreviation: MD or m.d.) ; main gauche (Fr.) : layed with theleft hand (abbreviation: MG or m.g.) ; malinconico : Melancholic ; mancando : Dying away ; mano destra : layed with theright hand (abbreviation: MD or m.d.) ; mano izquierda (Spa.) : layed with theleft hand (abbreviation: m.iz.) ; mano sinistra : layed with theleft 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 March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of 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 Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...
": the period of a musical piece that encompasses a complete cycle of the
time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...
(e.g. in time, a measure has four
quarter note A quarter note (American) or crotchet ( ) (British) is a musical note played for one quarter of the duration of a whole note (or semibreve). Quarter notes are notated with a filled-in oval note head and a straight, flagless stem. The stem ...
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 Melisma ( grc-gre, μέλισμα, , ; from grc, , melos, song, melody, label=none, plural: ''melismata'') is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is refer ...
: The technique of changing the note (pitch) of a syllable of text while it is being sung ; meno : Less; see meno mosso, for example, less ''mosso'' ;
messa di voce ''Messa di voce'' (Italian, ''placing of the voice'') is a singing technique that requires sustaining a single pitch while gradually making the voice louder (crescendo) and then softer (diminuendo). It is considered to be a particularly advanced t ...
: In singing, a controlled swell (i.e.
crescendo In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpretation by the performer dependin ...
then
diminuendo In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between note (music), notes or phrase (music), phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpreta ...
, on a long held note, especially in Baroque music and in the bel canto period) ; mesto : Mournful, sad ;
meter The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its pref ...
or metre : The pattern of a music piece's rhythm of strong and weak beats ; : Half voice (i.e. with subdued or moderated volume) ; mezzo : Half; used in combinations like ''mezzo forte'' (), meaning moderately loud ; mezzo forte () : Half loudly (i.e. moderately loudly). See dynamics. ; mezzo piano () : 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 A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...
. ; MG : See main gauche ; minore : Minor key ; misterioso : Mysterious ; mit Dämpfer (Ger.) : With a
mute Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak. Mute or the Mute may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Mute'' (2005 film), a short film by Melissa Joan Hart * ''Mute'' (2018 film), a scien ...
; M.M. :
Metronome A metronome, from ancient Greek μέτρον (''métron'', "measure") and νομός (nomós, "custom", "melody") is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a regular interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats pe ...
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. ; (Ger.) : minor; used in
key signature In Western musical notation, a key signature is a set of sharp (), flat (), or rarely, natural () symbols placed on the staff at the beginning of a section of music. The initial key signature in a piece is placed immediately after the clef a ...
s as, for example, a-Moll ( A minor), b-Moll (
B minor B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major. The B natural minor scale is: : Changes need ...
), or h-Moll (
B minor B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major. The B natural minor scale is: : Changes need ...
); see also '' Dur'' (major) ; molto : Very ;
mordent In music, a mordent is an ornament indicating that the note is to be played with ''a single'' rapid alternation with the note above or below. Like trills, they can be chromatically modified by a small flat, sharp or natural accidental. The t ...
: Rapid alternation of a note with the note immediately below or above it in the scale, sometimes further distinguished as lower mordent and upper mordent. The term "inverted mordent" usually refers to the 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 ''Meno'' (; grc-gre, Μένων, ''Ménōn'') is a Socratic dialogue by Plato. Meno begins the dialogue by asking Socrates whether virtue is taught, acquired by practice, or comes by nature. In order to determine whether virtue is teachabl ...
, 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 Musette may refer to: Music * Musette de cour, or baroque musette, a musical instrument of the bagpipe family * Musette bechonnet, a type of French bagpipe * Musette bressane, a type of French bagpipe * Oboe musette, or piccolo oboe, the small ...
; muta n...: Change o... 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 Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...
: 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 A variety of musical terms are likely to be 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 mus ...
,
sul ponticello A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in Sheet music, printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms Italian musical terms used in English, are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many Europea ...
, 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 In music, (German for ''primary voice'') or is the main voice, chief part; i.e., the contrapuntal or melodic line of primary importance, in opposition to . (German for ''secondary voice'') or is the secondary part; i.e., a secondary contr ...
'') ; nicht (Ger.) : Not ; niente : "nothing", barely audible, dying away, sometimes indicated with a dynamic ; nobile or nobilmente (Ital.) or Noblement (Fr.) : In a noble fashion ; noblezza : Nobility ;
nocturne A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. History The term ''nocturne'' (from French '' nocturne'' 'of the night') was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century, when it indicated an ensembl ...
(Fr.) : A piece written for the night ;
notes inégales In music, ''notes inégales'' is a performance practice, mainly from the Baroque and Classical music eras, in which some notes with equal written time values are performed with unequal durations, usually as alternating long and short. The pra ...
(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 A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. History The term ''nocturne'' (from French '' nocturne'' 'of the night') was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century, when it indicated an ensembl ...
. ;
number opera A number opera (; ) is an opera consisting of individual pieces of music ('numbers') which can be easily extracted from the larger work."Number opera" in ''New Grove''. They may be numbered consecutively in the score, and may be interspersed with r ...
: An opera consisting of "numbers" (e.g.
aria In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...
s, intermixed with
recitative Recitative (, also known by its Italian name "''recitativo''" ()) is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repeat ...
)


O

;
obbligato In Western classical music, ''obbligato'' (, also spelled ''obligato'') usually describes a musical line that is in some way indispensable in performance. Its opposite is the marking ''ad libitum''. It can also be used, more specifically, to indic ...
: Bound, constrained ; octave : Interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. Twelve
semitone A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically. It is defined as the interval between two adjacent no ...
s 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 Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak. Mute or the Mute may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Mute'' (2005 film), a short film by Melissa Joan Hart * ''Mute'' (2018 film), a scien ...
; omaggio : Homage, celebration ; one-voice-per-part (
OVPP In music, one voice per part (OVPP) is the practice of performing choral music with a single voice on each vocal line. In the specific context of Johann Sebastian Bach's works it is also known as the Rifkin hypothesis, set forth in Joshua Rifkin' ...
) : 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 A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in Sheet music, printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms Italian musical terms used in English, are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many Europea ...
,
sul tasto A variety of musical terms are likely to be 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 mus ...
or
col legno In music for bowed string instrument Bowed string instruments are a subcategory of string instruments that are played by a bow rubbing the strings. The bow rubbing the string causes vibration which the instrument emits as sound. Despite th ...
, and return to normal playing. The same as "naturale". ;
organ trio An organ trio is a form of jazz ensemble consisting of three musicians; a Hammond organ player, a drummer, and either a jazz guitarist or a saxophone player. In some cases the saxophonist will join a trio which consists of an organist, guitarist, ...
: In jazz or rock, a group of three musicians which includes a Hammond organ player and two other instruments, often an
electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
player and a drummer. ; oppure or ossia : 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 Oversinging is a term, sometimes derogatory, aimed at vocal styles that dominate the music they are performed in, including melisma and belting, and overuse of embellishments on one sound. Definition Professor and voice instructor Melinda Imthu ...
: a term used to describe vocal styles that dominate the music they are performed in ; overture : An orchestral composition forming the prelude or introduction to an
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
,
oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...
, 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 Rest or REST may refer to: Relief from activity * Sleep ** Bed rest * Kneeling * Lying (position) * Sitting * Squatting position Structural support * Structural support ** Rest (cue sports) ** Armrest ** Headrest ** Footrest Arts and enter ...
; pedale or ped : In piano scores, this instructs the player to press the
damper pedal A sustain pedal or sustaining pedal (also called damper pedal, loud pedal, or open pedal) is the most commonly used pedal in a modern piano. It is typically the rightmost of two or three pedals. When pressed, the sustain pedal "sustains" all ...
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 ; (): very gently (i.e. perform very softly, even softer than ''piano''). This convention can be extended; the more s that are written, the softer the composer wants the musician to play or sing, thus (pianissimissimo) would be softer than . Dynamics in a piece should be interpreted relative to the other dynamics in the same piece. For example, should be executed very softly, but if is found later in the piece, should be markedly louder than . More than three s () or three s () are uncommon. ; piano () : Gently (i.e. played or sung softly) (see dynamics) ; piano-vocal score : The same as a
vocal score The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production ...
, a piano arrangement along with the vocal parts of an opera, cantata, or similar ;
Picardy third A Picardy third, (; french: tierce picarde) also known as a Picardy cadence or Tierce de Picardie, is a major chord of the tonic at the end of a musical section that is either modal or in a minor key. This is achieved by raising the third of the ...
: 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 Pizzicato (, ; translated as "pinched", and sometimes roughly as "plucked") is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of instrument : * On bowe ...
: 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 : Jazz term referring to 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 ; or (pont.) : On the bridge (i.e. in string playing, an indication to bow or to
pluck Pluck or plucking may refer to: Removal * Plucking (hair removal), the removal of hair, fur, or feathers * Feather-plucking, a behavior in birds * Plucking post, as used by birds of prey to dismember their prey * Plucking (glaciation), a proces ...
very near to the
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
, producing a characteristic glassy sound, which emphasizes the higher harmonics at the expense of the
fundamental Fundamental may refer to: * Foundation of reality * Fundamental frequency, as in music or phonetics, often referred to as simply a "fundamental" * Fundamentalism, the belief in, and usually the strict adherence to, the simple or "fundamental" idea ...
); the opposite of ''
sul tasto A variety of musical terms are likely to be 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 mus ...
'' ; 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 In music performance and notation, legato (; Italian for "tied together"; French ''lié''; German ''gebunden'') indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly and connected. That is, the player makes a transition from note to note wit ...
and staccato, like ''
portato Portato (; Italian past participle of ''portare'', "to carry"), also mezzo-staccato, French notes portées, in music denotes a smooth, pulsing articulation and is often notated by adding dots under slur markings. Portato is also known as arti ...
'') ;
portato Portato (; Italian past participle of ''portare'', "to carry"), also mezzo-staccato, French notes portées, in music denotes a smooth, pulsing articulation and is often notated by adding dots under slur markings. Portato is also known as arti ...
or louré : Carried (i.e. non-legato, but not as detached as staccato) (same as
portamento In music, portamento (plural: ''portamenti'', from old it, portamento, meaning "carriage" or "carrying") is a pitch sliding from one note to another. The term originated from the Italian expression "''portamento della voce''" ("carriage of the ...
) ; posato : Settled ;
potpourri Potpourri ( ) is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant materials used to provide a gentle natural scent, commonly in residential settings. It is often placed in a decorative bowl. The word "potpourri" comes into English from the French ...
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 Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...
'') ; 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 Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
(mid-1700s/18th century) ; prestissimo : Extremely quickly, as fast as possible ; presto : Very quickly ; prima or primo (the masculine form) : First ;
prima donna In opera or commedia dell'arte, a prima donna (; Italian for "first lady"; plural: ''prime donne'') is the leading female singer in the company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given. ''Prime donne'' often had grand off-stage per ...
: 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 In music, quartal harmony is the building of harmonic structures built from the intervals of the perfect fourth, the augmented fourth and the diminished fourth. For instance, a three-note quartal chord on C can be built by stacking perfect fourt ...
'' ; 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 Recitative (, also known by its Italian name "''recitativo''" ()) is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repeat ...
in an opera, or ''quasi una fantasia'' almost a
fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...
) ; 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 In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repe ...
: 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) ; : Ridiculous, comical ;
riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...
: a repeated chord progression or refrain ; rilassato : Relaxed ; rinforzando (, or rinf.) : Reinforcing (i.e. emphasizing); sometimes like a sudden ''crescendo'', but often applied to a single note ; risoluto : Resolute ; rit. : An abbreviation for ''ritardando''; also an abbreviation for ''ritenuto'' ; ritardando, ritard., rit. : Slowing down; decelerating; opposite of ''
accelerando ''Accelerando'' is a 2005 science fiction novel consisting of a series of interconnected short stories written by British author Charles Stross. As well as normal hardback and paperback editions, it was released as a free e-book under the CC ...
'' ; 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 ritornello (Italian; "little return") is a recurring passage in Baroque music for orchestra or chorus. Early history The earliest use of the term "ritornello" in music referred to the final lines of a fourteenth-century madrigal, which were usu ...
: A recurring passage ; rolled chord : See Arpeggio ;
rondo The rondo is an instrumental musical form introduced in the Classical period. Etymology The English word ''rondo'' comes from the Italian form of the French ''rondeau'', which means "a little round". Despite the common etymological root, 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 Tempo rubato (, , ; 'free in the presentation', literally ) is a musical term referring to expressive and rhythmic freedom by a slight speeding up and then slowing down of the tempo of a piece at the discretion of the soloist or the conductor. Ru ...
: Stolen, robbed (i.e. flexible in tempo), applied to notes within a musical phrase for expressive effect ; ruhig (Ger.) : Calm, peaceful ; : 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) In popular music, a fill is a short musical passage, riff, or rhythmic sound which helps to sustain the listener's attention during a break between the phrases of a melody. "The terms riff and fill are sometimes used interchangeably by musician ...
and
Melisma Melisma ( grc-gre, μέλισμα, , ; from grc, , melos, song, melody, label=none, plural: ''melismata'') is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is refer ...
. ; 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 scherzo (, , ; plural scherzos or scherzi), in western classical music, is a short composition – sometimes a movement from a larger work such as a symphony or a sonata. The precise definition has varied over the years, but scherzo often re ...
: A light, "joking" or playful musical form, originally and usually in fast
triple metre Triple metre (or Am. triple meter, also known as triple time) is a musical metre characterized by a ''primary'' division of 3 beats to the bar, usually indicated by 3 (simple) or 9 ( compound) in the upper figure of the time signature, with , , ...
, often replacing the
minuet A minuet (; also spelled menuet) is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in time. The English word was adapted from the Italian ''minuetto'' and the French ''menuet''. The term also describes the musical form that accomp ...
in the later Classical period and the
Romantic period Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
, 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 Scordatura (; literally, Italian for "discord", or "mistuning") is a tuning of a string instrument that is different from the normal, standard tuning. It typically attempts to allow special effects or unusual chords or timbre, or to make certain p ...
: Altered or alternative
tuning Tuning can refer to: Common uses * Tuning, the process of tuning a tuned amplifier or other electronic component * Musical tuning, musical systems of tuning, and the act of tuning an instrument or voice ** Guitar tunings ** Piano tuning, adjusti ...
used for the
strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
of a string instrument ; scorrendo, scorrevole : Gliding from note to note ; (sec) (Fr.): Dry (sparse accompaniment, staccato, without resonance); with basso continuo accompaniment, this often means that only the chordal instrument will play, with the sustained bass instrument not playing ; : sign, usually '' Dal segno'' (see above) "from the sign", indicating a return to the point marked by ;
segue A segue (; ) is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next. The term is derived from Italian ''segue'', which literally means "follows". In music In music, ''segue'' is a direction to the performer. It means ''continue (the next ...
: 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 A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically. It is defined as the interval between two adjacent no ...
: 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 Measure may refer to: * Measurement, the assignment of a number to a characteristic of an object or event Law * Ballot measure, proposed legislation in the United States * Church of England Measure, legislation of the Church of England * Mea ...
; senza replica: Without repetition: "when a movement, repeated in the first instance, must, on the Da Capo, be played throughout without repetition." ; or senza sordine (plural) : Without the
mute Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak. Mute or the Mute may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Mute'' (2005 film), a short film by Melissa Joan Hart * ''Mute'' (2018 film), a scien ...
. See sordina. ; serioso : Seriously ; serrez (Fr.) : Getting faster ; sforzando ( or ) : 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 Sharp or SHARP may refer to: Acronyms * SHARP (helmet ratings) (Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme), a British motorcycle helmet safety rating scheme * Self Help Addiction Recovery Program, a charitable organisation founded in 19 ...
: A symbol () that raises the pitch of the note by a semitone;the term may also be used as an adjective to describe a situation where a singer or musician is performing a note in which the intonation is 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 Solmization is a system of attributing a distinct syllable to each note of a musical scale. Various forms of solmization are in use and have been used throughout the world, but solfège is the most common convention in countries of Western cultur ...
; also used for the 5th note, ''sol'', when sharpened, in solmization. ;
siciliana The siciliana or siciliano (also known as the sicilienne or the ciciliano) is a musical style or genre often included as a movement within larger pieces of music starting in the Baroque period. It is in a slow or time with lilting rhythms, ...
: A Sicilian dance in or meter ; sign : See ''
segno Segno is a village in North Western Italy in the region of Liguria. It belongs to the Municipality of Vado Ligure. Its countryside landscape makes it a popular venue for outdoor sports including mountain biking, cross-country running, trail and c ...
'' ; 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 Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
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 Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...
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 Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak. Mute or the Mute may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Mute'' (2005 film), a short film by Melissa Joan Hart * ''Mute'' (2018 film), a scien ...
, Note: ''sordina'', with plural ''sordine'', is strictly correct Italian, but the forms ''sordino'' and ''sordini'' are much more commonly used as terms 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 The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, marked ''Quasi una fantasia'', Op. 27, No. 2, is a piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven. It was completed in 1801 and dedicated in 1802 to his pupil Countess Giulietta Guicciardi. The popular name ''M ...
''), senza sordini or senza sordina (or some variant) is sometimes used to mean ''keep the
sustain pedal A sustain pedal or sustaining pedal (also called damper pedal, loud pedal, or open pedal) is the most commonly used pedal in a modern piano. It is typically the rightmost of two or three pedals. When pressed, the sustain pedal "sustains" all ...
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") and (, "spoken voice") are expressionist vocal techniques between singing and speaking. Though sometimes used interchangeably, ''Sprechgesang'' is directly related to the operatic ''recitative'' manner of singing (in which ...
: "spoken singing",
expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
vocal technique denoting pitched speaking. Used most notably in the compositions of Arnold Schoenberg such as
Pierrot lunaire ''Dreimal sieben Gedichte aus Albert Girauds "Pierrot lunaire"'' ("Three times Seven Poems from Albert Giraud's 'Pierrot lunaire), commonly known simply as ''Pierrot lunaire'', Op. 21 ("Moonstruck Pierrot" or "Pierrot in the Moonlight"), is a m ...
. ; spianato : Smooth, even ;
spiccato Spiccato is a bowing technique for string instruments in which the bow appears to bounce lightly upon the string. The term comes from the past participle of the Italian verb ''spiccare'', meaning "to separate". The terms '' martelé'', '' saltan ...
: 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 Spinto (from Italian, "pushed") is a vocal term used to characterize a soprano or tenor voice of a weight between lyric and dramatic that is capable of handling large musical climaxes in opera at moderate intervals. (Sometimes the terms ' or ' a ...
: 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
ote OTE is the national telecommunications provider of Greece. OTE may also refer to: * Ocean thermal energy conversion, a renewable energy source * Oda of Haldensleben (978–1023), daughter of the Margrave of the North March, Theoderich * On-ta ...
head. ;
stentando Stentato or stentando (the past participle and gerund of the Italian verb '' stentare'' "to find it hard to do something, to have difficulty doing something") is a musical expression which means "labored, heavy, in a dragging manner, sluggish", or ...
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 In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tradi ...
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 '', 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 Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott J ...
music).


T

;
tacet Tacet is Latin which translates literally into English as "(it) is silent" (pronounced: , , or ). It is a musical term to indicate that an instrument or voice does not sound, also known as a rest. In vocal polyphony and in orchestral scores, it u ...
(Lat.) : Lit. "he/she keeps silent": do not play ; , 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 A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in Sheet music, printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms Italian musical terms used in English, are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many Europea ...
''. ;
tasto solo ''Tasto solo'' is an Italian term used in music scores, usually on the continuo part, to indicate that a note or section should be played on its own, without harmony. The term ''tasto'' is Italian for ''key'' (as Italian "tastiera" is for ''fing ...
: '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 In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
: 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 Cabaletta is a two-part musical form particularly favored for arias in 19th century Italian opera in the belcanto era until about the 1860s during which it was one of the era's most important elements. More properly, a cabaletta is a more animate ...
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 1ero) : Resume the original speed ;
tempo rubato Tempo rubato (, , ; 'free in the presentation', literally ) is a musical term referring to expressive and rhythmic freedom by a slight speeding up and then slowing down of the tempo of a piece at the discretion of the soloist or the conductor. Rub ...
: "Stolen time"; an expressive way of performing a rhythm; see
rubato Tempo rubato (, , ; 'free in the presentation', literally ) is a musical term referring to expressive and rhythmic freedom by a slight speeding up and then slowing down of the tempo of a piece at the discretion of the soloist or the conductor. Ru ...
; ten. : See
tenuto In musical notation, ''tenuto'' ( Italian, past participle of ''tenere'', "to hold"), denoted as a horizontal bar adjacent to a note, is a direction for the performer to hold or sustain a note for its full length. Its precise interpretation can ...
; teneramente; tendre or tendrement (Fr.): Tenderly ; tenerezza : Tenderness ;
tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...
: The second lowest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano) ;
tenuto In musical notation, ''tenuto'' ( Italian, past participle of ''tenere'', "to hold"), denoted as a horizontal bar adjacent to a note, is a direction for the performer to hold or sustain a note for its full length. Its precise interpretation can ...
: Held (i.e. touch on a note slightly longer than usual, but without generally altering the note's value) ;
ternary Ternary (from Latin ''ternarius'') or trinary is an adjective meaning "composed of three items". It can refer to: Mathematics and logic * Ternary numeral system, a base-3 counting system ** Balanced ternary, a positional numeral system, useful ...
: Having three parts. In particular, referring to a three-part musical form with the parts represented by letters: ABA ;
tessitura In music, tessitura (, pl. ''tessiture'', "texture"; ) is the most acceptable and comfortable vocal range for a given singer or less frequently, musical instrument, the range in which a given type of voice presents its best-sounding (or characte ...
: 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 A Picardy third, (; french: tierce picarde) also known as a Picardy cadence or Tierce de Picardie, is a major chord of the tonic at the end of a musical section that is either modal or in a minor key. This is achieved by raising the third of the ...
;
timbre In music, timbre ( ), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voices and musica ...
: The quality of a musical tone that distinguishes voices and instruments ; time : In a jazz or rock score, after a rubato or rallentendo section, the term "time" indicates that performers should return to tempo (this is equivalent to the term "a tempo") ; tosto : Immediately ; tranquillo : Calm, peaceful ; trattenuto (tratt.): Held back with a sustained tone, similar to ritardando ; (tc) : Three strings (i.e. release the
soft pedal The soft pedal (or pedal, ) is one of the standard pedals on a piano, generally placed leftmost among the pedals. On a grand piano this pedal shifts the whole action (including the keyboard) slightly to the right, so that the hammers which nor ...
of the piano) (see ''
una corda The soft pedal (or pedal, ) is one of the standard pedals on a piano, generally placed leftmost among the pedals. On a grand piano this pedal shifts the whole action (including the keyboard) slightly to the right, so that the hammers which no ...
'') ; 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. :# 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; :# 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 TRILL (Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links) is an Internet Standard implemented by devices called TRILL switches. TRILL combines techniques from bridging and routing, and is the application of link-state routing to the VLAN-aware cus ...
). :# A rapid, repeated alteration of volume (as on an electronic instrument); :#
vibrato Vibrato ( Italian, from past participle of " vibrare", to vibrate) is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms ...
: 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 TRILL (Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links) is an Internet Standard implemented by devices called TRILL switches. TRILL combines techniques from bridging and routing, and is the application of link-state routing to the VLAN-aware cus ...
: 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 anon 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 ''Tutti'' is an Italian word literally meaning ''all'' or ''together'' and is used as a musical term, for the whole orchestra as opposed to the soloist. It is applied similarly to choral music, where the whole section or choir is called to sing. ...
: 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 The ripieno (, Italian for "stuffing" or "padding") is the bulk of instrumental parts of a musical ensemble who do not play as soloists, especially in Baroque music. These are the players who would play in sections marked ''tutti'', as opposed to s ...
''.


U

; un, una, or uno : One or "a" (indefinite article), as exemplified in the following entries ; un poco or un peu (Fr.) : A little ; : One string (i.e., in
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
music, depressing the
soft pedal The soft pedal (or pedal, ) is one of the standard pedals on a piano, generally placed leftmost among the pedals. On a grand piano this pedal shifts the whole action (including the keyboard) slightly to the right, so that the hammers which nor ...
, 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. ;
unison In music, unison is two or more musical parts that sound either the same pitch or pitches separated by intervals of one or more octaves, usually at the same time. ''Rhythmic unison'' is another term for homorhythm. Definition Unison or per ...
o (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 In musical terminology, ''divisi'', or as typically printed ''“div.,”'' is an instruction to divide a single section of instruments into multiple subsections. This usually applies to the violins of the string section in an orchestra, although v ...
; uptempo : A fast, lively, or increased tempo, or played or done in such a tempo; it is also used as an umbrella term for a quick-paced
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...
style ; ut (Fr.) : First note of the series ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, in fixed-do
solmization Solmization is a system of attributing a distinct syllable to each note of a musical scale. Various forms of solmization are in use and have been used throughout the world, but solfège is the most common convention in countries of Western cultur ...


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) In jazz, comping (an abbreviation of accompaniment; or possibly from the verb, to "complement") is the chords, rhythms, and countermelodies that keyboard players (piano or organ), guitar players, or drummers use to support a musician's improvi ...
. ; vamp till cue : A jazz, fusion, and musical theatre term which instructs rhythm section members to repeat and vary a short ostinato passage,
riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...
, or "groove" until the band leader or conductor instructs them to move onto 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 Vibrato ( Italian, from past participle of " vibrare", to vibrate) is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms ...
: 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 The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D ...
:
cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G ...
; 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 The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production ...
or piano-vocal score : A music score of an
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
, musical, or a vocal or choral composition with orchestra (like
oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...
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 The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
; 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 This is a list of jazz and popular music terms that are likely to be encountered in printed popular music songbooks, fake books and vocal scores, big band scores, jazz, and rock and roll, rock concert reviews, and album liner notes. This glossar ...
* Glossary of Schenkerian analysis *
List of musical symbols Musical symbols are marks and symbols in musical notation that indicate various aspects of how a piece of music is to be performed. There are symbols to communicate information about many musical elements, including pitch, duration, dynamics, ...


References


External links


Classical musical terms

Musical Terms Dictionary Definitions


Dolmetsch Online *
Musical Terms
– Glossary of music terms from Naxos {{Music topics
Music terminology A variety of musical terms are likely to be 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 mus ...