| Mächtig (Ger) |
Mighty, powerful |
| Maestoso |
Majestically |
| Marcato |
Emphasized, heavily accented |
| Martellato |
Articulation marking: "hammered" |
| Mässig (Ger) |
Moderately |
| Measure (US) |
Bar |
| Meno mosso |
Less motion |
| Mi |
In sol fa, the third
note of the scale starting on Do |
Minim |
Half a semi-breve, two crotchets |
Minim
rest |
Rest for above |
| Mit dämpfer (Ger) |
With mute, like con
sord |
| mit großem Ton (Ger) |
With great tone, with lots of passion, like espressivo |
| Modulation |
The process of changing from one key to another
within a composition |
Natural |
A musical symbol which cancels a previous sharp or flat |
| Net (Fre) |
Clean, clear |
| Niente |
Nothing |
| Nocturne |
Slow, dreamy night piece, often for solo
piano |
| Non troppo |
Not too much |
| Obbligato |
Necessary. Opposite of ad libitum |
| Offen (Ger) |
Open |
| Ohne dämpfer (Ger) |
Without mute, like senza
sord |
| Opera |
A musical drama where the words are sung,
not spoken |
| Ophecleide |
Brass instrument,
French ancestor of the tuba |
| Orchestra |
Large group of classical instrumentalists,
traditionally comprising strings, woodwind, brass and percussion. |
| Ostinato |
Repeated phrase, often in the bass as an
accompaniment |
| Percussion
family |
Instruments made of sonorous material that
produce sounds of definite or indefinite pitch
when shaken or struck, including drums, rattles,
bells, gongs, and xylophones |
| Pesante |
Heavy |
| Phrase |
A relatively short portion of a melodic line
which expresses a musical idea, comparable
to a line or sentence in poetry |
| Piano |
1 - Keyboard instrument, whereby strings
are struck by hammers. Can be classified as
keyboard, percussion or strings!
2 - A dynamic
marking |
| Pizzicato |
"Pinched." On string instruments,
plucking the string |
| Plunger mute |
Brass instrument
mute, also called "wah-wah" mute.
Usually the rubber end to a plumber's plunger
with the stick removed |
| Poco |
Little. Used with other terms, e.g. poco
accel., also, poco a poco, little by little |
| Poco piu mosso |
A little more motion |
| Prelude |
"Play before." An introductory
movement or piece |
| Quarter note (US) |
A crotchet |
| Quartet |
A piece for four performers |
| Quasi |
almost, as if |
Quaver |
Half a crotchet, an eighth of a semi-breve |
Quaver
rest |
Rest for above |
| Quintet |
A piece for five performers |
| Rallentando |
Slow down gradually |
| Re |
In sol fa, the second
note of the scale starting on Do |
| Renaissance |
The period c. 1450-1600 |
| Retenu (Fre) |
Slowing down |
| Ritardando |
Slow down suddenly |
| Ritenuto |
Slow down suddenly |
| Ritmico |
Rhythmically |
| Rondo |
A musical form consisting
of 5 sections, usually designated A B A C A |
| Round |
Like the canon, a
song in which two or more parts having the
same melody, starting at different points |
| Rubato |
Flexibility of tempo to achieve expressiveness |
| Ruhig (Ger) |
Calmly |
| Saxophone |
Member of the Woodwind
family, whereby air is blown over a single
reed and the air column length changed by
a series of keys.
|
| Schnell (Ger) |
Quickly |
Segno |
"Sign." |
| Sehr (Ger) |
Very |
Semibreve |
Half a breve, two minims, four crotchets |
Semibreve
rest |
Rest for above |
Semiquaver |
Half a quaver, a quarter of a crotchet |
Semiquaver
rest |
Rest for above |
| Sempre |
Always. Used with other terms, e.g. sempre
staccato |
| Semplice |
Simple |
| Senza |
Without |
| Senza
sord |
Without mute |
| Septet |
A piece for seven performers |
| Sforzando |
Sudden strong accent on a note or chord |
Sharp |
A symbol which raises the pitch of a note
one semitone |
| Simile |
An indication to continue in the same manner |
| Sixteenth note (US) |
A semiquaver |
| Slur |
A curved line placed above or below two or
more notes of different pitch to indicate that
they are to be performed in legato style |
| So |
In sol fa, the fifth
note of the scale starting on Do |
| Sol fa |
A system of note-names and hand signs used
in the sight reading and learning of music,
where Do can
be the tonic of any scale.
The other degrees of the scale are Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, and Ti |
| Sonata |
1 - A composition of several movements, usually
for piano or solo instrument and piano
2 - A musical form with
a specific, complex plan
|
| Sonatine |
Smaller version of the above |
| Soprano |
Female higher voice range |
| Soprano clef |
Another name for the G
clef |
|
| Sordino |
Mute |
| Sourdine (Fre) |
Mute, like sordino |
| Staccato |
Detached sounds, indicated by a dot over
or under a note. The opposite of legato |
| Staff or Stave |
Five perpendicular horizontal lines upon
which music is written |
| Straight mute |
Brass instrument
mute, creates a bright, piercing sound. The
main mute used in classical music |
| Streicher (Ger) |
Strings |
| String
family |
Instruments with strings that produce sound
when plucked, bowed, or struck, including violin, viola, violoncello, double
bass, harp and guitars |
| Subito |
Suddenly |
| Sul |
On the e.g. sul A "on the A string" |
| Symphony |
1 - large scale work of several movements,
usually for orchestra
2 - In reference to an orchestra, e.g. the
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra |
| Syncopation |
Accent on an unexpected beat |
| Tacet |
Silent, do not play |
| Tempo |
The rate of speed in a musical work |
| Tempo primo |
Return to the original tempo |
| Tenor |
Male higher voice range |
| Tenor clef |
The C clef falling
on the second line |
| Tenuto |
Articulation marking:
hold to full value |
| Ternary |
A musical form consisting
of three sections with the third being a return
of the first, usually designated A B A |
| Theme & variation |
A musical form consisting
of a theme with a set of variations |
| Ti |
In sol fa, the seventh
note in the scale starting on Do |
| Tie |
A curved line connecting two or more notes
of the same pitch. The first pitch is held
for the duration of the notes affected by the
tie |
| Time
signature |
Explains how many beats in a bar, and what
they consist of |
| Tonic |
The root note or key note of a scale |
| Tranquillo |
Tranquil, calm |
| Transposition |
The process of changing the key of some music |
| Treble |
Young child soprano, usually associated with
boys |
| Treble clef |
Another name for the G
clef |
| Trés (Fre) |
Very |
| Triad |
A chord of three tones arranged in thirds |
| Trill |
A musical ornament performed by the rapid
alternation of a given note with a major or
minor second above |
Triplet |
A group of three notes performed in the time
of two of the same kind |
| Trombone |
An instrument from the Brass
family, whereby an air column is lengthened
and shortened by a slide.
|
| Troppo |
Too much e.g. "ma non troppo" not
too much |
| Trumpet |
An instrument from the Brass
family, whereby an air column is lengthened
and shortened by using valves to direct air
flow through extra tubing.
|
| Tuba |
A bass instrument from the Brass
family, whereby an air column is lengthened
and shortened by the use of valves.
|
| Turn |
A musical ornament including a rapid movement
and return to the given note |
 |
| Tutti |
All. A direction for the entire ensemble
to sing or play simultaneously |
Top
of Musical Terms |
| Und (Ger) |
And |
| Unison |
Singing or playing the same notes by all
singers or players, either at exactly the same
pitch or in a different octave |
| Un peu (Fre) |
A little |
| Un poco |
A little |
| Una corda |
One string. In piano music, depress the damper
pedal |
| Vibrato |
Repeated fluctuation of pitch |
| Violin |
Member of the String family, whereby
a bow is drawn across tuned strings to produce
sound waves amplified in a sound box. Highest
(and most numerous) string instrument in the
orchestra.
|
| Violoncello |
Member of the String family, whereby
a bow is drawn across tuned strings to produce
sound waves amplified in a sound box. Tenor
voice of the family, played sitting down.
|
| Vocal score |
Score of vocal work with the accompaniment
reduced to two-stave piano part for rehearsal |
| Voce |
Voice |
| Volti subito |
Turn (the page) quickly. Often shortened
to V.S. |
| Waltz |
A dance in triple time, with the accent on
the first beat of the bar |
| Whammy bar |
Tremolo arm on a guitar |
| Whole note (US) |
A semi-breve |
| Whole tone scale |
A scale comprised of whole tones |
 |
| Woodwind
family |
Instruments, originally made of wood, in
which sound is produced by the vibration of
air, including recorders, flutes, clarinets, saxophones, oboes,
and bassoons |
| World music |
Generic term for music of non-Western, ethnic
or folk origin |
| Xylomarimba |
Percussion instrument
combining features of the xylophone and the
marimba |
| Xylophone |
Percussion instrument
consisting of a row of wooden bars corresponding
to a keyboard, played with different sorts
of mallets |
| Yellow brass |
Standard alloy in the manufacture of brass instruments,
consisting of roughly 70% copper and 30% zinc |
| Yidaki |
Another name for the didjeridu |
| Yodel |
Tyrloen singing style where the singer quickly
alternates between chest voice and falsetto |
| Zacht (Dutch) |
Soft |
| Zählzeit (Ger) |
beat, as in beats in a bar |
| Zart (Ger) |
Soft |
| Zeitlich (Ger) |
In time, strict |
| Zeitmaß (Ger) |
Tempo |
| Zierlich (Ger) |
Graceful, elegant |
| Zither |
Folk instrument with many regional variations
with a box-like body, with many strings stretched
over the top. Can be played by hand, with sticks
or a plectrum |
| Zornig (Ger) |
Angrily |
| Zu (Ger) |
Too |
| Zunehmend (Ger) |
Increasing, like crescendo |
|