Dictionary of Music

IF you have read my practice section, you will (or ought to) remember that every problem originating in the music has the solution in the music. Every composer has written whatever they needed to in the music, such as dynamics, tempo, etc. These words describe exactly how the composer wanted it played. After all, when you play the music, you should play it as the composer would have and not play it the way you WANT to. These terms will help you fugure out the meanings of the words that the composer used to describe what he wanted in the music.

TIP: you can go to edit and then find to search for a specific word.

Note: I have spent hours working on this section. Please Don't copy it onto your own website. If you want to all you have to do is ask me kindly and I'll let you do it on certain conditions, like puting my banner on your site or making a link to my site.

A:	Abbreviation for Alto
a, à	At, by, for, in, to with
ab	Off
abandon, abbandono	Abbandon, free, passionate
a battuta	Rhythmical and on the beat
abbellire	Ornament
abbellimenti	Ornaments
absolute music	Instrumental musica without extramusical associations
absolute pitch	The ability to recognize the actual pitch of any note heard
a cappela	Without accompaniment
accelerando	Becoming gradually faster
accent, acceénto	To emphasize a note. It's also marked (>)
acciaccatura	A grace note which is played simultaneously with the principal note and immediately released
accidentals	Sharps, double sharps, flats, double flats, or natural signs used to raise lower, or return a note to its normal pitch. Their effet lasts through th remainder of the same measure.
accompaniment	Vocal or instrumental parts that accompany a melody
accord, accordo	Chord
accodare, accoder	To tune
acoustic	A non-amplified or non-electric instrument
acoustics	The science of sounds
action	The mechanism of an instrument that is set into motion by the performer's fingers
adagietto	A tempo slightly faster than adagio
adagio	A slow tempo which is faster than largo and slower than andante
added sixth	A triad inclung the sixth note above the root. Ex. C,E,G,A
addolorato	With Grief
a demi-voix	With half the power of the voice
a deux, a due	For two instruments or voices, abbriviated a2. When two parts are written on one stave, it indicates that both are to play in unison
a deux mains	With two hands
a due corde	On two strings
A dur	The key of A major
ad libitum, ad lib.	Optional, or at will. The performer may omit a section, improvise freely, or alter the tempo
ADSR	In synthesis, the abbreviation for "attack, decay, sustain, release."
Aeolian	A mode that corresponds to the half and whole step patterns created when playing A to A on the white keys of the piano. it is the same as the natural minor scale.
aeolian harp	A stringed instrument that sounds when struck by a blowing wind
aerophones	Instruments that produce sounds through the vibration of air
affestuoso	With tender emotion
afflicto	Sad melancholy
affrettando	Hurrying
aftertouch	The ability of an electronic keyboard to determine how hard a key is being depressed after it has been struck
agilita, agilite	Light or lively
agilmente	Lightly
agitato	Agitated
Agnus Dei	The fifth part from the Ordinary of the Mass. Literally means "lamb of God"
agogic accent	To emphasize a note by giving it a longer duration than normal
air	A song, melody, or tune.
Ais	The note A- sharp
al, all', alla, alle	In the sytle of
Alberti bass	An accompaniment derived from broken chords usually found in the left-hand part of keyboard music.
album	1. A collection of musical pieces either printed or recorded 2 Slang for a 12 inch vinyl recording
Albumblatt	A short piece usually for piano
al coda	To the coda
aleatory music	When elements of a piece of music are determined by chance.
al fine	to the end
algorhythm	The process of how a synthesiser solves a problem
alla breve	A tempo indication (cut time) where the half note recieces the beat rather than the qaurter note
Allargando	becoming slower and broader
allegretto	Cheerful, quick, or fast
allemande	1. A german dance usually in duple meter, commonly found in a suite 2. A german dance in 3-4 time.
allentado	Slowing
All'ottava	At the octave. Play the passage one octave higher than written. Abbreviated 8 or 8a
al segno	Go to the sign
alteration	The raising or lowering of a note with an accidental
altered chord	A chord in which one or more notes have been raised or lowered chromatically
alto	1. The lowest femal singing voice sometimes called a contralto. 2. A high, falsetto male singing voice 3. Viola 4.High
alto clef	The c clef usually used by the viola, where middle c is found on the third line of the staff
altra, altro	Another
AM	Abbreviation for amplitude modulation
amabile	Tender, gentle
A moll	The key of A minor
amore	Love
amp	Abbreviation for ampplifier
amplifier	A divce used to strengthen the power of the sound of an electronic instrument
amplitude	1. The volume of a sound 2.In electronic music, the height of the waform which determines the volume of a sound.
amplitude modulation	To alter the amplitude of an electronic intrument or device
am Steg	On the bridge
anacrusis	Upbeat or pickup
analog	When voltage is used to control a sound in synthesis. As opposed to digital
analysis	The study of form and structure in music
ancora	1. Still again 2.Repeat, encore
andante	A moderate, graceful tempo slightly slower thallegretto and faster than adagio.
andantino	1. A tempo slightly faster than andante 2. A tempo slightly slower than andante (seems sort of stupid, but it's true)
anglaise	English
anima	Spirit, life
animato, animoso	Animated, spirited
answer	In a fugue, the second entry of the subject which is at a different pitch than the first entry
antecedent	1. The first phrase of a musical period 2. THe theme or subject of a canon or fugue.
anthem	A protestant choarl composition, with religious text
anticipation	One or more nonharmonic tones played before the chord in which it belongs
antiphon	A short chan sung before and after a psalm or canticle during the Roman Catholic Mass
antiphonal	When seperate groups of performers alternate or respond to each othe
appassionato	Passionately
appoggiando	Emphasized
appoggiatura	A nonharmonic grace note that resolves stepwise to a harmonic note
arabesque	1. An imaginative piano piece. 2. An ornamented passage accompanying or varying a theme
arcato	Bowed. To bow a stringed instrument
archet, archetto	To bow a stringed instrument
arco	To bow a stringed instrument
ardito	Spirited, bold
aria	A solo vocal piece usually associated with opera and oratorios
aria buffa	A comic aria
arioso	Lyrically
arpa	Harp
arpeggiato, arpeggiando	Harp-like, arpeggiated.
arpeggiator	A device on a synthesizer that automatically plays chords as an arpeggio
arpeggio	The notes of a chord played one after another
arrache	Very strong pizzicato
arrangement	An adaption of a composition for a medium other than that which it was originally written. (wrtten for another instrument)
ars antiqua	Literally "old art" used to indicate music of the 12th and 13th centuries, especially the music of Leonin and Perotin
ars nova	Literally, "new art." Used to indicate the music of the 14th century, especially the music of Manchuat and Landini
articulation	The manner in which notes are performed, such as staccato or legato
artificial harmonic	On stringed instruments, a harmonic played on a fingered or fretted string, rather than an open string
As	The note A-flat
ASCAP	Abbreviation for American Society of Composers, Author, and Publishers
As dur	The key of A-flat major
assai	very extremely
assez	Enough, fairly
assoluto	Absolute
a tempo	Return to the original tempo or speed
atonal	Music without a tonal center or key.
attaca	Continue immediately to the next section or movement without break.
attack	The act of beginning a note or phrase
attendant keys	Those keys relative to a major and minor scale. For example, the attendant keys of C major are D minor, E minor, and F major, G major, and A minor.
attenuator	A device that adjusts the amplitude of a signal in synthesis.
audio	The electronic representation of sound,
audition	~~something that I hate~~ To perform for a gruop of judges who evaluate the performer's skill.
Aufschwung	Soaring
augmentation	Enlongating the duration of notes
augmented	Raised
augmented chord	A major triad with the fifth raised a half-step
augmented interval	An interval raised by a half-step
augmented sixth chord	A chord that includes the interval of an augmented sixth, that resolves outward to an ocatave.
aulos	An ancient Greek double reed wind instrument
authenic cadence	A cadence that ends with the dominant (V) chord pregressing to the tonic (I) chord
authentic mode	A mode whose key note is the lowest note. As opposed to a plagal mode, whose keynote is a fourth higher than the lowest note
auxiliary notes	A note a whole step above or below the main note
avec	With
axe	slang for a musical instrument (don't know which idiot came up with this one)