Why are musical terms in Italian. A short dictionary of musical terms. Some terms commonly found in music literature
Authentic- 1) authentic cadence in a major-minor system: a sequence of dominant and tonic chords; 2) in the medieval modal system - a scale, the range of which is built from the main tone one octave up.
Adagio(adagio) - 1) designation of the tempo: slowly (slower than andante, but more mobile than largo); 2) a part of a piece or a separate piece at a given tempo.
Adagissimo(adajissimo) - designation of the pace: very slow.
Ad libitum(ad libitum) - "at will": an indication that allows the performer to freely vary the tempo or phrasing, as well as skip or play a part of a passage (or other piece of musical text); abbreviated ad. lib.
Agitato(agitato) - the designation of expressiveness: "excited".
A cappella(a cappella) is a term referring to choral music intended to be performed without instrumental accompaniment.
Accolade- a curly brace that unites several staves.
Chord- joint sounding of several interconnected tones.
Chord progression - movement of chords in accordance with certain principles.
Aleatorica- a modern method of composition, based on the introduction of elements of randomness into the structure of the work.
Alla breve(alla breve) - time signature (): fast performance of dicotyledonous meters, in which the score is not in quarters, but in half notes.
Allargando(allargando) - "expanding". A designation that refers to both tempo (slowing down somewhat) and expressiveness (emphasizing each sound).
Allegretto(allegretto) - 1) designation of tempo: slower than allegro, and rather than andante; 2) a rather mobile small piece or part of a cycle.
Allegro(allegro) - "fun, joyful"; 1) designation of the pace: soon; 2) a piece at an allegro tempo, part of a cycle, the first movement of a classical sonata-symphonic cycle (sonata allegro).
Hallelujah(Hebrew - "praise God") - an expression often found in sacred music and psalms; sometimes - an independent part of music in the liturgical cycle;
Alberti bass- accompaniment to the melody, consisting of "broken", "decomposed" chords, ie chords in which the sounds are not taken simultaneously, but in turn. The technique is typical for clavier music of the late 18th century.
Alto- 1) the second from the top voice in a four-part choral or instrumental score. The viola was originally performed in a male falsetto - hence the name, literally meaning "high"; 2) a low female voice, often called "contralto"; 3) an instrument corresponding in height to the position of the alto in the score - for example, the string instrument alto, alto saxophone, alto flute, etc.
Embouchure- the position of the lips when playing wind instruments.
English horn- an alto oboe with a tuning one fifth lower than the usual oboe.
Andante(andante) - 1) designation of tempo: moderate; 2) a piece in andante tempo or part of a cycle.
Andantino(andantino) - 1) designation of tempo: more mobile than andante; 2) a small piece at andante tempo or part of a cycle.
Animato(animato) - the designation of expressiveness: "animated".
Anticipation(English) - 1) a sound performed a little earlier than the rhythmic beat to which it belongs; 2) playing one of the tones of the chord a little earlier than the chord itself.
Antiphon- a form providing for the alternate participation of two groups of performers. The term goes back to the name of one of the genres of ancient liturgical singing - antiphon, which was sung alternately by two choirs.
Appogiature- decoration or unprepared retention, usually discordant in relation to the main chord and resolving into one of its constituent tones. A long appogiature falls on a strong beat and is resolved on a weak beat. A short appogiature (Italian accaciatura, akkatura; in Russian, the term "grace note" is used) is performed briefly before a strong beat (in the music of the Bach era - also briefly, but with a strong beat).
Arrangement(arrangement, processing) - adaptation of a musical composition for a different composition of performers than the original one (or than provided by the author).
Arioso- a small aria; the adjective "arious" refers to a vocal style that is more melodic than recitative, but less developed than aria.
Arco(arco) - literally "bow": the instruction coll "arco for string players is to play with a bow, not a pizzicato.
Arpeggio- a chord in which the tones are not played simultaneously, but sequentially.
Articulation- the way of presenting sound when playing instruments or singing, similar to pronunciation in speech communication.
Assai(assai) - "very"; for example, adagio assai is very slow.
Attacca(attack) - 1) an indication at the end of any part, prescribing to start the next part without interruption; 2) the distinctness, the clarity with which the soloist takes the tone, or the accuracy, the clarity of the simultaneous introduction of the members of the ensemble, orchestra, chorus.
A tempo(a tempo) - Returns to the original tempo after changing it.
Atonality- the term is applied to music in which there is no specific tonal center and associated consonance ratios.
Affettuoso(affettuoso) - designation of expressiveness: "with feeling."
Aerophone, wind instrument- an instrument in which the sound arises as a result of the oscillation of the air column in the tube.
B
Basso continuo(basso continuo) (also general bass, digital bass) - "continuous, common bass": a tradition of Baroque music, according to which the lower voice in an ensemble was played by a melodic instrument of the appropriate range (viola da gamba, cello, bassoon), in while another instrument (keyboard or lute) duplicated this line along with chords, which were indicated in the notes by a conditional digital notation, which implied an element of improvisation.
Basso ostinato(basso ostinato) - literally "constant bass": a short musical phrase in bass, repeated throughout the entire composition or any of its sections, with free variation of the upper voices; in early music this technique is especially typical of the chaconne and passacaglia.
D
Da capo(yes capo) - "from the beginning"; an instruction instructing to repeat from the beginning a fragment or a whole part of a work; abbreviated D.C.
Dal segno(dal seigno) - "starting from the sign"; an instruction instructing to repeat a fragment from the mark; abbreviated D.S.
D war trill- simultaneous trill at two altitude levels.
Double meter- meter, for which two main stresses in a measure are typical - stronger and weaker. For example, in the size 6/8 there are two stresses: the first eighth is strong, the fourth is weak.
Double tongue- the technique of sound production on some wind instruments (for example, on a trumpet, French horn, flute), in which doubled sounds are produced by a quick movement of the performer's tongue (like the rapid pronunciation of the sounds "t-k").
Double notes- simultaneous combination of two or more sounds on stringed bowed instruments (for example, a violin).
Jazz- one of the musical styles of the 20th century, which arose in the USA; jazz is characterized by a large role of the improvisational principle and the complexity of rhythm.
Giocoso(jokozo) - fun, playful.
Range- 1) in medieval music theory - octave; 2) the name of one of the organ flute pipes; 3) the volume of the sound of a voice, instrument, etc.
Diatonic- a semitone scale within an octave that does not have altered tones.
Divisi(divisions) - an instruction for the members of the ensemble, warning about the division of the party into several independent voices.
Z
Detention- one or more chord sounds that drag on while other voices transition into a new chord; detentions are usually discordant with a new chord and then resolved into it.
Zatakt- one or several sounds at the beginning of a phrase, which are recorded before the first bar line of the composition. The start is always on the weak beat and precedes the strong beat of the first full measure.
Sound writing- direct associative connection of music with text in vocal music; for example, an ascending scale movement on the words "and ascended into heaven."
AND
Idée fixe(French) - literally "obsession": a term associated primarily with the symphonic music of G. Berlioz and denoting the presence in the work of a cross-cutting theme associated with non-musical concepts (for example, the theme of the beloved in Fantastic symphony, Harold's theme in the symphony Harold in Italy).
Idiophone- an instrument in which the sound source is a vibrating body (for example, gong, triangle).
Imitation- repetition of musical thought, exact or slightly altered, in different voices of polyphonic texture.
Impressionism- artistic movement in the visual arts and in music, which arose at the end of the 19th century; for him, typical appeal is primarily to feelings, and not to intellect, a striving for colorfulness, for the embodiment of fleeting impressions, for a spiritualized landscape. In music, the most prominent representative of impressionism is C. Debussy, as well as authors who were influenced by his style.
Improvisation- the art of spontaneously creating or interpreting music (as opposed to exactly following a pre-recorded text).
Inversion, appeal- 1) in the melodic sense, the presentation of a motive or theme in reverse motion: for example, instead of do - re - mi * mi - re - do; 2) in a harmonic sense, the construction of this or that chord not from the first (lower) degree, but from some other: for example, the first inversion of the triad do - mi - salt is a sixth chord mi - salt - up.
Instrumentation, orchestration- the art of distributing the voices of musical texture between the members of the ensemble; cm... ORCHESTRATION.
Interval- musical and mathematical (acoustic) distance between two tones. Intervals can be melodic, when tones are taken alternately, and harmonic, when tones are sounded simultaneously.
Intonation - 1) the degree of relative acoustic accuracy with which sounds are reproduced by a soloist or ensemble (vocal or instrumental); 2) the initial melodic motive of medieval psalmodizing formulas (performance of psalms with melodic recitative).
TO
Cabaletta - 1) a small virtuoso opera aria; 2) the final quick section of the opera aria.
Cavatina- a short lyric song-type aria.
Cadance- the final harmonic sequence of a musical phrase. The main types of cadence are authentic (dominant - tonic), plagal (subdominant - tonic).
Cadence- in an instrumental concert for a soloist with an orchestra - a virtuoso solo section, usually placed closer to the end of the part; cadenzas were sometimes composed by composers, but were often left to the discretion of the performer.
Chamber music- instrumental or vocal ensemble music intended for performance mainly in small halls. A widespread chamber instrumental genre is the string quartet.
Cantabile(cantabile) - melodious, coherent style of performance.
Cantilena- a vocal or instrumental melody of a lyrical, melodious character.
Cantus firmus(lat.) (cantus firmus) - literally "strong tune": the leading melody, often borrowed, which forms the basis of the polyphonic composition.
Cantus planus(lat.) (canthus planus) - rhythmically even monophonic singing, characteristic of the Gregorian chant.
Quasi(quasi) - like, like; quasi marcia - like a march.
Quartet - string quartet: an ensemble of two violins, viola and cello; piano quartet: an ensemble of violin, viola, cello and piano.
Quartol- dividing the rhythmic beat into four equal parts.
Quintet - string quintet: an ensemble usually consisting of two violins, two violas, and a cello. Some works by Boccherini and Schubert were written for two violins, viola and two cellos; piano quintet: an ensemble consisting of a string quartet (two violins, viola, cello) and a piano; quintet Trout Schubert is a rare exception to the rule, as he composed violin, viola, cello, double bass and piano.
Quintol- dividing the rhythmic beat into five equal parts.
Quodlibet(quodlibet) is a comic piece of music that combines several well-known melodies, often borrowed from folk or popular songs.
Harpsichord - a stringed keyboard instrument of the 16th and 18th centuries, in which, when the keys are pressed, small plectras catch the strings.
Clavichord - a small keyboard instrument of the Renaissance and Baroque periods in which small metal pins hit the strings when the keys were pressed, producing a soft, gentle sound.
Piano score- the general name of stringed keyboard instruments (clavichord, harpsichord, piano, etc.).
Klangfarbenmelodie(German) is a concept related to the field of dodecaphony, in particular to the work of A. Schoenberg and his followers: each note or each short motive in the score is intended for different instruments.
Cluster- dissonant consonance, consisting of several adjacent sounds.
Key- 1) the main scale of this or that composition, named according to its main principle - tonic and denoted by signs at the key; 2) a sign at the beginning of the staff, which determines the altitude of the subsequent musical notation (for example, bass, violin, alto, etc.); 3) a device in some keyboards and wind instruments for tuning the instrument.
Key signs- flats and sharps, set at the beginning of each staff on which music is recorded, and indicating the key: for example, one sharp in the key refers to the keys of G major and E minor, one flat indicates the keys of F major and D minor
Code- the final section of the musical composition, sometimes developing the final cadence. The coda contributes to the completeness of the essay; in some cases, it reaches its main culmination.
Coloratura- a virtuoso style of singing, usually including fast scales, arpeggios, ornaments; typically, coloratura is associated with a high, light soprano, especially in opera.
Con brio(con brio) - designation of expressiveness: "alive".
Con moto(con moto) - designation of tempo and expressiveness: “with movement”.
Con fuoco(kon fuoko) - the designation of expressiveness: "with fire."
Consonance- consonance, consonant sounding of two or more tones; the concepts of consonance are different in music of different eras and styles.
Contralto- the lowest register of a female voice.
Counterpoint- a type of musical writing in which voices (two or more) move with relative independence.
Contrabassoon- a large bassoon playing an octave lower than a regular bassoon.
Countertenor- a very high male voice (above the tenor).
Concertina- in a baroque instrumental concert (concerto grosso), a group of soloists, usually two viols and a basso continuo.
Concertmaster- 1) the first violin in the orchestra: this performer plays solo fragments of the score and, if necessary, replaces the conductor; 2) a musician who leads the group of instruments of the orchestra; 3) a pianist, practicing a piece (part) with vocalists, instrumentalists, ballet dancers and performing with them at concerts.
Concertato(concertato) - a style characteristic of the music of the Baroque era and implying the "competition" of groups of the orchestra, choirs, etc.
Cornetto(cornetto) , zinc- wood or brass wind instrument of the late Renaissance and Baroque, the predecessor of the cornet; has a tapered barrel, a cup-shaped mouthpiece, chromatic scale.
L
Frets- 1) scales of the major or minor type; 2) in the Middle Ages, a system of diatonic ("on white keys") modes (modes, scales), which originated from ancient Greek modes and formed the basis of medieval church singing and genres that developed on its basis; in this regard, medieval modes are often called church modes. Each medieval mode has an octave range and can be presented in two forms - authentic and plagal. The four main authentic modes are Dorian from re, Phrygian from mi, Lydian from F and mixolydian from salt... Parallel plugal modes have the same fundamental, but the range is usually one fourth lower. In the Renaissance, the following modes were added to the described modes: Aeolian mode from la and the Ionian mode from before with the appropriate plugal forms. Cm... LADA; 4) vein, bone or wooden plates located on the necks of the lute, guitar and other similar instruments and marking the location of certain sounds for the performer.
Larghetto(largetto) - 1) designation of the tempo: slowly, but somewhat more mobile than the largo; 2) a piece or part of a cycle at a given tempo.
Largo(largo) - literally "wide": 1) the designation of the tempo; in the generally accepted sense - the slowest possible pace; 2) a piece or part of a cycle at a given tempo.
Legato(legato) - a designation of expressiveness: coherent, without gaps between sounds.
Leggiero(ledgero) - a designation of expressiveness: easy, graceful.
Leitmotif - in the operas of Richard Wagner (and among other authors who use the leitmotif technique in works of different genres) - a melodic, rhythmic, harmonic motive associated with a character, subject, time and place of action, as well as with certain emotions and abstract ideas. Cm... LITMOTIVE.
Lento(tape) - designation of the pace: slow.
Libretto- the text of the opera and oratorio, often in poetic form.
league- a curved line below or above the notes that links them into a phrase; if the league connects two notes of the same pitch, then the second note is not played, and its duration is added to the duration of the first note.
Lied(German "song") is a term referring to the romance lyrics of 19th century German composers.
Lyric opera(opéra lyrique) - a term referring to French opera of the 19th century. and denoting a kind of genre, which is, as it were, between the "grand opera" (grand opéra) and the "comic opera" (opéra comique).
L "istesso tempo(listesso tempo) - "at the same tempo": the designation indicates that the tempo is maintained, even if different note lengths are used in the future.
Lute - stringed plucked instrument. Cm... LUTE.
M
Ma non troppo(man non troppo) - not too much; allegro ma non troppo - not too fast.
Madrigal- 1) secular vocal two- or three-part genre in Italian music of the 14th century; 2) a secular polyphonic choral piece in Italy and England in the 16th and early 17th centuries.
Major and minor- the terms are used: 1) to denote the quality of certain intervals (seconds, thirds, sixth, seventh) - for example, there can be two thirds: major, or large ( before - mi) and minor or minor ( do - E flat), i.e. the major interval is one semitone wider than the corresponding minor one; 2) to designate two main types of triads and chords built on them: a triad, the first interval of which is a major third - a major ( do - mi - salt), a triad with a minor third at the base is a minor ( do - E flat - salt); 3) to designate the two most common scales in European music after 1700 - major (with a large third between I and III steps) and minor (with a minor third between I and III steps). The major scale from note to has the form: do - re - mi - fa - sol - la - si - do... The minor scale has three forms: natural minor, in which semitone ratios are formed between II and III and between V and VI steps, as well as harmonic and melodic minors, in which the VI and VII steps change (alter). Cm... MUSICAL RANGE.
Manual- keyboard; in Russian usually refers to organ and harpsichord keyboards.
Marcato(marcato) - a designation of expressiveness: distinctly, with emphasis.
Median- III level of the scale: for example, mi in C major.
Melisma(decorations) - 1) melodic passages or whole melodies, performed per one syllable of the text. Melismatic style is typical for old church singing of different traditions (Byzantine, Gregorian, Old Russian, etc.); 2) small melodic decorations in vocal and instrumental music, indicated by special conventional signs or small notes.
Small note- a note (or a group of notes) recorded more finely than the rest. Such a recording can have two meanings: 1) in music created before the 19th century, and sometimes even later, the “small note” was a decoration that did not have its own rhythmic duration, but borrowed, “subtracted” it from the subsequent duration; in Russian in this case, the borrowed term "grace note" is used; 2) in the music of the 19th century, especially in the works of Liszt, Chopin and Anton Rubinstein, a series of "small notes" are often used in cadences and phrases similar to them in style, and the passage as a whole has a certain indicated length (for example, a measure or two measures and etc.), and the duration of each of the “minor notes” is determined by the performer (usually such passages are performed by rubato, ie “freely”).
Melody- musical thought, expressed in one voice and having a certain high-altitude and rhythmic contour.
Meno(meno) - "less"; meno mosso - designation of the pace: calmer, not so fast.
Meter- rhythmic form, consisting of alternating percussion and unstressed (strong and weaker) beats, like the foot in poetry. The main types are a bipartite meter (with one percussion and one unstressed beat per measure) and a three-beat meter (with one percussion and two unstressed beats per measure).
Meter and size designations- meter is usually indicated by two numbers, set at the beginning of the musical notation: the upper number shows the number of beats in a measure, the lower one - the rhythmic counting unit. For example, a 2/4 time signature indicates that the measure has two beats, each quarter.
Metronome- a mechanical device for determining the tempo of a piece, invented in the 19th century.
Mezzo forte(mezzo forte) - not very loud.
Microton- the interval is less than a semitone (in the tempered scale).
Minimalism- the musical style of the second half of the 20th century, based on a long repetition, possibly with minor changes, of very laconic musical material.
Modality- a method of pitch organization, which is based on the principle of the scale - in contrast to the tonal major-minor principle. The term is applied to ancient church monodic music of different traditions, as well as to oriental and folklore cultures (in this case, the term “modality” may correspond to the term “modality”).
Moderato(moderato) - designation of tempo: moderate, between andante and allegro.
Modulation- key change in the major-minor system.
Molto(molto) - very; tempo indication: molto adagio - tempo indication: very slow.
Mordent- decoration (melism), denoted as () or () and consisting in rapid movement one step up or down and immediate return; double mordent up and down is also possible.
Motive- a short melodic-rhythmic figure, the smallest independent unit of the musical form of a piece.
Musica ficta(fictitious music), musica falsa(falsa music) is a practice widespread in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, following which chromatic alterations that are absent in the recorded musical text were introduced into the music in order to avoid the dissonant interval of the tritone or to raise the VII degree (opening tone). Cm... MUSICAL RANGE.
Musique concrète(French) - one of the trends in music of the 20th century, which originated in France: here both musical and natural sounds are used as the main material, recorded on tape and then subjected to various kinds of acoustic and other transformations.
N
Customization- the process of correcting the pitch on different instruments (for example, strings or the piano), in which the sound acquires the pitch characteristic of a given temperament system, and the sound of this instrument is consistent with the scale of other instruments.
Non-chord sound- a sound that is not part of the given chord, but sounds along with it.
Neumatic style- in medieval art, the method of vocal writing, in which there are several tones for each syllable of the text - in contrast to the syllabic style, where each syllable corresponds to one tone, and the melismatic style, where each syllable corresponds to a longer chant.
Neumas- signs of old notations, similar to hieroglyphs; neuma can mean either one tone or a rather long melodic structure. Old Russian nevmas are called hooks.
Neoclassicism- one of the trends in music of the 20th century, for which the use of genres, forms, melodic models, etc., reinterpreted in a modern spirit is typical. era of baroque and classicism.
Non troppo(non troppo) - not too much; allegro ma non troppo - tempo designation: not too fast.
Note - the graphic designation of the musical sound, as well as the sound itself.
Music staff- a set of five horizontal rulers in musical notation.
O
Overtones - overtones included in the spectrum of sound produced by a vibrating object, vibrator (for example, a string or a column of air), and located above the main tone. Overtones are formed as a result of vibrations of parts of the vibrator (its halves, thirds, quarters, etc.), each of them has its own pitch. Thus, the sound emitted by the vibrator is complex and consists of a pitch and a set of overtones.
Obligato(obbigato) - 1) in the music of the 17th and 18th centuries. the term refers to those parts of instruments in a work that cannot be omitted and must be performed without fail; 2) fully written accompaniment in a piece of music for voice or solo instrument and clavier.
Octave- the interval between two sounds, the frequency ratio of which is 1: 2.
Octet- an ensemble of eight performers, as well as a chamber-instrumental piece for this composition.
Opus(opus) (Latin opus, "work"; abbreviated - op.): the designation has been used by composers since the Baroque era and usually refers to the ordinal number of the given work in the list (most often chronological) of the works of the given author.
Organ point, pedal- a sound sustained in bass (or several sounds), against the background of which other voices move freely; this technique is often used in organ music; in classical style, organ points usually appear before the final cadence.
Organum- a form of early Western polyphony (from the 9th century), which uses melodies borrowed from church monody.
Main tone- the main (most often lower) sound within a given group of sounds (intervals, chords, frets, etc.).
Ostinato(ostinato) - repeated repetition of a melodic or rhythmic figure, harmonic turn, a separate sound (especially often in bass voices).
P
Pandiatonics- the style of harmonic writing, in which diatonic consonances are used freely, often outside the rules of traditional harmony.
Parallel movement- ascending or descending parallel movement of two or more voices, in which the same interval distance is maintained between these voices (for example, movement in parallel thirds or parallel fourths).
Parallel chords- upward or downward movement of chords of the same or similar structure, without the permissions prescribed by traditional harmony.
Parallel major and minor - major and minor, having the same key characters and spaced apart by a minor third (for example, C major and A minor).
Patter song(English) - a humorous song in which the words are laid on a simple melody, consisting of multiple repetitions of the same sounds; the words should be pronounced quickly and clearly.
Pause- the term is used to designate both the pause itself - a break in the sound, and the signs that prescribe it.
Pesante(pezante) - designation of expressiveness: hard.
Pentatonic- five-step frets; the main type is a non-semitone pentatonic scale ("on black keys"); similar modes are often found in the music of the Far East, they are typical for a number of European folklore traditions, in particular the Russian one.
Cross rhythm- simultaneous use in different voices of different meters (rhythmic patterns), for example, dicotyledonous and tripartite.
Enumeration- close proximity (or simultaneous sounding) in the score of any tone and its altered form - for example, si and B flat... In some styles, rewriting is strictly prohibited.
Perpetuum mobile(perpetuum mobile) (lat. "perpetual motion"): a piece based on continuous rapid rhythmic movement from beginning to end.
Pianissimo(pianissimo) - very quiet; abbreviated: pp .
Piano(piano) - quiet; abbreviated: p .
Piu(piu) - more; piu allegro - tempo designation: faster.
Pizzicato(pizzicato) - by plucking: a method of playing strings by plucking the strings with your fingers.
Plagal–1) in music based on the major-minor system, the cadance in which the subdominant chord is resolved into the tonic (a move from the IV to the I degree, or from the triad fa - la - to to the triad do - mi - salt in C major); 2) in medieval church singing - a scale that is one fourth lower than the corresponding authentic scale and has a basic tone in common with it.
Polymodality- simultaneous use of several (for example, major and minor) scales (frets) in a work.
Polyrhythmia- simultaneous use of distinctly contrasting rhythmic patterns in different voices.
Polytonality- simultaneous sounding of two or more tonalities.
Polyphony- the warehouse of the letter, assuming the independent movement of each of two or more voices. Cm... POLYPHONY.
Portamento(portamento) - a sliding transition from one sound to another, used in singing and playing the strings.
Portato(portato) - a way of producing sound, between legato and staccato.
Postlude - an instrumental piece performed after a service in a Western Christian church (usually on an organ); and an independent instrumental or orchestral piece reminiscent of an "afterword".
Prima donna - leading female performer at the opera house.
Program music- instrumental and orchestral music associated with the embodiment of ideas borrowed from the non-musical sphere (literature, painting, natural phenomena, etc.). The name comes from the program - the text with which composers often accompanied works of this type.
Passing sound- a sound that is not included in the structure of the chord, but linearly connects two consonant accords (usually appears at a weak beat of a measure).
Prestissimo(prestissimo) - designation of the pace: extremely fast; faster than presto.
Presto(presto) - designation of tempo: very fast.
Psalm tones- relatively simple melodic formulas - the models according to which psalms and other liturgical texts were performed in the medieval Western Christian church.
Dotted rhythm- a rhythmic pattern formed by an increase in a beat by half the duration due to a halving of the next weaker beat. It is indicated by a dot to the right of the note.
R
Development of- the development of a musical idea by isolating fragments of themes, changing the tonalities of themes, expanding them, various kinds of combinations with each other, etc. Development is also called the second, developing section of the sonata form (sonata allegro).
Permission- movement from dissonance to consonance.
Rakokhod - return, from end to beginning, the movement of the theme.
Rallentando(rallentando) - designation of the pace: gradually slowing down.
Chant, chant- a system of monodic vocal music, mainly church singing of different denominations.
Register- 1) a group of organ pipes that create a certain timbre; 2) a certain part of the range of a voice or instrument, which has distinct coloristic and timbre qualities (for example, "head register" - falsetto).
Reprise- the final section of the composition in sonata form, where the themes of the exposition are repeated; The repetition of musical material in the final section of different forms - for example, three-part, is also called a reprise.
Responsory- the chant of the Western Church, in which the singing of the soloist and the choral refrain alternate; the definition of "responsive" can refer to a similar technique in music of different styles.
Refrain - 1) in the form of the rondo type - unchangeable musical material that appears after contrasting sections; 2) chorus - the second, unchangeable half of the verse in verse form (for example, in a song).
Ripieno(ripieno) - in instrumental music of the Baroque era, the designation of the playing of the entire orchestra; the same as tutti.
Ritardando(ritardando) - designation of tempo: gradually slowing down.
Ritenuto(ritenuto) - designation of tempo: gradually decreasing the tempo, but on a shorter interval than ritardando.
Rhythm - temporary organization of music; specifically - a sequence of durations of sounds.
Ritournel - literally "return." In early opera, the term referred to repeated returns of a melody (such as a refrain); in a baroque concerto, ritornelle was the periodical return of versions of the first theme, which were performed by the entire orchestra (as opposed to the intermediate sections, which were performed by solo instruments).
Rococo - the style of art of the first half of the 18th century, including music; Rococo is characterized by an abundance of ornamental motives, whimsical lines.
Rubato(rubato) - flexible interpretation of the tempo-rhythmic side of the piece, deviations from a uniform tempo in order to achieve greater expressiveness.
Row, series- the main structure in dodecaphony (12-tone composition technique); in its pure form, the series consists of 12 non-repeating sounds that appear in the order determined by the composer; in practice, a series can consist of a different number of non-repeating sounds.
WITH
Swing - a style of big band dance jazz music popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
Bunch- a fragment of secondary content, often modulating, which serves as a transition from one section of a musical form to another.
Sequence- repetition of a motive or phrase at a different altitude level.
Sextet- an ensemble of six performers or a piece for this composition.
Sextol- dividing the rhythmic beat into six equal parts.
Septet- an ensemble of seven performers (each has its own part) or an essay for this composition.
Serialism, seriality- the technique of composition, in which a set of non-repeating sounds is used as a basis (the classic version is 12 sounds, but it may be less) and the whole composition consists of a continuous repetition of this set - a series or several series; rhythm, dynamics, timbre, etc. are organized according to the same principle. The simplest, original version of seriality is dodecaphony, in which only the pitch factor is taken into account.
Syllabic - the style of vocal writing, in which there is one sound per syllable (without intrasyllabic chants).
Strong share- the main metric stress in a measure, usually on its first beat.
Syncope - shifting the emphasis from the stressed beat to the unstressed one.
Synthesizer- electronic musical instrument.
Scherzo- a piece or part of a cycle at a fast pace.
Warehouse, letter- the type of interaction of voices in the musical fabric. The main types are: monody (monophony); polyphony, or counterpoint (several freely interacting lines); homophony (melody with accompaniment).
Scordatura(scordatura) - Temporarily change the normal tuning of a stringed instrument.
Scherzando(skerzando) - playful.
Random signs- signs used to indicate an increase or decrease in tone. The sharp sign () raises one semitone; a flat sign () - a semitone decrease. A double-sharp () raises the sound by two semitones, a double-flat () lowers it by two semitones. The bekar sign () cancels the previous random sign. The random sign is valid for the note before which it is exposed, and for all its repetitions within the boundaries of the given measure.
Solo(solo) - a composition or a fragment thereof for one performer or for a soloist from an ensemble, orchestra, etc.
Solmization- the system of syllabic naming of notes: before, re, mi, F, salt, la, si.
Solfeggio- 1) vocal exercises, sung in vowels or syllables; 2) one of the disciplines of the musical-theoretical course.
Soprano- 1) the top part in the choral score; 2) the highest register female voice (or the voice of a boy); 3) a kind of some instruments - for example, a soprano saxophone.
Composite bipartite meter- meter (size), for which the nature of the grouping of metric fractions of three (6/4 or 6/8).
Composite three-part meter- meter (size), which is characterized by three groups of three metric fractions each (9/6 or 9/8).
Sostenuto(sosteno) - designation of expressiveness: restrained; sometimes the notation can refer to tempo as well.
Sotto voce(sotto voche) - the designation of expressiveness: "in an undertone", muffled.
Soul Is one of the styles of American popular music, based on Negro folklore and sacred singing.
Spinet- in the 17th and 18th centuries. a kind of small-sized harpsichord; and also a small upright piano.
Spiritoso(spiritoso) - with enthusiasm.
Staccato(staccato) - abruptly: a manner of sound production, in which each sound is, as it were, separated by a pause from the other; the opposite way of producing sound is legato (legato), coherently. Staccato is indicated by a dot above the note.
Stile rappresentativo(rappsentative style) - an operatic style of the early 17th century, the main principle of which is that the musical principle should be subordinated to the expression of dramatic ideas or reflect the content of the text.
Stretta- 1) in a fugue, especially in its final section, - the presentation of a polyphonic theme in the form of a simple or canonical imitation, in which the imitating voice enters before the end of the theme in a beginning voice; 2) acceleration of the tempo of action and the tempo of music in the finals of Italian operas.
Subdominant- literally "below the dominant": IV degree in major or minor (for example, F in C major).
Submediant - literally "below the median": the VI degree in major or minor (for example, la in C major).
Sul ponticello(sul ponticello) - literally "on a stand": instructing the string player to play next to the stand to produce a stronger, brilliant sound.
Sul tasto(sul tasto) - literally "on the fretboard": instructing the performer on the stringed instrument to play at the fretboard to produce a softer, covered sound.
Mute- a device that allows you to muffle, soften the sound of some instruments.
Sforzando(sforzando) - sudden emphasis on a sound or chord; abbreviated.
Segue(segue) - continue as before: an indication that, firstly, replaces the attacca indication (i.e., instructs to perform the next part without interruption), and secondly, instructs to continue execution in the same manner as before ( in this case, the designation semper is more often used).
Semibreve(samibreve) – whole note.
Semplice(sampleliche) - the designation of expressiveness: simple.
Semper(sempre) - constantly, always; semper pianissimo - very quiet all the time.
Senza(senza) - without; senza sordino - remove the mute.
T
Tablature- notation systems common in the Renaissance and Baroque periods for such instruments as organ, harpsichord, lute and guitar; in tablatures, not a five-line notation is used, but a variety of signs - numbers, letters, etc.
Tact- a unit of a musical meter, which is formed from the alternation of stresses of different strengths and begins with the strongest of them. Measures are separated from each other by a vertical line on the staff.
Theater music- music to be performed during the presentation of a dramatic play; in the 19th century. the overture and intermissions were usually composed.
Topic- the main melodic idea of the piece; the term is often used to denote the main theme of the fugue and other polyphonic works, as well as the main part in sonata form.
Timbre- a specific coloration characteristic of a particular voice or instrument.
Pace- the speed of movement in music.
Temperament- equalization of the interval ratios in the musical system, in which some intervals differ from their pure acoustic values. Nowadays, the most common is the so-called equal temperament, in which the octave is divided into 12 equal semitones. Typical for the second half of the 20th century. the movement towards the revival of early music led to the revival of different ways of temperament belonging to the Renaissance, Baroque, Classicism, etc.).
Tenor- 1) the second party from the bottom in a four-part letter; 2) a high male voice; 3) a kind of instruments of the corresponding register - for example, a tenor saxophone; 4) in medieval polyphony, the tenor was a voice in which the main (often borrowed) theme of the composition (cantus firmus) was expounded in large lengths.
Close location- the location of the chord, in which its constituent tones are in maximum proximity to each other.
Tetrachord- a four-step scale in the fourth range.
Tone- 1) a single sound of a certain pitch and duration; 2) an interval consisting of two semitones (for example, a major second before - re).
Key- 1) the altitude of the fret - for example, in C major; 2) a system of high-altitude connections, centralized around the main consonance - tonic. The term "tonality" is used as the opposite of the term "modality" associated with frets other than the classical major and minor.
Tonic- the basic structure of a harmony or tonality, expressed in the form of one sound (for example, before in C major) or a chord (for example, a triad do - mi - salt in C major).
Transcription, processing, arrangement - adaptation of a piece for a different instrument or for a different composition of performers than in the original, for example, a transcription of a choral piece for an instrumental ensemble. Transcription can also be called the processing of a work for the same instrument as in the original - for example, in order to make it more virtuoso.
Transposition, transposition–Transferring an entire piece or a fragment of it to another key.
Triad- a chord consisting of three sounds arranged in thirds, for example do - mi - salt.
Trill- very fast alternation of two adjacent sounds; abbreviated: tr .
Tremolo - fast multiple repetition of tone, sometimes in the range of two steps, sometimes at the same pitch level.
Three-part meter, size- a time signature for which in each measure (3/4, 3/2) one strong beat and two weak ones are typical.
Trio - string trio: ensemble of violin, viola and cello; piano trio: ensemble of piano, violin and cello.
Triplet- dividing the rhythmic beat into three equal parts.
Triton - an interval consisting of three whole tones and formed in a diatonic scale between IV and VII degrees; in the Middle Ages, the newt was considered a forbidden interval.
Triple tongue - the technique of sound production on some wind instruments (trumpet, French horn, flute), similar to a double reed, but similar to pronouncing the sounds "t-k-t" in fast triplet passages.
Troubadour - in southern France 12th and 13th centuries. court poet-musician.
Truver- in Northern France, 12th and 13th centuries. court poet-musician.
Tutti(tutti) - all together; in baroque ensemble music, the term refers to all performers, including solo parts; in later orchestral music, the term refers to the sections performed by the entire orchestra.
Tempus perfectum, tempus imperfectum(lat.) - designations of the tripartite and dicotyledonous sizes in the era of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Tenuto(teno) - sustained: the designation prescribes to withstand the full duration of the note; sometimes a slight excess of the duration is meant.
Terraced dynamics(English) - sudden changes in dynamic level, typical of baroque music.
Have
Increase- presentation of a motive or topic when they are repeated in larger durations.
Decorations- one note or a group of notes, which are written in small print and added to the main melody in order to "colorize", "decorate" it.
Decrease- reduction, usually by half, durations when repeating a motive or theme.
Unison - 1) theoretically - zero interval, the distance between two tones of the same pitch; 2) practically - the performance of a sound or melody by all performers at the same pitch.
Phrasing- clear, expressive performance of a musical phrase and all the elements that determine the meaning of musical speech, with the help of flexible changes in tempo, dynamics, accents, etc.
Fugged- using some fugue techniques, most often imitation, for example, fugue allegro.
X
Hemiola- a rhythmic technique in which a three-beat time is changed to a dicot one by shifting accents in a measure. This technique was widespread in the 15th century, and was used later, especially to consolidate the rhythmic movement in the final sections, before the final cadence.
Chorus- 1) an ensemble of singers, usually divided into four parts (soprano, alto, tenor, bass); 2) a group of instruments in a symphony or brass band, combining instruments of the same type (for example, a "chorus of strings").
Chordophone, string instrument- an instrument in which sound occurs as a result of the vibration of a string.
Chromatism- the use of altered (not belonging to the main scale) sounds.
C
Whole tone gamut- a scale consisting of whole tones, i.e. which is an octave divided into six equal parts.
Cycle - a musical composition consisting of several parts, where the parts are combined dramatically and thematically.
Digital bass- Accepted in the Baroque era, an abbreviated recording of chord accompaniment using numbers that were placed above or below the notes of the bass voice. A performer on instruments of a harmonic type (harpsichord, organ, lute) could reproduce the complete harmonic texture of a piece with the help of digital recording.
H
Chantey, shanty(English) - Labor songs of English and American sailors, performed in a certain rhythm to facilitate the work.
Part- a relatively independent section of a large musical form, usually with a distinct beginning and end.
Quarter tone- an interval equal to half a semitone.
Sh
Shape-note notation- An early American type of notation in which notes were used in four different shapes: triangle, circle, oval, and asterisk.
Sprechstimme(German) - "declamatory", Sprechgesang - "declamatory singing" is a technique of vocal writing developed by A. Schoenberg and his followers and consists in the fact that the singer does not reproduce sounds of the exact pitch, but glides, as it were, glides from one sound to to another; when notation on calmness, notes are placed instead of "heads" - "crosses" ().
E
Exposition- the first section of a whole series of forms, primarily the fugue and sonata form, in which the thematic material of the entire composition is presented (exhibited).
Expressionism- the style of visual arts of the first decades of the 20th century, which is usually associated with atonal and dodecaphonic music.
Electonic music- music, the sound material of which is created using a synthesizer.
Empfindsamer stil(German) - a style of performance of baroque music, in which the conventions inherent in this era are ignored and the purpose of which is the direct and free transfer of the emotional content of the work.
Anharmonicity- with equal temperament, the ability to record the same sound in different ways: for example a sharp and B flat.
Literature:
Musical encyclopedia, vols. 1-5. M., 1973-1982
Kruntyaeva T., Molokova N. Dictionary of foreign musical terms... M. - SPb., 1996
Buluchevsky Y., Fomin V. Brief musical vocabulary... SPb. - M., 1998
Brief Music Dictionary-Reference... M., 1998
Musical encyclopedic dictionary... M., 1998
Kruntyaeva T., Molokova N.Dictionary of foreign musical terms ... M. - SPb., 1996
Buluchevsky Y., Fomin V.Brief musical vocabulary ... SPb. - M., 1998
Brief Music Dictionary-Reference ... M., 1998
Musical encyclopedic dictionary ... M., 1998
Musical terminology is the foundation of contemporary performing arts. Without terms, it is impossible to write notes, and without notes, a professional musician or singer cannot play or sing. The terms are academic - they do not change over time and do not become a thing of the past. Invented over three hundred years ago, they are still relevant.
Fundamental best known terms in music:
- Arpeggio- alternating the notes of the chord sequentially, when the sounds line up one after the other.
- Aria- a vocal piece, part of an opera, performed with the accompaniment of an orchestra.
- Variations- an instrumental piece or its excerpts, performed with various complications.
- Gamma- alternating notes in a certain order, but without mixing, up or down to an octave repetition.
- Range- the interval between the lowest and highest sound of an instrument or voice.
- Scale- sounds located in a row in height, similar to the scale. The sound scale can be present in musical works or in their fragments.
- Cantata- a piece for concert performance by an orchestra, soloists or choir.
- Piano score- transcription of a symphony or opera for interpretation on the piano or for singing with piano accompaniment.
- Opera- the most important musical genre, combining drama and music, music and ballet.
- Prelude- introduction before the main piece of music. It can be used as an independent form for a small piece.
- Romance- a piece for vocal performance with accompaniment. Differs in a romantic mood, melody.
- Rondo- repetition of the main theme of the work with the inclusion of other accompanying episodes between refrains.
- Symphony- a piece performed by an orchestra in four parts. Based on the principles of the sonata form.
- Sonata- an instrumental work of a complex form from several parts, one of which dominates.
- Suite- a piece of music from several parts, different in content and contrasting with each other.
- Overture- an introduction to the work, briefly revealing the main content. Orchestral overtures are, as a rule, an independent piece of music.
- Piano- a unifying name for instruments that act on the principle of hitting a hammer on a string by means of a key.
- Chromatic scale- a scale of semitones, formed by filling in intermediate semitones of large seconds.
- Texture- a way of presenting music. Main types: piano, vocal, choral, orchestral and instrumental.
- Key- the characteristic of the fret in height. Tonality is distinguished by key alteration signs that determine the composition of sounds.
- Third- three-step interval.
- Major third- an interval of two tones.
- Minor third- an interval of one and a half tones.
- Solfeggio- lessons on the principle of tutoring with the aim of forming an ear for music and its further development.
- Scherzo- a musical sketch of a light, playful nature. It can be included in a large piece of music as its component part. It can also be an independent piece of music.
Terms defining the style and genres of music:
- Adagio(adagio) - calmly, slowly.
- Ajitato(adgitato) - agitated, agitated, impulsive.
- Andante(andante) - measuredly, slowly, thoughtfully.
- Appassionato(appassionato) - lively, with passion.
- Accelerando(accelerando) - increasing the pace, accelerating.
- Calyando(calando) - with fading, decreasing speed and reducing head.
- Cantabile(cantabile) - melodious, melodious, with feeling.
- Con dolcerezza(con dolcherezza) - softly, with tenderness.
- Con forz(con forza) - forcefully, energetically.
- Decrescendo(decrescendo) - gradually decreasing the strength of the sound.
- Dolce(dolce) - gentle, sweet, soft.
- Doloroso(doloroso) - with sadness, plaintively, with despair.
- Forte(forte) - loudly, with force.
- Fortissimo(fortissimo) - very strong and loud, thunderous.
- Largo(largo) - wide, at ease, unhurriedly.
- Legato(legato) - smoothly, calmly, serenely.
- Lento(lento) - slowly, slowing down even more.
- Ledgiero(legiero) - easy, smooth, thoughtless.
- Maestoso(maestoso) - dignified, solemn.
- Mysterioso(misterioso) - quiet, mysterious.
- Moderato(moderato) - moderately, deliberately, unhurriedly.
- Piano(piano) - quietly, not loudly.
- Pianissimo(pianissimo) - very quiet, muffled.
- Presto(presto) - fast, intense.
- Sempre(semper) - constantly, without changing.
- Spirituoso(spirituozo) - spiritually, with feeling.
- Staccato(staccato) - abruptly.
- Vivace(vivace) - lively, soon, non-stop.
- Vivo(vivo) - tempo, average between presto and allegro.
Technical musical terminology:
- Treble clef- a special icon placed at the beginning of the musical line, indicating that the note of the first octave "G" is on the second line of the staff.
- Bass clef- an icon confirming the location of the "fa" note of a small octave on the fourth line of the staff.
- Natural- an icon denoting the cancellation of the "flat" and "sharp" signs. It is a sign of alteration.
- Sharp- an icon denoting a semitone rise in the sound. It is a sign of alteration.
- Flat- an icon denoting a decrease in the sound by a semitone. It is a sign of alteration.
- Double sharp- an icon denoting an increase in the sound by two semitones, a whole tone. It is a sign of alteration.
- Double flat- an icon denoting a decrease in the sound by two semitones, a whole tone. It is a sign of alteration.
- Zatakt- an incomplete measure that gives rise to a piece of music.
- Signs, shortening the musical writing, serve to simplify the musical notation in the case of its vastness. The most common: tremolo, reprise sign, melismatic signs.
- Quintol- a form of five notes, replacing the usual group of four notes, designation - number 5, below or above the notes.
- Key- an icon indicating the location of the sound recording on the musical ruler in relation to the rest of the sounds.
- Key signs- alteration icons, affixed next to the key.
- Note- an icon affixed on one of the stave's rulers or between them, indicating the pitch and duration of the sound.
- Music staff- five parallel lines for placing notes. The arrangement of the musical symbols is carried out from bottom to top.
- Score- musical notation, separate for each participant in the performance of the work, taking into account the compatibility of voices and instruments.
- Reprise- an icon denoting the repetition of any part of the work. Repetition of a fragment with some changes.
- Step- designation of the order of arrangement of the sounds of the fret, denoted by Roman numerals.
The classic definition is that tempo in music is the speed of movement. But what is meant by this? The point is that music has its own unit of measurement of time. These are not seconds, as in physics, and not hours and minutes, to which we are accustomed in life.
Musical time most of all resembles the beating of a human heart, measured beats of the pulse. These blows measure the time. And just on what they are - fast or slow, the pace depends, that is, the overall speed of movement.
When we listen to music, we do not hear this pulsation, unless, of course, it is specifically shown by percussion instruments. But every musician is hidden, inside himself necessarily feels these beats of the pulse, it is they that help to play or sing rhythmically, without deviating from the main tempo.
Here's an example. Everyone knows the melody of the New Year's song "A Christmas tree was born in the forest." In this melody, the movement is mainly in eighth notes (sometimes there are others). At the same time, the pulse beats, you just can't hear it, but we will specially sound it with the help of a percussion instrument. Listen to this example and you will start to feel the heartbeat in this song:
What are the tempos in music?
All the tempos that are only in music can be divided into three main groups: slow, moderate (that is, medium) and fast. In musical notation, tempo is usually denoted in special terms, most of which are words of Italian origin.
So, Largo and Lento, as well as Adagio and Grave belong to the slow paces.
Andante and Andantino, a derivative from it, are ranked as moderate tempos, in addition - Moderato, Sostenuto and Allegretto.
Finally, let's list the fast paces: the fun Allegro, the live Vivo and Vivace, as well as the fast Presto and the fastest Prestissimo.
How do I set the exact pace?
Is it possible to measure the musical tempo in seconds? It turns out you can. For this, a special device is used - a metronome. The inventor of the mechanical metronome is the German mechanical physicist and musician Johann Melzel. Nowadays, musicians in their daily rehearsals use both mechanical metronomes and electronic counterparts - as a separate device or an application on the phone.
How does a metronome work? This device, after special settings (move the weight on the scale), beats the pulse at a certain speed (for example, 80 beats per minute or 120 beats per minute, etc.).
The metronome clicks are reminiscent of the loud ticking of a clock. This or that beat frequency of these beats corresponds to one of the musical tempos. For example, for a fast paced Allegro, the frequency will be about 120-132 beats per minute, and for a slow paced Adagio, it will be about 60 beats per minute.
These are the main points regarding the musical tempo that we wanted to convey to you. If you still have questions, please write them in the comments. Until next time.
The terminology of music covers various musical areas: including dynamics, tempo, musical notation, the nature of the performance, as well as the ways of interpreting the work. The dominant language of musical terminology is Italian. An interesting fact is that even Mozart wrote some of his operas in Italian.
Until the 18th century, there was no recent abundance in determining the pace of performance. In the past, the tempo was determined by the metro rhythm, since the duration of a sound (whole, half, quarter, etc.) was revered as an absolute value.
The inaccuracy and subjectivity of ideas about duration sometimes put musicians in a difficult position. It is likely that the first musical terms-concepts appeared to more accurately define dynamics and tempo. In the 19th century, the specialization of musicians increased dramatically, and composers gradually ceased to be performers, as it was in the past. The latter gave rise to an increase in the number of terms used in musical notation.
At the beginning of the same century, Melzel designed a metronome, which made it possible to accurately determine the tempo when performing musical works. L. Beethoven, for example, used the metronome more willingly than verbal terminology. In his latest works, Beethoven introduces German speech in order to more accurately define the spirit and emotions of music.
In the 20th century, in most countries, the native language began to prevail over Italian when recording music on sheet music. International musical terminology was greatly influenced by C. Debussy, whose refined terms captivated many composers. A. Scriabin, for example, inspired by K. Debussy, began to use the French language, inventing new, no less original terms. And yet, despite the most progressive trends of recent centuries, it is the Italian language that has retained its international significance in musical literacy.
I have written down the most frequently used Italian terms necessary in the musician's work, because sometimes tubaists do not even know what a particular term means or implies in the works being learned.
TERMS OF DESIGNATION OF TEMPO AND ITS CHANGES
Slow pace:
- lento (lento) - slowly, weakly, quietly
- lento assai - very slow
- lento di molto - very slow
- largo (largo) - wide, slow
- largo assai - very wide
- largo di molto - very wide
- largo un poco - slightly wider
- adagio (adagio) - slowly
- grave (grave) - significant, solemn, stately, heavy
Moderate pace:
- andante (andante) - step, graceful movement
- andante cantabile (andante cantabile) - slow and melodious
- andante maestoso (andante maestoso) - slowly and majestically
- andante pastorale (andante pastorale) - slowly pastoral
- andante vivace (andante vivace) - lively and ardently
- andantino (andantino) - rather than andante
- moderato (moderato) - moderate, restrained
- allegretto (allegretto) - lively
Fast pace:
- allegro (allegro) - soon
- vivo, vivace (vivo, vivace) - fast, lively
Very fast pace:
- Presto, prestissimo (presto, prestissimo) - fast, extremely fast
Other terms characterizing musical emotionality:
- abbandono (abbandono) - dejected, depressed
- abbandonamente (abbandonamente) - dejected, depressed
- accarezzevole (akarezzsevole) - affectionately
- affettuoso (affettuoso) - heart
- agitato (agitato) - excited, agitated
- amabile (amabile) - nice
- alla (alla) - in kind, in spirit
- alla marcia (alla marchia) - in the spirit of the march
- alla polacca (alla polyakka) - in the spirit of Polish
- amoroso (amoroso) - lovingly
- animato (animato) - enthusiastic, lively
- appassionato (appassionato) - passionately
- ardente (ardente) - with heat
- brillante (brilliante) - brilliant
- buffo (buffo) - comically
- burlesco (burlesco) - comically
- cantabile (cantabile) - melodious
- capriccioso (capriccioso) - capricious
- con amore (con amore) - with love
- con anima (con anima) - with enthusiasm, with animation
- con bravura - brilliant
- con brio (con brio) - with heat
- con calore (con calore) - with heat
- con dolcezza (con dolcezza) - gently, softly
- con dolore (con dolore) - with sadness
- con espressione - with expression
- con forza (con forza) - with strength
- con fuoco - with fire
- con grazia (con grazia) - with grace
- con malinconia - melancholic
- con moto (con moto) - movable
- con passione - with passion
- con spirito (con spirito) - with enthusiasm
- con tenerezza (con tenerezza) - with tenderness
- con vigore (con vigore) - courageously
- deciso (dechizo) - decisively
- dolce (dolce) - gently
- dolcissimo (dolchissimo) - very gentle
- dolente (dolente) - sad, plaintive
- doloroso (doloroso) - sad, sad
- elegante (elegant) - gracefully, beautiful
- elegaco (elejyako) - plaintively, sad
- energico (energiko) - energetically
- eroico (eroiko) - heroically
- espressivo - expressive
- flebile (phlebile) - plaintively
- feroce (feroche) - wildly
- festivo (festivo) - festive
- fiero (fiero) - wildly
- fresco (fresco) - fresh
- funebre (funebre) - funeral
- furioso (furioso) - furiously
- giocoso (jyokoso) - playfully, playfully
- gioioso (gioioso) joyfully, merrily
- grandioso (grandioso) - magnificent, magnificent
- grazioso (graceoso) - graceful
- guerriero (gueriero) - belligerent
- imperioso (imperioso) - imperative
- impetuoso (impetuoso) - rapidly, violently
- innocente (innocente) - innocent, simple
- lagrimoso (lagrimoso) - deplorable
- languido (languido) - with exhaustion, powerless
- lamentabile (lamentable) - plaintively
- leggiero (dejiero) - easy
- leggierissimo very easy
- lugubre (lugubre) - gloomy
- lusingando (luzingando) - flattering
- maestoso (maestoso) - solemn, stately
- malinconico - melancholy
- marcato (marcato) - underlining
- marciale (marchiale) - marching
- marziale (marziale) belligerent
- mesto (mesto) - sad
- misterioso (mysterioso) - mysterious
- parlando (parlando) - recitative
- pastorale (pastorale) - shepherd
- patetico (pathetico) - passionately
- pesante (pezante) - heavy, heavy
- piangendo (pianjendo) - deplorable
- pomposo (pomposo) - great, with shine
- quieto (kiyeto) - quietly
- recitando (recitando) - reciting
- religioso (religioso) - reverently
- rigoroso (rigoroso) - strictly, exactly
- risoluto (risoluto) - decisively
- rustico - rustic
- scherzando (scherzando) - playfully
- scherzoso (scherzoso) - playfully
- semplice - simple
- sensibile (sensibile) - sensitive
- serioso (seriously) - seriously
- soave (soave) - friendly
- soavemente (coavemente) - friendly
- sonore - sonorous
- spianato (spianato) - with simplicity
- spirituoso (spirituoso) - spiritually
- strepitoso (strepitoso) - noisy, stormy
- teneramente - gently
- tranquillo (tranquillo) - calmly
- vigoroso (vigoroso) - strong, cheerful
Some terms commonly found in music literature:
- a capella (a capella) - in chorus, without instrumental accompaniment
- a due (or a 2) (a duet) - perform the same part together
- ad libitum (ad libitum) - optional: an indication that allows the performer to freely vary the tempo or phrasing, as well as skip or play a part of a passage (or other piece of musical text); abbreviated ad. lib.
- arco (arco) - literally "bow": the coll arco instruction for string players is to play with a bow, not a pizzicato
- attacca - move to the next chapter without interruption
- a tempo - Returns to the original tempo after changing it.
- basso continuo (also general bass, digital bass) - "continuous, common bass": a tradition of Baroque music, according to which the lower voice in an ensemble was played by a melodic instrument of the corresponding range (viola da gamba, cello, bassoon) , while another instrument (keyboard or lute) duplicated this line along with chords, which were indicated in notes by a conditional digital notation, which implied an element of improvisation
- basso ostinato (basso ostinato) - literally "constant bass": a short musical phrase in bass, repeated throughout the entire composition or any of its sections, with a free variation of the upper voices; in early music this technique is especially typical of the chaconne and passacaglia.
- ben (ben) - good
- blue note (English) - in jazz, the performance of the third or seventh degree in major with a slight decrease (the term is associated with the blues genre)
- coda (code) conclusion
- col (col) - with
- come (come) -like
- con (con) - with
- da capo (yes capo) - "from the beginning"; an instruction instructing to repeat from the beginning a fragment or a whole part of a work; abbreviated D.C.
- dal segno (dal seño) - "starting from the sign"; an instruction instructing to repeat a fragment from the mark; abbreviated D.S.
- diminuendo - dynamic indication similar to decrescendo
- divisi (divisions) - division (for homogeneous instruments or voices to perform different parts)
- e, ed (e, ed) - and
- fine (fin) - end (traditional notation in a score)
- forte (forte) - designation of expressiveness: loud; abbreviated
- ma (ma) - but
- mezza voce (mezza voce) - in an undertone
- mezzo forte (mezzo forte) - not very loud
- molto (molto) - very; tempo indication: molto adagio - tempo indication: very slow
- non (non) - not
- non troppo (non troppo) - not too much; allegro ma non troppo - designation of tempo: not too fast
- obligato (obligato) - 1) in the music of the 17th and 18th centuries. the term refers to those parts of instruments in a work that cannot be omitted and must be performed without fail; 2) fully written accompaniment in a piece of music for voice or solo instrument and clavier
- opus (opus) (Latin opus, "work"; abbreviated - op.): the designation has been used by composers since the Baroque era and usually refers to the ordinal number of the given work in the list (most often chronological) of the works of the given author
- ostinato (ostinato) - repeated repetition of a melodic or rhythmic figure, harmonic turnover, a separate sound (especially often in bass voices)
- poi (poi) - then
- perpetuum mobile (lat. "perpetual motion"): a piece based on continuous rapid rhythmic movement from beginning to end
- pianissimo (pianissimo) - very quiet; abbreviated: pp
- piano (piano) - quiet; abbreviated: p
- piu (piu) - more; piu allegro - tempo designation: faster
- pizzicato (pizzicato) - plucking: a way of playing strings by plucking the strings with your fingers
- portamento (portamento) - a sliding transition from one sound to another, used in singing and playing the strings
- portato (portato) - a way of sound production, between legato and staccato
- quasi (kuazi) - as if
- rallentando (rallentando) - designation of the pace: gradually slowing down
- recitative (abbreviated recit.) (recitative) - recitative
- ripieno (ripieno) - in instrumental music of the Baroque era, the designation of the playing of the entire orchestra; the same as tutti
- ritardando (ritardando) - designation of tempo: gradually slowing down
- ritenuto (ritenuto) - designation of tempo: gradually decreasing the tempo, but on a shorter interval than ritardando
- rubato (rubato) - flexible interpretation of the tempo-rhythmic side of the piece, deviations from a uniform tempo in order to achieve greater expressiveness
- scherzando (scherzando) - playful
- segue (segue) - the same with the previous
- senza (senza) - without
- simile (simile) - the same with the previous
- solo (solo) - one
- soli (salt) - plural of solo, i.e. more than one soloist
- sostenuto (sosteno) - designation of expressiveness: restrained; sometimes the notation can refer to tempo as well
- sotto voce (sotto voche) - designation of expressiveness: "in an undertone", muffled
- staccato (staccato) - abruptly: a manner of sound production, in which each sound is, as it were, separated by a pause from the other; the opposite way of producing sound is legato (legato), coherently. Staccato is indicated by a dot above the note
- stile rappresentativo (rappresentative style) - an operatic style of the early 17th century, the main principle of which is that the musical principle should be subordinate to the expression of dramatic ideas or reflect the content of the text
- sforzando (sforzando) - a sudden emphasis on a sound or chord; abbreviated sf
- segue - continue as before: an indication that, firstly, replaces the attacca indication (i.e., instructs to perform the next part without interruption), and secondly, instructs to continue execution in the same manner as before (in this case, the designation semper is more often used)
- semibreve - whole note
- tace (tache) - keep quiet
- tacet (taches) - is silent
- tutti (tutti) - everything (for example, the whole orchestra)
- tenuto (tenuto) - sustained: the designation prescribes to withstand the full duration of the note; sometimes it means a slight excess of the duration
- unisono (unison) - in unison
- voce (voche) - voice
- voci (vochi) - voices
to be continued...
