Wikipedia glossary of musical terminology

A

• a, à (Fr): at, to, by, for, in, in the style of
• a 2: see a due in this list
• aber (Ger): but
• a bene placito: up to the performer
• a cappella: in the manner of singing in a chapel; i.e., without instrumental accompaniment
• accarezzévole: expressive and caressing
• accelerando, accel.: accelerating; gradually increasing the tempo
• accent: Attack hard.
• accentato: accented; with emphasis
• acceso: ignited, on fire
• acciaccatura: crushing; i.e., a very fast grace note that is "crushed" against the note that follows and takes up no value in the measure
• accompagnato: accompanied; i.e., with the accompaniment following the soloist, who may speed up or slow down at will
• adagietto: rather slow
• adagio: at ease; i.e., play slowly
• adagissimo: very, very slow
• ad libitum (commonly ad lib; Latin): at liberty; i.e., the speed and manner of execution are left to the performer
• a due: 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
• affannato, affannoso: anguished
• affettuoso, affettuosamente, or affectueusement (Fr): with affect (that is, with emotion); see also con affetto
• affrettando: hurrying, pressing onwards
• agile: swiftly
• agitato: agitated
• al, alla: to the, in the manner of (al before masculine nouns, alla before feminine)
• alla breve: in cut-time; two beats per measure or the equivalent thereof
• alla marcia: in the style of a march
• allargando: broadening, becoming a little slower each time
• allegretto: a little lively, moderately fast
• allegretto vivace: a moderately quick tempo
• allegro: cheerful or brisk; but commonly interpreted as lively, fast
• allegrissimo: very fast, though slower than presto
• all' ottava: "at the octave", see ottava
• als (Ger): than
• alt (English) (also 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 altered upper extensions (e.g., sharp 11th, flat 13th, etc.).
• altissimo: very high
• 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 in this list)
• amabile: amiable, pleasant
• amoroso: loving
• anacrusis: a note or notes that precede the first full bar; a pickup
• 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)
• a niente: to nothing; an indication to make a diminuendo which fades to pppp
• a nessuna cosa: to nothing; an indication to hold a fermata until it dies away (this only works with instruments which cannot sustain a note)
• anima: feeling
• animandosi: animated, lively
• animato: animated, lively
• antiphon: a liturgical or other composition consisting of choral responses, sometimes between two choirs; a passage of this nature forming part of another composition; a repeated passage in a psalm or other liturgical piece, similar to a refrain.^[1]
• apaisé (Fr): calmed
• a piacere: at pleasure; i.e., the performer need not follow the rhythm strictly
• appassionato: passionately
• appoggiatura also called a "leaning note": one or more grace notes that take up some note value of the next full note.
• a prima vista: at first sight; i.e., playing or singing something at first sight of the music sheet
• arco: the bow used for playing some string instrument; i.e., played with the bow, as opposed to pizzicato (plucked), in music for bowed instruments; normally used to cancel a pizzicato direction
• arietta: a short aria
• arioso: airy, or like an air (a melody); i.e., in the manner of an aria; melodious
• armonioso: harmoniously
• arpeggio: like a harp; i.e., the notes of the chords are to be played quickly one after another (usually ascending) instead of simultaneously. In music for piano, this is sometimes a solution in playing a wide-ranging chord whose notes cannot be played otherwise. Arpeggios are frequently used as an accompaniment. See also broken chord in this list.
• arpeggiato: a way of playing a chord: starting with the lowest note, and with successively higher notes rapidly joining in. Sometimes the effect is reversed, so that the highest note is played first.
• assai: very
• assez (Fr): enough, sufficiently
• a tempo: in time; i.e., the performer should return to the main tempo of the piece (after an accelerando or ritardando, etc.); 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)
• 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
• Ausdruck (Ger): expression
• ausdrucksvoll (Ger): expressively
• avec (Fr): with or with another

B

• B: German for B flat (also in Finnish, Icelandic and Danish); H in German is B natural
• barbaro: barbarous (notably used in Allegro barbaro by Béla Bartók)
• Bartók pizzicato: a term which 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.
• bass: the lowest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano); the lowest melodic line in a musical composition, often thought of as defining and supporting the harmony; in an orchestral context, the term usually refers to the double bass.
• basso continuo: continuous bass; i.e., a bass part played continuously throughout a piece to give harmonic structure, used especially in the Baroque period
• beat: (1) the pronounced rhythm of music; (2) one single stroke of a rhythmic accent
• bellicoso: warlike, aggressive
• ben or bene: well; in ben marcato ("well marked") for example
• bend: 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.
• beschleunigte (Ger): accelerated, as in mit beschleunigter Geschwindigkeit, at an accelerated tempo
• bewegt (Ger): moved, with speed
• binary: a musical form in two sections: AB
• bird's eye: a slang term for fermata, which instructs the performer to hold a note or chord as long as they wish
• bis (Lat): twice; i.e., repeat the relevant action or passage
• bisbigliando: whispering; i.e., a special tremolo effect on the harp where a chord or note is rapidly repeated at a low volume
• bocca chiusa: with closed mouth
• bravura: boldness; as in con bravura, boldly
• breit (Ger): broad
• bridge: Transitional passage connecting two sections of a composition, also transition. Also the part of a stringed instrument that holds the strings in place and transmits their vibrations to the resonant body of the instrument.
• brillante: brilliantly, with sparkle
• brio: vigour; usually in con brio
• brioso: vigorously (same as con brio)
• broken chord: A chord in which the notes are not all played at once, but in some more or less consistent sequence. They may follow singly one after the other, or two notes may be immediately followed by another two, for example. See also arpeggio in this list, which as an accompaniment pattern may be seen as a kind of broken chord; see Alberti bass.
• bruscamente: brusquely

C

• 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
• calore: warmth; so con calore, warmly
• cambiare: to change; i.e., any change, such as to a new instrument
• canon or kanon (Ger): a theme that is repeated and imitated and built upon by other instruments with a time delay, creating a layered effect; see Pachelbel's Canon.
• cantabile or cantando: in a singing style
• capo:

1. Capo: a key-changing device for guitars and banjos;
2. head; i.e. the beginning (of a movement, normally).

• capriccioso: capriciously, unpredictable, volatile
• cédez (Fr): yield, give way
• cesura or caesura (Latin form): 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, in this list)
• coda: a tail; i.e., a closing section appended to a movement
• codetta: a small coda, but usually applied to a passage appended to a section of a movement, not to a whole movement
• col, colla: with the (col before a masculine noun, colla before a feminine noun); (see next for example)
• colla parte: with the soloist; as an instruction in an orchestral score or part, it instructs the conductor or orchestral musician to follow the rhythm and tempo of a solo performer (usually for a short passage)
• colla voce: with the voice; as an instruction in an choral music/opera score or orchestral part, it instructs the conductor or orchestral musician to follow the rhythm and tempo of a solo singer (usually for a short passage)
• col legno: with the wood; i.e., the strings (for example, of a violin) are to be struck with the wood of the bow, making a percussive sound; also battuta col legno: beaten with the wood
• coloratura: coloration; i.e., elaborate ornamentation of a vocal line, or (especially) a soprano voice that is well-suited to such elaboration
• colossale: tremendously
• col pugno: with the fist; i.e., bang the piano with the fist
• come prima: like the first (time); i.e., as before, typically referring to an earlier tempo
• come sopra: as above; i.e., like the previous tempo (usually)
• common time: the time signature 4/4: four beats per measure, each beat a quarter note (a crotchet) in length. 4/4 is often written on the musical staff as . The symbol is not a C as an abbreviation for common time, but a broken circle; the full circle at one time stood for triple time, 3/4.
• comodo (or, commonly but less correctly, commodo): comfortable; i.e., at moderate speed; also, allegro comodo, tempo comodo, etc.
• con: with; used in very many musical directions, for example con allegrezza (with liveliness), con amore (with tenderness); (see also col, colla, above)
• con affetto: with affect (that is, with emotion)
• con amore, or (in Spanish and sometimes in Italian) con amor: with love, tenderly
• con anima: with feeling
• con brio: with spirit, with vigour
• con dolore: with sadness
• con forza: with force
• con (gran, molto) espressione: with (great, much) expression
• con fuoco: with fire, in a fiery manner
• con larghezza: with broadness; broadly
• con moto: with motion
• con slancio: with enthusiasm
• con sordina, or con sordine (plural): with a mute, or with mutes; several orchestral instruments can have their tone muted with wood, rubber, metal, or plastic devices (for string instruments, mutes are clipped to the bridge, and for brass instruments, mutes are inserted in the bell); compare senza sordina in this list (which instructs the musicians to remove their mutes); see also Sordino. Note: sordina, with plural sordine, is strictly correct Italian, but the forms con sordino and con sordini are much more commonly used as terms in music.
• con sordino, or con sordini (plural) (incorrect Italian): see con sordina, above
• con variazioni: with variations/changes
• conjunct: an adjective applied to a melodic line that moves by step (intervals of a 2nd) rather in disjunct motion (by leap).
• contralto:
• coperti (plural of coperto, which may also be seen): covered; i.e., on a drum, muted with a cloth
• crescendo: growing; i.e., progressively louder (contrast diminuendo)
• cuivré: brassy. Used almost exclusively as a French Horn technique to indicate a forced, rough tone. A note marked both stopped and loud will be cuivré automatically^[1]
• cut time: Same as the meter 2/2: two half-note (minim) beats per measure. Notated and executed like common time (4/4), except with the beat lengths doubled. Indicated by . This comes from a literal cut of the symbol of common time. Thus, a quarter note in cut time is only half a beat long, and a measure has only two beats. See also alla breve.

D

• da capo: from the head; i.e., from the beginning (see capo in this list)
• D.S.: Dal Segno, from the sign ()
• D.S. al fine or dal segno 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
• D.S.S. al coda or dal segno al coda: same as D.S. al coda, but with a double segno
• D.S.S. al fine or dal segno 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. al coda) and continue to the end of the piece
• deciso: decisively
• decrescendo or decresc.: same as diminuendo or dim. (see below)
• deest: from the Latin deesse meaning absent; placed after a catalogue abbreviation to indicate that this particular work does not appear in it.^[2] The plural is desunt and used when referring to several works.
• delicatamente or delicato: delicately
• detaché: act of playing notes separately
• devoto: religiously
• diminuendo, dim.: dwindling; i.e., with gradually decreasing volume (same as decrescendo)
• disjunct: an adjective applied to a melodic line which moves by leap (intervals of more than a 2nd) as opposed to conjunct motion (by step)
• dissonante: dissonant
• divisi or 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: see in this list.)
• doit: jazz term referring to a note that slides to an indefinite pitch chromatically upwards.
• dolce: sweetly
• dolcissimo: very sweetly
• dolente: sorrowfully, plaintively
• doloroso: sorrowfully, plaintively
• doppio movimento: twice as fast
• double stop: the act of playing two notes simultaneously on a melodic percussion instrument or 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 based on this (downtempo).
• drammatico: dramatically
• drop: jazz term referring to a note that slides to an indefinite pitch chromatically downwards.
• Dur (Ger): major; used in key signatures as, for example, A-Dur (A major), B-Dur (B♭ major), or H-Dur ([B major]]). (See also Moll (minor) in this list.)
• duolo: (Ital) grief
• dynamics: the relative volume in the execution of a piece of music

E

• e (Ital): 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
• ein wenig (Ger): a little
• Empfindung (Ger): feeling
• encore (Fr): again; i.e., perform the relevant passage once more
• en dehors (Fr): prominently
• energico: energetic, strong
• enfatico: emphatically
• en pressant (Fr): hurrying forward
• en retenant (Fr): slowing
• eroico: heroically
• espirando: expiring; i.e., dying away
• espressivo or espr.: expressively
• estinto: extinct, extinguished; i.e., as soft as possible, lifeless, barely audible
• etwas (Ger): somewhat

F

• facile: easily, without fuss
• fall: jazz term describing a note of definite pitch sliding downwards to another note of definite pitch.
• falsetto: vocal register above the normal voice
• fermata: finished, closed; i.e., a rest or note is 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 twice its printed length or more for dramatic effect.
• feroce: ferociously
• feurig (Ger): fiery
• festivamente: cheerfully, celebratory
• fieramente: proudly
• fill (English): a jazz or rock term which instructs performers to improvise a scalar passage or riff to "fill in" the brief time between lyrical phrases, the lines of melody, or between two sections
• fine: the end, often in phrases like al fine (to the end)
• 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.
• flebile: mournfully
• focoso or fuocoso: fiery; i.e., passionately
• forte or f (usually): strong; i.e., to be played or sung loudly
• fortepiano or fp (usually): strong-gentle; i.e., 1. loud, then immediately soft (see dynamics), or 2. an early pianoforte
• fortissimo or ff: very loud (see note at pianissimo in this list)
• fortississimo or fff: as loud as possible
• forza : musical force
• forzando or fz: see sforzando in this list
• freddo: cold(ly); hence depressive, unemotional
• fresco: freshly
• fröhlich: lively, joyfully
• fugue (Fr), fuga (Latin and Italian): literally "flight"; hence a complex and highly regimented contrapuntal form in music. A short theme (the subject) is introduced in one voice (or part) alone, then in others, with imitation and characteristic development as the piece progresses.
• funebre: funeral; often seen as marcia funebre (funeral march), indicating a stately and plodding tempo.
• fuoco: fire; con fuoco means with fire
• furia: fury
• furioso: furiously

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
• gemendo: groaningly
• gentile: gently
• geschwind (Ger): quickly
• geteilt (Ger): See divisi
• getragen (Ger): sustained
• giocoso or gioioso: gaily
• giusto: strictly, exactly, e.g. tempo giusto in strict time
• glissando (simulated Italian): 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 this list.
• grandioso: grandly
• grave: slowly and seriously
• grazioso: gracefully
• gustoso: with happy emphasis and forcefulness

H

• H: German for B natural; B in German means B flat
• Hauptstimme (Ger): main voice, chief part; i.e., the contrapuntal line of primary importance, in opposition to Nebenstimme
• hemiola (English, from Greek): the imposition of a pattern of rhythm or articulation other than that implied by the time signature; specifically, in triple time (for example in 3/4) the imposition of a duple pattern (as if the time signature were, for example, 2/4). See Syncopation.
• hervortretend (Ger): prominent, pronounced
• Homophony: A musical texture with one voice (or melody line) accompanied by chords; also used as an adjective (homophonic). Compare with polyphony, in which several voices or melody lines are performed at the same time.

I

• immer (Ger): always
• imperioso: imperiously
• impetuoso: impetuously
• improvvisando: with improvisation
• improvvisato: improvised, or as if improvised
• in altissimo: in the highest; i.e., play or sing an octave higher
• incalzando: getting faster and louder
• insistendo: insistently, deliberate
• in modo di: in the art of, in the style of
• intimo: intimately
• intro: opening section
• irato: angrily

J

• Jazz standard (or simply "standard"): a well-known composition from the jazz repertoire which is widely played and recorded.

K

• keyboardist (Eng) : a musician who plays any instrument with a keyboard. In Classical music, this may refer to instruments such as the piano, pipe organ, harpsichord, and so on. In a jazz or popular music context, this may refer to instruments such as the piano, electric piano, synthesizer, Hammond organ, and so on.
• kräftig (Ger): strongly
• Klangfarbenmelodie (Ger): "tone-color-melody", distribution of pitch or melody among instruments, varying timbre

L

• lacrimoso: tearfully; i.e., sadly
• laissez vibrer, l.v. (Fr): allow the sound to continue, do not damp; used frequently in harp music, occasionally in piano or percussion. For percussion & electric guitar, "let ring" is more common.^[1]
• lamentando: lamenting, mournfully
• lamentoso: lamenting, mournfully
• langsam (Ger): slowly
• largamente: broadly; i.e., slowly (same as largo)
• larghetto: somewhat slowly; not as slow as largo
• larghissimo: very slowly; slower than largo
• largo: broadly; i.e., slowly
• leap (skip): a melodic interval greater than a major 2nd, as opposed to a step. Melodies which move by a leap are called "disjunct". Octave leaps are not uncommon in florid vocal music.
• lebhaft (Ger): briskly, lively
• legato: joined; i.e., smoothly, in a connected manner (see also articulation)
• leggiero, or leggiermente: lightly, delicately
• leggierissimo: very lightly and delicately
• lent (Fr): slowly
• lentissimo: very slowly
• lento: slowly
• liberamente: freely
• libero: free, freely
• lilt: a jaunty rhythm
• l'istesso: see lo stesso, below
• loco: [in] place; i.e., perform the notes at the pitch written, generally used to cancel an 8va or 8vb direction. In string music, also used to indicate return to normal playing position (see Playing the violin).^[1]
• long accent Hit hard and keep full value of note (>)
• lontano: from a distance; distantly
• lo stesso (or commonly, but ungrammatically, l'istesso): the same; applied to the manner of articulation, tempo, etc.
• lugubre: lugubrious, mournful
• luminoso: luminously
• lunga: long (often applied to fermatas)
• lusingando: coaxingly

M

• ma: but
• ma non troppo: but not too much
• maestoso: majestically, in a stately fashion
• magico: magically
• maggiore: the major key
• magnifico: magnificent
• main droite (French): [played with the] right hand (abbreviation: MD or m.d.)
• main gauche (French): [played with the] left hand (abbreviation: MG or m.g.)
• malinconico: melancholy
• mancando: dying away
• mano destra: [played with the] right hand (abbreviation: MD or m.d.)
• mano sinistra: [played with the] left hand (abbreviation: MS or m.s.)
• marcatissimo: with much accentuation
• marcato, marc.: marked; i.e., with accentuation, execute every note as if it were to be accented
• marcia: a march; alla marcia means in the manner of a march
• martellato: hammered out
• marziale: in the march style
• mässig (German): moderately (also: mäßig)
• MD: see mano destra and main droite
• melancolico: melancholic
• melisma: the technique of changing the note (pitch) of a syllable of text while it is being sung
• measure (US): also "bar," the period of a musical piece that encompasses a complete cycle of the time signature, e.g., in 4/4 time, a measure has four quarter-note beats
• medley: piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping.
• meno: less; see meno mosso, for example, under mosso
• messa di voce: in singing, a controlled swell, i.e. crescendo then diminuendo, on a long held note, especially in Baroque music and in the bel canto period^[1]
• mesto: mournful, sad
• meter (or metre): the pattern of a music piece's rhythm of strong and weak beats
• mezza voce: half voice; i.e., with subdued or moderated volume
• mezzo: half; used in combinations like mezzo forte (mf), meaning moderately loud
• mezzo forte: half loudly; i.e., moderately loudly. See dynamics.
• mezzo piano: half softly; i.e., moderately softly. 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 an contralto.
• MG: see main gauche
• misterioso: mysteriously
• mobile: flexible, changeable
• moderato: moderate; often combined with other terms, usually relating to tempo; for example, allegro moderato
• modesto: modest
• Moll (German): minor; used in key signatures as, for example, a-Moll (A minor), b-Moll (B♭ minor), or h-Moll (B minor) (see also Dur (major) in this list)
• molto: very
• morendo: dying; i.e., dying away in dynamics, and perhaps also in tempo
• mosso: moved, moving; used with a preceding più or meno (see in this list), for faster or slower respectively
• MS: see mano sinistra
• moto: motion; usually seen as con moto, meaning with motion or quickly
• movement:
• munter (German): lively
• muta [in...]: Change: either a change of instrument, e.g. flute to piccolo, horn in F to horn in Bb; or a change of tuning, e.g. guitar muta 6 in D. Note: does not mean "mute", for which con sordina or con sordino is used.^[1]

N

• narrante: narratingly
• natural: a symbol (♮) that cancels the effect of a sharp or a flat (see in this list)
• naturale or nat.: natural; i.e., discontinue a special effect, such as col legno, sul tasto, sul ponticello, or playing in harmonics
• N.C.: no chord, written in the chord row of music notation to show there is no chord being played, and no implied harmony
• Nebenstimme (Ger): under part; i.e., a secondary contrapuntal part, always occurring simultaneously with, and subsidiary to, the Hauptstimme
• nicht (Ger): not
• niente: "nothing", barely audible, dying away
• nobile or nobilmente: in a noble fashion
• nocturne (Fr): a piece written for the night
• notes inégales (Fr): unequal notes; a principally Baroque performance practice of applying long-short rhythms to pairs of notes written as equal; see also swung note
• notturno: same as nocturne (see above)
• number opera: an opera consisting of "numbers," e.g. arias, intermixed with recitative

O

• obbligato: required, indispensable
• octave: interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. 12 semitones equals an octave, so does the first and eighth (hence "oct"ave) note in a major or minor scale.
• omaggio: homage, celebration
• one-voice-per-part, or OVPP: the practice of using solo voices on each musical line or part in choral music.
• organ trio: in jazz or rock, a group of three musicians which includes a Hammond organ player and two other instruments, often an electric guitar player and a drummer.
• ossia or oppure: or instead; i.e., according to some specified 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

P

• parlando or parlante: like speech, enunciated
• Partitur (Ger): full orchestral score
• passionato: passionately
• pastorale: in a pastoral style, peaceful and simple
• pausa: rest
• pedale or ped: In piano scores, this instructs the player to use press damper pedal to sustain the note or chord being played. The player may be instructed to release the pedal with an asterisk marking (*). In organ scores, it tells the organist that a section is to be performed on the bass pedalboard with the feet.
• penseroso: thoughtfully, meditatively
• perdendosi: dying away; decrease in dynamics, perhaps also in tempo
• pesante: heavy, ponderous
• peu à peu (Fr): little by little
• pianissimo or pp : very gently; i.e., perform very softly, even softer than piano. This convention can be extended; the more ps that are written, the softer the composer wants the musician to play or sing, thus ppp (pianississimo) would be softer than pp. Dynamics in a piece should be interpreted relative to the other dynamics in the same piece. For example, pp should be executed as softly as possible, but if ppp is found later in the piece, pp should be markedly louder than ppp. More than three ps (ppp) or three fs (fff) are uncommon.
• piano or p (usually): gently; i.e., played or sung softly (see dynamics)
• piano-vocal score: the same as a vocal score, a piano arrangement along with the vocal parts of an opera, cantata, or similar
• piacevole: pleasant
• piangevole: plaintive
• più: more; see mosso for an example
• pizzicato: pinched, plucked; i.e., in music for bowed strings, plucked with the fingers as opposed to played with the bow; compare arco (in this list), which is inserted to cancel a pizzicato instruction
• pochettino or poch.: very little
• poco: a little, as in poco più allegro (a little faster)
• 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
• portamento: carrying; i.e., 1. generally, sliding in pitch from one note to another, usually pausing just above or below the final pitch, then sliding quickly to that pitch. If no pause is executed, then it is a basic glissando; or 2. in piano music, an articulation between legato and staccato, like portato, in this list
• portato or loure: carried; i.e., non-legato, but not as detached as staccato (same as portamento [2], in this list)
• posato: settled
• potpourri or pot-pourri (Fr): potpourri (as used in other senses in English); i.e., a kind of musical form structured as ABCDEF... etc.; the same as medley or, sometimes, fantasia
• precipitato: precipitately
• prelude or prélude (Fr): a musical introduction to subsequent movements during the Baroque era (1600's/17th century). It can also be a movement in its own right, which was more common in the Romantic era (mid 1700's/18th century)
• prestissimo: extremely quickly, as fast as possible
• presto: very quickly
• prima volta: the first time; for example prima volta senza accompagnamento (the first time without accompaniment)
• primo or prima (the feminine form): first

Q

• 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): as if, almost, e.g. quasi recitativo like a recitative in an opera, or quasi una fantasia like a fantasia

R

• rallentando or rall.: Broadening of the tempo (often not discernible from ritardando); progressively slower
• rapido: fast
• rasch (Ger): fast
• ravvivando: quicken pace
• recitativo: recitatively; one voice without accompaniment
• religioso: religiously
• repente: suddenly
• restez (Fr): stay; i.e., remain on a note or string
• retenu (Fr): hold back; same as the Italian ritenuto (see below)
• ridicolosamente: humorously, inaccurate, and loosely
• rinforzando (rf, or rinf.): reinforced; i.e., emphasized; sometimes like a sudden crescendo, but often applied to a single note
• risoluto: resolutely
• rit.: an abbreviation for ritardando;^[3] also an abbreviation for ritenuto^[4]
• ritardando, ritard., rit.: slowing down; decelerating; opposite of accelerando
• ritenuto, riten., rit.: suddenly slower, held back (usually more so but more temporarily than a ritardando, and it may, unlike ritardando, apply to a single note)
• ritmico: rhythmical
• ritornello : a recurring passage for orchestra in the first or final movement of a solo concerto or aria (also in works for chorus).
• rolled chord: see arpeggiato in this list
• roulade (Fr): a rolling; i.e., a florid vocal phrase
• rondo: a musical form in which a certain section returns repeatedly , interspersed with other sections: ABACA is a typical structure or ABACABA
• rubato: robbed; i.e., flexible in tempo, applied to notes within a musical phrase for expressive effect
• run: a rapid series of ascending or descending musical notes which are closely spaced in pitch forming a scale
• ruvido: roughly

S

• saltando: bouncing the bow as in a staccato arpeggio, literally means "jumping"
• sanft (Ger): gently
• scatenato: unchained, wildly^[5]
• scherzando, scherzoso: playfully
• scherzo: a light, "joking" or playful musical form, originally and usually in fast triple metre, often replacing the minuet in the later Classical period and the Romantic period, in symphonies, sonatas, string quartets and the like; in the 19th century some scherzi were independent movements for piano, etc.
• schleppen (Ger): to drag; usually nicht schleppen ("don't drag"), paired with nicht eilen ("don't hurry") in Gustav Mahler's scores
• schnell (Ger): fast
• schneller (Ger): faster
• schwungvoll (Ger): lively, swinging, bold, spirited
• scordatura: out of tune; i.e., an alternative tuning used for the strings of a string instrument
• secco, or sec (Fr): dry
• segno: sign, usually Dal Segno (see above) "from the sign", indicating a return to the point marked by
• segue: carry on to the next section without a pause
• sehr (Ger): very
• semitone: the smallest pitch difference between notes (in most Western music) (e.g., F–F#)
• semplice: simply
• sempre: always
• senza: without
• senza misura: without measure
• senza sordina, or senza sordine (plural): without the mute; compare con sordina in this list; see also Sordino. Note: sordina, with plural sordine, is strictly correct Italian, but the forms con sordino and con sordini are much more commonly used as terms in music. In piano music (notably in Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata), senza sordini or senza sordina (or some variant) is sometimes used to mean keep the sustain pedal depressed, since the sustain pedal lifts the dampers off the strings, with the effect that all notes are sustained indefinitely.
• serioso: seriously
• sforzando or sfz: made loud; i.e., a sudden strong accent
• shake: a jazz term describing a trill between one note and its minor third; or, with brass instruments, between a note and its next overblown harmonic.
• sharp: a symbol (♯) that raises the pitch of the note by a semitone. 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 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.
• siciliana: a Sicilian dance in 12/8 or 6/8 meter^[6]
• sign: see segno
• silenzio: silence; i.e., without reverberations
• simile: similarly; i.e., continue applying the preceding directive, whatever it was, to the following passage
• sipario: curtain (stage)
• slargando or slentando: becoming broader or slower (that is, becoming more largo or more lento)
• smorzando or smorz.: extinguishing or dampening; usually interpreted as a drop in dynamics, and very often in tempo as well
• soave: smoothly, gently
• sopra: above
• sognando: dreamily
• 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.
• solenne: solemn
• solo, plural soli: alone; i.e., executed by a single instrument or voice. The instruction soli requires more than one player or singer; in a jazz big band this refers to an entire section playing in harmony.
• 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
• soprano: the highest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano)
• sordina, sordine (plural): a mute, or a damper in the case of the piano. Note: sordina, with plural sordine, is strictly correct Italian, but the forms sordino and sordini are much more commonly used as terms in music. See also con sordina, senza sordina, in this list.
• sordino: see sordina, above
• sospirando: sighing
• sostenuto: sustained, lengthened
• sotto voce: in an undertone i.e. quietly
• spiccato: distinct, separated; i.e., a way of playing the violin and other bowed instruments by bouncing the bow on the string, giving a characteristic staccato effect
• spinto
• spiritoso: spiritedly
• 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
• 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.
• strepitoso: noisy
• stretto: tight, narrow; i.e., faster or hastening ahead; also, a passage in a fugue in which the contrapuntal texture is denser, with close overlapping entries of the subject in different voices; by extension, similar closely imitative passages in other compositions
• stringendo: tightening, narrowing; i.e., with a pressing forward or acceleration of the tempo (that is, becoming stretto, see preceding entry)
• subito: suddenly (e.g., subito pp, which instructs the player to suddenly drop to pianissimo as an effect)
• sul ponticello: on the bridge; i.e., in string playing, an indication to bow (or sometimes to pluck) very near to the bridge, producing a characteristic glassy sound, which emphasizes the higher harmonics at the expense of the fundamental; the opposite of sul tasto
• sul tasto: on the fingerboard; i.e., in string playing, an indication to bow (or sometimes to pluck) over the fingerboard; the opposite of sul ponticello. Playing over the fingerboard produces a warmer, gentler tone.
• sur la touche (Fr): sul tasto
• syncopation: a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of downbeat rhythm with emphasis on the sub-division or up-beat, e.g. in Ragtime music.

T

• tacet: silent; do not play
• tempo: time; i.e., the overall speed of a piece of music
• tempo di marcia: march tempo
• tempo di valse: waltz tempo
• tempo giusto: in strict time
• tempo primo, tempo uno, or tempo I (sometimes also written as tempo I° or tempo ^1ero): resume the original speed
• tempo rubato, means "robbed time"; an expressive way of performing a rhythm; see rubato
• teneramente: tenderly
• tenerezza: tenderness
• tenor: the second lowest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano)
• tenuto: held; i.e., touch on a note slightly longer than usual, but without generally altering the note's value
• ternary: having three parts. In particular, referring to a three-part musical form with the parts represented by letters: ABA
• tessitura: the 'best' or most comfortable pitch range, generally used to identify the most prominent / common vocal range within a piece of music
• timbre: 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")
• tranquillo: calmly, peacefully
• tremolo: shaking; i.e., a rapid repetition of the same note, or an alternation between two or more notes (often an octave on the piano). String players perform tremolo with the bow by rapidly moving the bow while the arm is tense. It can also be intended (inaccurately) to refer to vibrato, which is a slight undulation in pitch. It is notated by a strong diagonal bar across the note stem, or a detached bar for a set of notes (or stemless notes).
• tre corde or tc (or sometimes inaccurately tre corda): three strings; i.e., release the soft pedal of the piano (see una corda)
• triplet (shown with a horizontal bracket and a '3'): Three notes in the place of two, used to subdivide a beat.
• troppo: too much; usually seen as non troppo, meaning moderately or, when combined with other terms, not too much, such as allegro [ma] non troppo (fast but not too fast)
• tutti: all; all together, usually used in an orchestral or choral score when the orchestra or all of the voices come in at the same time, also seen in Baroque-era music where two instruments share the same copy of music, after one instrument has broken off to play a more advanced form: they both play together again at the point marked tutti. See also: ripieno.

U

• un, uno, or una: one, as for example in the following entries
• una corda: one string; i.e., in piano music, depress the soft pedal, altering, and reducing the volume of, the sound. In some pianos, this literally results in the hammer striking one string rather than two or three. (For most notes on modern instruments, in fact it results in striking two rather than three strings.) Its counterpart, tre corde (three strings; see in this list), is the opposite: the soft pedal is to be released.
• un poco: a little
• unisono or unis (Fr): 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 (see in this list).
• uptempo: a fast, lively, or increased tempo or played or done in such a tempo.^[7]. It is also used as an umbrella term for a quick-paced electronic music style.
• ut (Fr): first note of the series ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, in fixed-doh solmization.

V

• vamp till cue: a jazz, fusion, and musical theatre term which instructs rhythm section members to repeat and vary a short ostinato passage, riff, or "groove" until the band leader or conductor instructs them to move onto the next section
• veloce: with velocity
• velocissimo: as quickly as possible; usually applied to a cadenza-like passage or run
• vibrato: vibrating; i.e., a more or less rapidly repeated slight alteration in the pitch of a note, used to give a richer sound and 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): Quickly, lively
• vittorioso: victoriously
• virtuoso: (noun or adjective) performing with exceptional ability, technique, or artistry
• vivo: lively
• vivace: very lively, up-tempo
• vivacissimo: very lively
• vocal score or piano-vocal score: a music score of an opera, or a vocal or choral composition with orchestra (like oratorio or cantata) where the vocal parts are written out in full but the accompaniment is reduced to two staves and adapted for playing on piano
• voce: voice
• volante: flying
• V.S. (volti subito): turn suddenly; 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

• wenig (Ger): a little, not much
• wolno (Polish): loose, slowly; found as a directive in The Elephant from The Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns

Z

• Zählzeit (Ger): beat
• zart (Ger): tender
• Zartheit (Ger): tenderness
• zärtlich (Ger): tenderly
• Zeichen (Ger): sign
• Zeitmaß, also spelled Zeitmass (Ger): time-measure, i.e., tempo
• zelo, zeloso, zelosamente: zeal, zealous, zealously
• ziehen (Ger): to draw out
• ziemlich (Ger): fairly, quite, pretty, or rather
• zitternd (Ger): trembling; i.e., tremolando
• zögernd (Ger): doubtful, delaying; i.e., rallentando
 Source: wikipedia.org

Glossary of Musical Terms

Glossary of Musical Terms

Term Definition A cappella - One or more vocalists performing without an accompaniment. Accelerando - A symbol used in musical notation indicating to gradually quicken tempo. Accessible - Music that is easy to listen to and understand. Adagio - A tempo having slow movement; restful at ease. Allegro - A direction to play lively and fast. Atonal - Music that is written and performed without regard to any specific key. Baroque - Time in music history ranging from the middle of the 16th to the middle of the 17th centuries. Characterized by emotional, flowery music; written in strict form. Beat - The unit of musical rhythm. Cadence - A sequence of chords that brings an end to a phrase, either in the middle or the end of a composition. Cadenza - Initially an improvised cadence by a soloist; later becoming an elaborate and written out passage in an aria or concerto, featuring the skills of an instrumentalist or vocalist. Cadenza - Originally an improvised cadence by a soloist. Later it became a written out passage to display performance skills of an instrumentalist or performer. Canon - A musical form where the melody or tune is imitated by individual parts at regular intervals. The individual parts may enter at different measures and pitches. The tune may also be played at different speeds, backwards, or inverted. Cantabile - A style of singing which is characterized by the easy and flowing tone of the composition. Cantata - Music written for chorus and orchestra. Most often religious in nature. Capriccio - A quick, improvisational, spirited piece of music. Carol - A song or hymn celebrating Christmas. Castrato - Male singers who were castrated to preserve their alto and soprano vocal range. Cavatina - A short and simple melody performed by a soloist that is part of a larger piece. Chamber music - Written for 2 to 10 solo parts featuring one instrument to a part. Each part bears the same importance. Chant - Singing in unison, texts in a free rhythm. Similar to the rhythm of speech. Choir - Group of singers in a chorus. Chorale - A hymn sung by the choir and congregation often in unison. Chord - 3 or 4 notes played simultaneously in harmony. Chord progression - A string of chords played in succession. Chorus - A group singing in unison. Chromatic scale - Includes all twelve notes of an octave. Classical - The period of music history which dates from the mid 1700’s to mid 1800’s. The music was spare and emotionally reserved, especially when compared to Romantic and Boroque music. Classicism - The period of music history which dates from the mid 1800’s and lasted about sixty years. There was a strong regard for order and balance. Clavier - The keyboard of a stringed instrument. Clef - In sheet music, a symbol at the beginning of the staff defining the pitch of the notes found in that particular staff. Coda - Closing section of a movement. Concert master - The first violin in an orchestra. Concerto - A composition written for a solo instrument. The soloist plays the melody while the orchestra plays the accompaniment. Conductor - One who directs a group of performers. The conductor indicates the tempo, phrasing, dynamics, and style by gestures and facial expressions. Consonance - Groups of tones that are harmonious when sounded together as in a chord. Contralto - Lowest female singing voice. Counterpoint - Two or three melodic lines played at the same time. Courante - A piece of music written in triple time. Also an old French dance. Da Capo - In sheet music, an instruction to repeat the beginning of the piece before stopping on the final chord. Deceptive cadence - A chord progression that seems to lead to resolving itself on the final chord; but does not. Development - Where the musical themes and melodies are developed, written in sonata form. Dissonance - Harsh, discordant, and lack of harmony. Also a chord that sounds incomplete until it resolves itself on a harmonious chord. Drone - Dull, monotonous tone such as a humming or buzzing sound. Also a bass note held under a melody. Duet - A piece of music written for two vocalists or instrumentalists. Dynamics - Pertaining to the loudness or softness of a musical composition. Also the symbols in sheet music indicating volume. Elegy - An instrumental lament with praise for the dead. Encore - A piece of music played at the end of a recital responding to the audiences enthusiastic reaction to the performance, shown by continuous applause. Energico - A symbol in sheet music a direction to play energetically. Enharmonic Interval - Two notes that differ in name only. The notes occupy the same position. For example: C sharp and D flat. Ensemble - The performance of either all instruments of an orchestra or voices in a chorus. Espressivo - A direction to play expressively. Etude - A musical composition written solely to improve technique. Often performed for artistic interest. Exposition - The first section of a movement written in sonata form, introducing the melodies and themes. Expressionism - Atonal and violent style used as a means of evoking heightened emotions and states of mind. Falsetto - A style of male singing where by partial use of the vocal chords, the voice is able to reach the pitch of a female. Fermata - To hold a tone or rest held beyond the written value at the discretion of the performer. Fifth - The interval between two notes. Three whole tones and one semitone make up the distance between the two notes. Finale - Movement or passage that concludes the musical composition. Flat - A symbol indicating that the note is to be diminished by one semitone. Form - The structure of a piece of music. Forte - A symbol indicating to play loud. Fourth - The interval between two notes. Two whole tones and one semitone make up the distance between the two notes. Fugue - A composition written for three to six voices. Beginning with the exposition, each voice enters at different times, creating counterpoint with one another. Galliard - Music written for a lively French dance for two performers written in triple time. Gavotte - A 17th century dance written in Quadruple time, always beginning on the third beat of the measure. Glee - Vocal composition written for three or more solo parts, usually without instrumental accompaniment. Glissando - Sliding between two notes. Grandioso - Word to indicate that the movement or entire composition is to be played grandly. Grave - Word to indicate the movement or entire composition is to be played very slow and serious. Grazioso - Word to indicate the movement or entire composition is to be played gracefully. Gregorian Chant - Singing or chanting in unison without strict rhythm. Collected during the Reign of Pope Gregory VIII for psalms and other other parts of the church service. Harmony - Pleasing combination of two or three tones played together in the background while a melody is being played. Harmony also refers to the study of chord progressions. Homophony - Music written to be sung or played in unison. Hymn - A song of praise and glorification. Most often to honor God. Impromptu - A short piano piece, often improvisational and intimate in character. Instrumentation - Arrangement of music for a combined number of instruments. Interlude - Piece of instrumental music played between scenes in a play or opera. Intermezzo - Short movement or interlude connecting the main parts of the composition. Interpretation - The expression the performer brings when playing his instrument. Interval - The distance in pitch between two notes. Intonation - The manner in which tones are produced with regard to pitch. Introduction - The opening section of a piece of music or movement. Key - System of notes or tones based on and named after the key note. Key signature - The flats and sharps at the beginning of each staff line indicating the key of music the piece is to be played. Klangfarbenmelodie - The technique of altering the tone color of a single note or musical line by changing from one instrument to another in the middle of a note or line. Leading note - The seventh note of the scale where there is a strong desire to resolve on the tonic. Legato - Word to indicate that the movement or entire composition is to be played smoothly. Leitmotif - A musical theme given to a particular idea or main character of an opera. Libretto - A book of text containing the words of an opera. Ligature - Curved line connecting notes to be sung or played as a phrase. Madrigal - A contrapuntal song written for at least three voices, usually without accompaniment. Maestro - Refers to any great composer, conductor, or teacher of music. Major - One of the two modes of the tonal system. Music written in major keys have a positive affirming character. March - A form of music written for marching in two-step time. Originally the march was used for military processions. Measure - The unit of measure where the beats on the lines of the staff are divided up into two, three, four beats to a measure. Medley - Often used in overtures, a composition that uses passages from other movements of the composition in its entirety. Mezzo - The voice between soprano and alto. Also, in sheet music, a direction for the tempo to be played at medium speed. Minor - One of the two modes of the tonal system. The minor mode can be identified by the dark, melancholic mood. Minuet - Slow and stately dance music written in triple time. Modes - Either of the two octave arrangements in modern music. The modes are either major or minor. Modulation - To shift to another key. Monotone - Repetition of a single tone. Motif - Primary theme or subject that is developed. Movement - A separate section of a larger composition. Musette - A Boroque dance with a drone-bass. Musicology - The study of forms, history, science, and methods of music. Natural - A symbol in sheet music that returns a note to its original pitch after it has been augmented or diminished. Neoclassical - Movement in music where the characteristics are crisp and direct. Nocturne - A musical composition that has a romantic or dreamy character with nocturnal associations. Nonet - A composition written for nine instruments. Notation - First developed in the 8th century, methods of writing music. Obbligato - An extended solo, often accompanying the vocal part of an aria. Octave - Eight full tones above the key note where the scale begins and ends. Octet - A composition written for eight instruments. Opera - A drama where the words are sung instead of spoken. Operetta - A short light musical drama. Opus - Convenient method of numbering a composer’s works where a number follows the word “opus”. For example, Opus 28, No. 4. Oratorio - An extended cantata on a sacred subject. Orchestra - A large group of instrumentalists playing together. Orchestration - Arranging a piece of music for an orchestra. Also, the study of music. Ornaments - Tones used to embellish the principal melodic tone. Ostinato - A repeated phrase. Overture - Introduction to an opera or other large musical work. Parody - A composition based on previous work. A common technique used in Medieval and Renaissance music. Part - A line in a contrapuntal work performed by an individual voice or instrument. Partial - A harmonic given off by a note when it is played. Partita - Suite of Baroque dances. Pastoral - A composition whose style is simple and idyllic; suggestive of rural scenes. Pentatonic Scale - A musical scale having five notes. For example: the five black keys of a keyboard make up a pentatonic scale. Phrase - A single line of music played or sung. A musical sentence. Piano - An instruction in sheet music to play softly. Abbreviated by a “p”. Pitch - The frequency of a note determining how high or low it sounds. Pizzicato - String instruments that are picked instead of bowed. Polyphony - Combining a number of individual but harmonizing melodies. Also known as counterpoint. Polytonality - Combination of two or more keys being played at the same time. Portamento - A mild glissando between two notes for an expressive effect. Prelude - A short piece originally preceded by a more substantial work, also an orchestral introduction to opera, however not lengthy enough to be considered an overture. Presto - A direction in sheet music indicating the tempo is to be very fast. Progression - The movement of chords in succession. Quadrille - A 19th century square dance written for 4 couples. Quartet - A set of four musicians who perform a composition written for four parts. Quintet - A set of five musicians who perform a composition written for five parts. Recapitulation - A reprise. Recital - A solo concert with or without accompaniment. Recitative - A form of writing for vocals that is close to the manner of speech and is rhythmically free. Reed - The piece of cane in wind instruments. The players cause vibrations by blowing through it in order to produce sound. Refrain - A repeating phrase that is played at the end of each verse in the song. Register - A portion of the range of the instrument or voice. Relative major and minor - The major and minor keys that share the same notes in that key. For example: A minor shares the same note as C major. Relative pitch - Ability to determine the pitch of a note as it relates to the notes that precede and follow it. Renaissance - A period in history dating from the 14th to 16th centuries. This period signified the rebirth of music, art, and literature. Reprise - To repeat a previous part of a composition generally after other music has been played. Requiem - A dirge, hymn, or musical service for the repose of the dead. Resonance - When several strings are tuned to harmonically related pitches, all strings vibrate when only one of the strings is struck. Rhythm - The element of music pertaining to time, played as a grouping of notes into accented and unaccented beats. Ricercar - Elaborate polyphonic composition of the Boroque and Renaissance periods. Rigaudon - A quick 20th century dance written in double time. Rococo - A musical style characterized as excessive, ornamental, and trivial. Romantic - A period in history during the 18th and early 19th centuries where the focus shifted from the neoclassical style to an emotional, expressive, and imaginative style. Rondo - A musical form where the principal theme is repeated several times. The rondo was often used for the final movements of classical sonata form works. Root - The principal note of a triad. Round - A canon where the melody is sung in two or more voices. After the first voice begins, the next voice starts singing after a couple of measures are played in the preceding voice. All parts repeat continuously. Rubato - An important characteristic of the Romantic period. It is a style where the strict tempo is temporarily abandoned for a more emotional tone. Scale - Successive notes of a key or mode either ascending or descending. Scherzo - Pertaining to the sonata form, a fast movement in triple time. Scordatura - The retuning of a stringed instrument in order to play notes below the ordinary range of the instrument or to produce an usual tone color. Septet - A set of seven musicians who perform a composition written for seven parts. Sequence - A successive transposition and repetition of a phrase at different pitches. Serenade - A lighthearted piece, written in several movements, usually as background music for a social function. Sextet - A set of six musicians who perform a composition written for six parts. Sharp - A symbol indicating the note is to be raised by one semitone. Slide - A glissando or portamento. Also refers to the moving part of a trombone. Slur - A curve over notes to indicate that a phrase is to be played legato. Sonata - Music of a particular form consisting of four movements. Each of the movements differ in tempo, rhythm, and melody; but are held together by subject and style. Sonata form - A complex piece of music. Usually the first movement of the piece serving as the exposition, a development, or recapitulation. Sonatina - A short or brief sonata. Song cycle - A sequence of songs, perhaps on a single theme, or with texts by one poet, or having continuos narrative. Soprano - The highest female voice. Staccato - Short detached notes, as opposed to legato. Staff - Made up of five horizontal parallel lines and the spaces between them on which musical notation is written. Stretto - Pertaining to the fugue, the overlapping of the same theme or motif by two or more voices a few beats apart. String Quartet - A group of 4 instruments, two violins, a viola, and cello. Suite - A loose collection of instrumental compositions. Symphony - Three to four movement orchestral piece, generally in sonata form. System - A combination of two or more staves on which all the notes are vertically aligned and performed simultaneously in differing registers and instruments. Tablature - A system of notation for stringed instruments. The notes are indicated by the finger positions. Temperament - Refers to the tuning of an instrument. Tempo - Indicating speed. Tessitura - The range of an instrumental or a vocal part. Theme - A melodic or, sometimes a harmonic idea presented in a musical form. Timbre - Tone color, quality of sound that distinguishes one verse or instrument to another. It is determined by the harmonies of sound. Time Signature - A numeric symbol in sheet music determining the number of beats to a measure. Tonal - Pertains to tone or tones. Tonality - The tonal characteristics determined by the relationship of the notes to the tone. Tone - The intonation, pitch, and modulation of a composition expressing the meaning, feeling, or attitude of the music. Tone less - Unmusical, without tone. Tonic - The first tone of a scale also known as a keynote. Treble - The playing or singing the upper half of the vocal range. Also the highest voice in choral singing. Tremolo - Quick repetition of the same note or the rapid alternation between two notes. Triad - Three note chords consisting of a root, third, and fifth. Trill - Rapid alternation between notes that are a half tone or whole tone apart. Trio - A composition written for three voices and instruments performed by three persons. Triple time - Time signature with three beats to the measure. Triplet - Three notes played in the same amount of time as one or two beats. Tritone - A chord comprised of three whole tones resulting in an augmented fourth or diminished fifth. Tune - A rhythmic succession of musical tones, a melody for instruments and voices. Tuning - The raising and lowering a pitch of an instrument to produce the correct tone of a note. Tutti - Passage for the entire ensemble or orchestra without a soloist. Twelve-tone music - Music composed such that each note is used the same number of times. Unison - Two or more voices or instruments playing the same note simultaneously. Verismo - A form of Italian opera beginning at the end of the 19th century. The setting is contemporary to the composer’s own time, and the characters are modeled after every day life. Vibrato - Creating variation pitch in a note by quickly alternating between notes. Virtuoso - A person with notable technical skill in the performance of music. Vivace - Direction to performer to play a composition in a brisk, lively, and spirited manner. Voice - One of two or more parts in polyphonic music. Voice refers to instrumental parts as well as the singing voice. Waltz - A dance written in triple time, where the accent falls on the first beat of each measure. Whole note - A whole note is equal to 2 half notes, 4 quarter notes, 8 eighth notes, etc. Whole-tone scale - A scale consisting of only whole-tone notes. Such a scale consists of only 6 notes.

Excel macro for converting martif to xls

Sub mtf2xls()

Dim fs, a, strs, rets, langs(10)
Flag = 0
strs = InputBox("path to martif")
Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set f = fs.OpenTextFile(strs, 1, -2)
j = 0
Do While f.AtEndOfStream <> True
rets = f.ReadLine
lab1:
lgd = Len(rets)

If (Left(rets, 1) = " ") Then
lgk = lgd - 1
rets = Right(rets, lgk)
GoTo lab1
End If

If Left(rets, 10) = "<termEntry" Then
j = j + 1
Cells(j + 1, 1) = j
End If

wh = InStr(rets, "lang=")
If wh <> 0 Then
    wh = wh + 5
    asu = Asc(Mid(rets, wh, 1))
     
    we = wh
recog2:
    we = we + 1
        If (Asc(Mid(rets, we, 1)) <> asu) Then
            GoTo recog2
        End If
    lantx = Mid(rets, wh + 1, we - wh - 1)

    If numlan = 0 Then GoTo addlan2
    For k = 1 To numlan
    If lantx = langs(k) Then GoTo knownlan2
    Next k
addlan2:
    numlan = numlan + 1
    k = numlan
    langs(k) = lantx
    Cells(1, k + 1) = lantx
End If

knownlan2:
If Left(rets, 6) = "<term>" Then
    lgd = Len(rets)
    lgk = lgd - 13
    ttr = Mid(rets, 7, lgk)
    Cells(j + 1, k + 1) = ttr
End If

Loop
f.Close
Columns("A:K").AutoFit
End Sub

Tag Editor error -- window resizing

When you are no longer able to resize the Tag Editor window to work with Trados Workbench do this:
1. Go to Start > Run
2. Type "regedit"
3. Go to keyname HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Trados\TagEditor\Settings
4. Right click on this key and choose Export. Please choose a location to temporarily save a backup of this entry. Your Desktop is fine.
5. Delete the "Top", "Bottom", "Left" and "Right" entries from the right hand window.
6. Close the Registry Editor.

Please reopen TagEditor and you should now be able to maximise and minimise the TagEditor window. If this has worked successfully then feel free to delete the registry key backup which you made earlier.

How to Pronounce "the" in English

Normally, we pronounce "the" with a short sound (like "thuh"). But when "the" comes before a vowel sound, we pronounce it as a long "thee".

vowel sound	we write	we say
A	the apple	thee apple
E	the egg	thee egg
I	the ice-cream	thee ice-cream
O	the orange	thee orange
U	the ugli fruit	thee ugli fruit

It is important to understand that it is what we say that matters, not what we write. It is the sound that matters, not the letter used in writing a word. So we use a long "thee" before a vowel sound, not necessarily before a vowel. Look at these cases:

we write	with	we say	with
the house	consonant (h)	thuh house	consonant sound
the hour	consonant (h)	thee our	vowel sound
the university	vowel (u)	thuh youniversity	consonant sound
the umbrella	vowel (u)	thee umbrella	vowel sound

Emphatic the [thee]
When we wish to place emphasis on a particular word, we can use "emphatic the" [thee], whether or not the word begins with a consonant or vowel sound. For example:
A: I saw the [thuh] President yesterday.
B: What! The [thee] President of the United States?
A: Yes, exactly.

When to Say "a" or "an" 

The indefinite article is a or an. But how do we know when to say a and when to say an?
The rule is really very simple. It depends on the sound at the start of the following word. (It does not depend on the way we write the following word, it depends on the way we say it.)

A + consonant sound

If the following word starts with a consonant sound, then we say a.

a cat

a game of golf

a human emotion

a Peruvian

a very fat woman

AN + vowel sound

If the following word starts with a vowel sound, then we say an.

an apple

an extremely easy job

an interesting film

an old man

an umbrella

The importance of sound

Normally, we pronounce consonant letters with a consonant sound, and vowel letters with a vowel sound. But there are some exceptions. The rule about a or an is still the same. You just need to think about the sound, not the writing. Look at these examples:

consonant letter with vowel sound
an honest man	on-est
an hour	our
an FBI agent	eff-bee-eye

vowel letter with consonant sound
a European country	you-ro-pe-an
a one-day conference	won-day
a university	you-ni-ver-si-ty

• When the definite article (“the”) comes before a word that begins with a vowel, pronounce it like “thee.” E.g. “<thee> elephant”
• When “the” comes before a word that begins with a consonant, pronounce it like “thu” (with a schwa sound). E.g. “<thu> car”

If you emphasize “the,” it is often pronounced “thee,” even when it comes before a word beginning with a consonant. Try saying, “He is the master of English.” It comes out sounding like “thee,” doesn’t it?
One writer on a linguistics mailing list claims that some people pronounce “the” as “thu,” regardless of the word that follows. However, this pronunciation isn’t standard (when followed by a word beginning with a vowel). It might be attributable to a regional or class dialect, but I don’t know for sure.

You may find additional information at one of these places:

• The British Council: The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational and cultural relations
• International EFL Cafe

How to Crack Password-protected Zip Files Using Linux

How to Crack Password-protected Zip Files Using Linux: In case you or your friend has forgotten the password of your password-protected .zip file that may contain important documents, music, or non-porn movies, there is really no need to worry as there are plenty of password crackers available out there. If you are using Linux, I highly recommend you download and use FCrackZip.

FCrackZip is a simple, fast, free, and easy-to-use zip cracker that is similar to fzc and zipcrack. Partially written in assembler, it uses brute force or dictionary based attacks to find the password. Although you will need the Linux terminal to use FCrackZip, a simple command is actually required to crack the zip password.

If you are using any popular or major Linux distribution, FCrackZip should be available on the software repository, and you could download it using the package manager. You may also download the latest version from HERE.

Since I'm using Ubuntu, I quickly installed FCrackZip from the command line using this command:

$ sudo apt-get install fcrackzip

After installing FCrackZip, you can either use brute force or dictionary mode to crack the password.

Here is a sample FCrackZip command one-liner using brute force:

$ fcrackzip -v -b -p aaaaaa -u your_zip_file.zip

From the screenshot above, you will see that I've successfully cracked a password protected zip file using the brute force method. From my experience, it took around 30 minutes to find password, but it is worth the wait. Source: http://www.junauza.com

Secure Mysql Database!

You can use robots.txt or the .htaccess file, so that google doesn’t index the mySQL inc files.
Type in Google the following sentence filetype:inc intext:mysql_connect
The result is a big list of web sites with the inc files indexed in google, with the username and password of the users of the databases, for example the root user. Beware!

Translating WordFast TXML in memoQ

WordFast as a Word add-on (currently version Classic) was always quite popular – it was not expensive, simple and fully compatible with Trados. However, last year the company released a completely new version – WordFast Pro is written from the ground up in Java, which makes it possible to use it on different operating systems (Windows, Linux, MacOS). The software works in table layout typical for all new CAT tools and is… quite specific. It does have a lot of fans, unfortunately I don’t like it (especially the terrible way it handles insertion of tags). Luckily, we don’t have to translate .txml files using WordFast, it can be done with memoQ. Below you’ll find the procedure step-by-step.

Recently I’m getting a lot of translations in WordFast Pro files. The first translation I did using WF demo and I didn’t liked it, so when I got the next ones, I looked for a way to process them in a much more comfortable environment, that is memoQ. As it came out, it isn’t so hard.
What do we need:

• WordFast Pro demo (not necessary, but recommended)
• Excel/Calc
• memoQ
• Word/Writer (optional)

I have divided the procedure into two parts: preparation of txml file and preparation of wordfast TM. Let’s start with the file preparation. If we don’t have a WordFast, it can be downloaded from here.

1. Open the file to translate (.txml) in the WordFast.

WordFast Pro window. Use Ctrl-Alt-Ins to copy all source language segments to target segments.
2. Use Ctrl-Alt-Ins to copy all source segments contents into target segments.
3. Save the file, close WordFast (repeat the procedure for additional files if necessary). If, for some reason, you don’t want or can’t use the WordFast demo, you can use the search/replace procedure described here.
4. Download this filter file and save it on your disc.
5. Start the memoQ.
6. From the Tools menu choose Resource console, then Filter configurations and Import new from the left pane. Select the file saved in step 4.
7. Create new project, in the Add document window select Add document as. You’ll have to switch file type filter in the lower part of the window from All supported files to All files (*.*). Select the txml file(s) saved in step 3.
8. In the Document import settings click the yellow folder icon (Load filter configuration) and select WordFast filter imported in step 6. The filter works by hiding the original source segments (<source>), displaying for edition target segments (<target>) and defining handling of WordFast tags. See picture below.
   

   TXML file imported to memoQ. Source segments (<source>) you can see in the preview pane below are hidden, you can translate only <target> segments.
   Tip: WordFast tags, displayed natively as consecutive numbers {1}, {2}, {3}, in memoQ are displayed as “inline” tags. By default you can insert them using F9 key, but in my there are more convenient key combinations, for example Ctrl-Alt-Down, like in Trados. To modify keyboard settings choose Tools > Resource console > Keyboard shortcuts > Clone (for the Default) > Edit.
9. After translation export the finished file using Export command. Excellent QA features of memoQ won’t allow you to export files with tags mismatch and will show you the affected segments (if any).
10. Just to be extra sure you can open the translated file in WordFast, to check if everything is OK.

Finished translation in WordFast. The percentage of TM substitutions are shown.

The procedure may seem complicated, especially at first, but after the software configuration, the preparation and file opening wont’ take much more time than in case of any other file format. The situations becomes a bit more complicated when along with TXML files client sends us a WordFast TM file with the .txt extension. To use this TM in memoQ we have to prepare it by removing unnecessary data and tags.

1. Open the TM file in Word (or OpenOffice Writer) (option). In the WF TM tags are encoded as &tA;, &tB;, &tC;, etc. It is possible to remove them all at once using Word. Open Search & Replace window (Ctrl-H), click More >> button and select Use wildcards. Enter \&t[A-Z]\; in the Find field. Leave the Replace field empty. Click Replace all button. Now deselect Use wildcards checkbox and replace &’A9; with ©, and &’AE; with ® (of course, if there are such strings in your TM. Save as text file using UTF-8 encoding.
2. Start Excel (or OpenOffice Calc), import the TM file by selecting Data > External data > From text. Choose Tab as a column separator and import the first row checkbox.
   

   Where to find a text import command.
3. Remove all columns except the ones with source and target texts. In the example above we have to remove columns A, B, C, D, F, H and I, leaving only E and G. As an alternative we can leave also column B, with the translators ID.
   

   WordFast TM file correctly imported into Excel.
4. Enter the language identifiers into first row of source and target columns. If necessary, we can add columns with additional information, like the translation author, domain, client, etc.
   

   File with unnecessary data removed and additional column added (in this case - translation agency name).
5. If step 1 was skipped, you have to remove tags – unfortunately, Excel requires removing them one by one, i.e. you have to enter manually all possible letter combinations (see step 1). Save the file: select round office button > Save as > Other formats > Unicode text. Close Excel.
6. In memoQ select an existing memory or create a new one. Choose the Import from TMX/CSV command. Select the file saved in step 5.
7. In the Translation memory CSV import settings window select proper settings:
   • File encoding – UTF-8
   • Delimiter – Tab
   • First row is header
   Select proper fields for Import as source segment (in this case, EN-US) and Import as target segment (in this case, PL). If there are additional fields (rows) to import, select them and choose proper option in the Import as other field field.
8. Voila.

If there are a lot of segments with tags in the WordFast TM, you’ll get several percent lower concordance matches in memoQ than in WordFast, but you’ll still gain by working in much more comfortable environment without having to buy just another CAT tool. Very similar procedure can be used to translate WordFast TXML files in Trados Studio 2009 – you can define an xml import file there as well. Source: http://hell.pl