Glossary extracted starting with automatic seeds, with PTM for the domain mus and language EN
| vibrato | Small fluctuation of pitch used as an expressive device to intensify a sound. |
| desk | Usually refers to the grouping of orchestral string players sharing a music stand |
| das letzte zurücknehmen | (German) to undo |
| mensural notation | A system of notating the length of time a given note is to be held. |
| das geschirr abtrocknen | (German) to dry the dishes, to do the drying (up) |
| dafür aber | (German) but on the other hand, although |
| dämpferpedal | (German n.) damper pedal, sustaining pedal |
| das schafft einen präzedenzfall. | (German) This constitutes a precedent. |
| dachtreppe | (German f.) attic stairs, loft stairs |
| damenzimmer | (German n.) boudoir |
| das ist diskussionswürdig. | (German) This is a (legitimate) subject for debate. |
| das gesprächsthema wechseln | (German) to vary the topic |
| das führt zu nichts. | (German) That will get you nowhere |
| das wird nicht klappen. | (German) It won't work. |
| das rad neu erfinden | (German) to reinvent the wheel |
| dame von adel | (German f.) noblewoman |
| top | The starting point of a chorus or a piece of music.... |
| dämmzahl | (German f.) sound absorption coefficient, sound insulation coefficient, insulation coefficient (heat) |
| dankte ab | (German) abdicated, resigned |
| das andenken aufrechterhalten | (German) to preserve the memory |
| das französische festland | (German) continental France |
| das falsche | (German) the wrong thing |
| dariole | or dariole mould, a small mould as used for crème caramels |
| das wesentliche erfassen | (German) to capture the essence |
| work songs | Rhythmic songs sung by African American workers while they worked |
| dachgebälk | (German n.) roof beams |
| das gefühl kenne ich. | (German) I know the feeling. |
| dame de compaigne | (French f.) a paid (female) companion |
| modal | Characterizes music that is based on modes other than major and minor, especially the early church modes. |
| das bett machen | (German) to make the bed |
| castanets | Percussion instruments consisting of small wooden clappers that are struck together |
| send-off riffs | ensemble riffs played in the first few bars of a chorus by the entire band |
| verse | A composed set of music and words that serves as introductory material to a song, lyrically setting up the story (usually rubato -- rarely played by jazz instrumentalists but occasionally sung by jazz vocalists). |
| darüber lässt sich diskutieren. | (German) This is a legitimate subject for debate. |
| aesthetics | The study of the emotional and expressive aspects of music. |
| das schlimmste kommt noch. | (German) The worst is yet to come. |
| phasing | A technique in which a musical pattern is repeated and manipulated so that it separates and overlaps itself, and then rejoins the original pattern; getting "out of phase" and back "in sync." |
| das haar hochstecken | (German) to pin one's hair up |
| solo | The passages of a tune during which one musician improvises within the context of the tune; that person is known as the soloist. |
| troubadours | Medieval poet/singers from southern France |
| talk | To "tell a story" or "say something" on an instrument: speech-inflected instrumental playing.... |
| espressivo | A direction to play expressively. |
| medium tempo | One of the three basic tempos of jazz, between ballad and up-tempo.... |
| assembly | A military bugle call, in the category of formation calls, played to signal troops to assemble at a designated location |
| xylophone | The xylophone, a pitched percussion instrument of African origin, consists of tuned blocks of wood laid out in the shape of a keyboard. |
| dahingeschlendert | (German) moseyed, ambled, walked in a leisurely manner |
| contrast | Something different from what came before. |
| dantzari | specialist dancers who perform the more difficult sequences in Basque folk dance |
| tuba | Bass-range brass instrument that changes pitch by means of valves. |
| strophic form | Song structure in which the same music is repeated with every stanza (strophe) of the poem. |
| dagehu | see gehu |
| damenoberteil mit nackenträger | (German n.) halter-neck top |
| das erhabene | (German) the sublime |
| das opfer werden von | (German) to fall victim to |
| al fine | An indication to the performer to repeat a composition either from the beginning (da capo), or from the dal segno symbol, to the place marked fine (the end of the composition) |
| das weibliche geschlecht | (German) womankind |
| das gesicht verziehen | (German) to raise one's eyebrow |
| glockenspiel | A percussion instrument with two rows of steel bars, each of which produces a definite pitch when struck by a mallet. |
| das weiße gold | (German) the white gold (figurative: porcelain) |
| dak | (Hindi) travel by a system of relays of horses or bearers, the carriage of mail by relays of bearers |
| cross rhythm | The simultaneous use of two or more different rhythmic patterns; a basic feature of most African American musics.... |
| membranophone | A percussion instrument whose sound is produced by the vibration of a stretched membrane, either skin or plastic |
| program music | Instrumental music associated with a nonmusical idea, this idea often being stated in the title or in an explanatory program note. |
| gig | A musician's playing job. The term is occasionally used to represent any job. |
| danza guerrera | (Spanish f.) war dance |
| dappresso | (Italian) near, closely |
| das gleichgewicht stören | (German) to unbalance, to upset the balance, to upset the balance, to upset the equilibrium |
| dampfkesselversicherung | (German f.) steam boiler insurance |
| open voicing | Voicing in which the notes are widely spread... |
| das stimmt. | (German) That's right. |
| double | The ability to play more than one instrument.... |
| das tut man nicht | (German) it isn't done, one doesn't do that |
| dachpfanne | (German f.) pantile |
| specific chord symbol | Symbol indicating the specific notes to be included in a chord, e.g., Cmaj9 indicates that the chord contains C E G B D, Cmi11 indicates C Eb G Bb D F, etc |
| danse cosaque | (French f.) Cossack dance |
| multiphonics | A wind instrument or vocal technique by which more than one tone is produced simultaneously |
| dachshaar | (German n.) badger hair |
| darstellung christi im tempel | (German f.) Presentation of Jesus at the Temple |
| trombone | A large brass wind instrument |
| damenrasierer | (German m.) ladies' shaver, lady shaver, lady's shaver |
| sinfonia | Short instrumental work, found in Baroque opera, to better facilitate scene changes. |
| damwild | (German n.) fallow deer |
| das übel des trinkens | (German n.) the curse of drink |
| das ganze haus zusammenschreien | (German) to shout the house down |
| empfindsamkeit | German "sensitive" style of the mid-eighteenth century, characterized by melodic directness and homophonic texture. |
| d'accordo | (Italian) in tune (figurative), agreed, granted |
| alegria | Joyful flamenco dance from the province of Cadiz |
| dantesk | (German) Dantesque |
| trading twos or fours | A term for a type of improvisation used especially by jazz musicians in which two or more musicians take turns improvising on two- or four-bar sections of music. |
| dado que | (Spanish) since, given that |
| ternary | See form. |
| conga | Afro-Cuban dance performed at Latin-American Carnival celebrations |
| legato | Singing as though all the notes were tied together; the notes flow together smoothly. |
| danke für die mühe! | (German) Thanks for the trouble! |
| darioleform | (German f.) dariole mould |
| dahinwelken | (German) to fade away, to pine away |
| urban league | An organization that works to end racial discrimination and increase economic and political opportunities for blacks and other minorities in the United States. |
| das unheimliche | (German n.) weirdness |
| ghosting | playing notes so lightly that they are almost inaudible. |
| das büßerhemd tragen | (German) to wear sackcloth and ashes (figurative) |
| dança erudita | (Portuguese f.) academic or serious dance |
| daraus folgender verlust | (German m.) consequential loss |
| noodling | Improvising in a random and wandering manner.... |
| das spiel ist aus. | (German) The game is up |
| darüber lässt sich reden. | (German) That's a matter of argument. |
| das amt antretend | (German) coming into office |
| morality play | Medieval drama, often with music, intended to teach proper values. |
| danças populares | (Portuguese f.) popular dance |
| dactylography | the study of fingerprints as a method of identification |
| das feuer anfachen | (German) to fan the flames, to blow on the fire |
| dança | (Portuguese f.) dance |
| divine offices | Cycle of daily services of the Roman Catholic Church, distinct from the Mass. |
| theme group | Several themes in the same key that function as a unit within a section of a form, particularly in sonata-allegro form. |
| dahintrotten | (German) to jog on |
| damenplumphosen | (German pl.) bloomers |
| dans le coin | (French) locally |
| ballad | A slow song, usually of a romantic nature; sometimes used for any song of the AABA or similar popular song form.... |
| dans l'expectative | (French) still waiting |
| das sinkende schiff verlassen | (German) to leave a sinking ship |
| jongleurs | Medieval wandering entertainers who played instruments, sang and danced, juggled, and performed plays. |
| das tempo bestimmen | (German) to set the pace |
| das weitere | (German) further details |
| nationalistic music | Concert art music that reflects national or regional rather than universal characteristics |
| darreichung | (German f.) presentation |
| dandelion | (English from French dent-de-lion, 'lion's tooth) wild plant with jagged leaves, a yellow flower, and a fluffy seed-head |
| dämonisch | (German) demoniac, demoniacal, demonic, demonically, demoniacally |
| harmonica | Mouth organ; a small metal box on which free reeds are mounted, played by moving back and forth across the mouth while breathing into it. |
| das ist ein kinderspiel | (German) that is dead easy, that is child's play |
| dar palmadas | (Spanish) to clap |
| bis | Repeated twice |
| das bett neu überziehen | (German) to change the bed, to change the sheets, to change the bedclothes, to change the bed-linen |
| das letzte mal | (German) last, last time |
| das nibelungenlied | (German) (The) Song of the Nibelungs |
| daff | see def |
| dachzimmer | (German n.) attic room, garret |
| seventh chord | Four-note combination consisting of a triad with another third added on top; spans a seventh between its lowest and highest tones. |
| dämmschicht | (German f.) insulating layer, insulation layer, insulating course |
| darunter liegend | (German) underlying |
| darreichen | (German) to administer |
| das geschieht ihm recht. | (German) That serves him right. |
| romantic | Musical period that ran for most of the 19th century, identified by a general trend that moved away from the accepted forms and structures of the Classical period and towards an emotional, expressive and imaginative style |
| dankopfer | (German n.) thanks offering |
| das unterbewusste | (German n.) the subconscious |
| agitato | Agitated or restless |
| dankbrief | (German m.) bread-and-butter letter |
| timbales | Shallow, single-headed drums of Cuban origin, played in pairs; used in much Latin-American popular music. |
| das muss reichen. | (German) That'll have to do. |
| dal niente | (Italian) from nothing |
| damas | (Spanish m |
| das schweigen brechen | (German) to break the silence |
| quadruplum | Fourth voice of a polyphonic work. |
| damenfahrrad | (German n.) ladies' bike, ladies' bicycle |
| dachgleiche | (German f.) topping out |
| dämonenhaft | (German) demoniac |
| danubio | (Italian m., Spanish m.) Danube |
| spirituals | American folk hymns and other religious songs that originated in the late 18th or early 19th centuries and developed into gospel music. |
| dahinkriechen | (German) to crawl along |
| field recording | A scholarly or professional recording of folk or traditional music made in the environment where the performers typically make music, rather than in a professional recording studio. |
| das ist heller wahnsinn. | (German) That's sheer madness. |
| das urheberrecht liegt bei | (German) copyright by |
| das gleiche maß benutzen | (German) to apply the same yardstick |
| flute | The flute is a cylindrical metal tube closed at one end that is held horizontally and blown across the mouth hole. |
| voice | any melodic line, including bass line, melody line, and the inner voices between... |
| affrettando | A directive to perform the indicated passage in a hurried manner |
| tone | The quality of sound of a note. |
| das wird sich finden. | (German) We'll see about that. |
| dasiattam | see mohiniyattom |
| daft-days | see 'festival of fools' |
| damaszenerpflaume | (German f.) damson plum, damson |
| darbieten | (German) to present, to serve (dishes) |
| dare | (Italian m.) debit (commerce) |
| dahinsiechend | (German) ailing |
| reed | Flexible strip of cane or metal set into a mouthpiece or the body of an instrument; set in vibration by a stream of air. |
| das ist fakt. | (German) That's a fact. |
| da ja | (German) since |
| strophic | A musical structure in which the same music is used for each stanza of a ballad, song, or hymn. |
| strophic form | Vocal form in which each stanza of a poem is set to the same music |
| das essen kochen | (German) to cook the dinner |
| danke schön. | (German) Thank you |
| das ruder abgeben | (German) to hand over the reins (figurative) |
| dann und nur dann | (German) if and only if, only as and when |
| das beste | (German) the best |
| sequence | A melodic pattern repeated several times either a step lower or a step higher than the preceding statement. |
| overdubbing | The technique of adding more tracks of sound to a recording that has already been recorded. |
| danke für ihr kommen! | (German) Thanks for coming! |
| dahergelaufener | (German m.) nonentity (person) |
| danzáre | (Italian, mentioned in John Florio's Queen Anna's New World of Words (1611)) to dance |
| character piece | See miniature. |
| prelude | A free-form piece that may introduce another piece or stand alone. |
| dadaist | (German m.) Dadaist |
| classical | The period in music history that falls after the Baroque and before the Romantic: ca |
| pop song form | The structure of repeated and contrasting sections of a song in which each section (represented as letters when the form is described) is usually similar in length and corresponds to an AABA, or some variant on that organization. |
| baroque | The period in music history that spans from ca |
| das muss man wissen. | (German) You need to know that. |
| damnatio memoriae | (Latin) the Roman decree condemning those who ran afoul of the Senate |
| das übersteigt mein fassungsvermögen. | (German) It's beyond me. |
| dableiben | (German) to stay there, to stay on, to stick around (colloquial) |
| acculturation | The blending of cultures |
| dank | (German m.) thanks |
| renaissance | A European cultural movement from the 14th to the 17th centuries that saw huge developments in the arts, science and politics |
| dankt | (German) reciprocates, thanks |
| all ottava | This is a directive to perform an indicated note or passage of a composition one octave higher than notated |
| dan | (English, Japanese) grade of proficiency in judo, holder of such a grade |
| ballade | A relatively large, free-form work |
| dämmerschlaf | (German m.) twilight sleep |
| das wahlrecht verleihend | (German) franchising |
| dämonen austreiben | (German) to exorcise demons |
| das gesicht entstellen | (German) to deface |
| venue | A place to perform, such as an auditorium, nightclub, bandstand, arena, or church. |
| dartun | (German) to state, to explain, to demonstrate |
| dandy roll | during the paper making process while the paper is still 90% water, it passes over a wire mesh cylinder (dandy roll), which imparts surface textures on the paper such as wove or laid |
| das unmögliche verlangen | (German) to ask for the impossible, to attempt the impossible |
| phrase | A natural break or unit in a melody line, similar in function to a clause in a sentence.... |
| half cadence | a musical stopping point on the dominant |
| das größte | (German n.) the bee's knees (colloquial: the best) |
| dans tous les azimuts | (French) all over the place |
| refrain | A repeating phrase that is played at the end of each verse in the song |
| das höchste amt erreichen | (German) to attain the highest office |
| darle ánimo a ... | (Spanish) to encourage ..., to cheer .. |
| allegro | A fast tempo, faster than Allegretto. |
| das diplomatische korps | (German n.) the diplomatic corps |
| dacchè | (Italian) since |
| chinese block | Percussion instrument made from a hollowed rectangular block of wood that is struck with a beater. |
| cd | Compact Disc. ("Disc" refers to audio and video discs. "Disk" refers to computer disks.) |
| drone | A long-held note or notes over or under which other music is played. |
| frequency | In acoustics, the number of times per second that the air carrying a sound vibrates as a wave |
| das gefällt mir irgendwie. | (German) I kind of like it. |
| das buch esra | (German) (the Book of) Ezra |
| das gesetz missachten | (German) to treat the law with contempt |
| das dach anzünden | (German) to set the roof on fire |
| das aufgebot verkünden | (German) to publish the banns |
| fermata | (U) A notational symbol indicating that a note is to be sounded longer than its normal time value, the exact length being left to the discretion of the performer. |
| improvisation | Music created in the moment of performance, without written scores or played from memory.... |
| danger list | list of those dangerously ill |
| dankenswerterweise | (German) generously |
| danke im voraus! | (German) Thanks in advance! |
| damit fertig werden | (German) to take it (colloquial) (referring to criticism, abuse, etc.) |
| agilita | A directive to perform the indicated passage with lightness or agility |
| das allerwesentlichste | (German) the most essential thing of all |
| damit nicht | (German) lest |
| darlehensvertrag | (German m.) loan agreement, loan contract |
| das eigentliche | (German n.) the essence |
| das haupt entblößen | (German) to bare one's head |
| megaphone | A large funnel-shaped horn used to increase the volume of the voice. |
| daran besteht kein zweifel. | (German) Of that there is no doubt. |
| das beweismaterial sichten | (German) to sift the evidence |
| dasein | (German, dated) to be there, to be here, to exist |
| psalms | The sacred poems from the book of Psalms in the Bible. |
| ep | A 7-inch of 12-inch disc that is played at 45 rpm, with usually two songs on each side. |
| darauffolgend | (German) following (day, etc.), proximate, ensuing, subsequently, subsequent |
| dar clase | (Spanish) to teach, to lecture (university) |
| "b" side | The "flip" side of a recording; the side that is not usually promoted. |
| spiritual | Music with a religious theme. |
| das sortiment erweitern | (German) to broaden the range |
| das ist zweideutig. | (German) This argument cuts both ways. |
| dämmernd | (German) twilit, dawning |
| das establishment | (German n.) the Establishment |
| lay out | To temporarily cease playing while others continue.... |
| darunterliegend | (German) underlying |
| dance pop | contemporary form of dance music with pop music structures |
| erhu | Bowed, two-string fiddle from China, with its bow hairs fixed between the strings; rests on the leg while playing. |
| darangegangen | (German) to set to work |
| danspas | (Dutch) dance step |
| dachrestaurant | (German n.) rooftop restaurant |
| dämlicher | (German) dopier (colloquial) |
| das steht fest. | (German) And no mistake about it. |
| dar muerte a ... | (Spanish) to kill .. |
| das aufgebot aushängen | (German) to publish the banns |
| das tagesgespräch sein | (German) to be the topic of the day |
| das unvermeidliche akzeptieren | (German) to make the best of a bad job |
| darauf vorbereitet sein müssen | (German) to stay on one's toes |
| das hohelied salomos | (German) the Song of Solomon |
| asperges me | The opening of the Mass in the Catholic service; it is not a number of the musical Mass itself, but sung during the purification of the alter at the beginning of the service |
| mode | A particular series of notes that are derived from a "parent" scale beginning and ending with a note other than the parent scale's root, resulting in a different set of intervals and tonal center thus creating a different mood, e.g., the second mode of the Bb major scale (Bb C D Eb F G A Bb) is C Dorian (C D Eb F G A Bb C). |
| das sind bloße vorurteile! | (German) This is mere prejudice! |
| das kommen und gehen | (German) the comings and goings |
| minstrels | Medieval wandering street musicians and entertainers. |
| accompagnato | Accompanied |
| daphnomantie | (German f.) daphnomancy |
| darangeben | (German) to sacrifice |
| poco | A little. |
| half-time | A rhythmic device in which the melody continues at a fixed tempo while the accompanying instruments double the tempo.... |
| das ergebnis akzeptieren | (German) to accept the results |
| das buch geht gut. | (German) The book sells well. |
| das zeitliche segnen | (German) to cease to be, to pass on |
| mambo | Dance of Afro-Cuban origin with a characteristic quadruple-meter rhythmic pattern. |
| hi-hat cymbal | Two cymbals on a single rod that snap together when operated by a foot pedal.... |
| burgundian chanson | Fifteenth-century French composition, usually for three voices, some or all of which may be played by instruments |
| das versäumte nachholen | (German) to make up leeway |
| das umweltziel | (German n.) the environmental objectives |
| darle aventón a ... | (Spanish - Mexico) to give .. |
| das befriedigende | (German) satisfactoriness |
| daiquiri-cocktail | (German m.) Daiquiri |
| through-composed form | A term applied to songs in which new music is used for each successive verse. |
| das goldene kalb verehren | (German) to worship the golden calf |
| dankeschön | (German n.) thankyou, thank-you |
| das unbewusste | (German n.) (the) unconscious mind |
| tone cluster | A chord produced by playing a large group of adjacent notes on the piano with the flat of the hand |
| dahinbrausen | (German) to tootle along (colloquial) |
| dar de cabeza | (Spanish) to fall flat on one's face |
| scale | Successive notes of a key or mode either ascending or descending. |
| daak | (German m |
| das wohltemperirte klavier | see Wohltemperierte Klavier, Das |
| dampfgarer | (German m.) steam cooker, steamer, steam oven, food steamer |
| das haus putzen | (German) to clean the house |
| alternative | Guitar-based rock with desultory male vocalists or chirpy female vocalists |
| das gleichgewicht halten | (German) to balance, to hold the balance, to keep one's balance |
| dänische dogge | (German f.) Great Dane (breed of dog) |
| dal s. | abbreviation of dal segno |
| dachhohlraum | (German m.) roof void |
| das thema erledigen | (German) to settle the issue |
| darstellerisches talent | (German n.) dramatic talent, acting talent |
| darauf bedacht zu | (German) anxious to |
| recitative | A form of "singing speech" in which the rhythm is dictated by the natural inflection of the words. |
| da herum | (German) thereabouts |
| chart | A musical arrangement.... |
| pub | A bar or tavern in Britain. |
| das fenster zumachen | (German) to shut the window |
| damascene | or 'damaskeen', an object created using the processes involved in damascening |
| cadence | cadential The musical punctuation that separates phrases or periods, creating a sense of rest or conclusion that ranges from momentary to final. |
| avant-garde | Very current, modern and experimental. |
| da chiesa | (Italian) for the church |
| swing | A big-band jazz style particularly popular for dance music during the 1930s through the middle 1940s. |
| dame von heute | (German f.) woman of today |
| das spiel machen | (German) to make the running |
| das ist ziemlich dasselbe. | (German) It's much the same thing. |
| das böse | (German n.) evil (per se) |
| das scheint naheliegend. | (German) This seems natural. |
| dasselbe schicksal erleiden | (German) to suffer the same fate |
| dahintergesteckt | (German) having been behind it |
| period | The musical equivalent of a paragraph |
| das hat einen pferdefuß. | (German) There's a catch to it |
| das wird genügen. | (German) That will do (be enough). |
| dar un paso atrás | (Spanish) to step backwards |
| das reicht nicht. | (German) That's not good enough. |
| das einzig gute daran | (German) the only good thing about it |
| das geht einfach nicht. | (German) This just isn't on |
| daidalion | (German m.) Daedalion (in Greek mythology, a son of Hesperos and brother of Ceyx, who is described as cruel and warlike) |
| cake walk | A dance contest in Congo Square |
| das ist wucher! | (German) That's extortionate! |
| das mittelalter | (German n.) the Dark Ages |
| das galt für ihn. | (German) That was true of him. |
| polyrhythm | Two or more contrasting rhythms played simultaneously; two or more rhythms superimposed. |
| das handgelenk verstauchen | (German) to strain one's wrist |
| bongos | in Latin percussion, an instrument with two drumheads, one larger than the other, compact enough to sit between the players knees. |
| air check | A musical radio broadcast that was originally recorded for distribution to other stations; radio broadcasts that people have recorded off the radio that are sometimes released commercially or bootlegged.... |
| tempo | Indicating speed. |
| agnus dei | A section of the Mass; the last musical movement of the Ordinary. |
| total serialism | Extremely complex, totally controlled music in which the twelve-tone principle is extended to elements of music other than pitch. |
| das mystische | (German) that which is mystical |
| das schöne | (German n.) the beautiful |
| payola | The practice of bribing disc jockeys to induce them to play particular recordings on the air. |
| axe | Synonym for instrument. |
| dartscheibe | (German f.) dart board, dartboard |
| creole | Louisiana residents with African heritage mixed with Spanish or French ancestry. |
| dänisch | (German n.) Danish |
| dal segno al segno | (Italian) from sign to sign |
| the majors | Major recording companies which dominated the pop market in the 1950s: RCA Victor, Columbia, Capitol, Mercury and Decca. |
| das lager räumen | (German) to clear the stock |
| program music | Music that depicts images, moods, stories, characters, and other nonmusical associations |
| das rauchen einschränken | (German) to cut down on cigarettes, to cut out smoking |
| daino | (Italian m.) deer, buckskin |
| das allererste mal | (German) the very first time |
| dachdecken | (German n.) (roof) tiling |
| das reicht. | (German) That's good enough. |
| chorus | The refrain or the main body of a popular song |
| d.a.f. | abbreviation of 'described as follows' |
| damenbekleidung | (German f.) ladieswear, women's apparel, women's clothing |
| das ist mir neu. | (German) That's news to me. |
| das allerschlimmste war ... | (German) Worst of all was ... |
| meter | the organization of recurring pulses into patterns |
| das eine oder andere | (German) one or two things |
| agitato | Agitated or restless. |
| das thema anschneiden | (German) to broach the subject, to raise the subject |
| council of trent | A series of meetings of leaders of the Roman Catholic Church (1545–1563) to discuss church reforms following the Reformation |
| dandle | to bounce (a child) on one's knees etc. |
| darbouka | see darabukka |
| space | the gap between lines on a stave. |
| atonal | Music that has no specific tonality |
| darstellungsart | (German f.) notation |
| calmato | Calm. |
| kettledrums | See timpani. |
| muses | Nine daughters of Zeus in ancient mythology; each presided over one of the arts. |
| daguerrotypieren | (German) to daguerreotype, to make a daguerrotype |
| das volk | (German n.) the people |
| damenhalbschuh | (German m.) ladies' low shoe |
| darse de bofetadas | (Spanish) to clash |
| tonic | The key note of a musical piece; the first note of a scale.... |
| damner | (French) to damn |
| accent | A note or tone that is given stress by volume or attack.... |
| das klingt interessant. | (German) That sounds interesting. |
| dachvorsprung | (German m.) eaves |
| fake | To play without written music.... |
| daguerreotype | or 'daguerrotype', a photograph made by an early photographic process in which the image was produced on a silver plate, or a copper plate covered with silver, rendered sensitive to iodine and developed through exposure to mercury vapour |
| musicals | Dramas that are told through a series of songs, usually with spoken dialogue between the songs. |
| dahintreiben | (German) to drift |
| das leben bereichern | (German) to enrich life |
| das wetter klärt auf. | (German) The weather is clearing up. |
| darunter auch ... | (German) These include ... |
| das tier in ihm | (German) the animal in him |
| leitmotiv | A term adopted by Wagner's disciples to designate the "leading motives" in his operas. |
| das flämische | (German) Flemish |
| das eigentum erwerben | (German) to acquire ownership, to obtain ownership |
| das schicksal teilen | (German) to share the fate |
| das risiko meiden | (German) to avoid danger |
| das geschlecht der bourbonen | (German) the House of Bourbon |
| dankbarkeit | (German f.) gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation, gratefulness |
| idée fixe | "Fixed idea"; term coined by Berlioz for a recurring musical idea that links different movements of a work. |
| das auge ansprechen | (German) to appeal to the eye |
| das tote holz ausschneiden | (German) to cut out the dead wood (also figurative) |
| das ist pech. | (German) That's bad luck. |
| das studium aufnehmen | (German) to take up one's studies |
| dalend | (Dutch) descending |
| harlem | The best known African American neighborhood in the United States, located in Manhattan, north of Central Park |
| quotation music | Music that parodies another work or works, presenting them in a new style or guise. |
| figured bass | A shorthand method of notating an accompaniment part |
| das recht haben zu | (German) to have the right to, to be entitled to |
| dandy-brush | brush for grooming a horse |
| da qui in poi | (Italian) from now on |
| danksagungsbrief | (German m.) a note of thanks |
| das abendmahl empfangen | (German) to receive Holy Communion |
| aria | A composition for solo voice and instrumental accompaniment. |
| das schwache geschlecht | (German) the weaker sex |
| dackel | (German m.) dachshund, sausage dog (colloquial), silly clot (colloquial: person) |
| das freie | (German) the open (air) |
| dankesrede | (German f.) speech of thanks, acceptance speech |
| dabehalten | (German) to keep there |
| darshan | the vision of the sanctity |
| das kriegsbeil begraben | (German) to bury the hatchet |
| das zarte geschlecht | (German) the gentle sex |
| damentrikotagen | (German pl.) women's clothing |
| daheim | (German) at home, at one's house, at one's home, at-home, home |
| dämmer | (German m.) twilight |
| das teewasser aufsetzen | (German) to put the kettle on, to put on the water for (some) tea, to put on the kettle for (some) tea |
| das hat keinen sinn. | (German) It doesn't make sense |
| danzatóre | (Italian, mentioned in John Florio's Queen Anna's New World of Words (1611)) a dancer |
| das licht ausmachen | (German) to turn off the light, to switch off the light |
| das terrain sondieren | (German) to test the water (figurative) |
| vivace | A fast and "vivacious" tempo. |
| song form | See popular song forms.... |
| dämmung | (German f.) insulation |
| a cappella | Choral music performed without instrumental accompaniment. |
| black & tan | A night club with customers of all races. |
| ordinary | Sections of the Roman Catholic Mass that remain the same from day to day throughout the church year, as distinct from the Proper, which changes daily according to the liturgical occasion. |
| intonation | Refers to pitch |
| projection | Generally, the ability to be heard by the audience |
| darüber scherzt man nicht. | (German) This is not a joking matter. |
| darrieus-rotor | (German m.) eggbeater (colloquial) |
| das gibt's doch nicht! | (German) That's impossible! |
| oral transmission | Preservation of music without the aid of written notation. |
| lay back | To create an effect by falling behind the rhythm.... |
| darius iii. | (German) Darius III (of Persia) |
| darüberliegend | (German) overlying |
| danebengeraten | (German) to turn out badly |
| damasttischtuch | (German n.) damask tablecloth |
| episode | In a fugue, a transitional passage based on material derived from the subject or based on new material, leading to a new statement of the subject. |
| darbucca | see darabukka |
| damals berechtigt | (German) then entitled |
| vibraphone | an amplified metallophone (metal xylophone) with tubes below each slab; a disc turning within each tube helps sustain and modify the sound. |
| das wesentliche | (German n.) substance, the basics, basic facts, the nitty-gritty, the bare essentials |
| panama canal | A waterway that cuts across the Isthmus of Panama, linking the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. |
| foot pedal | the mechanism that propels the mallet to hit a bass drum |
| crab canon | A contrapuntal piece in which one part is identical to another, but backwards. |
| da capo senza replica | (Italian) return to the beginning and then play without repeats |
| danxian | see quyi |
| free rhythm | music that flows through time without regularly occurring pulses. |
| midi | Acronym for musical instrument digital interface; technology standard that allows networking of computers with electronic musical instruments. |
| danach sehen wir weiter. | (German) We take it from there |
| opera seria | Italian opera with a serious (i.e., noncomic) subject. |
| das ätzende | (German) astringency (figurative) |
| das war zum schreien. | (German) That was a scream |
| dar por | (Spanish) to assume, to decide |
| darauf brennen | (German) to be impatient to do ... |
| rumba | A dance and its rhythmically complex music, of Cuban origin. |
| masque | English genre of aristocratic entertainment that combined vocal and instrumental music with poetry and dance, developed during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. |
| das hat nur alibifunktion. | (German) That is just tokenism. |
| das gleichgewicht verlieren | (German) to become unbalanced, to lose balance, to lose one's balance, to overbalance |
| daran denken | (German) to remember, to notice |
| dolce | Sweetly. |
| daheimbleiben | (German) to stay in |
| das ist ja fürchterlich! | (German) Why, that's outrageous! |
| interval | The distance between two tones.... |
| das pfeifen der dudelsäcke | (German) the skirl of the pipes |
| darsi pena con | (Italian) to trouble yourself with |
| canticle | A non-metrical hymn or song. |
| das ist doch selbstverständlich. | (German) That goes without saying |
| dahinscheiden | (German) to pass away |
| dabeisein | (German, dated) to be present, to be involved, to be game |
| das klingt viel besser. | (German) That sounds much better. |
| commedia dell'arte | Type of improvised drama popular in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Italy; makes use of stereotyped characters. |
| das volle programm | (German) the whole nine yards, the whole gamut |
| das andere geschlecht | (German) the opposite sex |
| danceuse | (Dutch) ballet-dancer |
| dastehend | (German) standing there |
| dämmert | (German) dawns |
| daran glauben müssen | (German) to be topped |
| das lager aufschlagen | (German) to camp, to pitch camp |
| das recht vorbehalten | (German) to reserve the right |
| jam | Musician's slang for a session of improvising. |
| daressalam | (German n.) Dar es Salaam |
| incidental music | Music written to accompany dramatic works. |
| broadside | A song written on one large piece of paper with or without music notation |
| das abenteuer suchend | (German) adventure-seeking |
| das obige | (German) the above, the above-mentioned |
| dampfheizkessel | (German m.) steam heating boiler |
| dansorkest | (Dutch) dance |
| a&r | "Artists and Repertoire" representative from a recording company .. |
| danse | (French f.) dance, (the art of) dancing, dance tune |
| prelude | Instrumental work intended to precede a larger work. |
| damnosa haereditas | (Latin) a ruinous inheritance (one that imposes hardship on the legatee) |
| das englische wesen hassend | (German) anglophobe, Anglophobic |
| dachorganisation | (German f.) parent organization, umbrella organisation |
| a cappella | Sung without instrumental accompaniment.... |
| da capo | An indication to return to the beginning of a piece. |
| diaphragm | "The dome shaped muscle attached to the bottom of the lungs that separates your chest and stomach cavities |
| psalms | Book from the Old Testament of the Bible the 150 psalm texts, used in Jewish and Christian worship, are often set to music. |
| back beat | A rhythmic device in which the second and fourth beat of a measure is heavily emphasized in 4/4 time |
| das war zu erwarten. | (German) That was to be expected. |
| chorus | Fairly large group of singers who perform together, usually with several on each part |
| cowbell | Rectangular metal bell that is struck with a drumstick; used widely in Latin-American music. |
| dampfig | (German) steamy, vaporous, vaporously |
| swing eighth notes | See swing.... |
| das haus bourbon | (German) the House of Bourbon |
| das immunsystem unterdrückend | (German) immunosuppressive |
| intuition | The act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes. |
| damenhalbstiefel | (German m.) bootee |
| das erste gebot machen | (German) to open the bidding |
| dachgleichenfeier | (German f |
| dangdut | popular Indonesian dance music with influences from Arabic and Indian music |
| darunter auch | (German) including |
| danswijsje | (Dutch) dance-tune |
| autonomy | The condition or quality of being autonomous; independence (e.g., jazz musicians have the autonomy to play chords any way they want). |
| darunter ... | (German) These include ... |
| dadaistisch | (German) Dadaistic |
| dampf ablassen | (German) to blow off one's steam, to blow off steam, to let off steam |
| dubbing | Also called overdubbing; refers to the technique of adding instrumental, vocal or other sounds to a recording that has already been put on tape. Dubbing requires a multiple-track tape machine to allow one track to be heard while the new one is being recorded. |
| platinum disc | Awarded to a single that sells in excess of 2 million copies (1 million copies after January 1, 1989) and an album that sells in excess of 1 million copies. |
| das ist haarspalterei. | (German) That's splitting hairs. |
| dansmuziek | (Dutch) dance music |
| fair housing act | An addition to the Civil Rights Act approved by Congress in 1968 |
| arrangement | An adaptation of a musical composition |
| rosin | Substance made from hardened tree sap, rubbed on the hair of a bow to help it grip the strings. |
| das leben kennen lernen | (German) to see life |
| das ist nicht schlecht. | (German) That's not bad. |
| scale | An ascending or descending series of tones organized according to a specified pattern of intervals. |
| da hast du recht. | (German) You're right. |
| arabesque | Decorative musical material or a composition based on florid embellishment. |
| metallophones | An idiophone with a row of tuned metal bars that are struck with mallets. |
| real book | Fakebook (see fakebook). |
| lining out | A call-and-response singing practice prevalent in early America and England; characterized by the alternation between a singer leader and a chorus singing heterophonically. |
| development | In a general sense, the elaboration of musical material through various procedures |
| das richtige gesangbuch haben | (German) to belong to the right (religious) denomination |
| left hand/right hand | A distinction made by drummers' and pianists' for the use of different hands.... |
| das unendliche | (German) the infinite |
| the big six | 1950s rockers Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and Fats Domino. |
| polyphony | Music of several different melodic parts that support each other.... |
| daneben liegen | (German) to be off the mark |
| das feuer austreten | (German) to trample out the fire |
| darbietend | (German) presenting |
| das verwirrende bei ... | (German) the confusing thing about ... |
| danke für ihre bemühungen! | (German) Thank you for your efforts! |
| te deum | Song of praise to God; a text from the Roman Catholic rite, often set polyphonically. |
| dánza | (Italian, mentioned in John Florio's Queen Anna's New World of Words (1611)) a dance, a ball |
| das macht durchaus etwas! | (German)It does indeed matter! |
| daneben treffen | (German) to be off the mark |
| dal segno aria | similar to a da capo aria, except that instead of returning to the opening, the music begins at a point in the music designated by the segno |
| das ist mir unbegreiflich. | (German) That beats me. |
| afro-cuban rhythms | Beat patterns typical of popular music of Cuba. |
| das ist schon besser. | (German) That's more like it |
| das tageslicht ließ nach. | (German) Daylight was ebbing |
| dare in escandescenze | (Italian) to lose one's temper |
| dahinbummeln | (German) to dawdle along |
| damasziert | (German) pattern-welded |
| das gewissen ansprechen | (German) to appeal to one's conscience |
| bitonality | The use of two different keys at once.... |
| dämmerungssehen | (German n.) mesopic vision |
| dans l'ensemble | (French) on the whole |
| dampfwolke | (German f.) cloud of steam |
| organ | in jazz, an electrically amplified keyboard with pedals that imitates the sound of a pipe organ; used in soul jazz in the 1950s and 1960s. |
| danse du ventre | (French f.) belly dance |
| jongleurs | Medieval street musicians who sang, played instruments, and sometimes acted in plays. |
| new criticism | criticism that emphasizes close examination of a work of art with little concern for the cultural or biographical circumstances under which it was created. |
| das rauchen einstellen | (German) to stop smoking, to quit smoking |
| das würde mich wundernehmen! | (German) That would surprise me! |
| das gewissen beruhigen | (German) to silence the conscience |
| das a und o | (German) the be-all and end-all (figurative) |
| das ziel erreichen | (German) to attain the end one has in view |
| dämmerlicht | (German n.) twilight, gloaming |
| dampfhaube | (German f.) vapour hood |
| das ein und alles | (German) the be-all and the end-all |
| das europäische festland | (German) the Continent |
| goliard song | Medieval Latin-texted secular song, often with corrupt or lewd lyrics; associated with wandering scholars. |
| darum geht's. | (German) That's what it's all about. |
| gong | Percussion instrument consisting of a broad circular disk of metal, suspended in a frame and struck with a heavy drumstick |
| darunterliegend | (German) lying beneath, lying underneath |
| dandia | Gujerati Dandia is a form of traditional folk stick dance performed mainly at temples at the end of Navaratri, festival of the nine goddesses |
| da bin ich überfragt | (German) You've got me there! You've got me stumped |
| andante | Word used to suggest the speed of a piece of music |
| das alter zeigt sich. | (German) Age is beginning to tell. |
| das will viel sagen. | (German) That's saying a lot. |
| das elend lindern | (German) to alleviate the misery |
| part song | Secular vocal composition, unaccompanied, in three, four, or more parts. |
| das ganze | (German) the ensemble, the whole thing, the whole issue |
| dahinstehen | (German) to be pending |
| dahabiyeh | (Arabic) a large sailing boat used to carry passengers in the Nile |
| dachte | (German) thought |
| tone | A sound of definite pitch. |
| dämmerschoppen | (German m.) sundowner |
| das täuschende | (German) the deceptiveness |
| das genügt mir völlig. | (German) That'll do me fine. |
| das lyrische ich | (German) poetic persona |
| transition | See bridge. |
| bounce | A light, medium fast tempo piece (swing era).... |
| cognition | The mental process or faculty of knowing, including aspects such as awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgment. |
| das beste vom besten | (German) the cream of the crop |
| midi | (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) MIDI is a means for providing electronic communication between synthesizers and computers or other synthesizers |
| common chord | A chord composed of a root, third, and fifth. |
| das genügt vollauf. | (German) That will do nicely. |
| dabbene | (Italian) honest |
| controls | normally rotary potentiometers (pots) or switches used to control electrical signals. |
| flamenco | indigenous music and dance of Andalusia in Southern Spain. |
| chorus | the vocal ensemble of men and women who represent townspeople, relatives, guards, who contribute and comment on the action of the plot. |
| dachbegrünung | (German f.) roof greening, rooftop greening (a thin layer of vegetation installed on top of a flat or sloping roof) |
| das schicksal herausfordern | (German) to tempt fate, to tempt providence |
| basso cantante | A bass voice that demonstrates a melodic, lyrical quality, such as the role of King Philip in Verdi's Don Carlo. |
| shakuhachi | A Japanese end-blown flute. |
| singer-songwriter | in contemporary popular music, a perfomer who creates his or her own music; this contrasts with the practice in the music industry before the 1960s that set songwriters apart from performers. |
| counterrhythm | see cross-rhythm. |
| das auge ergötzen | (German) to delight the eye |
| antiphonal | Performance style in which an ensemble is divided into two or more groups, performing in alternation and then together. |
| meter | The organization of strong and weak beats into a regular, recurring pattern. |
| "a" side | The side of the single recording that is hoped to be the hit side; the side that is promoted. |
| synthesizer | an electronically amplified keyboard that creates its own sounds through computer programming. |
| dämmgrad | (German m.) (sound) absorbance |
| darsi pace | (Italian) to calm down, to be resigned |
| dampfabzug | (German m.) cooker hood ventilator |
| tempo | The speed at which a piece of music moves. |
| das protokoll niederschreiben | (German) to draw up the minutes, to write the minutes |
| da capo dal segno | (Italian) repeat from the sign |
| augmentation | Statement of a melody in longer note values, often twice as slow as the original. |
| chanson | French polyphonic song, especially of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, set to either courtly or popular poetry |
| dämmschichtbildner | (German m.) intumescent paint (a paint that provides flame spread and fire propagation protection) |
| patter | A "patter song" is one with many lyrics sung rapidly |
| apron | The forward part of the stage between the curtain and the orchestra pit. |
| dahindösen | (German) to slumber |
| concerto | A work for one or more solo instruments and orchestra. |
| idiophones | A general term for solid percussion instruments in world music that are struck together, shaken, scraped, or rubbed to create their sound. |
| damenmodeartikel | (German f.) confection |
| das priesteramt entziehen | (German) to unfrock |
| das spektakel anschauen | (German) to view the spectacle |
| tone clusters | Three or more adjacent tones sounding simultaneously. |
| das einte mal | (German - Switzerland) the first time |
| rim shot | The sharp, loud sound made by a stick striking the head and the rim of a snare drum simultaneously.... |
| das handtuch werfen | (German) to throw in the towel |
| mass | Central service of the Roman Catholic Church. |
| das gute alte england | (German) Merry England (the time of Queen Elizabeth I of England) |
| dans cette éventualité | (French) in that event |
| das ist mir gleich. | (German) It's all the same to me. |
| dar parte de | (Spanish) to report |
| dappen glass | a glass dish used in the cosmetic industry as a mixing dish for eyelash tint and peroxide, as a dish for use with Tip & Dip nails, for mixing acrylic liquid and powder that are used in the preparation of finger and toe nails, etc. |
| dann erst | (German) only then |
| das lässt tief blicken. | (German) That provides a deep insight. |
| plantilla | the outline shape of a classical guitar. |
| dankgottesdienst | (German m.) a service of thanksgiving, thanksgiving service |
| das ist es nicht. | (German) That's not it. |
| gloria | A section of the Mass; the second musical movement of the Ordinary. |
| dämmerte | (German) dawned |
| assimilation | The process whereby immigrant groups gradually adopt the characteristics of the host society |
| run | A fast descending or ascending scale or line.... |
| flag waver | A spectacular (and usually up-tempo) piece of music (swing era).... |
| dachgesellschaft | (German f.) holding company, parent company |
| damascus | an ancient city (widely regarded as the world's oldest) and present capital and largest city of Syria |
| da ist nichts dabei. | (German) There's nothing to it. |
| minimalism | A late-twentieth-century movement that seeks to return music to its simplest, most basic elements |
| dasselbe tun | (German) to do likewise |
| daraus resultierend | (German) consequent |
| am steg | A directive to string players to play a particular passage very near, or directly on top the bridge |
| dynamic range | The expanse between the softest and loudest passages of a piece of music; the expanse between the softest and loudest notes capable on a particular instrument. |
| daghestan | (English, German n.) an autonomous republic of southwest Russia bordering on the Caspian Sea |
| attack | The manner in which a tone is articulated.... |
| dahintrabend | (German) steadily pounding |
| danebentreffen | (German) to miss |
| das wahlrecht verleihen | (German) to enfranchise |
| dachraum | (German m.) attic |
| das schicksal besiegeln | (German) to seal the fate |
| daher der name | (German) hence the name |
| danse de vertige | (French f.) a whirling dance (likely to cause dizziness in the performer) |
| dahinrollen | (German) to bowl along |
| das glaube ich nicht. | (German) I don't think so. |
| dämpfungskonstante | (German f.) attenuation constant |
| triple-stop | Playing three notes simultaneously on a string instrument. |
| embouchure | The placement of the lips, lower facial muscles, and jaws in playing a wind instrument. |
| dargestellt | (German) posed, depicted, shown, represented |
| zydeco | The popular dance and entertainment music of the black Americans living in southwestern Louisiana |
| das gegenteil | (German) the other thing (colloquial) |
| das ist vergangenheit. | (German) That's in the past. |
| dalmatien | (German n.) Dalmatia |
| dachbalken | (German m.) roof beam, beam of a roof, roof joist, truss |
| dankesgabe | (German f.) thanks-offering (figurative) |
| das seinige tun | (German) to do one's bit, to play one's part |
| dachsvertreiber | (German m.) badger blender (brush) |
| tango | An Argentine dance form and music with roots in the 19th century that spread across the world in the early 20th century and now exists in various forms and styles.... |
| das bestgehütete geheimnis | (German) the most closely guarded secret |
| das macht keinen unterschied. | (German) That makes no difference. |
| da dentro | (Italian) from within |
| das protokoll führen | (German) to keep the minutes, to take the minutes |
| pima | letter names for the picking hand fingers, derived from the Spanish language. |
| acid rock | See Psychedelic Rock. |
| das tischgebet sprechen | (German) to say grace |
| das gelenk einrichten | (German) to case the joint |
| danksagen | (German) to give thanks |
| dardo | (Italian m., Spanish m.) dart |
| das verhalten der tiere | (German) animal behaviour |
| das unerträgliche | (German n.) (the) unbearable, (the) intolerable, (the) insufferable |
| das maß vollmachen | (German) to fill the cup to the brim |
| da prima | (Italian) at first, from the beginning |
| canzone | "song"; a short lyrical song, usually reflecting the singer's state of mind |
| keeping time | playing the foundation layers for a musical piece. |
| das ist nur schönfärberei. | (German) This is just spin. |
| das sagen haben | (German) to be top dog |
| pantomime | Theatrical genre in which an actor silently plays all the parts in a show while accompanied by singing; originated in ancient Rome. |
| ballad | (1) a slow, romantic popular song; (2) a long, early type of folk song that narrated a bit of local history |
| das tempo drosseln | (German) to slow down, to decelerate |
| das innerste | (German n.) core, marrow, innermost part, heart |
| 45 | A 7-inch-diameter vinyl disc of recorded music that revolves at 45 rpm; also known as a disc, single, or platter. |
| saxophone | A musical instrument in the woodwind family |
| timbre | The quality of a tone or tones.... |
| drone | An instrument whose primary purpose is to play a low sustained pitch, perhaps a constantly repeated pitch that produces a trance-like quality |
| clavier | A generic term for a keyboard instrument. |
| dance composition | synonymous with 'choreography' |
| das abgeschöpfte | (German n.) skimmings |
| das beste erhoffen | (German) to hope for the best |
| allegro moderato | Moderately fast. |
| damayanti | in Hindi mythology, wife of Nala and heroine of the tale of Nala and Damayanti; she is also known by her patronymic Bhaimi |
| da oben | (German) up there |
| danzon | Also danzón |
| bas | Medieval category of soft instruments, used principally for indoor occasions, as distinct from haut, or loud, instruments. |
| dargeboten | (German) presented |
| darben | (German) to starve |
| dampfbefeuchter | (German m.) steam humidifier |
| world beat | Collective term for popular third-world musics, ethnic and traditional musics, and eclectic combinations of Western and non-Western musics |
| das bisher beste ergebnis | (German) the best result so far |
| answer | Second entry of the subject in a fugue, usually pitched a fourth below or a fifth above the original subject |
| classical era | The musical period from the late 18th century to the early 19th century. |
| head arrangement | A musical arrangement made up (usually collectively) during a performance.... |
| das boot verpassen | (German) to miss the boat |
| danmyé | (Martinique) a combined dance and martial art, similar to the better known Brazilian capoeira |
| aor | Adult-oriented rock. |
| das einzig wahre | (German) the real deal |
| dankenswert | (German) deserving of thanks |
| four-beat | Also playing in four |
| cymbals | Cymbals are two circular brass plates of equal size, which when struck together produce a shattering sound, as heard in this example. |
| das auge laben | (German) to delight the eye |
| dahintraben | (German) to urge forward, to drive briskly, to jog along, to move or work briskly, to whig |
| das gras mähen | (German) to cut the grass, to mow the grass |
| das thermometer ablesen | (German) to read the thermometer |
| darein | (German) in it, in them |
| dança religiosa | (Portuguese f.) religious or ritual dance |
| tipico | "Typical," 'traditional," or "characteristic": a term used to identify popular forms of music with roots in the past of a number of Latin countries and regions.... |
| dar es salaam | the capital and largest port city of Tanzania, lying on the Indian Ocean |
| wire brushes | drumsticksactually hollow handles with thin wire strandsused to strike or brush the drumheads. |
| ostinato | (Italian for obstinate) a repeated melodic or rhythmic pattern. |
| dabeihaben | (German) to carry (to have with oneself) |
| refrain | Text or music that is repeated within a larger form. |
| glee club | Specialized vocal ensemble that performs popular music, college songs, and more serious works. |
| damenunterhose | (German f.) bloomers (old-fashioned) |
| darsena | (Italian f.) dock |
| das höchste strafmaß | (German) the maximum sentence, the maximum penalty |
| dans le principe | (French) as a rule |
| dalauna | a form of Palestinian popular song |
| das fazit ziehen | (German) to sum up, to consider the results (of) |
| form | The shape or structure of a piece of music |
| act | A large section of a play or an opera |
| das hochamt feiern | (German) to celebrate mass |
| answer | Second entry of the subject in a fugue, usually pitched a fourth below or a fifth above the subject. |
| das sind kleine fische. | (German) That's no big deal. |
| pcm | Pulse-code modulation |
| danken | (German) to thank |
| darstellung des falles | (German f.) statement of the case |
| dame von welt | (German f.) woman of the world |
| daphnomancy | or 'pyromancy', the art of divination by means of fire |
| das ein oder andere | (German) the one or other |
| damping pedal | see 'damper pedal' |
| dasitzen und däumchen drehen | (German) to sit on one's hands (colloquial) |
| rhythm | The organization of time in music, creating patterns of long and short durations of pitches to achieve desired degrees of rhythmic energy—the rhythmic impulse. |
| dargereicht | (German) handed |
| das auch noch! | (German) What next? |
| gig | Synonym for job. |
| das allumfassende | (German) catch-all |
| das gebietet der anstand. | (German) That is common decency. |
| tambourine | A single-headed drum with metal discs loosely set in the frame |
| analysis | The study of music that focuses on the form or structure of the music itself |
| das gespräch abbrechen | (German) to stop talking |
| das bild hängt schief. | (German) The picture is crooked. |
| daltronde | (Italian) on the other hand |
| das herz schlägt. | (German) The heart beats. |
| dämmerzustand | (German m.) semiconsciousness, semi-consciousness, twilight state |
| das tempo der reformen | (German) the pace of reforms |
| urban blues | A blues style that developed in the big cities and was generally more sophisticated and played by larger instrumental groups than the older country-blues style. |
| micropolyphony | Twentieth-century technique encompassing the complex interweaving of all musical elements. |
| darüberlegen | (German) to superimpose |
| penny whistle | See tin whistle. |
| das rauchen aufgeben | (German) to give up smoking, to quit smoking |
| dañino | (Spanish) harmful |
| dachflächenfenster | (German n.) skylight window, roof-top window |
| dar brillo | (Spanish) to polish |
| dargelegt | (German) presented, posed (problem, etc.) |
| das ist reine vermutung. | (German) That's anyone's guess. |
| das salz der erde | (German) the salt of the earth |
| da hast du es. | (German) Here you are |
| basso profundo | The lowest and often serious bass voice |
| daseinsform | (German f.) way of life |
| das wort führen | (German) to be the main speaker (in a discussion) |
| dañar | (Spanish) to damage, to harm (a person) |
| con brio | With spirit; vigorously. |
| accesible | Music that is easy to listen to and understand |
| das klingt gut. | (German) That sounds fine. |
| das glaubst du vielleicht. | (German) That's what you think. |
| playing outside | improvising outside the structure of a tonal harmonic progression. |
| das unvermeidliche akzeptieren | (German) to accept the inevitable |
| closed ending | Second of two endings in a secular medieval work, usually cadencing on the final. |
| das milchkännchen umkippen | (German) to upset the milk jug |
| damaszener | (German m.) Damascene |
| dankbare rolle | (German f.) rewarding part |
| dasselbe besagend | (German) tautological |
| darfst | (German) may (are permitted), can (may) |
| single | A 45. |
| dahinter kommen | (German) to find out, to come behind |
| alla caccia | A directive to perform the indicated passage in the style of hunting music |
| dar un acelerón | (Spanish) to put one's foot down (figurative: to increase the pace) |
| scat singing | A vocalist's improvisatory device whereby he/she sings in nonsense syllables rather than lyrics as a means of approximating an instrumental solo; vocal improvisation (note: listen to Ella Fitzgerald singing How High the Moon on the album The Complete Ella in Berlin). |
| das ganze theater | (German) the whole rigmarole |
| das ist mir einerlei. | (German) I've no preference |
| dachlinie | (German f.) roofline |
| melismatic | Designating a melodic phrase in which one syllable of text is spread over several notes. |
| fuzztone | A distorted sound effect achieved by cutting through the speaker cone of an amplifier, playing a tube amplifier at a much higher volume than it was intended for, or using an electronic device that creates a controllable version of the sound. |
| ballad | A narrative poem set to music. |
| speakeasy | A nightclub which operated illegally during Prohibition |
| cymbals | Circular metal plates that can be hit together or can be suspended and hit with a beater |
| dahinraffen | (German) to carry off (to cause to die) |
| dänischsprachig | (German) Danish-speaking |
| darstellung des herrn | (German f.) Presentation of the Lord |
| theremin | Electronic instrument developed by Leon Theremin (1896-1993). The Theremin is performed without touching it. As the hand nears the antenna, the pitch rises. A second antenna, if available, affects volume. |
| dagegen sein | (German) to oppose, to disapprove |
| antique cymbals | Small disks of brass, held by the player one in each hand, that are struck together gently and allowed to vibrate. |
| dança macabra | (Portuguese f.) dance performed in or around cemeteries |
| dachte nach | (German) cogitated, deliberated |
| danke! | (German) Thank you! |
| da eseguirsi | (Italian) to be executed |
| daherkommen | (German) to come in |
| damnation | (English, French f.) eternal punishment in hell |
| das meistgelesene buch | (German) the most-read book |
| danzantes y pecados | eucharistic dance of sinners from the town of Camuñas (Toledo, Spain), which some believe could be the remnant of an ancient pagan dance assimilated by Christianity |
| dactilógrafo | (Spanish m.) typist |
| das geld macht's. | (German) Money talks. |
| dadaiko | large Japanese barrel drum, usually around two metres in diameter |
| das lamm gottes | (German) the Lamb of God |
| dappertutto | (Italian) everywhere |
| darüber hinwegziehen | (German) to browse |
| turnaround | A short melodic or harmonic passage usually comprised of a I VI II V progression (or variation thereof) that returns ("turns around") to the beginning of a section or top of the form. |
| dass-satz | (German m.) that-clause |
| dämmerig | (German) dim, dusky |
| chops | Technical ability; the lips of a brass player.... |
| 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. |
| damit rechnen | (German) to reckon |
| darren | (German n.) drying (hops, etc.) |
| das hat keine eile. | (German) There's no rush. |
| das strafmaß verkünden | (German) to pass sentence, to pronounce (the) sentence |
| damenvelo | (German n |
| jitterbug | A lively dance for couples, usually done to swing music. |
| das liegt lange zurück | (German) that was long ago |
| dahingehen | (German) to walk along, to pass (time), to pass away (to die) |
| mento | A Jamaican folk music that combines a Cuban rumba with African rhythms. The name comes from the Spanish mentar, meaning "to mention," referring to the subtle way the music and dance express personal complaints or social criticisms. |
| das muster ändern | (German) to alter the pattern |
| cut/cutting/carving | To outplay other musicians, usually in a jam session.... |
| con calore | With warmth. |
| das problem ist | (German) the trouble is |
| volume | Degree of loudness or softness of a sound |
| art music | a form of music with high aesthetic standards and social prestige, created by professional artists for a well-educated public and insulated from the commercial world. |
| dareinmischen | (German, dated) to meddle (in someone else's affairs) |
| dankend | (German) reciprocating, thanking |
| alla siciliano | A directive to the musician to perform a composition in the style of a siciliana |
| dae | abbreviation of 'Dictionary of American English' |
| dampfkessel | (German m.) boiler, steam generator |
| straight mute | a standard orchestral mute that dampens the sound of a brass instrument without much distortion |
| das bett nass machen | (German) to wet the bed |
| dance suite | A multimovement work for keyboard or orchestra |
| polyphony | See texture. |
| dagestanden | (German) stood there |
| clave | a Latin time-line pattern |
| daneben greifen | (German) to blunder |
| dan trong | small single-headed Vietnamese barrel drums of varying sizes and depths |
| frequency | the vibrations per second of a musical note. |
| das augenlicht verlieren | (German) to lose one's sight |
| das gewicht prüfen | (German) to check the weight |
| marking | A practice used by singers to conserve their voices in rehearsals |
| dar alcance a | (Spanish) to catch up with |
| das aussehen verändern | (German) to change appearance |
| darauf hinauslaufen | (German) to imply |
| damenrunde | (German f.) ladies' company, ladies' circle |
| dandie dinmont terrier | (English, German m.) a breed of small terrier with long wiry coat and drooping ears |
| pastiche | A parody; can be satirical or affectionate in intent |
| moving assembly line | A row of workers and machines along which work is passed until the product is made. |
| bootleg | Recordings or made or sold without the permission of the performers or a recording company.... |
| dactylographe | (French f.) typist |
| das gesetz übertreten | (German) to perpetrate, to commit an offence |
| caesura | A sudden silencing of the sound; a pause or break, indicated by the following symbol: // |
| da qui | (Italian) from here, from now |
| shape-note system | An aid in learning to read music popular in nineteenth-century America |
| dämonopathie | (German f.) demonopathy |
| stock arrangement | A commercially published musical arrangement.... |
| dactylion | (from the Latin dactylus, literally, a finger) a device invented by Henri Herz in 1835, consisting of ten rings fitted to a pianist's fingers and thumbs, each ring attached to springs, as a way of strengthening and training the digits |
| neumatic | Melodic style with two to four notes set to each syllable. |
| das heilige abendmahl nehmen | (German) to commune, to partake of the Lord's Supper |
| playing inside | improvising within the structure of a tonal harmonic progression |
| darstellende geometrie | (German f.) descriptive geometry |
| texture | The interweaving of melodic (horizontal) and harmonic (vertical) elements in the musical fabric |
| dahinfahren | (German) to bowl along |
| dankbarerweise | (German) thankfully |
| dahinterkommen | (German) get to the bottom of it (figurative) |
| das schiff verlassen | (German) to abandon ship |
| dachshaarpinsel | (German m.) badger (hair) brush |
| dahinten | (German) back there (behind a person), over there |
| danpigu | (China) single headed drum |
| damentaschen | (German pl.) ladies' handbags |
| das unerfahrbare | (German n.) (the) unexperienceable |
| ben | Well |
| bridge of a song | A musical connection between the last verse and the chorus. |
| pastorale | Pastoral, country-like. |
| headbangers | The post-punk hardcore rock audience. |
| ethnic | Pertaining to people who are not part of a mainstream population but are recognized as a group on the basis of certain distinctive characteristics, such as religion, language, ancestry, culture, or national origin. |
| aubade | Morning-song |
| das buch josua | (German) (the Book of) Joshua |
| das knie aufschürfen | (German) to scrape one's knee |
| darauf herumreiten | (German) to rub it in (colloquial) |
| dampfbetrieben | (German) steam-powered, steam-driven |
| orchestra pit | The area below the stage, usually, where the orchestra is situated |
| dallage | (French m.) paving |
| sotto voce | "under voice"; A musical term that asks the performer to sing or play with less intensity, sometimes a declamatory whisper. |
| das schiff ist überfällig. | (German) The ship is overdue. |
| bop | See bebop. |
| das zweite gesicht haben | (German) to have second sight |
| aria | Lyric song expressing intense emotion |
| dar por descontado | (Spanish) to take for granted |
| das wort haben | (German) to have the floor |
| danza española | (Spanish f.) a dance in simple duple rhythm originating from Spain |
| das joch abwerfen | (German) to cast off the yoke |
| das geld locker halten | (German) to loosen the purse strings |
| darrabuka | see darabukka |
| das leben geht weiter. | (German) Life goes on. |
| das muss so kommen. | (German) It's bound to happen. |
| chromaticism | The use of all 12 tones of a scale... |
| lip | The strength and ability of brass players to execute music, especially high notes.... |
| dahinterstecken | (German) to be behind it |
| dankbar sein | (German) to appreciate |
| damenwäsche | (German f.) lingerie |
| dachswimmingpool | (German m.) rooftop swimming pool |
| das einzig sinnvolle | (German) the only thing that makes sense |
| aaba | The most common popular song form |
| dasselbe gilt für ... | (German) the same is true of ... |
| das steht bombensicher fest. | (German) That's absolutely certain. |
| das dauert genauso lange. | (German) That takes just as long. |
| das wort ergreifen | (German) to rise to speak, to take the floor, to begin to speak |
| das kleinere übel | (German) the lesser of the two evils |
| dämonisieren | (German) to demonise |
| dame spielen | (German) to play checkers |
| bridge of a guitar | A piece of wood or metal attached to the body of the guitar to which strings are attached, or over which they pass. |
| lip syncing | Moving the lips to synchronize with a prerecorded song, giving the impression that the song is being performed live. |
| das ist ein topfen. | (German) That's nonsense. |
| das allerbeste | (German) all the best |
| dachschalung | (German f.) timber roofing, roof boards |
| darabukkah | see darabukka |
| storyville | The New Orleans tenderloin district in which some of the first jazz musicians played |
| dança moderna | (Portuguese f.) contemporary dance, modern dance |
| damit sollte gesagt sein | (German) as much as to say |
| claves | A pair of wooden sticks used to play the clave pattern (Latin).... |
| danger | liability or exposure to harm, thing that causes or may cause harm (for example, 'in danger of' meaning likely to incur or to suffer from) |
| dann mal los! | (German) Here goes! |
| damaszenisch | (German) Damascene |
| das defizit ausgleichen | (German) to finance the deficit |
| das göttliche | (German) the divine |
| addolorato | Sorrowfully. |
| damastseide | (German f.) damask silk |
| verse-chorus | A form in which there are different texts to each verse and a return to the chorus after each verse. |
| line | A general term for a discrete voice or part in a vocal or instrumental composition. |
| dachschaden | (German m.) mental injury |
| das ist frauensache. | (German) That's women's business. |
| dare ascolto a | (Italian) to pay attention to |
| das stimmt! | (German) That's for sure! Quite (so)! |
| das kostet ... euro. | (German) That costs .. |
| d | in music theory, designating the triad of D-major |
| dafür ausgelegt | (German) designed to |
| multiphonic | Technique in instrumental music in which a monophonic instrument (one which generally produces only one note at a time) is made to produce several notes at once. |
| glitter rock | A theatrical style of 1970s rock music that stressed glamorous outfits and androgynous dress by male performers. |
| das sind gute nachrichten. | (German) That is good news. |
| das ist unzureichend begründet. | (German) This begs the question. |
| dachgeschosswohnung | (German f.) attic flat |
| false fingering | A technique of altered finger placement that produces tones or density of sound on horns that are not available by orthodox techniques.... |
| darüber hinweggesehen | (German) connived |
| da | abbreviation of 'Doctor of Arts' |
| dagegen ist nichts einzuwenden. | (German) (Well that's) fair enough. |
| das ist kein spaß! | (German) This is no laughing matter! |
| das gespräch alleine bestreiten | (German) to do all the talking |
| mute | The device brass players insert in the bell of their instrument to diminish the loudness of their instrument and create various effects. |
| sequence | Repetition of a phrase at a higher or lower pitch |
| das kapiere ich nicht. | (German) I don't get it |
| das übliche | (German) the usual |
| das ist | (German) that is |
| das gegenteil trifft zu. | (German) The reverse is true. |
| choir | A group of singers who perform together, usually in parts, with several on each part; often associated with a church. |
| darüber besteht kein zweifel. | (German) There's no question about it |
| dados | (Portuguese) data |
| darübergelegt | (German) superimposed |
| rhythm | The pulse or pattern of beats of a given piece of music; the element of music dealing with time. |
| avec | With, as in avec verve "with spirit" |
| dachboden | (German m.) loft, attic, garret |
| darmkrebs | (German m.) bowel cancer, colon cancer |
| programmatic | music that attempts to link itself to specific places, people, or events. |
| british invasion | A term for rock music from Britain that first became enormously popular in the United States in and after 1964 |
| dachausbau | (German m.) loft conversion |
| damalig | (German) at that time, then (as in 'the then manager'), that, at the time |
| electronic | Music produced by such means as magnetic tape, synthesizer, or computer. |
| da bis du also! | (German) There you are! |
| das kleinste | (German) the least |
| das wichtigste zuerst. | (German) First things first. |
| daseinsfreude | (German f.) joie de vivre (French: love of life) |
| dandyism | a form of aestheticism which pretends to give aesthetic value to a smart life |
| crotales | A pair of small pitched cymbals mounted on a frame; also made in chromatic sets. |
| das ist schon wahr. | (German) That's true, of course. |
| das schlechte ende erwischen | (German) to get the worst of it |
| das gebiet betreffende probleme | (German pl.) problems affecting the region |
| damaszenerpflaumenbaum | (German m.) damson tree |
| das ergebnis beeinträchtigen | (German) to affect the result |
| variable layers | contrasting parts played above the foundation layers in a piece |
| dachgaube | (German f.) dormer (a gabled extension built out from a sloping roof to accommodate a vertical window) |
| daivi sampad | higher propensities of the mind that lead to man's upliftment |
| flat | A symbol indicating that the note is to be diminished by one semitone. |
| damenschuhe | (German pl.) women's shoes |
| instrument | Mechanism that generates musical vibrations and transmits them into the air. |
| dar la alerta | (Spanish) to raise the alarm |
| dahinfegend | (German) sweeping |
| dadaismus | (German m.) Dadaism |
| das seine tun | (German) to do one's bit |
| a cappella | Choral music without instrumental accompaniment. |
| global perspective | A worldwide point of view, including awareness of and respect for the lifestyles, traditions, values, and arts of nations and cultures. |
| lieder | Plural of Lied. |
| protestantism | Religions that "protested" against the Church of Rome (later called the Roman Catholic Church) during the Renaissance and broke away from it in what was called the Reformation. |
| daguerreotypie | (German f.) daguerrotype, daguerreotype (early photographic process) |
| das irgendwie missverstehen | (German) to get (hold of) the wrong end of the stick (colloquial) |
| vocable | Nonlexical syllables, lacking literal meaning. |
| song form | A 32-bar aaba chorus (verse) |
| resolution | See tension. |
| darstellungsmethode | (German f.) method of presentation |
| moldy fig | A 1940s modern jazz fan's derogatory term for a fan of traditional jazz.... |
| danoso | (Italian) harmful |
| parlando | "speaking"; The term directs the singer to imitate speech in singing |
| symbolism | A subtle French poetic style from the late nineteenth century that stressed the sound and color of the words and suggested rather than clearly outlined the meaning or story behind the text. |
| das muss gesagt werden | (German) it has to be said |
| combinatorial | A descriptive term for tone rows in which the second half is a transposed version of the first half. |
| das ende bedenken | (German) to have the end in view, to signify the end |
| das geheimnis aufklären | (German) to clear up the mystery |
| das mag wohl stimmen. | (German) That may be so. |
| darbukka | see darabukka |
| das gleiche alte lied | (German n.) the same old song |
| das pfeifen im walde | (German) whistling in the dark |
| oboe | A high-sounding woodwind instrument that uses a mouthpiece with a double reed. |
| das altniederdeutsche | (German) Old Low German |
| daffare | (Italian m.) work |
| down-home | Music that is honest, folk-like, and possibly funky.... |
| lyrics | The words to a popular song |
| rent party | A gathering in one's home for which an admission fee is charged in order to raise money to pay the rent or other bills. |
| grave | Instruction to play slowly and seriously |
| das papierlose büro | (German) the paperless office |
| das | (German) the, that, what, which, who |
| choral | Baroque congregational hymn of the German Lutheran church. |
| french overture | A popular type of introductory movement in baroque music that begins with a stately section using dotted rhythms (very long followed by very short notes) followed by a faster fugal section |
| daheim | (German n |
| dactylo-graphie | (French f.) typing |
| darmgrippe | (German f.) gastric flu, gastric influenza |
| das leben im gefängnis | (German) prison life |
| das heutige datum | (German) today's date |
| dahingerafft werden | (German) to be removed by death |
| das ist dasselbe. | (German) It's the same thing. |
| dalmatisch | (German n.) Dalmatian |
| thematic development | Musical expansion of a theme by varying its melodic outline, harmony, or rhythm |
| das lebensnotwendige | (German pl.) life's essentials, the bare necessities (of life) |
| das völlig falsch interpretieren | (German) to get (hold of) the wrong end of the stick (colloquial) |
| dado | (Italian m.) dice, (stock) cube |
| villanelle | An Italian secular vocal form; a predecessor of the madrigal |
| daraufhin | (German) as a result, thereupon, subsequently, consequently, after that |
| pedals | the bass notes on an organ, played on a keyboard with the feet. |
| dahinsausen | (German) to sweep along, to spin along, to tank along (colloquial) |
| das selbe problem aufwerfen | (German) to raise the same issue |
| multi-instrumentalism | Playing instruments of different types as a means of expanding a musician's creative possibilities... |
| phrase | A section of music with a recognizable beginning and ending |
| alternate takes | The various takes recorded of a piece of music at a single recording session, that for whatever reasons were not chosen to be used |
| cover | Recording that remakes an earlier, often successful, recording with a goal of reaching a wider audience. |
| dabeisitzen | (German) to sit there |
| damenkränzchen | (German n.) hen party, hen-party |
| dança folclórica | (Portuguese f.) folk dance |
| darin genannt | (German) specified therein |
| das läuten der sterbeglocke | (German) the death knell |
| dachbodenantenne | (German f.) loft antenna |
| dan. | abbreviation of 'Danish' |
| bell | the flared opening at the end of a brass instrument. |
| das dach ausbessern | (German) to repair the roof |
| block chords | A series of chords with wide voicings that move in parallel motion |
| das bleibt dahingestellt | (German) that remains to be seen |
| registration | The combination of stops or registers chosen by an organist for the performance of a work. |
| das kann sein. | (German) That may (well) be. |
| das pressewesen | (German) the press (newspapers) |
| rounded binary | Compositional form with two sections, in which the second ends with a return to material from the first; each section is usually repeated. |
| dissonance | An active, unstable sound |
| das kompliment erwidern | (German) to return the compliment |
| organ | Originally a wind instrument in which sets of pipes are controlled by a keyboard that sends air from a blower into the pipes |
| da sind sie ja! | (German) There you are! |
| darum liebe ich dich. | (German) That's why I love you. |
| da ballo | (Italian) in dance style, specifically 'light and spirited' |
| das arbeitsende registrieren | (German) to clock out |
| matrix number | Numbers and letters stamped near the center of a 78 RPM recording indicate the number of the take on the record.... |
| darlehen | (German n.) loan, credit, advance (of money) |
| d'anticipation | (French) science fiction (book, film, story) |
| preamp | a signal boosting device. |
| das tut mir leid. | (German) I'm sorry about that. |
| chart | Colloquial or jazz term for a score or arrangement. |
| damast | (German m.) damask, Damascus steel |
| coda | The conclusion to a piece of music that functions like a summing-up, or an afterthought |
| feedback | a sound produced by a string or microphone picking up and amplifying its own signal from a loudspeaker. |
| passacaglia | Baroque technique in which a brief melodic idea repeats over and over while the other voices are varied freely. |
| claves | A Cuban clapper consisting of two solid hardwood sticks; widely used in Latin-American music. |
| madrigal | Renaissance secular work originating in Italy for voices, with or without instruments, set to a short, lyric love poem; also popular in England. |
| dahinter bleiben | (German) to remain behind |
| historicism | the theory that artistic works do not rise independently of history but must be understood in relation to the past. |
| segue | The joining together, without pause, of two different pieces of music. |
| danseur noble | a title that given to principal male dancers in a ballet company |
| dans | (French) in, into, inside, about (approximation) |
| könige | (German) (Book of) Kings |
| dabei bleiben | (German) to remain adamant (figurative) |
| descarga | A Latin jam session.... |
| swing | 1 |
| das gehörte | (German) the things heard |
| dado | (Spanish m.) dice |
| cutting contest | Musical game of one-upmanship where the performers attempt to outdo each other. |
| dahlie | (German f.) dahlia |
| da multos annos | (Latin) a wish for a long life (on the occasion of a birthday) |
| das meiste abbekommen | (German) to bear the brunt |
| dampf machen | (German) to shake a leg (colloquial) |
| dämpfungsfaktor | (German m.) damping factor, decay factor |
| affrettando | Hurrying. |
| das schiff wechseln | (German) to jump ship |
| dar el alta | (Spanish) to discharge from hospital |
| das blatt wenden | (German) to turn the tables (figurative) |
| calliope | A musical instrument consisting of steam whistles, played by means of a keyboard. |
| dabeigewesen | (German, dated) been present |
| damaszenerrose | (German f.) damask rose (Rosa × damascena) |
| dalmatinerwelpe | (German m.) Dalmatian puppy |
| evensong | The sung service of early-evening prayer in Anglican churches |
| das eis brechen | (German) to break the ice (also figurative), to break the spell |
| recorders | A wooden end-blown flute-type instrument common during from the Middle Ages through the baroque. |
| syllabic | Designating a musical phrase in which each syllable of text is given one note. |
| daduk | Bulgarian flute |
| das genick brechend | (German) breakneck |
| crumhorn | Early woodwind instrument, whose sound is produced by blowing into a capped double reed and whose lower body is curved. |
| repetition | A return to previously stated material |
| plunger mute | the bottom end of a sink plunger (minus the handle), used as a mute for a brass instrument |
| dahintippeln | (German) to scuttle |
| dalend interval | (Dutch) descending interval |
| concert band | Instrumental ensemble ranging from forty to eighty members or more, consisting of wind and percussion instruments |
| nakers | Medieval percussion instruments resembling small kettledrums, played in pairs; of Middle Eastern origin. |
| das oberste zuunterst kehren | (German) to turn everything upside down |
| daktylus | (German m.) dactyl |
| das spielt keine rolle. | (German) That's quite immaterial. |
| interpolations | See quote.... |
| danebenliegend | (German) adjacent |
| new deal | The policies and measures proposed by President Franklin D |
| damascus steel | or Damask steel, a hard resilient steel often decorated and used for sword blades |
| das oberste gebot | (German n.) the highest precept |
| das angelsächsische | (German) the Anglo-Saxon |
| dammstraße | (German f.) causeway |
| das neue jahr begrüßen | (German) to see the New Year in |
| violin | A high-sounding bowed string instrument, the neck of which is held by the player's left hand, and the tail rests beneath the player's chin. |
| das lager überfüllen | (German) to overstock |
| darlehen aushandeln | (German) to arrange a loan |
| das gemüt beruhigen | (German) to quiet the mind |
| glitter rock | Glitter rock was not a specific musical style, but rather a performance image that influenced the development of the trend in the '70s toward large-scale theatrical performances. While not all glitter groups assumed an androgynous image, most did stress sexuality of some sort as part of their act. |
| danziger bucht | (German f.) Gulf of Danzig or Bay of Gdansk (a southeastern bay of the Baltic Sea, it is named after the adjacent port city of Gdansk in Poland) |
| danseries | (French) collections of dances |
| das lachen unterdrücken | (German) to choke back laughter, to restrain laughter |
| ethnomusicology | A study of music in culture, considering the context of music in a society, music as it relates to human behavior, and the general attitudes of a people about their music. |
| cantor | Solo singer or singing leader in Jewish and Christian liturgical music. |
| dane | native or national of Denmark, Viking invader of England in the 9th-11th centuries |
| da kommt freude auf. | (German) That's a real pleasure. |
| ad libitum | Indication to omit a section or improvise |
| das gehört dir. | (German) This is yours. |
| das zimmer beleuchten | (German) to lighten the room |
| dankesritus | (German m.) rite of thanksgiving |
| darlegungslast | (German f.) burden of producing evidence |
| saxophone | invented by Adophe Sax in the 1840s, a family of single-reed wind instruments with the carrying power of a brass instrument |
| das erzbistum canterbury | (German n.) the see of Canterbury |
| dar muestras de tristeza | (Spanish) to look sad |
| das baby baden | (German) to bath the baby, to bathe the baby, to give the baby a bath |
| delta blues | The country-blues style of Robert Johnson and others who came from the Mississippi delta region. |
| ondes | Martenot Electronic instrument that produces sounds by means of an oscillator. |
| das sagten sie schon. | (German) You've said that already. |
| danés | (Spanish m.) Dane, Danish (as in 'The Danish') |
| dampfdruck | (German m.) steam pressure, vapour pressure |
| tragédie lyrique | French serious opera of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with spectacular dance scenes and brilliant choruses on tales of courtly love or heroic adventures; associated with J.-B |
| das ist kein problem. | (German) That's not an issue. |
| ars antiqua | Term used by 14th century writers to distinguish the French sacred polyphonic musical style of the 13th century (c |
| romance | Originally a ballad; in the Romantic era, a lyric instrumental work. |
| dahinschlendernd | (German) moseying (colloquial), ambling, walking in a leisurely manner |
| das süße nichtstun | (German) dolce far niente, carefree idleness |
| das gebietet die höflichkeit. | (German) This is common courtesy. |
| das nichts | (German n.) the void |
| new orleans style | Jazz that developed in the early part of the 20th century in New Orleans and rural Louisiana |
| lyric-dramatic tenor | these roles, while still essentially lyric, demand some dramatic color and fire: Rodolfo in La bohème, the Duke in Rigoletto, Alfredo in La traviata and Faust are to be included." |
| das angebot überdenken | (German) to consider the offer |
| dampfleitung | (German f.) steam piping, steam pipe |
| das unmögliche zuwege bringen | (German) to achieve the impossible |
| dame der gesellschaft | (German f.) lady of society |
| daño | (Spanish m.) damage, harm (a person) |
| hillbilly | A style of popular song derived from the rural, southern folk tradition and from sentimental songs of the late nineteenth century |
| church modes | A system of eight scales forming the tonal foundation for Gregorian chant and for polyphony up to the baroque era. |
| das buch jona | (German) the Book of Jonah |
| dagegen ist keiner gefeit. | (German) That could happen to anyone. |
| das abendmahl | (German n.) Holy Communion |
| dämpfungselement | (German n.) attenuator |
| dämmmaterial | (German n.) insulating material, insulation (material) |
| danza dei coltelli | (literally 'the dance of the knives'), a knife dance derived from the tarantella healing ritual |
| works progess administration | A United States government agency created in 1935 to provide paying jobs for unemployed workers. |
| da drinnen | (German) in there |
| griots | African singers who memorized their tribe's history through their songs. |
| vespers | One of the Divine Offices of the Roman Catholic Church, held at twilight. |
| a capella | Unaccompanied vocal music |
| ritardando | Holding back, getting slower. |
| das wird ihm wohltun. | (German) That will do him good. |
| damselfly | insect like a dragonfly but with wings folded when resting |
| das vertrauen verlieren | (German) to lose confidence |
| tempo | The speed at which a piece of music is moving.... |
| dämmschicht | (German f.) damp course |
| cd-rom | Compact disc-read only memory |
| character pieces | Works portraying a single mood, emotion, or idea. |
| dachfenster | (German n.) dormer, dormer window, attic window, skylight, roof window |
| das protokoll annehmen | (German) to adopt the minutes |
| affabilita | A directive to perform the indicated passage with ease and elegance; with affability; in a pleasing and agreeable manner |
| das fenster schließen | (German) to close the window |
| darübergießen | (German) to dash over, to pour over |
| jam session | A spontaneous musical performance. |
| honk | A low note played loudly on a reed instrument |
| das versprechen erfüllen | (German) to do what it says on the tin (figurative) |
| axe | Slang for instrument |
| walking bass line | The line played by a bass player that "walks" melodically (by step) between chord tones instead of jumping from one chord tone to another. |
| mestizo | Natives of Mexico and South America haying mixed Indian and Spanish blood. |
| blues | a musical/poetic form in African American culture, created c |
| upstage/downstage | Positions on stage; upstage is toward the rear of the stage and farthest from the audience while downstage is toward the lip of the stage, closest to the audience |
| emancipation proclamation | Declaration by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863 that freed all persons previously held as slaves. |
| das saß. | (German) That hit home |
| daraus ergibt sich | (German) that implies |
| das alte testament | (German) the Law |
| lied | "song"; A German song; [leet], plural Lieder [leader] |
| allegro | Fast, cheerful |
| das gelobte land | (German) the Promised Land |
| das tanzbein schwingen | (German) to shake a leg, to take to the floor (cololoquial: to engage in social dancing) |
| das starke geschlecht | (German) the stronger sex |
| dar aliento a ... | (Spanish) to encourage ... |
| pot | potentiometer for controlling a signal |
| das ergebnis bekannt geben | (German) to announce the result |
| danzetta | (Italian) a short dance |
| daktylisch | (German) dactylic |
| dahinschmelzen | (German) to melt away |
| standard | A song that has sustained popularity through decades and generations, transcending changing styles and tastes. |
| darfst nicht | (German) must not |
| amorevole | A directive to a musician to perform a selected passage of a composition in a loving manner |
| dasjenige | (German) that |
| fills | Short improvised passages behind a soloist or between sections of a piece of music.... |
| danza antigua de hermigua | (Spanish f.) ancient warrior dance from the Hermigua region in the Gomera Island (Canary Islands, Spain), accompanied by drums and chácaras (large castanets) |
| dass ich nicht lache! | (German) Don't make me laugh! (ironic) |
| loudness | The degree of intensity or energy producing a sound |
| trap set | see drum kit |
| inland waterway | A canal, river or lake that can be used by boats, barges or ships. |
| darlehen mit beweglichen zinssätzen | (German n.) variable rate loan |
| troubadours | Medieval poet-musicians in northern France. |
| flute | A high-sounding woodwind instrument that is played by blowing across a mouthpiece on the side of the instrument |
| darre | (German f.) oast house, drying kiln |
| polyrhythms | Two or more contrasting and independent rhythms used at the same time. |
| demo | A recording made as a demonstration of a group's sound, for the purpose of selling the group to a record company or promoter. |
| accent | A stress or emphasis on a particular tone. |
| dalmatiner | (German m.) Dalmatian (dog), Dalmatian (person) |
| damebrett | (German n.) checkerboard, draughtboard, chequerboard |
| soul jazz | One of the musics included under the name of hard bop (c |
| son | A classic Cuban dance and song form originated near the turn of the 20th century and continued and varied in modern Cuban-derived pop music (Latin).... |
| tabor | Cylindrical medieval drum. |
| fixed forms | Group of forms, especially in medieval France, in which the poetic structure determines musical repetitions |
| secular | Nonreligious |
| tonic | The tonal center |
| das gehört sich nicht. | (German) That's just not done |
| virtuoso | An outstanding musician exceptional on his/her instrument; a musician with masterly ability, technique, and/or personal style. |
| molto | Very. |
| das gewisse etwas | (German) that certain something |
| danese | (Italian) Danish |
| darauf trinken wir. | (German) Let's drink to that. |
| da sein | (German) to be on hand, to be there, to be around |
| grand opera | A type of Romantic opera that concentrated on the spectacular elements of the production. |
| das telefon anzapfen | (German) to tap the phone |
| das ist streng verboten! | (German) That's strictly forbidden! |
| hymn | Religious songs that usually praise God. |
| dama | (Italian f.) lady, partner (in a dance), draughts (board game) |
| darwinian | also Darwinistic, of or pertaining to the work of the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) |
| das waren noch zeiten. | (German) Those were the days. |
| dämmrig | (German) crepuscular, dark (during dawn or dusk) |
| dada-mama | a mnemonic for playing the sequence LLRR or RRLL on the side drum, where L indicates left stick and R the right stick |
| das deutsche | (German) the German language |
| dachjuchhe | (German n.) attic room |
| segregated | Racially separated. |
| dämonisiert | (German) demonised |
| dames | (French f.) draughts (game), checkers (US game) |
| daños y perjuicios | (Spanish m |
| shed | Also "shedding." See woodshed.... |
| das passiert ständig. | (German) It happens all the time. |
| das ist mir bekannt. | (German) I know that. |
| das gibt zu denken! | (German) It makes one think |
| dans la dèche | (French) broke |
| variety | Music that has variety departs from previously stated themes and creates points of contrast. |
| das wär abgehakt! | (German) That takes care of it! |
| dachsparren | (German m.) rafter |
| standard | An acknowledged, popular piece of music in the jazz repertory.... |
| das gleichgewicht ändern | (German) to alter the balance |
| airplay | The number of times a popular song is broadcast on radio |
| das scharfe s | (German) the German letter ß |
| requiem mass | Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead. |
| dachzeile | (German f.) teaser, kicker, subheadline |
| das ist ein gerücht. | (German) It's a myth |
| dalben | (German m.) mooring post |
| darniederliegend | (German) languishing |
| damaszieren | (German) to damascene, to damaskeen |
| intonation | The degree of adherence to correct pitch by a given instrument; good intonation suggests close approximation of the pitch; poor intonation implies the opposite (horn players, unlike pianists, have the ability to adjust their intonation by pushing in or pulling out their mouthpieces as well as by adjusting their embouchure). |
| orchestral bells | See chimes. |
| das seinige beitragen | (German) to pull one's weight |
| grazioso | Instruction to play gracefully |
| minnesingers | Medieval German poet-singers. |
| pixie mute | a small mute inserted into the bell of a brass instrument; players like Cootie Williams and Tricky Sam Nanton modified its sound further with a plunger mute. |
| daidalos | (German m.) Daedalus (legendary Greek craftsman who, at the command of Minos, King of Crete, designed and built the Labyrinth) |
| alto | Lowest of the female voices |
| wall of sound | The lush, multitracked sound Phil Spector created as producer of hits for such acts as the Crystals, the Ronettes, and the Righteous Brothers. |
| killer-diller | An exciting (or difficult to play) piece of music (swing era).... |
| das wissen sie doch! | (German) But you know that! |
| salsa | A hot, up-tempo U.S |
| acoustical instrument | Any musical instrument not relying on external power for operation |
| stroll | A pianist strolls when he or she lays out and allows the rest of the rhythm section to be heard.... |
| dachstroh | (German n.) thatch |
| damenschlüpfer | (German pl.) knickers |
| allant | A directive to a musician to perform the indicated passage of a composition in a bustling or lively manner |
| dactylonomy | the art of counting on the fingers |
| dalmatinisch | (German) Dalmatian |
| upbeat | note or notes that precede the downbeat |
| das gewicht reduzieren | (German) to reduce weight |
| dappoco | (Italian) worthless |
| daltonisch | daltonian, colour-blind |
| damaststahl | (German m.) damask steel |
| darauf bedacht | (German) anxious |
| das wahlrecht entziehen | (German) to disenfranchise |
| dahinter stecken | (German) to be behind it |
| dare gas | (Italian) to accelerate (vehicle) |
| das ist schon besser! | (German) This is more like it! (colloquial) |
| time | A general term for meter, but also the way in which drummers play meter.... |
| daherum | (German) thereabouts |
| damenhose | (German f.) a pair of ladies' trousers, (ladies') slacks, ladies' trousers |
| da ist was dran. | (German) Good point |
| das warum und weshalb | (German) the whys and wherefores |
| darüberhinaus | (German) in addition to it, on top of this |
| daim | (French m.) fallow deer, suede (leather) |
| assai | Indications to performers of the speed of a piece of music |
| a cappella | One or more vocalists performing without an accompaniment |
| dahingestellt sein lassen | (German) to leave open (figurative), to leave undecided |
| whole note | the longest possible rhythmic note; in a four-beat duple meter, it would fill up an entire measure. |
| das unvergleichliche | (German) nonpareil |
| dämmpaket | (German n.) noise attenuation package |
| dame des hauses | (German f.) landlady |
| passion | Musical setting of the Crucifixion story as told by one of the four Evangelists in the Gospels. |
| downbeats | The first beat of each measure in Western notated music. |
| dachlos | (German) roofless |
| haut | Medieval category of loud instruments, used mainly for outdoor occasions, as distinct from bas, or soft, instruments. |
| dankend ablehnen | (German) to decline with thanks |
| dank | (German) thanks to, due to, (by) courtesy of, owing to, through the kindness of |
| dar razón | (Spanish) to gice an account (of) |
| das walte gott! | (German) Amen to that! |
| das spricht für ihn. | (German) That says something for him |
| circle of fifths | A series of twelve perfect fifths that circle back to the original tone.... |
| das ist reine phantasie. | (German) It's all in the mind. |
| cup mute | an orchestral mute with an extension that more or less covers the bell of a brass instrument |
| damenuntertaille | (German f.) camisole |
| dasharatha | King of Ayodhya, father of Rama, in the Ramayana |
| dare | (Italian) to give, to yield (produce) |
| das recht beugen | (German) to bend the law |
| reduction | The compression of a complex, multi-stave score onto one or two staves. |
| dahinrasen | (German) to barrel (along) (colloquial), to bomb along (colloquial) |
| ostinato | A repeated phrase. |
| polyphonic | Two or more melodic lines combined into a multivoiced texture, as distinct from monophonic. |
| das wahre | (German) the true, the truth |
| thirty-two bar popular song | a standard song form, usually divided into shorter sections, such as A A B A (each section eight bars long) or A A (each section sixteen bars long). |
| das hauptproblem ist ... | (German) The main problem is ... |
| fill | a short drum solo performed to fill in the spaces in an improvised performance. |
| das tönt interessant. | (German) That sounds interesting. |
| das gesicht verziehen | (German) to grimace |
| das ganze haus zusammenbrüllen | (German) to shout the house down |
| das ist ein überfall! | (German) This is a hold-up! |
| das rauchen verbieten | (German) to ban smoking |
| exposition | The first section in sonata form, containing the statement of the principal themes |
| damenbekanntschaft | (German f.) female acquaintance |
| das ist ganz gut. | (German) That's not bad. |
| dans le coma | (French) in a coma |
| das heutige amerika | (German) modern-day America |
| con amore | with love, tenderly. |
| dankesbrief | (German m.) thank-you letter |
| motet | A polyphonic choral work set to a sacred text. |
| das böse abwehren | (German) to ward off evil |
| dactylogram | fingerprint |
| crossovers | Records in one market which succeeded in another market. Crossovers were the key ingredient that enabled rock music to develop as a separate style. |
| das hat zeit. | (German) There's no hurry |
| dahindämmern | (German) to be semi-conscious |
| das gehirn schädigen | (German) to affect the brain |
| das ist bedeutungslos. | (German) That is not relevant. |
| pitch range | The span from low to high pitches that an instrument or a voice can produce. |
| dactylo | (French f.) typist |
| damascening | the art of inlaying different metals into one another, particularly, inlaying gold and silver into grooves gouged out of a metal surface |
| dass | (German) insomuch, that |
| danno | (Italian m.) damage, harm (a person) |
| das eiweiß steif schlagen | (German) to beat the egg white until stiff |
| daoismus | (German m.) Daoism, Taoism |
| das stimmt nicht. | (German) That doesn't make sense. |
| duration | Length of time something lasts; e.g., the vibration of a musical sound. |
| das ist eher möglich. | (German) That's more likely. |
| tone cluster | Three or more adjacent tones sounded simultaneously.... |
| das brauchen sie vielleicht. | (German) You may need this. |
| das argument zieht nicht. | (German) That argument doesn't hold. |
| antibacchius | A musical foot of three syllables, the first two long or accented, the third short, or unaccented |
| das knie beugen | (German) to bend the knee, to bend one's knee, to bow the knee, to genuflect |
| texture | (1) The density of sound |
| danzante | (Spanish) dancing |
| da stimmt etwas nicht. | (German) Something is wrong |
| dasein | (German n.) existence, being, entities, entity, presence |
| dackelblick | (German m.) innocent look |
| dada | (Also Dadaism) A movement in art in which frustration over the destruction of human life that took place during WW I was expressed by fashioning artworks out of trash or other material put together in chaotic form. Also, a western European artistic and literary movement (1916-23) that sought the discovery of authentic reality through the abolition of traditional cultural and aesthetic forms. |
| das boot erreichen | (German) to catch the boat |
| darsi a | (Italian) to give oneself to |
| dalle | (French f.) paving stone, slab |
| piano | A soft dynamic level. |
| composer | A person who creates (composes) music. |
| darintraben | (German) to bowl along |
| ring shout | an African American religious dance, performed in a circle moving counterclockwise; often cited as the earliest and most pervasive form of African survival in the New World. |
| statement | See exposition. |
| half-valving | depressing one or more of the valves of a brass instrument only halfway, producing an uncertain pitch with a nasal sound |
| dampfbefeuchtung | (German f.) steam moistening |
| galant style | Late 18th-century style of music that was less ornate and more melodic than the Baroque music it superseded |
| das falsche gesangbuch haben | (German) to belong to the wrong (religious) denomination |
| ad libitum | Indication that gives the performer the liberty to omit a section or to improvise. |
| das wesentliche nicht begreifen | (German) to miss the point |
| das rettende ufer erreichen | (German) to reach dry land (figurative), to reach terra firma (figurative) |
| acoustics | How a room sounds based on reverberation and other acoustical qualities |
| das großherzogtum luxemburg | (German) the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg |
| dämonomanie | (German f.) demonomania |
| dal | (Italian) also dall', dalla, dalle, dallo, from the |
| das wichtigste in stichworten | (German) an outline of the main points |
| darf ich raten? | (German) May I venture a guess? |
| dachbodenleiter | (German f.) loft ladder |
| dagegen stimmen | (German) to vote against, to dissent |
| dasitzen | (German) to sit there |
| das andere extrem | (German n.) the other extreme, the contrary extreme |
| acoustics | The science of sounds and the physical basis of music. |
| alternate singing | Two choirs singing in alternation in a religious service |
| quadruple meter | A meter in which each measure has four beats. |
| dar una palmada | (Spanish) to clap one's hands |
| das zeitalter der gotik | (German) the Gothic age |
| damenfriseur | (German m.) hairdresser |
| pop | Generally pleasant music with broad appeal, aimed at an adult audience. |
| das zeug haben zu | (German) to have the makings of, to have the making of |
| dans le temps jadis | (French) in days of old, in days gone by, once upon a time |
| das geschirr spülen | (German) to wash the dishes, to do the dishes |
| das gewünschte erhalten | (German) to get one's wish |
| dance-song | see 'operatic air' |
| damaszenerklinge | (German f.) Damascene blade |
| das unbewusste | (German) the unconscious |
| dar la enhorabuena | (Spanish) to congratulate |
| consonance | Sounds that are pleasing to the ear. |
| dahinterkommen | (German) to figure it out, to discover (despite attempts at concealment) |
| dahinwursteln | (German) to muddle through |
| arch form | A composition that comprises an odd number of sections, usually five, in which the first and last are related, the second and second to last are related (more if there are more than five), and the middle section stands alone, like the head stone of an arch. |
| das wird gerede geben. | (German) Tongues will wag. |
| dar achares | (Spanish) to make jealous |
| das abendmahl | (German) the Last Supper |
| das schaufenster dekorieren | (German) to trim the window, to dress the window |
| das gejammere und geplärre | (German) the wailing and gnashing of teeth |
| dareinreden | (German, dated) to meddle (in someone else's affairs) |
| dachstuhl mit stichbalken | (German m.) hammer-beam roof |
| das leben besser gestalten | (German) to alter life for the better |
| darwinismus | (German m.) Darwinism |
| brass instruments | wind instruments, some of which are indeed made of brass, that use a cuplike mouthpiece to create the sound. |
| das ist erledigt. | (German) Already done. |
| fantasia | An improvised piece characterized by virtuosity in composition and performance; popular during the Renaissance and baroque eras. |
| das gesamte ausmaß | (German) the sheer magnitude |
| doubles | Variations of a dance in a French keyboard suite. |
| das bleibt abzuwarten. | (German) That remains to be seen. |
| dämonenlehre | (German f.) demonology |
| bass drum | Also "kick drum." The largest and lowest-pitched drum of the drum set, and played with a foot pedal.... |
| das ist ausgeschlossen. | (German) That's out of the question. |
| dapprima | (Italian) at first |
| guiro | in Latin percussion, a scraped gourd with ridges. |
| das schafott besteigen | (German) to ascend the scaffold |
| virtuoso | Performer of extraordinary technical ability. |
| das ursprungsrecht erhalten | (German) to obtain the copyright |
| dachgesims | (German n.) eaves |
| raked stage | A stage that is sloped upward toward the rear of the stage allowing audience patrons seated at the back of the theater to see performers at the rear of the stage. |
| damaszierung | (German f.) damascening, damaskeening |
| das genügt nicht. | (German) This won't do. |
| da quando | (Italian) since |
| damenhandschuh | (German m.) lady's glove |
| d'accord | (French) in tune (figurative), agreed, granted |
| das ich | (German n.) the self |
| dachluke | (German f.) skylight |
| dalmatik | (German f.) dalmatic (vestment) |
| continuo | See "basso continuo." |
| motive | A short melodic or rhythmic theme that reappears frequently throughout a work or section of a work as a unifying device. |
| indies | Small "independent" record companies, other than the Majors. |
| system | A group of staves connected by a brace, indicating that they are to be played simultaneously. |
| dänisch | (German) Danish |
| dasia-notation | (German f.) or Dasia-Zeichen (German pl.), Daseian notation |
| dandify | to make a dandy |
| dahinsein | (German) be gone |
| darauf ankommen | (German) to matter, to come down to |
| das imaginäre | (German n.) (the) imaginary |
| dampfkraftwerk | (German n.) steam power plant |
| dammschüttung | (German f.) embankment |
| cue | Indication by the conductor or a spoke word or gesture for a performer to make an entry |
| das war ein fehler. | (German) This has been a mistake. |
| cover recording | A recording made subsequent to the original recording of a particular song. |
| danois | (French m.) Danish language |
| daraus folgende wirkungen | (German pl.) consequential effects |
| stage right/left | The sides of the stage from the performer's point of view, i.e., when a singer moves down right, s/he moves right toward the edge of the stage - which is the audience's left. |
| das andere ende erreichen | (German) to reach the other end |
| das blatt einseitig beschreiben | (German) to write on one side of the paper |
| das menschliche geschlecht | (German n.) the human race |
| das alte ägypten | (German) ancient Egypt |
| das eigentum übernehmen | (German) to assume ownership |
| dahinschwindend | (German) evanescent, evanescently, waning |
| toasting | A Jamaican name for the rhythmic patter-talk used by disc jockeys. |
| das bin ich. | (German) This is me |
| virtuoso | A performer with complete technical control of the playing of his or her musical instrument. |
| key | Defines the relationship of tones with a common center or tonic |
| das gesicht schwärzen | (German) to black one's face |
| chimes | Percussion instrument of definite pitch that consists of a set of tuned metal tubes of various lengths suspended from a frame and struck with a hammer |
| pachanga | A rhythmic style and a dance developed in the 1950s and 1960s.... |
| darabuka | see darabukka |
| chimes | A set of tuned metal tubes suspended vertically in a frame, and played by being hit with mallets |
| das tut nichts | (German) it doesn't matter |
| das schlimmste | (German) worst |
| scoop | Beginning a note beneath it's pitch, then sliding up to the correct pitch |
| darübersetzen | (German) to superimpose |
| embouchure | the shaping and positioning of the lips and other facial muscles when playing wind instruments. |
| dabei sein | (German) to be present, to be game, to be involved |
| das lebewohl | (German n.) the farewell |
| daraus wurde nichts. | (German) It didn't come off. |
| das buch nehemia | (German) (the Book of) Nehemiah |
| das gegenteil bedeutend | (German) to the contrary |
| magnificat | Biblical text on the words of the Virgin Mary, sung polyphonically in church from the Renaissance on. |
| embouchure | The position of the mouth in the playing of wind instruments. |
| das gemeine volk | (German) the common people |
| das muss gefeiert werden. | (German) This calls for a celebration. |
| modulation | Gradual or rapid change from one key to another within a composition. |
| damenoberbekleidung | (German f.) women's wear (in a department store) |
| maestoso | Majestic. |
| trading eights | Also "trading fours," etc |
| danach benannt | (German) named for it (US), named after it |
| das macht nichts. | (German) That doesn't matter. |
| darsi al bere | (Italian) to take a drink |
| entr'acte | "between the act" A musical composition played between the acts or between scenes; also a term used to mean Intermission. |
| da steckt mehr dahinter. | (German) There's more behind it |
| dramatic tenor | also called tenore di forza in Italian, Chénier and Alvaro in La forza del destino are dramatic tenor roles that require a spinto quality, able to carry over heavy orchestral textures with ease |
| dar las boqueadas | (Spanish) to be dying |
| dämmmasse | (German f.) insulating compound |
| das buch ruth | (German) the Book of Ruth |
| eai | Electroacoustic improvisation; a term that may be used to include such styles and processes also known as "reductionist," "Onkyo," "minimal," and "lowercase" improvised music.... |
| straight | A more accurate or "legitimate" manner of playing which sticks close to the original music; a notably "square" way of playing.... |
| das schlimmste erwarten | (German) to anticipate the worst, to expect the worst |
| das tempo mitgehen | (German) to hold the pace |
| darangehend | (German) setting to work |
| damenabend | (German m.) hen party (colloquial) |
| darlehen mit festgelegter laufzeit | (German n.) fixed-term loan |
| das gemeine volk | (German n.) commonality, commonalty |
| das gesetz befolgend | (German) law-abiding |
| das ergibt keinen sinn. | (German) That doesn't make sense. |
| dafür sorgen | (German) to make sure |
| dampfförmig | (German) in the vapour state, vaporous |
| darüber hinwegsehen | (German) to connive |
| boot it | To play with energy and excitement (early jazz).... |
| das land bereisen | (German) to tour the country |
| damenrad | (German n.) ladies' bicycle, ladies' bike |
| mtv | Cable Music Television. |
| groupie | An obsessively devoted female fan of a male rock star, traditionally. Could easily go the other way, too. |
| damasttuch | (German n.) damask cloth |
| dança hebraica | (Portuguese f.) (ancient/Biblical) Jewish dance |
| dañoso | (Spanish) harmful |
| damisch | (German f.- Southern Germany) dizzy, stupid |
| jukebox | An automatic phonograph that plays recordings when money is inserted into a coin slot. |
| das deck scheuern | (German) to scrub the deck |
| duet | A musical composition for two performers. |
| animà© | A directive to a musician to perform the indicated passage of a composition in a lively and animated manner |
| measure | See meter. |
| das schottische hochland | (German) the Scottish Highlands |
| das problem erkennen | (German) to understand the problem |
| keynote | See tonic. |
| da ... | (German) What with ..., See that ... |
| harmon mute | a hollow mute, originally with a short extension but usually played without it, leaving a hole in the center and creating a highly concentrated sound |
| work song | A song sung in the same rhythm as a task being done |
| damaszenerstahl | (German m.) Damascus steel |
| das stimmt nicht! | (German) That's not so! |
| daccapo | (Italian) again, from the beginning |
| dabeistehen | (German, dated) to stand by |
| das publikum mitreißen | (German) to carry an audience |
| daltonismus | (German m.) daltonism |
| darf nicht erlassen werden | (German) may not be waived |
| dämmern | (German) to dawn (morning), to grey, to grow dusky (evening) |
| allegro assai | Very fast and cheerful. |
| dartspiel | (German n.) game of darts |
| das bedeutet mir nichts. | (German) That's nothing to me. |
| das design ändern | (German) to alter the design |
| dargebracht | (German) offered |
| d'abord | (French) first, at first |
| danser | (French) to dance |
| daktylographie | (German f.) dactylography |
| das wird nie was. | (German) This is never going to work. |
| dachpappe | (German f.) roofing felt, roofing paper, bitumen felt, bituminous felt |
| dachaufsatz | (German m.) clerestory |
| bass drum | A large, low drum that produces an indefinite pitch. |
| das essen ist angerichtet! | (German) Dinner is served! |
| follies | See vaudeville. |
| ellingtonians | musicians who played with Duke Ellington for years or even decades. |
| flutter tonguing | Wind instrument technique in which the tongue is fluttered or trilled against the roof of the mouth. |
| inversion | Mirror or upside-down image of a melody or pattern, found in fugues and twelve-tone compositions. |
| cross-rhythm | a rhythmic layer that conflicts with the underlying meter. |
| dar asco | (Spanish) to be disgusted, to be infuriated |
| das ganze jahr | (German) all the year |
| dar dentera a uno | (Spanish) to set someone's teeth on edge, to make someone green with envy |
| dampfhammer | (German m.) steam hammer |
| das große ganze | (German n.) the big picture |
| arco | Indication to string-players that they should use the bow |
| dachvertrag | (German m.) blanket insurance |
| das zimmer lüften | (German) to change the air in a room |
| dachspeicher | (German m.) loft |
| das öffentliche vertrauen genießen | (German) to enjoy public confidence |
| shuffle | A rhythm used in earlier jazz, based on uneven triplets, and deriving from a dance step in which the feet move across the floor without being lifted.... |
| dampf dahinter machen | (German) to put some oomph into it |
| das gegebene | (German n.) datum |
| das herz zerreißen | (German) to lacerate the heart |
| dachantenne | (German f.) roof antenna, roof aerial |
| das lager heimlich verlassen | (German) to decamp |
| darniederliegen | (German) to be laid low (ill) |
| das dümmste | (German) the stupidest thing |
| damenkostüm | (German n.) ladies' suit |
| damenschneider | (German m.) ladies' tailor, dressmaker |
| rockabilly | A 1950s rock style that combined elements of "hillbilly" country music with rock music |
| dabeibleiben | (German) to stay with, to stick to ... |
| dangerous | involving or causing danger |
| das schwächste glied | (German n.) the weakest link |
| darsi su | (Italian) to give on to |
| tessitura | a term used in reference to the ‘lie' of a role: if a tessitura is said to be high, this may not mean that any individual note is particularly high but rather that the role on the whole tends to lie in the upper area of the voice." |
| das ende vom lied | (German) the upshot, the end of the story |
| dareios iii. | (German) Darius III (of Persia) |
| secular music | Nonreligious music; when texted, usually in the vernacular. |
| great migration | The movement of thousands of African Americans from the South to the North beginning about 1910 |
| press-roll | an intense rumbling on the snare drum. |
| jim crow laws | Laws of segregation. |
| dahinwatscheln | (German) to shamble |
| arrangement | Preplanned music involving written-out parts for instrumentalists and/or vocalists |
| bel canto | "Beautiful singing"; elegant Italian vocal style characterized by florid melodic lines delivered by voices of great agility, smoothness, and purity of tone. |
| das will getan sein. | (German) It's got to be done. |
| danés | (Spanish) Danish |
| proper | Sections of the Roman Catholic Mass that vary from day to day throughout the church year according to the particular liturgical occasion, as distinct from the Ordinary, in which they remain the same. |
| daniederliegen | (German) to be depressed (trade, economy) |
| aerophones | A general term for wind instruments in world music. |
| darmabführung | (German f.) catharsis |
| aerophone | An instrument such as the flute, whistle, and horn that produces sound by using air as the primary vibrating means |
| das siebenfache | (German) septuple |
| dagesessen | (German) sat there |
| das abenteuer liebend | (German) adventure-loving |
| daß du nicht fällst! | (German) mind you don't fall! |
| anthems | Sacred choral compositions. |
| dampfer | (German m.) steamer (a device for producing steam), steamship, steamboat |
| danke für die einladung. | (German) Thanks for having me. |
| das lächerlichste | (German) the most ridiculous thing |
| das letzte wort haben | (German) to have the final say, to get the last word, to get the final word, to have the last word, to have the final word |
| darse | (Spanish) to happen |
| daechwita | (Korean) processional military music |
| darangehen | (German) to set about |
| dabeibleibend | (German) staying with |
| das maß ist voll! | (German) Enough is enough! |
| chronik | (German) (Book of) Chronicles |
| das angebot annehmen | (German) to take the offer |
| damaskisch | (German) damaskeen (archaic) |
| refrain | A repeating phrase that is played at the end of each verse in the song. |
| film music | Music that serves either as background or foreground for a film. |
| dankadresse | (German f.) (official) letter of thanks |
| das lenkt ab. | (German) That takes one's mind off things. |
| ghost note | A note that is fingered on a wind instrument but blown so lightly as to be inaudible; on a musical transcription, a note that may or may not be in the original.... |
| dämonologie | (German f.) demonology |
| darlehensgrenze | (German f.) credit limit |
| das hat gute wege. | (German) There is no hurry. |
| das lässt sich hören. | (German) That sounds reasonable |
| das tägliche leben | (German n.) daily routines |
| dampfbügeleisen | (German n.) steam iron |
| danimarca | (Italian f.) Denmark |
| das beste denken | (German) to think the best |
| opera seria | Tragic Italian opera. |
| das wird dich aufmuntern. | (German) This will cheer you up. |
| damenuhr | (German f.) ladies' watch, lady's watch |
| das unglück komplett machen | (German) to complete the misery |
| fortissimo | A very loud dynamic level. |
| concert master | First chair violinist in an orchestra. |
| damped | sordo (Italian), gedämpft (German), étouffé (French), the condition where the sound is deadened, choked or muted |
| maracas | Latin-American rattles (idiophones) made from gourds or other materials. |
| das große sterben | (German n.) the great mortality (the Black Death) |
| das orakel befragen | (German) to consult the oracle |
| das waren zeiten! | (German) What times they were! |
| architectural acoustics | The term used to describe how the structure of a room or building affects the flow of sound |
| danzón-mambo | see danzón-chá |
| oral tradition | Music that is transmitted by example or imitation and performed from memory. |
| autoharp | A zither-type folk instrument of German origin, popular in the USA since the late 19th century |
| das allerbeste auswählen | (German) to choose the very best |
| danegeld | (English, German n.) a tax raised to pay tribute to the Viking raiders to save a land from being ravaged |
| damasco | (Spanish m.) damask |
| das ungleiche paar | (German n.) the ill-matched couple |
| das menschliche moment | (German n.) the human factor |
| tin whistle | Small metal end-blown flute commonly used in Irish traditional music. |
| das auserwählte volk | (German n.) the chosen people |
| dança dionisíaca | (Portuguese f.) Dionysian dance |
| office | (Divine) The eight daily worship services, apart from the Mass, in the Roman Catholic Church. |
| das aufgebot bestellen | (German) to call the banns |
| minnesingers | Late medieval German poet-musicians. |
| das zeitgefühl verlieren | (German) to lose track of time |
| darüber lässt sich streiten. | (German) That's open to dispute. |
| da draußen | (German) out there |
| dabei stehen | (German) to stand by |
| verse | In poetry, a group of lines constituting a unit |
| refrain | Text and/or music that is returned to or repeated within a larger piece of music. |
| das nötige | (German) needful |
| das ist ja unglaublich! | (German) That's unbelievable! |
| d'allora in poi | (Italian) from then on |
| mezzo-soprano | See this page |
| darlehen mit niedrigen zinsen | (German n.) low interest loan |
| dämmen | (German) to repress, to dam |
| mass | (1) The Roman Catholic worship service |
| binary | See form. |
| dämpfungseigenschaften | (German pl.) damping characteristics, dampening characteristics |
| dachte aus | (German) devised |
| das konnte keiner vorhersehen. | (German) Nobody could have foreseen (predicted) that. |
| darauf achten | (German) to make sure |
| dare su | (Italian) to give on to |
| darstellung der tatsachen | (German f.) statement of facts |
| son clave | the standard version of the clave pattern. |
| das familienleben beeinträchtigend | (German) affecting family life |
| key | A scale; the first note of a scale.... |
| stanza | In vocal works, poetic units two lines or longer of equal length and accent pattern, often sung to the same music. |
| d'apparat | (French) ceremonial |
| das versprochene tun | (German) to carry out a promise |
| dämpfermaschine | (German f.) steam engine |
| das schwarze | (German n.) bull's eye |
| a ballata | In the style of a ballad |
| action | Term applied to the mechanical workings of an instrument, typically of keyboard instruments |
| non troppo | Not too much. |
| damenrock | (German m.) skirt |
| darlehensrückzahlung | (German f.) loan repayment |
| das dänische festlandgebiet | (German) continental Denmark |
| dämmplatte | (German f.) insulating wall panel, insulating board |
| das wäre geschafft! | (German) It's a wrap! |
| binary form | A basic musical form consisting of two contrasting sections (AB), both sections often being repeated (AABB). |
| props | Articles used by the performers to enhance the plot, i.e., handkerchiefs (Othello), bottles of wine (L'elisir d'amore), swords (La Forza del Destino), letters (Eugene Onegin). |
| das gesicht freilassend | (German) off the face (hat, hairstyle) |
| danke vielmals! | (German) Thanks a million! |
| das bleibt unter uns. | (German) That's just between (the two of) us |
| dänemarkstraße | (German f.) Denmark Strait (strait between Greenland (northwest) and Iceland) |
| darstellung jesu | (German f.) Presentation of Christ (in the Temple) |
| stock market | Place where investors may purchase "shares" or small increments of a business. |
| dämpferkochtopf | (German m.) pressure-cooker |
| da scherzo | (Italian) in jest, in a playful manner |
| das signifikante andere | (German) significant other |
| lynching | Putting an accused person to death, usually by hanging without a lawful trial. |
| sight sing | Sing by looking at musical notation instead of having memorized the music in advance. |
| act | The division of sections of the story similar to Acts in a play |
| embellishment | See ornamentation. |
| stop-time | A rhythmic device in which the accompanying instruments play a few notes of the rhythm with especially sharp accents, exaggerating the rhythm which, despite its name, does not stop |
| dämmziegel | (German m.) insulating brick |
| medium | Performing forces employed in a certain musical work. |
| das sind keine tatsachen. | (German) It's all make believe. |
| das reale | (German) the real |
| das geht zu weit. | (German) That's going too far |
| fugato | A fugal passage in a nonfugal piece, such as in the development section of a sonata-allegro form. |
| darstellungskunst | (German f.) dramatics |
| conservatoire | A music school usually offering university-level education but with an emphasis on the practical skills of performance and composition |
| dar las cartas | (Spanish) to deal the cards |
| damen-... | (German) prefix meaning ladies' or lady's ... |
| daedalion | in Greek mythology, a son of Hesperos and brother of Ceyx, who is described as cruel and warlike |
| das gemüt zerrütten | (German) to shatter the mind |
| union pipes | See uilleann pipes. |
| damson | (in full 'damson plum', sometimes called 'bullace') small dark-purple plum, dark-purple colour |
| atonal | music with no key center. |
| da lontano | (Italian) at a distance (the music is to sound as though it is coming from a long way off) |
| dáil | (Irish) the Parliament of the Republic of Ireland |
| dampfentwickler | (German m.) steam generator |
| dar en el blanco | (Spanish) to hit the mark |
| cancel | A natural sign, used to remove a previously accidental. |
| das animalische in ihm | (German) the animal in him |
| das ist kein argument. | (German) That's neither here nor there. |
| impressionism | A style of music, exemplified in the works of Debussy, that avoids explicit statement and literal description but instead emphasizes suggestion and atmosphere, evokes moods, and conveys impressions of images and feelings. |
| darstellungsweise | (German f.) manner of representation, way of representing |
| daraus folgend | (German) consequential, consequent, hence |
| breath support | Efficient use of the singer's stream of breath, controlled primarily by the diaphragm. |
| allegretto | Just a "little allegro", slower than allegro |
| das gleichgewicht wiederherstellen | (German) to redress the balance |
| dachziegel | (German m.) (roof) tile, roofing tile, (roof) tiles |
| daß | (German) that |
| dara | (Spanish) look on to, face (a building) |
| das system perfektionieren | (German) to perfect the system |
| word painting | Musical pictorialization of words from the text as an expressive device; a prominent feature of the Renaissance madrigal. |
| das ist kein kinderspiel | (German) that is not easy, that is not child's play |
| dabbasso | (Italian) downstairs |
| dans l'erreur | (French) mistaken |
| dachstromabnehmer | (German m.) pantograph |
| das wahlergebnis bekannt geben | (German) to declare the poll, to declare the result of the voting |
| damaskeen | or 'damascene', of or pertaining to the art of damascening, to produce wavy lines on (as in Damascus steel), of or pertaining to the city of Damascus |
| melismatic | Melodic style characterized by many notes sung to a single text syllable. |
| das thema wechseln | (German) to change the subject, to change the conversation, to veer off |
| trad | A general term for traditional music, music of the 1900s to 1920s.... |
| das glas erheben | (German) to raise the glass |
| das wird sich zeigen. | (German) That remains to be seen. |
| dänisches blätterteiggebäck | (German n.) Danish pastry |
| das zieht nicht. | (German) That cuts no ice. |
| das lager auffüllen | (German) to supplement stocks |
| dammerde | (German f.) black earth (for example, dark fertile soil in the Amazon Basin that contains wood, fish, animal bones and pottery shards and is the result of centuries of slash-and-char) |
| dahinziehende wolken | (German pl.) drifting clouds |
| das mündige alter | (German) years of discretion |
| das büßerhemd anziehen | (German) to put on sackcloth and ashes (figurative) |
| das fahrgeld abgezählt bereithalten | (German) to tender the exact fare |
| daheimgebliebene | (German pl.) people who stayed at home |
| darlegend | (German) explaining |
| dance position | the position of a dancer or a mutual position of a dance couple assumed during a dance |
| pants role | A male role portrayed by a female singer |
| das ist alles! | (German) And that's all! |
| dachgepäckträger | (German m.) roof rack, roof-rack |
| top 40 | A listing of the 40 most popular records nationally for a given week, on the basis of radio station playlists and retail sales of singles. |
| das hat geschmeckt. | (German) That was good. |
| intensity | The energy that generates the amplitude or height of sound waves. |
| rondeau | Medieval and Renaissance fixed poetic form and chanson type with courtly love texts. |
| dar a luz | (Spanish) to give birth |
| mods | Short for "modernists"; the Mods were a '60s youth subculture in England who considered themselves the wave of the future; they usually had jobs, wore trendy clothes, rode around on motor scooters (rather than motorcycles) and took amphetamines. |
| dahinjagend | (German) skittering |
| dancesport | an official term to denote dance as competitive, sport activity |
| das letzte zusammenkratzen | (German) to be scraping the (bottom of the) barrel (figurative) |
| elegy | An instrumental lament with praise for the dead. |
| dantesque | of or relating to the Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) or his writings, in particular his most famous work the Commedia later later christened Divina by Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375): the work is known in English as 'The Divine Comedy' |
| daselbst | (German) thereat, in said place |
| dänische minderheit | (German f.) Danish minority |
| danzare | (Italian) to dance |
| sampler | By means of MIDI technology, samples of sounds can be recorded and stored in memory to be recalled and performed |
| darstellbarkeit | (German f.) presentability |
| dança a caráter | (Portuguese f.) or dança folclórica (Portuguese), danse de caractere (French) |
| gagaku | Traditional court music of Japan. |
| stops | Rows of organ pipes that are activated by the player pulling the knob that opens them and then playing the keyboard. |
| dafri | a very small Indian frame drum, usually only several centimetres in diameter |
| ode | Secular composition written for a royal occasion, especially popular in England. |
| das eilt nicht! | (German) That's not urgent! |
| expressionism | An artistic school of the early twentieth century that attempted to represent the psychological and emotional experience of modern humanity. |
| dare un concerto | (Italian) to hold a concert |
| genre | General term describing the standard category and overall character of a work. |
| das ist ein märchen. | (German) It's a myth |
| das erste mal | (German n.) the first time |
| daemon | (Latin from the Greek) a demi-god or deified hero |
| das ist gut möglich. | (German) That's quite possible. |
| das ufer erreichen | (German) to reach shore |
| riff | Short repeated melodic phrases that function rhythmically and sometimes even to undercut the harmonic structure of a musical piece.... |
| collegium musicum | An association of amateur musicians, popular in the Baroque era |
| das heißt nicht viel. | (German) That doesn't mean a lot. |
| das herz erfreuen | (German) to warm the cockles of the heart, to cheer the heart, to soften the heart |
| dasselbe zeitmass | (German) the same pace, l'istesso tempo (Italian) (beat remains the same even though the meter changes) |
| dactylographier | (French) to type |
| aulos | Double-reed pipe; played for public and religious functions in ancient Greece. |
| damnum | (German n.) loss |
| open form | Indeterminate contemporary music in which some details of a composition are clearly indicated, but the overall structure is left to choice or chance. |
| darmspiegelung | (German f.) colonoscopy |
| da hinein | (German) in it, in them |
| dactylus | (Latin) dactyl |
| daraufsetzen | (German) to superimpose |
| dampfbeheizt | (German) steam-heated |
| irregular meter | The mixture at a single rhythmic level of more than one metric grouping. |
| das wohltemperirte clavier | see Wohltemperierte Klavier, Das |
| daedalus | legendary Greek craftsman who, at the command of Minos, King of Crete, designed and built the Labyrinth |
| foundation layers | continuous, unchanging patterns whose very repetition provides a framework for a musical piece |
| bass clarinet | Woodwind instrument of the clarinet family with the lowest range. |
| darlehensantrag | (German m.) loan application, request for a loan |
| notation | The use of written or printed symbols to represent musical sounds |
| das heilige offizium | (German) Holy Office |
| darmspülung | (German f.) irrigation, colonic irrigation |
| tempo | the speed of a piece of music. |
| das geschäft aufgeben | (German) to go out of business, to give up business |
| stop-time | a technique in which a band plays a series of short chords a fixed distance apart (e.g., a measure), creating spaces for an instrument to fill with monophonic improvisation; often used in early jazz |
| abalone | colourful shell material commonly inlaid on instruments for decoration |
| dachgeschoss | (German n.) top floor, attic |
| congo square | The area in New Orleans where musicians met for social activities and to play music. |
| das ändert die lage. | (German) That alters the case. |
| kabuki | A Japanese theater style with music that is considered a genre of traditional Japanese music |
| das essen auftragen | (German) to serve up dinner |
| dare le dimissioni | (Italian) to resign |
| das gewöhnliche | (German) ordinariness |
| viols | Fretted, bowed string instruments commonly used during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. |
| damenunterwäsche | (German f.) lingerie |
| dämmerung einer neuen zeit | (German f.) dawn of a new era |
| flip side | B side. |
| darlehen mit festem zinssatz | (German n.) fixed-rate loan |
| das zepter übernehmen | (German) to take the reins (figurative) |
| jam | A genre in which bands are known to tour constantly, draw their fan base and fame from live concerts, and are dedicated to live experimentation and improvisation. |
| damenbart | (German m.) facial hair (of a woman) |
| das bewusstsein verlieren | (German) to fall senseless, to pass out, to lose consciousness |
| backbeat | Beats two and four of a four-beat pattern, the accenting of which creates rock's basic rhythm. |
| structure | The way in which parts are arranged to form a whole |
| danke | (German) thank you, thanks, cheers (thanks) |
| scale length | the length between the nut and the saddle. |
| mute | Mechanical device used to muffle the sound of an instrument. |
| darf ich mich vorstellen? | (German) Allow me to introduce myself. |
| tala | One of the ancient rhythmic patterns employed in Indian music. |
| theme | A short melody or phrase that has a sense of completeness—a complete musical thought; a theme usually ends with a cadence |
| dakisch | (German) Dacian |
| dahinbrettern | (German) to tank along (colloquial) |
| dämonisierung | (German f.) demonisation |
| das dachte ich mir. | (German) I anticipated as much. |
| dang-ak | see 'Korean court music' |
| das war's. | (German) That's it. |
| darin | (German) in it, in them, therein |
| dahingejagt | (German) skittered |
| darbuka | (English, German f.) darabukka (goblet drum) |
| das tischtuch abnehmen | (German) to remove the cloth |
| damenmode | (German f.) ladieswear, ladies' fashion, women's fashion, fashion for women |
| danza del paloteo | (Spanish f., full name: danza del paloteo y el cordón a La Virgen de La Piedad) a dance from the La Mancha region of Toledo (Spain) |
| dalassen | (German) leave there |
| danklied | (German n.) Thanksgiving song |
| territory bands | in the 1920s and early 1930s, dance bands that serviced a territory, defined by a days drive from an urban center. |
| das dach der welt | (German) the roof of the world |
| damaskus | (German n.) Damascus |
| damenjacke | (German f.) coat |
| anticipation | A musical foot of three syllables, the first two long or accented, the third short, or unaccented |
| das kommt darauf an! | (German) That depends! |
| dal giardino | (Italian) from the garden |
| das geringere übel | (German) the lesser of two evils |
| dahinjagen | (German) to skitter |
| mesto | Sad. |
| staccato | "Detached." Indicating a style of performance in which each note is played in a short, crisp manner. |
| verismo | "Realism." An Italian operatic point of view favoring realistic subjects taken from everyday, often lower-class, life. |
| dar com | (Spanish) to meet, to find |
| attaca | Proceed without a pause between movements |
| dahlia | (English, French m.) any of several plants of or developed from the species Dahlia pinnata having tuberous roots and showy rayed variously-coloured flower heads |
| das mag wohl sein. | (German) That (very) well may be. |
| darstellende kunst | (German f.) dramatic arts, performing arts |
| das numinose | (German n.) the numinous |
| dachte vorher aus | (German) preconceived |
| rockers | An English youth subculture in the '60s that wore leather jackets, rode motorcycles (not motor scooters), and identified with American rockabilly music. |
| das genügt. | (German) That will do. |
| revues | See vaudeville. |
| allemande | German dance in 3/4 time, 16th/17th, rather slow |
| da questa parte | (Italian) from this place |
| das unvergängliche | (German n.) that which endures forever |
| interval | the distance between two different pitches of a scale. |
| industrial rock | A 1980s and after rock style that expresses anger at an industrial society |
| dabeigeblieben | (German) stayed with |
| das land der verheißung | (German n.) the Promised Land |
| das totenglöckchen läutete. | (German) The death knell sounded. |
| boogaloo | Also bugalú |
| double bass | The largest and lowest-voiced member of the bowed string family of instruments |
| dab | abbreviation of 'Dictionary of American Biography' |
| proscenium | The part of the stage between the curtain and the orchestra pit. |
| das ist gelogen! | (German) That's a lie! |
| cutting | A technique used by disc jockeys to segue one recording into another using a vari-speed control on one phonograph to maintain a constant beat pattern through the change. |
| dankerfüllt | (German) grateful |
| das datum ändern | (German) to alter the date, to change the date |
| melismatic | several notes sung to a single syllable. |
| requiem | Choral work relating to the words of the Latin Mass of the Dead |
| daf | see def |
| das bedeutet | (German) that implies, this means that |
| das schottische tiefland | (German) the Lowlands of Scotland |
| daktylogramm | (German n.) dactylogram |
| das gute leben lieben | (German) to be fond of good living |
| das leben auf tour | (German) life on the road |
| das umfassende | (German) catch-all |
| das kommende jahr | (German) the year to come |
| consonance | A relatively stable, comfortable sound that seems to be at rest in contrast with a dissonant, restless sound |
| atonal | Without a tonal center.... |
| darlehensmöglichkeiten | (German pl.) credit facilities |
| das buch jeremia | (German) (the Book of) Jeremiah |
| allargando | Growing broader, getting slower and louder |
| trad jazz | Dixieland jazz in the style played in New Orleans and Chicago during the '20s. |
| damenlederjacke | (German f.) ladies' leather jacket |
| overblowing | A wind instrument technique in which increased air pressure is combined with lip manipulation to extend the range of the horn and produce a variety of tones |
| darsela a gambe | (Italian) to take to one's heels |
| dahinter | (German) behind, behind it, behind them |
| ax | Also "axe." Any musical instrument.... |
| dank sei dem herrn. | (German) Thank the Lord. |
| dänische übersetzung | (German f.) Danish translation |
| dachpolice | (German f.) blanket insurance policy |
| darle albergue a ... | (Spanish) to take .. |
| a-style | description of certain types of mandolin |
| das ist unwichtig. | (German) That's of no importance. |
| dasia-zeichen | (German f |
| dahingehend | (German) to that effect |
| dahinziehen | (German) to roll by (years) |
| dasitan | a form of quyi popular among the Uygur people in Xinjiang |
| dalk | (German m |
| damenkonfektion | (German f.) ladies' wear (department) |
| time-line pattern | a repeated, asymmetric pattern that serves as a basic foundation layer in African (and, to a lesser extent, African American) music. |
| darlehenssumme | (German f.) amount borrowed |
| dämpferwalze | (German f.) steamroller |
| dar amparo a ... | (Spanish) to give .. |
| dachschindeln | (German pl.) shingles (roofing shingles) |
| turnaround | Also "turn back." The short chord pattern just before the musicians must "turnaround" to play the same larger passage again.... |
| das wird gesagt. | (German) People are saying that. |
| darf | (German) may (is permitted), can (may) |
| development | Structural reshaping of thematic material |
| das buch esther | (German) (the Book of) Esther |
| arioso | Short, aria-like passage. |
| das klassenziel erreichen | (German) (not) to reach the required standard, (not) to make the grade |
| dachte ich mir. | (German) I thought so. |
| carol | English medieval strophic song with a refrain repeated after each stanza; now associated with Christmas. |
| consonance | Groups of tones that are harmonious when sounded together as in a chord. |
| tempo | The rate of speed at which music is performed. |
| das licht fernhalten | (German) to obstruct the light |
| daliegen | (German) to lie there |
| race records | Recordings produced in the 1920s-30s exclusively for African American audiences.... |
| das ist der gipfel! | (German) That just takes the biscuit! That beats everything! |
| dastehen | (German) to stand there |
| das feuer schüren | (German) to stir the fire |
| darum! | (German) That's why! |
| dans le civil | (French) in civilian life |
| das übernächste haus | (German n.) the next house but one |
| indigenous | Native to a culture; the original people in a region. |
| dancing | (French m.) dance-hall |
| cornet | Valved brass instrument similar to the trumpet but more mellow in sound. |
| embellished | A musical line that has been decorated by added notes or ornaments. |
| das ist reinigungsbedürftig. | (German) This wants cleaning. |
| darbringung christi im tempel | (German f.) Presentation of Jesus at the Temple |
| dahingleiten | (German) to slide |
| homorhythmic | Multiple horizontal lines moving with the same rhythm in all parts. |
| dank entgegennehmen | (German) to accept thanks |
| das schlimmste herausholen | (German) to bring out the worst |
| bow | a string instrument, such as a string bass, played by drawing a bow with horsehair across the strings; also known as arco. |
| accent | Emphasis placed on a particular note that gives it more stress than the others |
| das vorliegende problem | (German n.) the problem in hand |
| outside | see playing outside. |
| das steuer herumreißen | (German) to change course, to alter course |
| das licht erlosch. | (German) The light faded. |
| darmgeräusch | (German n.) borborygmus |
| das genaue porto | (German) the exact postage |
| damenschneiderei | (German f.) couture, dressmaking (trade), dressmaker (female) |
| das gute | (German) the good thing |
| da capo senza ripetizione | (Italian) return to the beginning and then play without repeats |
| atonal | Lacking a recognizable tonal center or tonic. |
| register | A name for different parts of a vocalist's or an instrument's range.... |
| mainstream | Having the prevailing characteristics of a society. |
| spiritual | Folklike devotional genre of the United States, sung by African Americans and whites. |
| counterpoint | The compositional art of combining two or more simultaneous melodic lines (polyphonic texture); term means "point against point" or "note against note." |
| dankschreiben | (German n.) thank-you letter, letter of thanks |
| d'aprés | (French) according to |
| darse aires | (Spanish) to put on airs, to give oneself airs |
| das bewusstsein wiedergewinnen | (German) to regain consciousness |
| dampfzug | (German m.) steam train |
| darstellbar | (German) presentable, educible, representable, presentably, portrayable |
| das extrem vermeiden | (German) to avoid extremes |
| de quando | (Italian) since, ever since |
| beats | (Also beatniks) American writers and poets of the '50s and later whose works included social criticisms questioning the lack of individual freedom in American society. |
| danke für den tipp. | (German) Thanks for the advice. |
| danelag | (German n.) Danelaw |
| das schließt alles ein. | (German) That covers everything. |
| dance crazes | the public's reaction to 'fad dances' |
| damenbesuch | (German m.) lady visitor |
| dannazione | (Italian f.) damnation |
| daiquiri | an iced cocktail of rum, lime or lemon juice, and sugar |
| mezzo piano | A moderately soft dynamic level. |
| vernacular | The everyday spoken language. |
| dahintersteckend | (German) being behind it |
| daktyloskopie | (German f.) dactyloscopy |
| damenring | (German m.) ladies' ring |
| das pensionsalter erreichen | (German) to reach retirement age |
| harlem renaissance | Time in American History (1920 to late 1930s) when African American literature, art & music began to flourish in New York City. |
| dampfdrucktopf | (German m.) pressure cooker |
| fantasia | Free instrumental piece of fairly large dimensions, in an improvisational style; in the Baroque, it often served as an introductory piece to a fugue. |
| rest | a moment of silence, indicated by a sign in musical notation; for example, indicates a quarter rest (a quarter notes duration of silence). |
| darunter gehören | (German) to belong under |
| depression | Decrease in business activity for an extended period of time. |
| dank sei dem herrn! | (German) Thanks be to God! |
| tonic | the first degree of the scale, or the chord built on the first scale degree |
| dominant | The fifth scale step, sol. |
| sousaphone | Brass instrument adapted from the tuba with a forward bell that is coiled to rest over the player's shoulder for ease of carrying while marching. |
| fundamental | The basic pitch of a tone. |
| tape loop | A loop of recording tape that repeats a sound or sequence of sounds.... |
| das klima ändern | (German) to alter the climate |
| das abendmahl nehmen | (German) to receive Communion |
| dann | (German) then, after that, next |
| style | External characteristics of music developed through the creative process that distinguish one piece from another, characteristics that are determined by the composer’s use of musical elements, formal design, and emotional expression. |
| das fehlt mir noch! | (German) That's just what I needed! (colloquial - ironic) |
| das beruht auf gegenseitigkeit. | (German) The feeling is mutual. |
| das absolute | (German n.) absoluteness |
| damastdolch | (German m.) damask dagger |
| dandruff | flakes of dead skin in the hair and the condition itself |
| arrangement | An adaption of a composition. |
| das nachsehen haben | (German) to be left with nothing |
| dahinsiechen | (German) to waste away, to fall into decline, to pine away |
| das glaube ich gern | (German) I dare say (confirming) |
| das passt mir gut. | (German) It suits me fine. |
| interlude | Music played between sections of a musical or dramatic work. |
| auxiliary tone | In part writing, an ornamentation such as a grace note, which is an unaccented, non-harmonic note immediately above or below a principal or harmonic note |
| das abendmahl austeilen | (German) to distribute (Holy) Communion |
| dasselbe | (German) the same, same, sic, ditto |
| das wetter ist schlecht. | (German) The weather is bad. |
| second | The interval between two adjacent scale tones.... |
| brushes | Drum sticks with wire brushes on the end, sued to produce a quieter, scratching sound.... |
| das macht mir kopfzerbrechen. | (German) That worries me. |
| heldentenor | this is the dramatic tenor of the German repertoire, a voice type that must have a distinctive 'ring', weight and spin to portray heroic roles such as Lohengrin (on the lighter side) and Tristan or Siegfried (on the heavier side) |
| dachbelag | (German m.) roof cladding |
| dagga | see tabla |
| das abendmahl reichen | (German) to administer Holy Communion |
| dado | (Spanish) given, gone |
| arrangement | The selection and adaptation of a composition or parts of a composition to instruments for which it was not originally designed or for some other use for which it was not at first written |
| dahina | see tabla |
| tubular bells | See chimes. |
| ternary form | Three-part (A-B-A) form based on a statement (A), contrast or departure (B), and repetition (A), Also three-part form. |
| darstellende künstler | (German m.) performing artist |
| offbeat | a note that falls in between the basic beats of a measure. |
| country-guitar fills | Short bits of melody played as a response to a vocal line. |
| dämpfer absetzen | see Dämpfer ab |
| bop | See bebop.... |
| darstellbares zeichen | (German n.) displayable character |
| formalism | Tendency to elevate formal above expressive value in music, as in Neoclassical music. |
| das genaue gegenteil | (German) the exact opposite, the very reverse, the very antithesis |
| das hat schule gemacht. | (German) That set a precedent. |
| microphone | An instrument for magnifying sound. |
| inflection | Small alteration of the pitch by a microtonal interval |
| darmkollern | (German n.) borborygmus |
| singing schools | Schools established to introduce and teach singing from musical notation |
| straight eights | Eighth notes played evenly.... |
| dahingegen | (German) on the other hand |
| scat-singing | improvising by a vocalist, using nonsense syllables instead of words; popularized by Louis Armstrong. |
| danzar | (Spanish) to dance, to meddle, to interfer |
| chase | A series of short musical passages (trading fours or twos) played by several players at a fast tempo.... |
| dahinrosten | (German) to rust away |
| afficionado | "affectionate"; a Spanish term for a passionately knowledgeable individual. |
| damenlederhose | (German f.) ladies' leather slacks |
| darstellung der angelegenheit | (German f.) version of the affair |
| dahaben | (German) to have (got) in |
| dampfkesselanlage | (German f.) steam-boiler plant |
| dalmatic | item of mass vestments; a fringed tunic with split sides, worn under the chasuble by a bishop and as an upper garment by a deacon |
| das geschäft ist geplatzt. | (German) The deal is off. |
| dar muestras de alegría | (Spanish) to look happy |
| das sorgerecht behalten | (German) to retain custody |
| speed metal | A faster version of Thrash Metal. (See Thrash Metal.) |
| bar | Also known as measure |
| das wird sich zeigen | (German) we shall see |
| daimio | (Japanese) a Japanese prince or nobleman |
| strophic | Designating a song in which all verses of text are sung to the same music. |
| darreichend | (German) handing |
| woodshed | [also know as: shedding] Rehearsing or practicing alone.... |
| das ist alles gesponnen. | (German) It's all fairy tales. |
| daseinszweck | (German m.) raison d'être (French) |
| duration | The length of time a pitch sounds |
| das einzig gute | (German) the saving feature (of) |
| darsi per vinto | (Italian) to give up |
| das leben erhalten | (German) to preserve one's life |
| das einmaleins | (German n.) the basics |
| da camera | (Italian) for or of the chamber |
| straight ahead | Term used to suggest a manner of playing which adheres closely to the tradition of jazz, as in played straight, moving in a straight forward manner; also used as a stylistic designation related to mainstream (see mainstream) playing; acoustic jazz based on the hard bop tradition and sensibilities. |
| das kann gut sein. | (German) That may very well be. |
| darf nicht | (German) must not |
| dampfgetrieben | (German) steam-driven, steam-powered |
| dahinvegetieren | (German) to vegetate |
| dancing and deray | (archaic) disorderly mirth and revelry at a dance or some similar festivity |
| dank annehmen | (German) to accept thanks |
| dannare | (Italian) to damn |
| hymn | Song in praise of God; often involves congregational participation. |
| salsa rhythm | Popular music from Cuba based on rhythm patterns from Africa; salsa music often includes an improvisational montuno section. |
| ballads | Songs with a story having a beginning, middle, and end |
| comprimario | "next to the first"; A singer who plays a secondary role such as a confidante, servant, messenger |
| dankbare aufgabe | (German f.) rewarding task |
| antara | Andean panpipes typically made of cane or clay |
| damp squib | unsuccessful attempt to impress etc. |
| standard | a popular song that has become part of the permanent repertory for jazz musicians. |
| dänemark | (German n.) Denmark |
| das ist mir recht. | (German) That's OK with me |
| damoklesschwert | (German n.) sword of Damocles |
| daranmachen | (German) to set about |
| das dritte geschlecht | (German) the third sex (transexual) |
| dämmerungsaktiv | (German) crepuscular, active at twilight |
| dahinschlängeln | (German) to wriggle along |
| maracas | in Latin percussion, a gourd filled with beans and shaken. |
| horn | See French horn. |
| daseinsberechtigung | (German f.) raison d'être (French: right to exist) |
| deus ex machina | "god out of a machine"; A stage or literary device that represents a last minute salvation of a dicey situation by a god/goddess who's been watching the plot unfold from afar |
| sequence | often a term for a song or a chordal pattern. |
| das amerikanische volk | (German) the American people |
| stopping | On a string instrument, altering the string length by pressing it on the fingerboard |
| dar la coincidencia | (Spanish) to happen |
| form | A term used to designate standardized musical shapes, such as binary form or sonata form. |
| anapest | A musical foot consisting of two short notes or syllables, followed by one long |
| meno | Less. |
| dabei gewesen | (German) been present |
| das bringt nichts. | (German) It's pointless. |
| arrhythmic | Without an obvious beat.... |
| das boot umkippen | (German) to upset the boat |
| das rote meer | (German) the Red Sea |
| damigiana | (Italian f.) demijohn |
| d.a.i. | abbreviation of 'died from accidental injuries' |
| darm- | (German) intestinal, enteric (prefix) |
| bar | See meter. |
| misterioso | Mysteriously. |
| dame gesetzten alters | (German f.) woman of mature years |
| das beweismaterial durchgehen | (German) to sift the evidence |
| dachgarten | (German m.) roofgarden, roof garden, roof-top garden |
| intro | The introductory section of a tune prior to the theme statement, or head. |
| call and response | A means whereby instruments or sections of instruments in a band or combo play a passage which is in turn responded to by another instrument or section; a musical conversation: one musician or section will play a short melodic idea and is answered by another musician or section. |
| darwinistisch | (German) Darwinian, Darwinist, Darwinistic |
| das dritte reich | (German n.) Third Reich |
| das essen ist fertig! | (German) Dinner is ready! |
| measure | A grouping of beats, which indicates the meter of a particular piece of music |
| das geld wert | (German) worth the money |
| das ist reine übungssache. | (German) It's just a matter of practice. |
| damengesellschaft | (German f.) company of ladies, company of a lady, ladies' gathering |
| das okkulte | (German) the occult |
| damenwahl | (German f.) ladies' choice |
| das für und wider | (German) the pros and cons |
| das bezweifle ich. | (German) I doubt that. |
| dachisolation | (German f.) roof insulation |
| das heißt | (German) that is, scilicet, meaning |
| das und das | (German) such and such |
| dar lugar a | (Spanish) to give rise to |
| dachterrasse | (German f.) roofgarden, roof garden, roof terrace, deck |
| big band | An orchestra of more than 10 members.... |
| verse | An introductory section at the beginning of some pop songs (especially older songs) that leads to the refrain (see Pop Song Forms).... |
| das ist eine kleinigkeit! | (German) That's nothing! |
| das segel laufen lassen | (German) to douse |
| mor | Middle-of-the-road; popular music with the greatest appeal to the masses. |
| klezmer | a Jewish dance music. |
| diva | 'goddess'; A female opera star of rank or pretension. |
| das parlament auflösen | (German) to dissolve parliament |
| attention | A military bugle call, in the category of warning calls, played to warn the troops that they are about to be called to attention |
| coro/pregón | Call-and-response between soloist and the coro (Latin) |
| phrase | a musical sentence. |
| accent | A conspicuous, sudden emphasis given to a particular sound, usually by an increase in volume. |
| das unbekannte | (German) the unknown |
| dankbares publikum | (German n.) grateful public, appreciative audience |
| das schlichtungsangebot annehmen | (German) to accept arbitration |
| traps | see drum kit |
| dämpfer weg | (German) mute off, take of the mute |
| dampf inhalieren | (German) to inhale steam |
| das ist völlig sinnlos. | (German) This makes no sense at all. |
| tag | A short section of music added to the end of a composition to emphasize that the piece is ending. The term "coda" is also used for a tag ending. |
| syllabic | Melodic style with one note to each syllable of text. |
| das schöne geschlecht | (German) the fair sex |
| arco | a stringed instrument (such as the string bass) played with a bow. |
| darne | (French) a slice of round fish on the bone |
| discography | the science of record classification. |
| perceptive listening | Listening to music attentively in an attempt to understand the musical processes and structure that give the music its characteristic qualities. |
| elegy | A musical lament usually composed in tribute to the dead |
| das schlimmste befürchten | (German) to assume the worst |
| da drin | (German) in there, inside it, inside them |
| dankkarte | (German f.) thank-you card |
| das war's für heute. | (German) That was it for today. |
| das radio anlassen | (German) to leave the radio on |
| das ist eine tatsache! | (German) That's a fact! |
| das umgreifende | (German) the encompassing |
| frequency | The rate of speed of sound waves. |
| das ist ein pappenstiel. | (German) That's chicken feed |
| dalia | (Italian f., Spanish f.) dahlia |
| camber | the curvature of the fretboard, also known as the radius. |
| das würde mir zuwiderlaufen. | (German) That'd be against my principles. |
| dänenprinz | (German m.) Danish prince, prince of Denmark (for example, Hamlet) |
| danke sehr! | (German) Thank you very much! |
| dar addietro | (Italian) to draw back |
| instab | See tension. |
| dansen | (Dutch) to dance |
| das ist noch musik. | (German) That's what I call music. |
| dachrinne | (German f.) gutter, roof gutter |
| das richtige tun | (German) to do the proper thing, to do the right thing |
| das sitzt wie angegossen. | (German) That's a perfect fit |
| daher ... | (German) That is why ... |
| book | The repertoire of a band or singer.... |
| dans le temps | (French) at one time |
| dar alcance | (Spanish) to catch up |
| damenkleidung | (German f.) women's clothing |
| chops | Synonym for technique. |
| das schlimmste befürchten | (German) to fear the worst |
| liturgy | The text of the Roman Catholic Mass (reenactment of the Last Supper) service, also used by some Protestant religions. |
| dachjuhe | (German n.) attic room |
| dar destino a | (Spanish) to find a use for |
| dartington hall[1925-present] | originally founded by Leonard & Dorothy Elmhirst, as a successful experiment in rural regeneration financed by the New York heiress's fortune |
| spinto | "pushed"; a voice is 'pushed' toward another, i.e., a lyrico spinto is a lyric soprano that can lean toward a heavier, dramatic quality. |
| das buch hiob | (German) the Book of Job |
| daraus | (German) hence, out of it, out of them, from it, from them, thereof |
| darfst du das machen? | (German) Are you allowed to do that? |
| common time | 4/4 meter. |
| blue notes | (1) Pitches in the scale that can be flattened or sharpened within the blues scale; (2) tones that are bent or changed to increase the expressivity of the music, not simply to alter the scale.... |
| das genügt völlig. | (German) That's quite enough. |
| dampferhitzt | (German) steam-heated |
| ethnomusicologist | A scholar of music in culture—of world music; one who studies ethnomusicology; one who pursues research on the music of a culture, writes about it, and teaches others about it. |
| das ist ein argument. | (German) That's a good point. |
| danube new wave | mixture of Viennese schrammelmusik and American blues and rock and roll |
| das unternehmen abbrechen | (German) to abandon the undertaking |
| licks | Short musical ideas that are regularly repeated in the improvisations of a particular soloist |
| romantic | the period of music between ca |
| progressive jazz | Modern jazz (c |
| das boot ist abgefahren. | (German) It's too late. |
| das bewusstsein wiedererlangen | (German) to regain consciousness |
| crooning | The soft vocal style of Rudy Vall嶪, Bing Crosby, Perry Como and others who tended to slide from one note to another, giving the effect of warmth, intimacy and sentimentality. |
| dämpfungsblättchen | (German n.) felt pad |
| lindy hop | See "jitterbug." |
| dare un'occhiata | (Italian) to have a look at |
| daouli | two headed goatskin drum from Greece |
| daft | silly, foolish, mad |
| daneben gehen | (German) to go awry |
| dampf erzeugen | (German) to raise steam |
| dachbodenisolierung | (German f.) loft insulation |
| lyre | An ancient plucked string instrument in the shape of a box (Figure 5 |
| das geschaute | (German) the things being looked at |
| das zählt alles nicht. | (German) None of that counts at all. |
| das haar waschen | (German) to shampoo (one's hair) |
| bassoon | A low-sounding woodwind instrument that uses a mouthpiece with a double reed. |
| das recht verdrehen | (German) to pervert the course of justice |
| damenhaft | (German) ladylike |
| vernacular | The most familiar and most used language of the people of a nation, region, or a cultural group |
| dal | Indian culinary dish whose principal ingredient is the split lentil |
| das große bibbern haben | (German) to get a touch of the jitters (colloquial) |
| dammbruchargument | (German n.) slippery slope (logical argument) |
| fugato | A fugal passage within a composition. |
| das reinste museum für | (German) a shrine to (figurative) |
| soprano | The highest range of the female voice; lyric soprano is warm, graceful; dramatic soprano is fuller and heaver, e.g |
| darse por aludido | (Spanish) to take it personally |
| dansje | (Dutch) dance |
| dänischwörterbuch | (German n.) Danish dictionary |
| dampfen | (German n.) steaming |
| antique cymbals | A set of two small disks of brass each held in one hand of the performer that are played by being struck together gently and allowed to vibrate |
| coro | "Chorus": the two or three-voice refrain sung against a montuno.... |
| camerata | A group of Florentine writers and one musician who regularly met in the late 1600s to discuss art and experiment with art form |
| unity | Music that has unity does not ramble and is cohesive, and there is an exact or a modified repetition of themes and patterns. |
| chorus | a group of singers with more than one individual singing each part |
| dachlüfter | (German m.) roof vent |
| danemark | (French m.) Denmark |
| das ding an sich | (German) the thing-in-itself (colloquial) |
| dämpfer abnehmen | see Dämpfer ab |
| das ist wirklich schlimm! | (German) How awful! |
| sit in | Musician's slang for performing with a group. |
| daoism | or Taoism, a principal philosophy and system of religion of China based on the teachings of Lao-tzu in the sixth century BC |
| das ganze jahr hindurch | (German) all the year round, throughout the whole year, perennial, at any time of the year |
| danaergeschenk | (German n,) Greek gift (a gift given with the intention of tricking and causing harm to the recipient) |
| damaha | (Nepal) a frame drum that features in the Panche Baja ensemble |
| stability | See tension. |
| naturalism | A literary movement of nineteenth-century France that realistically depicted the lives of working-class people. |
| dodecaphony | See "twelve-tone." |
| darüber hinwegsehend | (German) conniving |
| das schlimmste ist vorbei. | (German) The worst part's over. |
| das humane | (German n.) the essence of what it means to be human |
| damman | (Indian) a set of two kettledrums called fo and mo, meaning male and female |
| french horn | A medium-ranged, mellow-sounding brass instrument. |
| acutus | The earliest form of musical notation from the two signs of Greek prosody (written text to be performed) indicating stress, pitch, length of syllables in the text |
| alto flute | Woodwind instrument of the flute family that plays in the alto register |
| dans quelque temps | (French) in a while |
| darauf hinweisen | (German) to point out |
| dämpfer ab | (German) also Dämpfer abnehmen, Dämpfer absetzen, without mute(s) (also ohne Dämpfer, keine Dämpfer) |
| das leben ist kurz. | (German) Life is short |
| das bett hüten | (German) to stay in bed, to keep to one's bed |
| danke für den anruf! | (German) Thanks for calling! |
| renaissance | A period in history dating from the 14th to 16th centuries |
| staff | A graph-like structure consisting of five lines and four spaces |
| danse oriental | (French f.) belly dance |
| dance cuer | see 'dance caller' |
| dance notation | choreology |
| das verlangen erhöhen | (German) to sharpen the desire |
| dar disculpas | (Spanish) to make excuses |
| danebengehen | (German) to miss, to fail, to go wrong, to miscarry, to misfire, to be wide (of the target) |
| dachfirst | (German m.) roof ridge, crest (top of a pitched roof) |
| allegretto | A moderately fast tempo. |
| dämonismus | (German m.) demonism |
| folk music | a form of music created by ordinary people for its own use, insulated from the commercial world and the world of social elites. |
| das kannst du knicken. | (German) Nothing doing |
| das ist nicht ohne. | (German) That's not half bad. |
| das tauende loswerfen | (German) to douse |
| daktyloskopisch | (German) dactyloscopic |
| mezza voce | "medium voice"; Singing 'mezza voce' means intentionally singing with less volume, usually to heighten the emotion |
| damaszenerpflaumenmus | (German n.) damson cheese |
| das lager abbrechen | (German) to decamp, to raise camp, to break camp |
| das ist nichts besonderes. | (German) It's all in the day's work |
| das feinste vom feinsten | (German) the creme de la creme |
| daher der name. | (German) Whence the name. |
| ronde lively | Renaissance "round dance," associated with the outdoors, in which the participants danced in a circle or a line. |
| rhythm and blues | Called "race music" until the end of the '40s, an originally black American popular music in which the back-beat was accented and beats were usually subdivided unevenly. |
| das gespräch aufzeichnen | (German) to record the conversation |
| das zepter niederlegen | (German) to abdicate |
| dachverband | (German m.) umbrella association, governing body, holding organization, umbrella organisation |
| da droben | (German) aloft there |
| dannaggiare | (Italian) to damage, to harm |
| virelai | Medieval and Renaissance fixed poetic form and chanson type with French courtly texts. |
| da drüben | (German) across there, over there |
| collage | A technique drawn from the visual arts whereby musical fragments from other compositions are juxtaposed or overlapped within a new work. |
| extensions | notes added to extend a chord beyond the triad (such as the sixth, seventh, ninth, or thirteenth). |
| passing tone | A non-harmonic note that connects other notes that are harmonic... |
| danke schön! | (German) Thanks a lot! |
| daltonism | colour-blindness |
| string quartet | The string quartet was one of the most common chamber ensembles |
| grace note | a short, decorative note sounded either immediately before or simultaneously with a longer melodic note. |
| das unmögliche schaffen | (German) to manage the impossible |
| alliteration | A characteristic of ancient Northern European poetry such as Beowulf consisting of the use of words with the same initial letter |
| darbringend | (Spanish) offering |
| dafür sein | (German) to be for it, to be in favour of it |
| das lass mal stecken. | (German) Forget about that |
| danger money | extra payment for dangerous work |
| das ist die höhe. | (German) That's the limit. |
| grace note | Ornamental note, often printed in small type and not performed rhythmically. |
| dagegen reden | (German) to speak to the contrary |
| encore | "again"; an audience request that the performer(s) repeat a piece or perform another. |
| v chord | chord built on the fifth degree of the scale; known as the dominant. |
| dämlichkeit | (German f.) dimwittedness, dopiness |
| dahin | (German) there, thither (old-fashioned) |
| intonation | The relation of a note to its actual frequency |
| das gespräch führen | (German) to do the talking |
| das weiße im auge | (German) the whites of the eye |
| dampfkraft | (German f.) steam power |
| dans le but de | (French) with the intention of |
| das neueste von | (German) the latest from |
| das ist nebensache. | (German) That's a minor matter. |
| das symbolische | (German n.) (the) symbolic |
| rap | A style of black popular music that, in the 1980s, emerged from the inner city to become mainstream— an ethnic style becoming nationally popular |
| damensattel | (German m.) side saddle, side-saddle, pillion (sidesaddle, lady's saddle), sidesaddle |
| dampfzugmaschine | (German f.) traction engine |
| dahinschlendern | (German) to mosey (colloquial), to amble, to walk in a leisurely manner |
| das gewicht mehren | (German) to add to the weight |
| das hohe lied | (German) the Song of Songs |
| appassionato | A directive to a performer to play a certain passage passionately, or with intense emotion or feeling |
| jongleuresses | Female jongleurs, or wandering entertainer/minstrels. |
| dare un esame | (Italian) to take an exam |
| chromatic | Proceeding by half steps, using sharps or flats |
| daß zusehen | (German) to see that, to see to it that |
| dasitzen und nichts tun | (German) to sit on one's hands (colloquial) |
| das mindeste | (German) the least |
| dub | A copy of another recording.... |
| blow | To improvise (on any instrument); to play.... |
| midi | Musical Instrument Digital Interface: An electronic standard by which musical information can be exchanged between synthesizers and computers.... |
| panpipe | Wind instrument consisting of a series of small vertical tubes or pipes of differing length; sound is produced by blowing across the top. |
| danse champêtre | (French f.) a peasant dance, to be danced in the open |
| darbringung | (German f.) performance (of religious sacrifice) |
| harmonic progression | a series of chords placed in a strict rhythmic sequence; also known as changes. |
| dans les coulisses | (French) backstage |
| dargestellt als | (German) figured as |
| celesta | Percussion instrument resembling a miniature upright piano, with tuned metal plates struck by hammers that are operated by a keyboard. |
| verse | the introductory portion of a popular song, preceding the chorus; usually omitted by jazz musicians. |
| das ist ansichtssache. | (German) That's a matter of opinion. |
| danksagung an das publikum | (German f.) curtain call |
| das ganze kroppzeug | (German) all this junk, all that junk |
| d | in music theory, designating the triad of d-minor |
| mazurka | Type of Polish folk dance in triple meter. |
| dahintreibend | (German) drifting |
| darse un atracón | (Spanish) to stuff oneself |
| darüberlackieren | (German) to varnish over |
| computer music | A type of electro-acoustic music in which computers assist in creating works through sound synthesis and manipulation. |
| das gleichgewicht wahren | (German) to preserve the balance |
| dañado | (Spanish) damaged |
| dammweg | (German m.) causeway |
| dagegenhalten | (German) to put up some resitance, to argue |
| das gelernte anwenden | (German) to apply what you have learned |
| marching band | Instrumental ensemble for entertainment at sports events and parades, consisting of wind and percussion instruments, drum majors/majorettes, and baton twirlers. |
| daltoniano | (Spanish) daltonian, colour-blind |
| dampfauto | (German n.) steam car |
| stretch out | An opportunity to play as long as one wishes to.... |
| das zeitungswesen | (German) the press (newspapers) |
| dämlichste | (German) dopiest (colloquial) |
| darstellerisch | (German) acting, representational |
| dan day | (Vietnam) a long-necked lute with three silk strings and 10 frets, a feature of ca tru or 'tally card singing' |
| dynamics | The level of loudness |
| chordophones | A general term for stringed instruments in world music. |
| song cycle | Group of songs, usually Lieder, that are unified musically or through their texts. |
| das geschäft wieder aufnehmen | (German) to resume business |
| vocables | Words in Native American songs having no meaning and intended only as vocal sounds. |
| darse de baja | (Spanish) to take sick leave |
| dabachi | Japanese temple bell |
| damals gültig | (German) then in force |
| dactyloscopy | the examination of fingerprints as a method of identification |
| serialism | See "twelve-tone." |
| das glas leer trinken | (German) to drink the whole glass |
| sequencer | An electronic device that stores a series of tones to be played back later |
| dama | (Spanish f.) lady, lady in waiting (at court) |
| das macht insgesamt ... | (German) That comes to a total of ... |
| inside | see playing inside. |
| darlehensbedingungen | (German pl.) conditions of a loan, loan conditions, terms of a loan |
| dársena | (Spanish f.) dock |
| dar alojamiento | (Spanish) to accommodate |
| damier | (French m.) draught-board, checker-board (US) |
| dahinschwinden | (German n.) evanescence |
| dans la gêne | (French) in financial straits |
| damm- | (German) perineal (of or relating to the perineum) (prefix) |
| roll | A sustained sound on the drums produced by fast alternate strokes of the drum sticks.... |
| das nächste mal | (German) next time |
| allegro | A direction to play fast and in a lively way |
| dachstuhldurchstichbalken | (German m.) hammer beam |
| melisma | A setting of a text to music in which one syllable of text is given a series of musical notes |
| danza de las ánimas | (Spanish f., literally 'dance of the souls') an ancient folk dance from Albaladejo in the Spanish region of La Mancha |
| das übertrifft alles! | (German) That beats everything! |
| chorale variations | Baroque organ piece in which a chorale is the basis for a set of variations. |
| das kleingedruckte | (German n.) the small print |
| dampfleistung | (German f.) steam power |
| dissonance | Intervals or chords that sound impure, harsh, or unstable. |
| daniederliegen | (German) to be laid low (ill), to be prostrate |
| note | A symbol used to notate a pitch and its duration |
| das kostbarste | (German n.) the choicest |
| autonomous | Not controlled by others or by outside forces. |
| circular breathing | A technique used by wind instrument players and singers to produce a continuous stream of notes without stopping for air |
| das o.k. geben | (German) to give the okay |
| damennachthemd | (German n.) nightie (colloquial) |
| dar abasto | (Spanish) to supply |
| dacha | (Russian) a country house or villa in Russia |
| damsel | (from French) archaic or literary young unmarried woman |
| dachstock | (German m.) attic |
| triad | A three-note chord in which each note is the interval of a third from the next closest note. |
| dänin | see Däne |
| dänischstämmiger amerikaner | (German m.) Danish American |
| dämonolatrie | (German f.) demonolatry |
| studio | a room for recording or practising. |
| daigner | (French) to deign |
| damenbegleitung erwünscht | (German) please bring a lady, please bring a partner |
| tape splicing | The technique of cutting apart and putting together pieces of pre-recorded tape. |
| das beunruhigt mich etwas | (German) I'm slightly worried about it. |
| cadence | A point of rest at the end of a passage, section, or complete work that gives the music a sense of convincing conclusion |