Glossary extracted starting with manual seeds, with PTM for the domain mus and language EN

intimo	"intimately"
cello	Small violone (violone means "big viola")
end pin	The metal post where the back end of the strap connects
marcato	marked; i.e., accentuatedly, execute every note as if it were to be accented
col legno	Use the wood (back) of the bow (for string players)
stave/staff	The five lines and four spaces on which notes are written
perpetuum mobile	Continuous rhythmic motion, employing a consistent note value that proceeds rapidly without pause for an entire section or movement.
leggiero	Lightly.
slentando	Get gradually slower.
coperti	on a drum, muted with a cloth.
sonoro	with rich tone or resonant
dolce	sweetly, gently.
allegro commodo	a conveniently rapid tempo.
loop stringing	In stringing, loop stringing is a procedure where the string is attached to one tuning pin then bent around the hitch pin and then comes back and is attached to another tuning pin, thereby forming a loop
maestro suggeritore	Master prompter
keys	Wooden levers that are pressed downward in order to activate the action.
prelude	An instrumental introduction to an act within a musical drama.
grave	Very slow.
tierce de picardie	see Picardy third
infurianto	"furiously"
floating bridge	A type of bridge held in place by the string tension (which pulls it one way), and a set of bridge springs.
major triad	A triad featuring a P5 divided into a M3 (bottom) and m3 (top).
bridge cap	A piece of maple laminated to the base of the bridge that holds the bridge pins
letoff button	The adjusting screw that regulates letoff.
vittorioso	victoriously
expressionism	As in the visual arts, a term used to describe works in which the artist's state of mind is the primary concern; similarly applied above all to German music of the early twentieth century, as composed by StraussBerg and Schoenberg.
acoustics	The science or study of sound
backphrasing	A rhythmic alteration in which the melody falls behind the beat.
allegro non presto	an allegro movement, but not too rapid.
h	German for B natural; B in German means B flat
semplicemente	simply
adagissimo	"very slow."
jack	A small piece of wood -- the throwing arm -- that pushes up on the hammer shank as the hammer is being propelled toward the string.
slargando or slentando	becoming broader or slower (that is, becoming more largo or more lento)
concert pitch	Tuning standard where the ‘A’ above middle C = 440 Hz or 440 vibrations per second
sustain	To sing or play a specific note for the specified duration
tuning pins	Adjustable high tensile strength steel shanks that are set into the pinblock in order to attach the strings to the piano
diminuendo	dwindling
alla marcia	In the style of a march.
cymbales charleston	cymbals that are operated by a foot pedal
cadence	The closing sequence of a musical phrase or composition
impromptu	A improvised piece, e.g: Schubert’s Impromptus
node	The spot on a piano wire that creates the division of the wire
assai	"very."
interlude	Piece of instrumental music played between scenes in a play or opera.
parlando or parlante	like speech, enunciated
stage manager	the person who coordinates and manages elements of the performance.
scatenato	unchained, wildly[5]
a piacere	"at pleasure"
assai	very, or very much
très lentement	very slowly.
overtone	A high-pitched sound that a string produces which is not part of its fundamental tone.
senza sordini	String direction – to play without mutes.
di	by, with, of, for
invention	A short contrapuntal piece stemming from a single musical idea
pitch	The note that the string is sounding
fanfare	a trumpet call.
ma non troppo	"but not too much."
etwas	somewhat
alto	high
con delicato	with delicacy.
un poco	"a little."
sul e	"on E", indicating a passage is to be played on the E string of a violin
flat	1
-issimamente	a suffix meaning 'as...as can be', e.g
largo	broadly; i.e., slowly
divisi	divided
forte or f	strong; i.e., to be played or sung loudly
sipario	curtain (stage)
hammer	The entire mallet that is activated by the action to strike the strings.
modéré	moderately, at a moderate speed
encore	‘Again’; A term the audience calls out to the performers when they wish the performers to repeat what has just been sung.
sempre lento malinconico assai	always slowly and in a very melancholy style.
comprimario	“next to the first”; A singer who plays a secondary role such as a confidante, servant, messenger
sempre	"always."
constantine	Roman ruler who shifted the capital of the Empire to the east, converted to Christianity, and founded the Byzantine Empire
keyblocks	Sometimes called the cheekblocks, keyblocks are decorative wooden pieces placed at both ends of the keyboard in order to hold the keyframe in its proper position.
postlude	(lit
bis	"again," "twice."
pianissimo possibile	as softly as possible.
lied	“song”; A German song; [leet], plural Lieder [leader]
ein wenig	a little
douce	sweet
subito	suddenly (e.g., subito pp, which instructs the player to suddenly drop to pianissimo as an effect)
come	as, like
grave	Word to indicate the movement or entire composition is to be played very slow and serious.
double repeating action	A feature of grand pianos where the hammer is reset and ready to play before the key has actually returned to its home position
masquerade	In the context of African practice, masquerade dancers are a feature of religious societies and are identified with different roles
fine	"the end," often in phrases like al fine ("to the end").
leggiero	lightly, delicately
perdendosi	dying away (losing itself)
parallel motion	Melodic lines move in the same direction.
straight side	The straight edge of the piano cabinet on your left when facing the keyboard also known as the spine.
perdendosi	Dying away.
intermedi	Musical interludes performed between the acts of a play in late sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century Italy, involving dance, song and often spectacular scenic effects
sarabande	triple measure.
sidebearing	The angle of deflection from the bridge pin to one of the other termination points of a string
variation	A technique of changing, modifying, or transforming a musical idea.
adagissimo	very, very slow
delicato	delicately
bravo	skillful
register	part of the range of an instrument or voice
tremendo	"frightening"
rit.	held back; i.e., slower (usually more so but more temporarily than a ritardando, and it may, unlike ritardando, apply to a single note)
transpose	To change the key in which a progression is played.
v-bar	The front termination point of the treble strings that is either cast into the iron plate or is attached
bel canto	beautiful voice
capriccioso	"capriciously"
plagal cadence	The chord of the subdominant followed by the chord of the tonic
teflon bushings	A flange bushing made from teflon instead of wool to reduce ware
dolcissimo/dolciss.	Very sweetly
phrase	see musical phrase.
rest	Silence
attack	The first part of a sound, defined as the amount of time it takes for the acoustic waveform or electronic signal to rise from silence to its greatest amplitude
a 2 absolute music:	Music not explicitly connected with words or specific meaning but exists simply as it is.
sustained decay	A type of decay in which a note continues to sound steadily as long as the note is still being played.
proscenium	The part of the stage between the curtain and the orchestra pit.
fz	see sforzando in this list
con variazioni	with variations.
mini-barre	Fretting two or three strings, but not all of them, with a single finger.
staff	5 horizontal parallel lines on or between which musical notes are written, indicating their pitch or key
dramatis personae	the actors in a play
acceso	ignited, on fire
thumb rest	A plastic or wood bar on a bass guitar on which to rest your thumb.
bourée	duple or quadruple measure.
sentimento	with sentiment.
score	a term used in two senses:
leading-note	Seventh degree of the scale E.g: In G major the Leading-note is F#
expressivo	To play or sing expressively
tarantella	A very lively dance in 6/8, which originated in Italy
martellato	hammered out.
alla capella	usually the same as a capella (see p
seventh-fret method	A method of relative tuning whereby you tune the bass guitar using the pitch played on the seventh fret as the comparison note.
capo	beginning.
affettuoso	with feeling
treble	Highest part in harmonized music
key	The basis of tonal music
possibile	possible
consonance	A combination of tones agreeable to the ear and requiring no resolution to other tone-combinations in order to give the effect of finality
con variazioni	with variations/changes
conductor	The person who leads a musical group.
rondo form	A form whereby a principal theme alternates with other (varied) themes called episodes on the pattern A B A C A, A being the principal theme and B and C being the episodes
presto assai	as rapidly as possible.
sidefills	a slang term for onstage monitor speakers that are placed on the sides of the stage, to help performers to hear themselves.
n.c.	No chord, written in the chord row of music notation to show there is no chord being played, and no implied harmony.
pro-slavery	This term might be used to describe a person, an action, or an idea that is in favour of slavery.
ängstlich	anxiously
part	A line in a contrapuntal work performed by an individual voice or instrument.
berceuse	a cradle song.
portamento	1
tre corde	(tc; sometimes inaccurately tre corda) literally "three strings"; an instruction to release the soft pedal (in piano music)
duet	a composition for two performers
bergamasca	from Bergamo
baroque	Period in Western music from approximately 1600 to around 1750.
polacca	a Polish dance in three-quarter measure.
libretto	little book
chipping	The process of gradually increasing the tension on the strings after new strings have been installed
marzial	"martially."
etwas	Somewhat
largo di molto	very slow.
andante cantabile	moderately slow, and in singing style.
façade	Face or front of a building.
hammer rail	The rail that the hammer and the hammer flanges are attached to with flange screws.
senza sordino	"without mute."
sul g	Play on the G string
duo	A duet
sortita	a principal singer's first entrance in an opera
soubretta	In eighteenth-century opera, a serving-girl caricature who uses her cunning and wit to sort out problems, eg Mozart's Despina (Così fan tutte)
vivacissimo	"very lively"
finger permutations	An exercise used to train the left hand for fingering and to build up finger independence.
andante amabile	moderately slow, and lovingly.
non tanto	Not so much.
cadenza	A brilliant passage, usually in an instrumental composition, introduced just before the close of a movement
duple time/metre	two main beats per bar
collection	several things grouped together or considered as a whole
pomposo	pompous, ceremonious
piano technicians guild	The mission of the Piano Technicians Guild is to promote the highest possible standards of piano service by providing members with opportunities for professional development, by recognizing technical competence through examinations and by advancing the interests of its members.
scherzando	"playfully."
leitmotiv	“light motive”; A short thematic musical passage representing a character or situation in a musical drama
bruscamente	brusquely
scores	The sheets of music that you sing or play from.
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.
larghetto	somewhat slowly; not as slow as largo
a piacere	At pleasure
sospirando	Sighing.
tango	Argentinean dance in 2/4 time.
poi	then
g&s	Short for Gilbert and Sullivan
dissonante	dissonant
lyric	a short, song-like poem of simple character
grand-length keys	As opposed to shorter keys, such as those used in a spinet, grand-length keys are longer in order to have more control over them
plate bushing	The small wood lining for the inside of the hole in the plate in which the tuning pin sits
key dip	The distance that the front of the key travels when it's depressed.
drammatico	dramatically
adagietto	Quite slow
buffa/ buffo	Italian for "comic"; eg opera buffa.
veloce	swift
apron	The forward part of the stage between the curtain and the orchestra pit.
desk	British term for a "mixing board".
short accent	Hit the note hard and short
dampers	Pieces of cloth that are held against the strings in order to prevent or stop the strings from vibrating.
rhapsody	an irregular instrumental composition of the nature of an improvisation
new world	Term given by the Europeans to the Americas
capriccioso	capriciously, unpredictable, volatile
accompagnamento	the accompaniment.
canzone	song”; a short lyrical song, usually reflecting the singer’s state of mind
sul	On
alla marcia	in march style.
quarter tone	Half of a semitone; a pitch division not used in most Western music notation, except in some contemporary art music or experimental music
fieramente	"proudly"
baroque	The period in music history that spans from ca
triplet feel	A musical pattern wherein the beat is subdivided into three equal units instead of the usual two.
geschwind	quickly
front of house	The person responsible for "Front of House" at a theatre manages the audience, whether this is showing people to their seat, general greeting or selling tickets - this is in contrast to those who work "behind the scenes" in wardrobe, props, etc.
classical	Music composed approximately between 1750-1820
doloroso	"painfully"
cell	a short, distinctive melodic and/or rhythmic grouping (like a motive)
dissonante	"dissonant"
agitato	agitated.
etude	A study – usually a piece designed to display the performers technique.
supernumerary	A "spear carrier" or non-singing extra; often peasants, servants, soldiers, or crowds of unidentified people who play backround roles.
pots	The electronic capacitors connected to the other side of a volume knob.
virtuoso	(noun or adjective) performing with exceptional ability, technique, or artistry
opera seria	serious opera
supernumeraries	appear on stage in costume in non-singing and usually, non-speaking roles.
string family	Violin, viola, cello, double bass
chorus	the vocal ensemble of men and women who represent townspeople, relatives, guards, who contribute and comment on the action of the plot.
obbligato	required, indispensable
accarezzévole	expressive and caressing
attack	The very instant that the hammer hits the string to activate it
pastorale	in a pastoral style, peaceful and simple
niente	Nothing.
inversion	Turned upside down as in chords/intervals
ideology	Ideas at the basis of a political or economic theory
pick-style playing	A type of guitar playing that involves dragging a pick across the strings to produce sound.
bridge springs	A set of metal springs that pull a floating bridge in the opposite direction of the strings, thereby holding the bridge in balance.
opéra buffa	Italian comic opera of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
ballad	A story on song
lamentoso	lamenting, mournfully
key button	A cap placed on the top of the key at its pivot point that contains the balance rail bushing.
alt	see in alt.
wound strings	Strings in the lower register that are covered by a copper wrap, wound tightly around the core of the wire
imitation	A phrase reappears slightly altered, but obviously related to its original form.
flats	These are items of stage scenery - large timber constructions, covered with muslin and painted.
adagissimo	very slow
snare drum	The snare drum has a number of strands of metal wires across the bottom skin, which resonates against the skin when struck
set	A construction on stage built to suggest place and time in which the singers enact the story of the opera plot.
l'istesso	see lo stesso, below
quasi	as if, resembling (in the style of)
flange screws	The screw that attaches and secures the flange to its rail.
furioso	"wildly"
guitar humidifier	A saturated rubber-enclosed sponge that clips onto the inside of the sound hole or is kept inside the case to raise the humidity level.
partial	The harmonic tone produced by a segment of the string.
d.s. al fine	(or dal segno al fine) "from the sign to the end": means to return to a place in the music designated by the sign and continue to the end of the piece
tuning fork	A specialized metal instrument used to provide a consistent source of vibration usually at the rate of 440 vibrations per second.
eroico	heroically
andante maestoso	moderately slow, and majestically.
truss rod wrench	A tool specifically designed for adjusting a specific truss rod.
hogshead	A barrel content measuring 272 kilos.
music desk	The sliding shelf where the pianist places music while playing.
eco	the Italian word for "echo"; an effect in which a group of notes is repeated, usually more softly, and perhaps at a different octave, to create an echo effect
morendo	dying away (gradual diminuendo)
molto	"very"
apprentice	A person who learns a trade by working in it for an agreed period at low wages.
notehead	In musical notation, the round part of a note.
plate	The large piece of metal inside the piano that acts as a support for the strings and the tension produced.
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.
empfindung	"Feeling" (Ger.)
rit.	an abbreviation for ritardando;[1][2][3][4] also less frequently considered an abbreviation for ritenuto[5][6][7]
cadenza	In opera, a solo passage designed to show off a singer's technical abilities, generally occurring at the end of an aria, above the penultimate chord of a cadence
hierachy	System of grades or status ranked above the other.
dolcissimo	most sweetly.
pickups	Bar-like magnets that pick up the vibrations of an electric guitar's strings and transmit those signals to the amplifier.
tonality	Sum of relations existing between the tones of a scale or musical system
dolce	sweetly
libero	free, freely
ostinato	A short musical pattern that is repeated throughout an entire composition or portion of a composition.
spiccato	Detached, with springy bow ( for string players)
suss	Sweet.
microtonal	Referring to sounds that exist between consecutive half steps.
nobilmente	Nobly.
akan	The Akan people are members of an ethnic group who share a common culture and language
largamente	Broadly
cédez	yield, relax the speed
commodity	Article of trade, especially a raw material or product as opposed to a service.
assez	enough, sufficiently
transpose	change the overall pitch up or down.
fuoco	Fire.
espressivo or espr.	expressively
general pause	Rest or pause for the entire orchestra/ensemble.
sul ponticello	in string playing, an indication to bow very near to the bridge, producing a characteristic glassy sound, which emphasizes the higher harmonics at the expense of the fundamental.
interlude	Instrumental music played between scenes in an opera or play
dynamic	the level of softness or loudness.
get-out	A get-out is the opposite of the get-in - the dismantling of sets after the final show.
fermata	Finished, Closed; Usually referred to as a Pause
a capella	This is vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way.
countertenor	Highest male classical singing voice part
anima	feeling
arioso	Literally "like an aria": an arioso is traditionally a brief, melodic conversational passage in strict time (see "Recitative")
a bene placido	up to the performer
marcatissimo	with much accentuation
opera	work
fortissimo	as loudly as possible (see note at pianissimo, in this list)
bourree	Baroque suite dance in 2/2
negro	Man of African descent.
luminoso	luminously
giusto	strictly, exactly.
zeitoper	"Topical Opera", a populist genre associated with 1920s Germany, especially the work of Krenek and Weill
fuoco	fire; con fuoco means with fire
canzonet	a 'little song' (from the Italian, canzonetta)
espirando	"gasping", dying away
magico	"magically"
balance point	The pivot point of a key, like a see-saw where the front of the key travels downward and the back of the key travels upward.
senza	without
leggiero	lightly.
bellicoso	warlike, aggressive
alternative	Guitar-based rock with desultory male vocalists or chirpy female vocalists
operetta	Little opera
h b	natural (ger.)
minor pentatonic scale	A five-note scale based on a minor key.
agitato	"agitated."
duolo	(Ital) grief
poch.	very little
accentato	accented; with emphasis
batter head	Referencing to the drumhead that is actually played
oboe d’amore	love oboe
omaggio	"celebration"
posato	"settled"
bewegt	moved, with speed
partial segments	A division or segment of the string that can produce a harmonic.
downbearing gauge	A tool for measuring the change in the angle or bend of the wire as it passes over the bridge.The downbearing gauge is used to help determine the optimum amount of downbearing
coperti	covered
ma	"but."
largo assai	very slow.
bulkhead	A partition in a vessel.
power chord	A chord consisting only of roots and fifths.
a prima vista	Sight-read (lit
prestissimo	"extremely quickly."
rescue opera	The name given to an opera in which the scenario revolves around the rescue of a heroine and/or hero from impending peril, whether prison or death
brillante	brilliantly, with sparkle
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).
dal segno al coda	Repeat from the D.S
contralto	The lowest of the female voices – the same as an alto, but alto is associated with sacred and choral music, whereas contralto is purely operatic.
harmonic rhythm	The rate at which chords change.
timbre	Tone color, quality of sound that distinguishes one verse or instrument to another
opera buffa	Literally, "comic opera," opera buffa draws its comic characters from everyday life.
stage director	the person in charge of the action on stage
ma	but
diaphragmatic soundboard	A soundboard that is slightly thicker in the center than it is on the edge
larghetto	a little bit broad
amabile	"amiable", "pleasant".
giocoso	humorously, (cf
aeolian mode	One of the scales of ancient Greece
viola d'amore	love viola
up weight	The amount of weight a key can lift measured by a piano technician in order to determine how quickly a key will repeat.
doppio	double
tuning fork	A device that produces a single specific reference pitch.
lieder ohne worte	Songs without words
parlante	like speech, enunciated
brillante	brilliant
ossia	or else
touch weight	The measured amount of weight it takes to start a key moving downward.
sotto	under
a piacere	at pleasure; i.e., the performer need not follow the rhythm strictly, for example in a cadenza
col legno	with the wood; i.e., the strings (for example, of a violin) are to be struck with the wood of the bow, making a percussive sound; also battuta col legno: beaten with the wood
cantando	in a singing style
mezzo forte	half loudly; i.e., moderately loudly
pesante	"heavy and ponderous."
trapwork	The system of levers on the underside of the piano that connect the pedals to their respective functions
episode	1) In the development of a Fugue, passages that link the subjects together
metre	the musical equivalent of the 'foot' in poetry.
buzzing	A usually unwanted distortion of a guitar sound created when a string vibrates against the fret wire.
note flag	In musical notation, the little line that comes off the top or bottom of the note stem, indicating note lengths shorter than a quarter note.
overture	Introduction to an opera or other large musical work.
ballet	Dance form in which a story is told through the unification of music and dance
fretted note	A note produced by pressing your finger over the string at a specific point on the fretboard.
comodo	easily
tranquillo	calmly, peacefully
music charts	Electronic Music Charts Samples, synth usage tips and tricks.
affetuoso	Tenderly
yoruba	The Yoruba people are members of an ethnic group who share a common culture and language
sonatine	a little sonata, used in some countries instead of sonatina
baroque	Time in music history ranging from the middle of the 16th to the middle of the 17th centuries
tonic	1st note of a musical scale, also called the keynote
unison	Various singers or instruments singing or playing the same note(s) together
largamente	broadly; i.e., slowly (same as largo)
note stem	A note stem is the vertical line attached to the note head.
legato	Instruction to sing or play smoothly.
vivamente	quickly and lively
allegro di bravura	an allegro performed in brilliant style, i.e., demanding great skill in execution.
periods in music	The table below gives a rough and conveniently rounded off chronology of the various stylistic periods of music.
mezzo forte	half-strong
repente	suddenly
allegro assai	Very quick.
comodo	Convenient (at a convenient pace)
comodo	"comfortable" At moderate speed.
a cappella	Unaccompanied vocal music
modulation	To shift to another key.
plus	more
molto	much, or very much
brava	(Italian feminine form) meaning "Well done." Audiences say this to a female performer to express appreciation of her work.
multi-laminated pinblock	Layers of maple glued together to make the pinblock with alternating grain for strength.
transposition	Changing the pitch
ritenuto	Held back, slower
zu	Too
clavichord	an instrument with keys, resembling the square piano in appearance
marcia	a march; alla marcia means "in the manner of a march."
trading partner	Person with whom a transaction for something is made.
quasi	in the manner of
truss rod	The adjustable metal rod that runs the length of a guitar’s neck that controls the curvature of the neck and fingerboard.
tuning	The process of adjusting the tension of the piano strings in order to control interval relationships that will produce a consonant sound that is pleasing to the listener.
sordino	see sordina, above
accentato	"with emphasis"
barline	Lines drawn vertically on the stave to separate bars (measures)
allegretto	Slightly less fast than allegro, and perhaps lighter texturally.
goal	Jail, where people are imprisoned.
strap pin	The metal post where the front, or top, end of the strap connects.
encore	a piece that is performed after the last scheduled piece of a concert
mezzo forte	Moderately Loud
contrapuntal	Adjective derived from "counterpoint".
mobile	flexible, changeable
diaspora	Refers to the situation of any group of people dispersed, forcibly or voluntarily, throughout the world.
largo ma non troppo	slow, but not too slow.
progression	The movement of chords in succession.
divisi or div.	divided; i.e., in a part in which several musicians normally play exactly the same notes they are instead to split the playing of the written simultaneous notes among themselves
slentando	becoming broader or slower (that is, becoming more largoor more lento)
ensemble	A group of performers
diva	Literally "goddess." A female opera star
ms	see mano sinistra.
cantabile or cantando	in a singing style
una	one, as for example in the following entries
timbre	the quality of a musical tone that distinguishes voices and instruments
schottische	a dance in two-quarter measure, something like the polka.
giojoso	joyfully, (cf
fanfare	Flourish of trumpets
crescendo molto	increase in power very greatly.
-issimo	a suffix meaning 'extremely', e.g
pinblock	The laminated piece of maple into which the set of tuning pins are driven.
opera	Among the many types of dramatic work with music, opera is distinguished in having all the words of the text set to music
diminished triad	A triad with a o5 divided into two m3s.
figure/figuration	a pattern of notes used repeatedly (generally as an accompaniment).
fortissimo	very strong
con dolore	with sadness
con passione	with passion.
penseroso	thoughtfully, meditatively
staff	Made up of five horizontal parallel lines and the spaces between them on which musical notation is written.
lentemente	slowly.
forza	musical force
motif	A brief but recognizable musical idea, usually melodic but sometimes rhythmic.
mezzo-soprano	middle-upper
second inversion	A chord with the 5th as the lowest tone.
root position	A chord with the root as the lowest tone.
musical organization	an organization of musicians who perform together
prebend and release	A bending effect that is created when you stretch a string before you strike it, then strike the string, and then release the bend.
attacca	(at the end of a movement): a direction to begin (attack) the next movement immediately, without a gap or pause.
tuba	tube
scale	Musical term referring to successive notes of a key or mode that are either ascending or descending in a specific defined pattern
presser	hurry
cesura or caesura	often called "railroad tracks"; indicates complete break in sound.
à quatre mains	for four hands.
lyre braces	Diagonal braces that support the back of the lyre, preventing forward and backward motion while using the pedals.
sans	without
contrary motion	Melodic lines move in opposite directions.
counter claim	The Emancipation Act of 1834 gave slaves their freedom
floyd rose bridge	The most successful form of floating bridge — a movable bridge system that uses a locking nut to ensure that the bridge returns to its home position — was designed for guitarists who like to use the whammy bar extensively.
pedale	pedal
dynamics	refers to the relative volumes in the execution of a piece of music
primo uomo	first man
siciliano	A slow dance in 6/8 or 12/8
flamenco	Spanish dance with accompanying guitar playing
devoto	religiously
deest	from the Latin deesse meaning absent; placed after a catalogue abbreviation to indicate that this particular work does not appear in it.[2] The plural is desunt and used when referring to several works.
und	And
mezzo or mezza	half, or medium
allegretto	a little lively, moderately fast
patetico	With emotion or feeling.
privateer	Privately owned and officered warship which has been given permission from the government to act in war.
bel-canto	(Italian, “beautiful song”) Refers to the style cultivated in the 18th and 19th centuries of Italian opera
con bravura	with boldness.
battaglia	battle
attacca	attack the next division without any pause.
csardas	Hungarian dance in duple or quadruple measure.
ruhig	Peaceful.
colla	with the (col before a masculine noun, colla before a feminine noun); (see next for example)
allargando	Broadening out.
tranquillo	Quiet and calm.
chorus	A group of singers; The main hook of a song that is repeated many times
concerto grosso	big concert
facile	easy
polytonality	The use of two or more keys at the same time.
oratorio	A musical composition for chorus, orchestra and soloists whose text is usually religious, serious or philosophical
con amore	with tenderness.
motive	A short musical phrase that you repeat.
non troppo	Not too much.
amabile	amiable, pleasant
dolce	Sweetly.
canzone	“song”; a short lyrical song, usually reflecting the singer’s state of mind
finale	The end of the scene, act, opera where often the entire ensemble gathers for the last musical scene.
con slancio	"with enthusiasm."
ravvivando	quicken pace
leitmotiv	A theme that represents a character or idea
nobilmente	in a noble fashion
adagietto	rather slow
hi-tom	The hi-tom, is a drum with skins on both sides of the drum
listing	Often called string braid, the listing is a piece of cloth braided through the far end, non-speaking part of the string to dampen unwanted sounds.
natural	Note other than a sharp or flat
arco	"played with the bow," as opposed to pizzicato "plucked," in music for bowed instruments.
precipitoso	precipitously.
improvvisato	improvised, or as if improvised
sub-dominant	The 4th note of the scale — 1 below (sub) the dominant 5th.
interrupted cadence	Chord V – VI
coloratura	coloration
fuoco	fire
en retenant	slowing
risoluto	resolutely
dynamics	the relative volume in the execution of a piece of music
fortissimo	To be played very loudly, shortened to ff
cornetto	little horn
con spirito	with spirit
symphonic poem	An orchestral work that depicts stories or images
con moto	"with motion."
modesto	modest
gentile	"gently"
alla	In the style of.
sempre	always
tenerezza	Tenderness
l'istesso	the same
brillante	"brilliantly," "with sparkle."
berceuse	A cradle song and a quiet instrumental piece
quality	The color or refinement of the sound produced.
tenerezza	tenderness
risoluto	firmly, resolutely.
calando	falling away, or lowering; i.e., getting slower and quieter; ritardando along with diminuendo
langsamer	Slower
due corde	two strings
intro	opening section
poco a poco	little by little
lento assai	very slowly.
synopsis	a short summary of what takes place in the story.
pianissimo	To be played very softly, shortened to pp
flange bushing	The cloth that lines the hole of an action center in order to keep the flange from making noise.
house left	The left side of the area of the thttp://www.weebly.com/weebly/main.php#heatre where the audience sits from the point of view of a person sitting in a seat facing the stage.
immer	Always (ger.)
estinto	extinct, extinguished; i.e., as soft as possible, lifeless, barely audible
surtitles	the English translations of the opera’s language that are projected above the stage during a performance to help the audience follow the story
fingerboard diagram	A type of guitar notation that indicates where to place your fingers on the neck of the guitar.
poco	little
uptempo	a fast, lively, or increased tempo or played or done in such a tempo.[7]
école	a school or style of composition or performance.
eastern slave trade	A trade in slaves, mainly from Africa, to the Middle East, North Africa and India
compound time	Metrical time such that 3 beats are counted as one; each beat is divisible by 3
ornaments	Notes added to the printed score in performance by a singer
cabaletta	An heroic but brief showpiece (frequently coming after an aria) built upon a rapid, unchanging rhythm
andante con moto	slightly faster than andante.
troppo	"too much" Usually seen as "non troppo," meaning "moderately" or, when combined with other terms, "not too much," such as "Allegro non troppo."
quasi	Like, similar to.
modes	the old system of scales ousted by the 'invention' of keys in the seventeenth century.
bravo	a form of appreciation shouted by audience members at the end of a particularly pleasing performance
schneller	faster
come	as or similar to (come prima - as before) or (come Sopra- as above)
con moto	with motion
get-in	A get-in is when we are given access to the theatre in which we are performing, and start building the scenery, putting up lighting and helping with the sound equipment
senza sordino	without mute
pants role	A male role portrayed by a female singer
agile	swiftly
risoluto	"Resolutely" played in a bold manner.
andante sostenuto	moderately slow and sustained.
english action	A typical modern action on a grand piano where the heads of the hammers are oriented away from the keyboard rather than toward it.
bene	well, as in, for example, ben marcato (meaning "well-marked")
dim.	dwindling; i.e., with gradually decreasing volume (same asdecrescendo)
con sordino	with mute
minim	Half-note; 2 beats in duration
divisi/div.	Divide into two or more groups (for orchestral players)
prima donna	first lady
slide	1
drop screw	An adjustment screw of the grand piano action that determines how close the hammer is allowed to approach the string after it is released from the backcheck
elegy	An instrumental lament with praise for the dead.
entrepreneur	Person who undertakes a commercial venture.
ritornello	little return”; An instrumental prelude or interlude that separates the verses.
con sordino	"with the mute."
ma non troppo	But not too much
et	and
amerindian	Original inhabitant of America.
dal segno al fine	Repeat from the D.S
cello	Small violone
rhythm slashes	An indicator in guitar notation that uses slash marks (/) that tell you how to play rhythmically but not what to play.
walking bass line	A bass guitar technique in which a new note is played on every beat of music.
dal segno al coda	same as D.S
stanza	a verse of a song
operetta	A light opera, whether full-length or not, often using spoken dialogue; the plots are romantic and improbable even farcical, the music tuneful.
morendo	Dying away.
legato	"smoothly"; in a connected manner
wrestplank	another name for the pinblock.
crescendo poco a poco	increase in power very, very gradually.
irato	"angrily"
rall.	Broadening of the tempo (often not discernable from ritardando); progressively slower
cargo	Goods carried on a ship.
impressionism	Term used to describe music by composers such as Ravel and Debussy
romantic	The period of music history approximately from the early-19th to early-20th centuries
principal	Leader of a section of an orchestra, except for first violins who are led by the concertmaster.
rim	The rim is the metal or wooden ring that is used to secure the drum skin to the drum
soli	alone; i.e., executed by a single instrument or voice
medley	Musical term referring to sections of various songs that are performed one after another forming one complete song on its own
amoroso	loving
allargando	broadening, becoming a little slower
transition	See bridge.
giocoso	"gayly."
sempre	always, or continually
deciso	decisively
opera buffa	“funny opera”; a style of comic opera popular in the Baroque period and in Italy in the 19th c
gentile	gently
con energico	with energy.
zelosamente	zeal, zealous, zealously
bravi	(Italian: plural form) A call to show approval for a group of performers at the end of a performance.
dal segno/d.s.	From the sign
soundboard crown	The crown is how much the center of the soundboard rises above being perfectly flat
alto	The highest of the male voices.
con affetto	with affect (that is, with emotion)
atonality	Having no particular key or tonal area.
lusingando	In a coaxing style
sub	under or lower
corpsing	Corpsing is a British theatrical term used to describe when an actor breaks character during a scene by laughing or by causing another cast member to laugh.
stave	Also means Staff
ritmico	rhythmical
musical figure	An independent and self-contained musical phrase, sort of like a sentence when you’re speaking.
di molto	exceedingly—very much
mezzo voce	with half voice.
pianissimo	Very soft
capriccio	caprice
doppio	Double (the speed)
scherzando	Playfully.
pause	To suspend or stop momentarily
repeat	To play a certain section again
mezzo forte	"half loudly" Directs the musician to play moderately loud
basso profondo	deep and low
downstrokes	1
resurfaced / resurfacing hammers	The process where hammer felts are reshaped with a sandpaper file to remove string cuts.
mente	the ending which changes a noun or adjective to an adverb
tragédie lyrique	The common term for French serious opera of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; principal exponents were Lully and Rameau.
tempo	Speed of a piece of music or a song
catch	a round set to humorous words.
marcato	play every note as though it is accented.
staccatissimo	Play the notes very short and detached.
melancolico	"melancholic"
fresco	"freshly"
cantando	singing
bocca chiusa	with closed mouth.
march	A form of music written for marching in two-step time
issimo	a suffix meaning 'extremely', e.g
slave labour	Work carried out by enslaved people at the profit of others.
brava!	A term used during applause to commend the performance of female performers on stage
andante non troppo	not too slowly.
sanft	"gently" (Ger.)
doloroso	sorrowfully, plaintively
precipitato	precipitately
muta [in...]	Change: either a change of instrument, e.g
mazurka	A Polish dance in triple time.
agent	An agent is a person who acts on behalf of someone else in business.
mit	With
verdigris	A bluish green-colored oxidation found around some brass tuning pins in older Steinway piano actions that is known to cause heavy touch and slow repetition, sometimes referred to affectionately by technicians as "Steinway-itis" and a common reason for restoration and repair.
toccata	An Italian word meaning to ‘touch’ designed to display the brilliance of the performer.
rallentando	becoming progressively slower
breit	broad
subito	Suddenly, quickly.
timbale	small hand drum similar to a tambourine; formerly carried by itinerant jugglers
tempo	time; i.e., the overall speed of a piece of music
forte	A symbol indicating to play loud.
contra	against
forza	Force(ing)
stanza	"a verse of a song".
discord	an ugly, unharmonious combination of tones.
teneramente	tenderly
unison/unis.	No harmony
troppo	Too much
lentissimo	very slowly
marcia	a march; alla marcia means in the manner of a march
minore	minor.
pianissimo	very gentle
ausdrucksvoll/mit ausdruck	expressively, with expression
lunga pausa	Long pause
piccolo	little
chromatic	A scale containing all 12 pitches of the western notation system.
fortissimo possibile	as loudly as possible.
refrain	a recurring combination of words and tune
accentato/accentuato	accented; with emphasis
tempo ordinario	in ordinary tempo.
moto	"Motion." Usually seen as "con moto," meaning "with motion" or "quickly."
stereotype	A person or thing seeming to conform to a widely accepted type.
commonwealth	A free association of sovereign states comprising Britain and a number of its former dependencies once part of the British empire
lentissamamente	very slowly.
quasi	"as if," "almost."
vite	quick
three-part form	See ternary form.
magico	magically
alternate picking	A combination of upstrokes and downstrokes that enables the guitarist to play faster and is the key for playing fast leads smoothly.
animato come sopra	in animated style as above.
arco	the bow used for playing some string instrument; i.e., played with the bow, as opposed to pizzicato (plucked), in music for bowed instruments; normally used to cancel a pizzicato direction
sordino	see sordina, above
lentissamente	very slowly.
key level	The uniform height of the keys across the keyboard.
canto	chorus; choral; chant
senza misura	without measure
spiritoso	spiritedly
timbre	Tone colour and quality of sound that distinguishes an instrument or singer from another
rit.	Abbreviation for Ritardando
sotto	Below.
a bocca chiusa	mouth closed
cantabile	singable
bocca chiusa	with closed mouth
allegretto	a little bit joyful
repetition lever	The part of the action that uses spring tension to lift the hammer so that the jack can move back underneath the hammer more quickly.
theme with variations	A form in which a self-contained musical unit is followed by a series of modifications of the original material.
maestoso	majestic
espr.	expressively
gran scena	operatic set piece, usually for anguished prima donna.
col legno	"with the wood"; indicates that the strings are to be struck with the wood of the bow; also battuta col legno: "beaten with the wood."
tranquillo	tranquilly.
fundamental note	The primary note of the harmonic series
gustoso	"gusto";
con fuoco	"with fire" In a fiery manner.
rapido	"fast."
crescendo e diminuendo	same as cresc
scherzoso	playfully
regulating / regulation	The procedure of making the various components of the action work together in a uniform way.
furia	fury
italian term	Literal translation
concord	A chord which sounds harmonious, as opposed to a discord which sounds dissonant
intervals	The gap between musical notes, which are measured in half steps and whole steps.
delicatamente	"delicately"
texture	the thinness or thickness of the sound.
saddle	The moving metal part of the bridge of an electric guitar that have grooves for the strings to lie across.
keyboard	The entire set of keys on any keyboard instrument.
motet	Polyphonic vocal genre, secular in the Middle Ages but sacred or devotional thereafter.
arioso	"airy"
impetuoso	impetuously
ossia	Or
rest stroke	A right-hand stroke — unique to classical music — in which you pluck straight across (not upward) the strings so that your finger lands, or rests, against the adjacent lower-pitched string.
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
flange	A flange is a hinge that projects from an action rail used to attach a moving action part, such as a hammer, damper underlever or wippen, to the rail.
knuckle	A rounded piece of leather attached to the underside of the hammer shank that is pushed on by the jack as the hammer shank is being propelled toward the string.
ritardando	Getting gradually slower.
tubular metallic action frame	A hammer or wippen rail made out of a single molded piece of metal tubing filled with a wooden dowel.
sustain	1
bend	jazz term referring either to establishing a pitch, sliding down half a step and returning to the original pitch or sliding up half a step from the original note.
score	The written or printed book containing all the parts of a piece of music.
staff	In musical notation, the five horizontal, parallel lines on which notes and rests are written.
pochettino or poch.	very little
allargando	to slow and broaden
affidavit	A written statement confirmed by oath.
musical notation	A written form of music used to convey the music we hear in a way that can be repeated by musicians.
meno	less; see meno mosso, for example, less mosso
un peu	A little
keyslip	The piece of wooden trim that is placed in front of the keyboard in order to hide the bottom of the keys.
canzona	A verse form originating in fourteenth-century folk traditions
assai	very
pesante	heavy, ponderous
tempo primo	Back to original speed.
col pugno	"with the fist"; bang the piano with the fist.
chaconne	Similar to the Passacaglia
sanft	gently
alto	the lowest female voice
countertenor	Male singer who sings in a woman's voice range, usually performing roles originally written for castrati--male singers who were castrated as children, primarily in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, to preserve their high, youthful voices.
active electronics	Electric guitar electronics that have a built-in power source.
dampened snare	A term used to inform the performer to add something to the batter head of a drum in order to decrease the resonance
simile	"similarly"i.e
euphony	agreeable tone combinations; the opposite of cacophony
bridge	Transitional passage connecting two sections of a composition, also transition
baroque	Music composed between 1600 and 1750, spanning the period from Monteverdi to Handel
lugubre	lugubrious, mournful
mezzo-soprano	Female singer with a medium-to-low voice range.
giocoso	Merrily, happily, stems from jokily.
sempre	Always.
reel	A lively dance usually in 4/4
solmization	sight-singing by syllable.
keytops	The covering of the key, usually made of plastic, and with older pianos, with elephant ivory.
affettuoso	tenderly, affectionately, with feeling
neapolitan sixth	A major chord built on the flattened supertonic note
fieramente	proudly
affettuoso	"tenderly".
viola da gamba	leg viola
perdendosi	dying away
peu à peu	little by little
con moto	With movement
scherzando	playfully
piano hinge	The long brass hinge across the lid of a grand piano that allows the lid to be partially folded back.
bravura	skill
devoto	"religiously"
vigoroso	Vigorously
andante grazioso	moderately slow, and gracefully.
con spirito	with spirit.
sospirando	sighing
time signature	The fraction-like figures at the beginning of a piece of music that tell you how many beats are in a measure and which note value gets one beat.
major chord	A chord built on the unaltered first, third, and fifth notes of a major scale.
double barline	Two vertical lines denoting the end of a piece of music
minor	One of 2 modes of the tonal system
viola	viola, orig
accent	Attack hard.
veloce	Swift.
als	than
pasticcio	a freshly written stage work making use of pre-existing music by different composers.
time	in a jazz or rock score, after a rubato or rallentendo section, the term "time" indicates that performers should return to tempo (this is equivalent to the term "a tempo")
colla parte	with the soloist
pietoso	pitiful, piteous
bravo	(Italian: masculine form) A call to show approval for a male performer at the end of a performance.
fuocoso	fiery; i.e., passionately
bel canto	Literally, "beautiful singing." The term can refer to a type of opera that features this expressive style of singing or the actual singing itself, which packs an emotional wallop and features lots of embellishments
medley	piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping.
liberamente	freely
nobile	"in a noble fashion".
fraizing	The process through which the rim of a grand piano is sized.
basso profundo	The lowest and often serious bass voice
bocca chiusa	mouth closed
ostinato	obstinate, persistent; i.e., a short musical pattern that is repeated throughout an entire composition or portion of a composition
sprechstimme	The term applied to a voice notated in Sprechgesang.
rallentando or rall.	Broadening of the tempo (often not discernible from ritardando); progressively slower
l’istesso tempo	An instruction to performers to maintain the same tempo despite a change in time signature or character.
répétiteur	Musician in an opera company who rehearses and coaches the cast at the piano prior to full orchestral rehearsals with the conductor.
guitar polish	A liquid polish designed specifically for cleaning and polishing a guitar.
hitch pin	The small piece of metal protruding from the plate to which the back end of the piano wire is attached or secured.
ribs of the soundboard	Strips of wood glued across the grain to the underside of the soundboard to support the soundboard's crown.
giusto	strictly, exactly, e.g
flebile	mournfully
tritone	Three whole tones (Augmented 4th)
inner rim	The small shelf attached to the inside of the rim used for securing the soundboard and plate.
high-tension scale	A scale made possible by the cast-iron plate
acciaccatura	A grace note that is played as quickly as possible
atonal	Music that is not in any key
festivamente	cheerfully, celebratory
bel canto	Literally "beautiful song"
soprano	The highest range of the female voice; lyric soprano is warm, graceful; dramatic soprano is fuller and heaver, e.g
dolce	"sweetly"
export	To sell or send goods or services to another country.
moto	motion; usually seen as con moto, meaning with motion or quickly
note row	The foundation of serialism; the order in which a composer chooses to arrange the composition's basic twelve notes, none of which can be repeated until the other eleven have been deployed.
spianato	smooth, even
migrate	Move from one place and settle in another, especially abroad.
chorus	a group of singers of all vocal ranges, singing together to support the vocal leads
crescendo subito	increase in power suddenly (or rapidly).
mellifluous	pleasing; pleasant sounding.
con spirito	With spirit
lusingando	caressingly, coaxingly, tenderly.
oboe d'amore	love oboe
inversion	A musical idea turned backwards; usually refers to melody, but can also apply to rhythm.
tempo giusto	In strict time
surtitle	Translations of foreign words that are projected above the stage during the performance so the audience can interpret the opera's meaning.
calando	quietening
fundamental vibration	The main or loudest sound you hear in a note when a string is played
contrary motion	In musical notation, when one musical line ascends while the other descends.
annuity	An allowance.
flebile	"mournfully"
stage left	This is left from the point of view of the person on stage facing the audience.
a cappella	in chapel style
gustoso	with happy emphasis and forcefulness
cadence	The point in music where the melody and/or chord sequence leads the listener to experience a sense of temporary or permanent close giving a sense of repose or resolution.
zärtlich	tenderly
soave	"smoothly."
viola da braccio	arm viola
chamber music	Music for small ensembles
propstick	The piece of wood that supports the lid in its open position
sopra	above
passionato	passionately
east indies	The islands that extend in a wide belt along both sides of the Equator between the Asian mainland to the north and west and Australia to the south.
piano assai	very softly.
meter	The organization of rhythm and beats.
a capella	(Italian) Means "in the chapel" of in the style of the chapel
con moto	with motion; i.e., not too slow.
cash crops	Crops grown in large quantities just for sale rather than for local markets.
character shoe	A character or jazz shoe is worn in many theatrical productions
quasi una fantasia	Like a fantasia
piangevole	"plaintive"; in the style of a lament.
stops	devices to alter the sound of an organ or harmonium.
veloce	with velocity
damper underlever	The part that is lifted by the back of the key when the front of the key is depressed in order to lift the damper away from the string, allowing the string to vibrate.
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.
animandosi	animated, lively
arabesque	an instrumental composition in light, somewhat fantastic style.
slargando	Get gradually slower.
bushing	A material, either wool felt or teflon, that is placed between two hard surfaces which cushions them, keeping them from making noise as they move
carnival	Festival preceding the Catholic season of Lent (period of fasting from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday)
key lead	Weights inserted into a key to improve its balance
prestissimo	very ready
presto	"very quickly."
fortepiano	1
bridge pins	The pins driven into the bridge cap to hold the strings against the bridge so that the strings won't drift from side to side
repetition mechanism	The entire collection of parts working together in order to facilitate the action's ability to rapidly reset itself to play again.
etude	a study
focoso	"passionately"
dolce	Sweetly
con anima	with feeling
arietta	a short aria
recitativo	well enunciated
strings	The high quality music wire used for making sound.
leggierissimo	very lightly and delicately
appassionato	with passion, impassioned
subject	Musical theme.
con tenerezza	with tenderness.
improvisato	improvised, or as if improvised
through-composed	in the case of a song, different music for each verse; in the case of an opera, no spoken dialogue.
morendo	"dying away" in tone or tempo.
piu	More.
lento	Slowly
modesto	"modest"
da capo/d.c.	From the beginning
sextuplet	a group of six notes to be performed in the time ordinarily given to four of the same value
posato	settled
alderman	Assistant to the mayor.
practice pad	A practice pad is normally made of rubber and simulates the feel of a drum
lamentando	lamenting, mournfully
improvvisando	with improvisation
down weight	The measured amount of weight it takes to start a key moving downward.
volta	Time
burletta	a little joke
accent	emphasize.
traurig	Sad.
modulation	A process whereby music shifts from one key to another.
polonaise	same as polacca.
cadence	A musical term referring to a chord sequence that brings an end to a musical phrase
cacophony	harsh, discordant, unpleasant, especially incorrect combinations of tones
dodecaphonic music	See definition for ‘serial music'
barbaro	barbarous (notably used in Allegro barbaro by Béla Bartók)
carol	a hymn of joyful praise, usually sung in connection with Easter or Christmas festivities
glissando	Sliding from one pitch to another, sounding all pitches in between.
bolero	triple measure.
coll'arco	with the bow
poetico	poetic discourse
key bushing	Cloth that lines the holes in the key that guide the key in its vertical motion while minimizing its horizontal motion.
stompboxes	An effects unit that is controlled by a foot pedal.
largo	broad
run	a rapid series of ascending or descending musical notes which are closely spaced in pitch forming a scale
teneramente	Tenderly
piangevole	plaintive
upstroke	1
fine	the end, often in phrases like al fine (to the end)
boost	An amplifier control that you can use to create a distorted or lead sound.
society of merchant venturers	A Bristol-based organisation, which was formed in 1552 as an elite body of merchants involved in oversees trade
interval	The distance between two notes
discord/dissonance	A chord or interval that sounds inharmonious and requires resolution
ruvido	roughly
sforzando	strained
il più	the most
import	To bring foreign goods or services into a country.
tremolo	a rapid repetition of the same note, or an alternation between two or more notes
allegretto	"a little lively," or "moderately fast."
contrapuntal	Two (or more) melodic voices combining harmoniously within a score.
musical phrase	a melodic unit which a singer would take in one breath.
gemendo	groaningly
db	An abbreviation for "decibel", which is a unit of measure used to logarithmically express ratios of change in power or signal levels; a measure of sound pressure level.
ritenuto	Hold back (the tempo)
ben	well
da	from
a prima vista	Playing something at first sight of the sheet music
lugubre	"lugubrious"
molto	very
tone regulating	Another phrase for Voicing where the technician attempts to achieve a consistent and pleasing sound from one hammer to the next across the entire keyboard.
horn	See French horn.
silencio	silence.
a cappella	in the manner of singing in a chapel; i.e., without instrumental accompaniment
crescendo al fortissimo	keep on gradually increasing in power until the fortissimo (or very loud) point has been reached.
comodo	convenient
simile	similarly; i.e., continue applying the preceding directive, whatever it was, to the following passage
cambiare	"change" Any change, such as to a new instrument.
doppio	Double
irato	angrily
ledger lines	Short lines above or below the stave to accommodate notes higher or lower than the stave
crotchet beats	(Compound = duple)
retenu	held back
key	The relationship between pitches that establish the tonal centre of music
subito	suddenly
doppio moviment	Twice as fast
fermata	stopped
sehr	Very
elite	A select group of people or class in society.
score	Musical notation showing all parts arranged one underneath the other.
tre	three
cross-stick	Using a drumstick, this is played by laying the stick across the drumhead with the end of the stick extending past the rim
folk music	1
mezzo piano	half-gentle
allegro agitato	a moderately rapid tempo, and in agitated style.
enfatico	emphatically
con amor	with love, tenderly
center pins	The small hinge pins that join two moving parts like a hammer and its flange.
inharmonicity	The acoustic property of an instrument that is its natural deviation from a theoretical state of perfection which gives the instrument its characteristic sound.
leitmotiv	light motive”; A short thematic musical passage representing a character or situation in a musical drama
largo un poco	slow, but not so slow as largo
sul ponticello	on the bridge; i.e., in string playing, an indication to bow (or sometimes to pluck) very near to the bridge, producing a characteristic glassy sound, which emphasizes the higher harmonics at the expense of the fundamental; the opposite of sul tasto
per	for
aria	Lyric song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment, generally expressing great emotion.
bar	a musical rhythmic measure (shown by a vertical line).
contralto	against high
immer	always
lib	This is short for 'libretto' and is the text or script of a musical.
resistance	Refusal to comply (often secretively) with the established order or authority.
afficonado	affectionate”; a Spanish term for a passionately knowledgeable individual.
twelve-tone	See serialism.
ballet	A theatrical dance form with a story, sets, and music.
repetition spring	The metal spring that gives strength to the repetition lever for lifting the hammer.
repetition	The process in which the piano action resets itself in order to play again.
fugue	A highly complicated contrapuntal form in which two or more voices are built around a single theme
gaudioso	with joy
baby grand piano	A popularly used, non-technical term to describe any grand piano less than six feet long.
lent	slow
2x10"	...with two ten-inch loudspeakers
verismo	"Realism" in Italian
moto	motion; usually seen as con moto, meaning with motion or quickly
riitmico	Rhythmically.
reinforced hammers	Hammers where the hammer felts have been stapled to the core as well as glued
ad libitum/ad lib.	At pleasure – left to the performer
lento di molto	very slowly.
arioso	in the style of an air or song, i.e., a flowing, vocal style.
affrettando	"hurrying," pressing onwards.
leggiero	"lightly", "delicately"
decay	The sound of the string as it diminishes or dies away.
facile	"easily"
tanto	So much
un poco	A little
peu	little
rit.	an abbreviation for ritardando;[3] also an abbreviation for ritenuto[4]
drama giocoso	Comic operatic style developed by Goldoni, in which serious and comic characters share the stage
crew	People manning a ship.
measure	Another name for a bar.
travesti	Italian for "disguised"
animé	animated, lively
electronic tuner	A battery-powered device used to tune instruments.
vittorioso	"victoriously"
viola	viola
très	very
go-bar	A flexible piece of wood used to apply pressure for clamping while gluing one piece of wood to another within two solid points.
y-cable	a cable with three ends, whereby one plug is joined to two plugs
head voice	A vocal technique whereby the sung tone is raised from the chest (where it is normally produced) into the head, where the skull causes the tone to ring out
con moto	with movement
shackles	Metal hoops and chains put round the necks, wrists and necks of (usually male) slaves to restrain them.
tone	The cumulative presence of a sound while experiencing its various attributes in order to make a determination of how pleasing the sound is the listener.
tristamente	sadly.
amoroso	"loving".
niente	"nothing", barely audible, dying away
a piacere	at pleasure; i.e., the performer need not follow the rhythm strictly
zarzuela	A Spanish popular musical theatrical presentation blending dialogue and music in skits and dramas ranging from one to three acts that satirize aspects of daily life
con amore	with love
sonata	sounded
major	One of 2 modes of the tonal system
quadruplet	A group of four notes, played in the time of three
conductor	One who directs a group of performers
andante pastorale	moderately slow, and in simple and unaffected style; (lit
concertino	little concert
verismo	truth”; A theatrical style in the late 1800s that depicted ordinary, everyday characters in melodramatic situations
ornaments	Decorations, embellishments
philanthropy	Love of mankind
viola d’amore	love viola
gioioso	gaily
l'istesso tempo	Same speed
entr’acte	between the act” A musical composition played between the acts or between scenes; also a term used to mean Intermission.
amabile	amiable or pleasant
ralantir	slow down
hammer felt	The wool cloth used as the striking surface of the hammer.
restatement	See recapitulation.
outer rim	The outside of a grand piano cabinet.,
form	Musical term referring to the structure of a piece of music
tuning pin bushings	The small wood lining for the inside of the hole in the plate in which the tuning pin sits
molded flanges	Flanges routered to fit the action rail on a Steinway grand piano.
agitato	agitated
poco	Little
ballabile	danceable
bel canto	the nineteenth-century Italian operatic style of singing.
con forza	with force.
mezzo forte	Moderately loud.
innig	intimately, heartfelt
bellicoso	"warlike," aggressive
ritardando	to slow
alto	Lowest female voice part in a choir group
ecossaise	A Scottish dance in 3/4
letoff	The point during the hammer stroke at which the jack slips out from under the knuckle thereby preventing the hammer from blocking against the string.
colossale	tremendously
giusto	Exact, correct
ridicolosamente	humorously, inaccurate, and loosely
ternary form	A movement in three parts in which the first and third parts are very similar, with a contrasting middle section (A B A).
appoggiatura	a note dissonant with the chord (made consonant by moving up or down one step)
a cappella	One or more singers performing without instrumental accompaniment
musical director	In complete control of the music in the production, under the overall control of the Director
composer	the individual who writes the music and sets the text to music including the orchestrations, the vocal parts, and the chorus parts.
nobilmente	nobly
humoresque	a capricious, fantastic composition
tosto	rapidly
mobile	"flexible", "changeable"
con celerita	with rapidity.
homophony	A musical texture with one voice (or melody line) accompanied by chords; also used as an adjective (homophonic)
allargando	broadening, becoming a little slower each time
grave	Serious and slow
come prima	like the first (tempo), as before
accent	Emphasis on a note
assignment	Legal transfer.
bar	a measure of music in equal proportions
l'istesso	see lo stesso, below
prejudice	A preconceived opinion
raw materials	Material from which manufactured goods are made.
fuoco	"fire"; "con fuoco" means "with fire."
virtuoso	A person with notable technical skill in the performance of music.
cantabile	singable”; a term that asks the performer to sing or play in a gentle singing manner.
tertian	A chord structure built of thirds.
strum	Dragging a pick or the back of your fingernails across the strings in a single, quick motion.
sotto	subdued
camerata	A group of Florentine writers and one musician who regularly met in the late 1600s to discuss art and experiment with art form
pastoral	A composition whose style is simple and idyllic; suggestive of rural scenes.
mosso	moved
primo	"first."
classical	The period in music history that falls after the Baroque and before the Romantic: ca
risoluto	Boldly.
repeat sign	In musical notation, a combination of one thick and one thin vertical line with two dots that tells you that you repeat some portion of the song.
allegro appassionata	a moderately rapid tempo, and in passionate style.
style galant	a highly embellished 'courtly' style of eighteenth-century music.
bis	twice
d.s.	Dal Segno (see above)
alberti bass	a stereotyped accompaniment taking its name from Domenico Alberti.
divisi	getragen (Ger): sustained
bass	Lowest male voice often associated with characters of authority or comedy.
ternary form	a three-part form in which the third part repeats the first.
sign	see segno
simile	In the same way.
libero	"(I) liberate"
mg	see main gauche
alzate sordini	lift or raise the mutes; i.e., remove mutes
una corda	"one string" a directive in piano music for the musician to depress the soft pedal, reducing the volume of the sound
sordino	Mute
hygrometer	An inexpensive device that tells you the relative humidity of a room with a good degree of accuracy (close enough to maintain a healthy guitar, anyway).
lento a capriccio	slowly but capriciously.
fortississimo or fff	as loud as possible
renaissance	A period in history dating from the 14th to 16th centuries
a niente	to nothing; an indication to make a diminuendo to pppp
hammer head	The portion of the hammer comprised of the felt and the wooden core that is attached to the hammer shank.
legacy	Something handed down by a predecessor.
b	German for B flat (also in Finnish, Icelandic and Danish); H in German is B natural
lacrimoso	tearfully; i.e., sadly
con forza	with force
counter-tenor	The highest male voice (also known as alto).
attacca	attach
a cappella	in the manner of chapel music, without instrumental accompaniment.
diminished 7th	a chromatic chord not belonging to a specific key (often used fo dramatic disorientating effect)
migrant	A person who migrates, or moves from one place to settle in another, especially abroad.
con grazia	with grace.
con grand' espressione	with great expression.
appoggiatura	leaning
forzando or fz	see sforzando in this list
ziemlich	fairly, quite, pretty, or rather
12-bar blues	By far the most popular form for the blues, created by following a 12-bar blues pattern of three lines per verse, with the first line repeated.
tempo comodo	At a comfortable speed
pizzicato	pinched, plucked; i.e., in music for bowed strings, plucked with the fingers as opposed to played with the bow; compare arco (in this list), which is inserted to cancel a pizzicato instruction
senza sordini	without mutes
buzz roll	Another name for Multiple Bounce Roll, but often times played in a more closed fashion so that the sound is like ripping paper.
contrapuntal	two or more melodic lines woven together
nobile or nobilmente	in a noble fashion
neck	The long wooden piece that connects the headstock to the body of a guitar.
toccata	a brilliant composition for piano or organ, usually characterized by much rapid staccato playing.
eroico	"heroically"
pitch	The specific wavelength frequency of a musical sound indicated as a letter from A to G with or without a sharp (#) or flat (b).
skin	The drum skin is a circular plastic film that is spread across the top and bottom of a drum
allargando	"broadening," "getting a little slower."
sempre marcatissimo	always well marked, i.e., strongly accented.
espressione	Expression.
col arco	with the bow
enfatico	"emphatically"
strascinando or strascicante	indicating a passage should be played in a heavily slurred manner
shoe	An hardwood insert at the bottom of the key at the balance rail hole used to reinforce the soft pine wood of the key.
delicato	delicately.
bourrée	A 17th-century French up-tempo dance.
tempo giusto	in strict time
omaggio	homage, celebration
crescendo poi diminuendo	first increase, then diminish the tone.
ein wenig	A little
alla zingara	in gypsy style.
maestro sostituto	Deputy master
domestic servant	Household servant.
fantasia	An instrumental composition not based on any regular form.
note.	Correct notation must be made a habit rather than a theory, and in order to form the habit of writing correctly, drill is necessary
moins	less
legato	Word to indicate that the movement or entire composition is to be played smoothly.
légèrement	lightly
vivo	lively
intimo	intimately
sfz	made loud; i.e., a sudden strong accent
brightness	The clarity of sound produced.
bruscamente	"brusquely".
g.p.	Grand Pause, General Pause; indicates to the performers that the entire ensemble has a rest of indeterminate length, often as a dramatic effect during a loud section
maestro collaboratore	Collaborating master
expression	'expressive' playing (Italian = espressivd) usually means adopting a certain amount of flexibility in relation to dynamics and rhythm; the tension created by the resulting unpredictability is felt to convey the player's personal emotion.
flamenco	A musical style that originated in Spain and was designed to accompany flamenco dancing.
corda	A string
non	not
silenzio	silence; i.e., without reverberations
agile	"swiftly"
contrary motion	Moving in opposite directions
encore	Additional song(s) or item(s) performed due to audience request, as indicated by resounding applause or noise, after the last song of a concert or performance
affrettando	Hurrying.
bagatelle	A fairly short, simple composition.
volta subito	Turn the page quickly.
house right	The right side of the area of the theatre where the audience sits from the point of view of a person sitting in a seat facing the stage.
en dehors	prominent (emphasised melody)
diva	‘goddess’; A female opera star of rank or pretension.
soft pedal	The popular name for the una corda pedal which shifts the action to the side causing the hammers to hit two strings instead of three
bridge	Made of hardwood (maple), the bridge is the link between the strings and the soundboard
giocoso or gioioso	gaily
fantasy	Type of composition unlike formal music, but where form is unimportant and suggests extemporisation.
port	Town or city posessing a harbour.
immediate bend	A bending effect that is caused by playing a note and then immediately bending it up.
tambour	a drum
zart	Delicate
comprimario/a	con primario, with the first
mais	but
bluing of tuning pins	A coating formed from oxidation on steel tuning pins that helps prevent rust and helps keep pins secure in the pinblock.
piano	gentle
muster roll	A list of all the crew on ships giving details of the position, age, and home town of each crew-member.
counterpoint	2 or more melodic lines playing simultaneously
contralto	“against high” (contra alto); The lowest female voice
campana	bell
segue	The next section follows without a break or continue without stopping.
con anima	With deep emotion.
chromaticism	The use of chromatic intervals
serioso	"seriously"
larghetto	Faster than Largo
con larghezza	with broadness; broadly
stage right	This is right from the point of view of the person on stage facing the audience.
breve	Note equal to two semibreves
volante	flying
parlando	well accented or enunciated; applied to melody playing
troppo	too much; usually seen as non troppo, meaning moderately or, when combined with other terms, not too much, such as allegro [ma] non troppo (fast but not too fast)
siciliana	a Sicilian dance in 12/8 or 6/8 meter[6]
feroce	"ferociously"
harmonic progression	The succession of chords in a piece of music
empfindung	feeling
fret	1
harmonics	The sounds produced by a single string that are consonant to the fundamental sound which have structure and can be used in aural tuning.
lo-tom	The lo-tom is a drum with skins on both sides of the drum
sprechgesang	Literally "speechsong", a singing style midway between song and speech
volume pedal	A pedal inserted between the electric guitar and the amp that lets you control how loud your electric guitar sounds.
ben	"well" (as in ben marcato = well marked).
arioso	airy, or like an air (a melody); i.e., in the manner of an aria; melodious
lacrimoso	"sadly" (literally "tearfully")
capriccio	A caprice (in a free, light-hearted style)
encore	A piece of music played at the end of a recital responding to the audiences enthusiastic reaction to the performance, shown by continuous applause.
messa di voce	in singing, a controlled swell, i.e
meno	"less"; see meno mosso, for example, under mosso.
interlude	Piece of music played between other pieces.
note-row/tone-row	A row of 12 notes arranged in any order to form a composition
grave	slowly and seriously
embouchure	The positioning of the lips in relation to the mouthpiece for woodwind and brass players
minimalism	First used in connection with American composers such as Philip Glass, John Adams and Steve Reich, who rejected the complexities of the European avant-garde in favour of music which was constructed from repeating cycles or additions of small phrases
lentando	with increasing slowness.
afficonado	“affectionate”; a Spanish term for a passionately knowledgeable individual.
sound hole	The opening on the top of an acoustic guitar that amplifies the guitar's sound.
entr’acte	“between the act” A musical composition played between the acts or between scenes; also a term used to mean Intermission.
decresc.	same as diminuendo or dim. (see below)
racism	Belief in the superiority of a particular race
spinto	Italian for "pushed"
delicato	Delicately
con alcuna licenza	with some degree of license.
lamentando	"complaining"
hymn	A song of praise and glorification
naturals	as opposed to sharps, naturals are signified by the white keys on the piano keyboard (sharps are usually signified by black keys).
avec	with
alla	to the, in the manner of (al before masculine nouns, alla before feminine)
strophic	A term used to describe a song or aria in which the same music is used for each verse, eg "Nessun Dorma".
con fuoco	with fire
melos	melody
voll	Full.
hammer molding	The wooden core of the hammer head.
major and minor	see key
lentando	slowing
fresco	freshly
bitonal	Music that uses two keys at the same time
music video	Video tape or film that accompanies a recording, usually of a popular or rock song.
malinconico	melancholy
fortepiano	Loud then immediately soft
third inversion	A seventh chord with the 7th as the lowest tone.
idyl	a short, romantic piece of music in simple and unaffected style.
col. con	With.
basso	low
crown of the soundboard	The crown is how much the center of the soundboard rises above being perfectly flat
repetition	A phrase, or melodic module, is repeated verbatim.
brioso or con brio	"vigorously."
music theory	A way to explain and describe the music we hear.
fertility	having many children
marcato	Marked, accented.
legato slide	Playing a note at one fret and then, withoug repicking the string, sliding your finger to a different fret while maintaining pressure on the string.
gesamtkunstwerk	Literally "total work of art"
con amor	"with love" Tenderly.
a capella	Unaccompanied vocal music
pentatonic	music based on a scale of five notes (such as found in many traditional musical cultures).
cédez	yield, give way
verismo	“truth”; A theatrical style in the late 1800s that depicted ordinary, everyday characters in melodramatic situations
desiccant	A powder or crystal substance that draws humidity out of the air, lowering the local relative humidity level.
secco	"(I) dry"
circle of fifths	A tool used by musicians to determine the relationship between major and minor keys.
con melinconia	with melancholy.
lunga	long (often applied to fermatas)
mazurka	Polish dance in triple measure.
pastorale	in simple and unaffected style, (lit.—pastoral, rural).
voicing	Also called tone regulation, a process where the technician attempts to achieve a consistent and pleasing sound from one hammer to the next across the entire keyboard.
triple counterpoint	Three melodic parts interwoven
entr’acte	This is the name given for another performance, as of music or dance, provided between two acts of a theatrical performance.
legato	smoothly.
aria	air