| A | after Vladimír Altner, the cataloguer of music by Frantisek Xaver Dusek (1731-1799) |
| also AV or MvA, after Erich H. Müller von Asow (1892-1964), the cataloguer of music by Richard Strauss (1864-1949) |
| after Gerhard Allroggen, the cataloguer of music by Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffman (1776-1822) |
| A | abbreviation of alto or altus, as, for example, in Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass, the four voices in a choir |
| abbreviation of 'antiphon' or for 'advanced' (as in A level) |
| A | the highest grade in an examination |
| A |
|
a system of paper sizes |
| A0 | 841 x 1189 mm |
| A1 | 594 x 841 mm |
| A2 | 420 x 594 mm |
| A3 | 297 x 420 mm |
| A4 | 210 x 297 mm |
| A5 | 148 x 210 mm |
| A6 | 105 x 148 mm |
| A7 | 74 x 105 mm |
| A8 | 52 x 74 mm |
| A9 | 37 x 52 mm |
| A10 | 26 x 37 mm |
|
| A, a |
 | | (English, German n.) the name of the scale note, the sixth in the scale of C major (the submediant), commonly used to set the pitch of a musical instrument or of an orchestra (in particular, a', A4 or La4=440 Hz where Hz is the unit of frequency equivalent to one cycle per second) and which in 'fixed do' solfeggio is called la or lah |
|
|
| A | the first section, i.e. the A section, of a piece of music in binary form, ternary form, etc. |
| A |
 | | in music theory, A stands for the A-major triad |
|
| a |
 | | in music theory, a stands for the a-minor triad |
|
| a | in right-hand guitar notation, a lower case 'a' indicates the use of the ring finger or anular |
| a | (Italian) at, by, for, in, to, with, in the manner of |
when used in the title of a piece of music, a followed by a number indicates the number of parts (voices) in the piece, as for example Magnificat a 5 would be a Magnificat with five distinct vocal or instrument parts [entry provided by Ed Batutis] |
| à | (French) by, for, in, to, at, with, in the manner of, in the style of |
when used in the title of a piece of music, à followed by a number indicates the number of parts (voices) in the piece, as for example Magnificat à 5 would be a Magnificat with five distinct vocal or instrument parts [entry provided by Ed Batutis] |
| a. | abbreviation of ante (Latin: before) |
| A1 | originally a reference to the Lloyd's Register of Shipping classification indicating that the hull of a ship is in 'excellent condition' but nowdays used more generally about anything object |
| a 2 | abbreviation of a due (Italian: for two, a reference to two instruments or two voices) |
| a.a. | abbreviation of 'author's alteration' |
| AA | abbreviation of 'author's alteration' |
| AABA | symbolising a variant of ABA, also called 'song form', where the first section, A, is played twice before the middle section B, and a third time to conclude the piece |
| Aak | (Korea) Confucian temple music |
|
|
| Aanhangsel | (Dutch) appendix |
| aan het einde | (Dutch) at the end |
| aanhouden | (Dutch) to sustain |
doorklinken (meaning to sustain) is used for the passive 'sounding on' or 'reverberation' of percussion or a piano with the sustaining pedal depressed, while aanhouden (also meaning to sustain) is used for the active continuation of a note on strings or wind, where the player continues to generate the tone [clarification by Peter Nilsson] |
| Ääni | (Finnish) tone, note |
| (Finnish) voice, as in a polyphonic composition |
| Ääni ääntä vastaan | (Finnish) counterpoint |
| Ääniala | (Finnish) ambit, ambitus |
| Aanslag | (Dutch m.) attack (battery, assult), attempt, touch (one of the senses), appraisal, assessment (judgement), scale (fish), scum, tarnish, stain |
| Aantekening | (Dutch) note (in a book) |
| Aanvulling | (Dutch) supplement |
| Aanzet | (Dutch) attack |
| Aanzetstuk (van instrumente) | (Dutch) extension |
| Aaron | brother of Moses and first high priest of the Israelites (Exodus 4:14) |
| Aaroubi | an evolved form of al-andalous classical music which comes from Algiers |
| Aarvak | (Old Norse) in Scandinavian mythology, the horse that from the chariot of the Sun, driven by the maiden Sol |
| aarzelen | (Dutch) to hesitate |
| Aaya | North-American vessel rattle |
|
|
| ab | (German) from, off, away |
| used in German organ music to disengage a stop previously on, or as in Sordinen ab (German: 'mutes off') |
| see 'cancel' |
| (Latin) from, for example ab ovo (Latin: from the egg) |
| ab | abbreviation of 'abridgement' |
| AB | a musical form that has two sections, A followed by B, also called 'binary form' |
| ABA | symbolising ternary form in which the first section A precedes and follows a second section B, a form so common in classical song that is is also called 'song form' |
| ab absurdo | (Latin, 'from the absurd') establishing the validity of one's argument by pointing out the absurdity of your opponent's position |
| ABACA | also called 'rondo' form, with three sections A, B and C |
| Abacuá | or abakuá or abakwa, the musical styles of the Abacuá people and folkloric ensembles greatly influencing Cuban secular forms such as rumba |
|
| Abacus | (Greek, a reference to abax, a board covered in sand on which calculations can be traced) a counting device traditionally consisting of a frame holding rods on which ten beads can slide. Each rod indicates a power of 10 (thus 1, 10, 100, etc.) |
| Abacus harmonicus | an ancient diagram showing the structure and disposition of the keys of an instrument, described by Athanasius Kircher (1601/2-1680) |
| Abacus Pythagoricus | a multiplication table believed to have been invented by Pythagoras |
| Abad | (Spanish m.) abbot |
| Abadesa | (Spanish f.) abbess |
| Abadia | (Spanish f.) abbey |
| ab aeterno | (Latin) from the beginning of time |
| abafado | (Portuguese) muted |
| Abaimajani | a rhythmic a cappella song of the Garifuna of Honduras and Belize |
| abaissé | (French) flattened, lowered |
| Abaisse-langue | (French m.) tongue depressor, an instrument for pressing down the tongue (medical) |
| Abaissement | (French m.) drop, fall, depression, humiliation, abasement |
| abaisser | (French) to let down, to let fall, to lower, to diminish, to reduce, to pull down, to push down, to humiliate |
| abaixo | (Portuguese) below, underneath |
| Abajeños | folk music of the Perépecha of Mexico |
| Abakuá | see abacuá |
| Abakwa | see abacuá |
| Abalone | or 'mother of pearl', a shell material commonly used on instrument inlays |
| abalourdir | (French) to make dull, to make stupid |
| Abalourdissement | (French m.) rendering dull or stupid, dullness, stupidity |
| a ballata | (Italian) in the style of a dance, in the ballad style, wie eine Ballade (German), comme une ballade (French) |
| Abanderado | (Spanish m.) standard-bearer |
| Abandon | (French m.) desertion, abandonment |
| abandon, avec | (French) or, in Italian, con abbandono, (play) with feeling, (play) without restraint, (play) with passion |
| abandonné (m.), abandonnée (f.) | (French) negligent, free-and-easy, relaxed, shameless, graceless, profligate, forsaken, disused |
| Abandonnement | (French m.) dissoluteness, profligacy |
| abandonner | (French) to give up, to hand over, to surrender, to renounce, to forsake, to desert, to abandon, to leave, to quit, to neglect, to drop, to retire, to relinquish |
| abandonner la partie | (French) to throw in one's hand |
| abandonner se prétentions | (French) to renounce one's claims |
| Abanico | (Spanish m., literally 'fan') a stylized roll played by the timbalero usually to signify a change in the music (i.e. from verse to chorus) |
| a word used to describe the timbales figure (roll and accent) played to introduce or close sections and to setup various ensemble passages |
| Abaque | (French m.) abacus |
| Abaratamiento | (Spanish m.) reduction in price |
| abaratar | (Spanish) to reduce (prices) |
| abaratarse | (Spanish) to come down (prices) |
| abarcar | (Spanish) to put one's arms around, to embrace |
| abarquillar | (Spanish) to warp |
| a barullo | (Spanish) galore |
| à bas | (French) down with ...! |
| a base de | (Spanish) thanks to, by means of |
| a base de bien | (Spanish) very well |
| a base di | (Italian) containing |
| abasourdir | (French) to stun, to bewilder, to dumbfound. to daze |
| Abasourdissement | (French m.) bewilderment, stupifaction |
| a bassa voce | (Italian) to speak in a low or damped voice |
| abâtardir | (French) to cause to degenerate, to debase |
| Abâtardissement | (French m.) degeneration, debasement |
| Abate | (English) make or become less strong, diminish, as for example 'noise abatement' meaning 'noise reduction' |
| (Italian m.) abbot |
| Abatimiento | (Spanish m.) depression |
| Abat-jour | (French) a skylight, a device that is used to deflect daylight downward as it streams through a window, a shutter or awning used to exclude daylight, lamp-shade |
| à bâtons rompus | (French) jumping from subject to subject |
| Abat-sons | a louver or luffer-board (used to reflect sound downwards) |
| Abattant | (French m.) flap, leaf (of a table, desk etc.) |
| Abattement | (French m.) dejection, despondency |
| abattre | (French) to dishearten, to weaken, to drain (energy from a person), to sap, to demoralize, to tire out, to wear out, to pull down (a wall, a building) |
| abattre du travail | (French) to get through a lot of work |
| abattu (m.), abattue (f.) | (French) dejected, despondent, worn out, exhausted, feeble, very weak, demoralized, downcast |
| a battuta | (Italian, literally 'as beaten') with the beat, in strict time |
| Abat-voix | (French) a sounding board, a wooden canopy (often placed over a pulpit in a church, cathedral, etc.) whose purpose is to reduce the dispersion of sound |
| abb. | abbreviation of 'abbey' |
| Abb. | abbreviation of 'abbey', 'abbot' or 'abbess' |
| abbacchiato | (Italian) with a dejected, melancholic expression |
| Abbacy | office or jurisdiction of an abbot or abbess |
| abbaiare | (Italian) to bark, to bay, to howl, to yelp, to snarl |
| Abbaiata | (Italian f.) barking, baying, howling, yelping, snarling, scolding |
| Abbaione | (Italian m.) noisy fellow, great talker |
| Abbaino | (Italian m.) dormer widow, skylight, garret window, garret |
| abbandonamente | (Italian) vehemently, violently, passionately, unrestrained (for example, with unrestrained emotion), relaxed |
| free, particularly as regards the time |
| abbandonamento | (Italian) abandonment, forsaking, deserting, loss of strength or of courage, weakness, profligacy, dejection |
| abbandonandosi | (Italian) abandoning oneself, sich hingebend (German), en s'abandonnant (French) |
| abbandonare | (Italian) to abandon, to leave, to desert, to foresake, to quit, to forgo, to let go, to drop, to let fall, to disuse, to give up, to relinquish, to surrender, to concede, to throw away |
| as in senza abbandonare la corda (Italian: without quitting the string) |
| (Italian) neglect |
| abbandonasi | (Italian) with abandon, unrestrained, without restraint, with ease, with passionate expression |
| abbandonatamente | (Italian) or abbandono (Italian), vehemently, violently, passionately, unrestrained (for example, with unrestrained emotion), relaxed, with abandon, mit Hingabe (German), avec abandon (French) |
| free, particularly as regards the time |
| abbandonato | (Italian) abandoned, deserted, forsaken, neglected, given up |
| abbandone | (Italian) despondingly, with self-abandonment |
| making the time subservient to the expression |
| abbandonevolmente | (Italian) vehemently, violently, desperately |
| making the time subservient to the expression |
| Abbandono | (Italian m.) abandonment, desertion, dereliction, renouncement, relaxation, unconstraint, isolation, neglect |
| abbandono | (Italian) abbandonatamente, abbandonevolmente |
| abbandono, con | (Italian) in French avec abandon, to play negligently, to play in a free-and-easy manner, to play in an impassioned manner, with a burst of passion |
| abbarbagliare | (Italian) to dazzle, to daze, to hallucinate |
| Abbasids | see Abbassids |
| Abbassamento | (Italian) the act of lowering or the state of being lowered |
| Abbassamento di mano | (Italian) the lowering of the hand, down-beat in conducting |
| Abbassamento di voce | (Italian) the lowering of the voice |
| abbassando | (Italian) calante (Italian), calando (Italian), waning, lowering, absinkend (German), en faisant descendre (French), en descendant (French), en abaissant (French) |
| abbassare | (Italian) lower, in the sense of 'to tune a string down', a type of scordatura in which a string is tuned down so that the range of the string or keyboard instrument, for example a harpsichord or spinet', will be able to satisfy the needs of a particular piece |
| (Italian) turn down (the volume of a radio or TV) |
| Abbassids | a dynasty of caliphs who ruled the Arabian empire from 750 to 1258. During this period the Muslim world became the unrivaled intellectual centre for science, philosophy, medicine and education as the Abbasids championed the cause of knowledge and established a "House of Wisdom" in Baghdad; where both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars sought to translate and gather all the world's knowledge into Arabic. Many classic works of antiquity that would otherwise have been lost were translated into Arabic and later in turn translated into Turkish, Persian, Hebrew and Latin |
- Abbasid from which this information has been taken
|
| abbasso | (Italian) below |
| abbatersi | (Italian) to be discouraged |
| Abbatiale | (French f.) abbey-church |
| Abbaye | (French f.) abbey |
| Abbé | (French m.) abbot, priest, a cleric |
| in the eighteenth century, the title was applied to one in minor orders, wearing clerical dress, but serving little or no ecclesiastical function |
| Abbecedario | (Italian m.) primer (elementary text book) |
| Abbéde cour | (French m.) an abbé who, having obtained a lucrative and influential position at court, is perceived as being more worldly than a cleric should be |
| abbellare | (Italian) to embellish with ornaments |
| Abbellimento (s.), Abbellimenti (pl.) | (Italian m.) embellishment(s), ornament(s), grace note(s) |
| abbellire | (Italian) to embellish with ornaments |
| Abbellitura (s.), Abbelliture (pl.) | (Italian) embellishment, ornament |
| Abbess | the head of a community of nuns |
| Abbesse | (French f.) abbess |
| Abbey | buildings occupied by a community of monks or nuns |
| a community occupying such buildings |
| Abbicci | (Italian m.) alphabet |
| abbiente | (Italian) well-to-do |
| Abbigliamento | (Italian m.) clothes, clothing industry |
| Abbildung | (German f.) illustration, figure |
| abbinamento | (Italian) combining |
| abbinare | (Italian) combine |
| Abblasen | (German n.) tower music |
| abblasen | (German) to sound the trumpet, to sound the retreat, to sound for the last time |
| Abbocamento | (Italian m.) interview, talk (conversation) |
| Abbonamento | (Italian m.) subscription, season-ticket |
| abbonarsi | (Italian) subscribe, take out a season-ticket |
| Abbonato (s.), Abbonati (pl.) | (Italian m./f.) one who subscribes to a subscription series at an opera house |
| abbondante | (Italian) roomy (clothes) |
| Abbondanza | (Italian f.) abundance |
| abbordabile | (Italian) approachable (person), reasonable (price) |
| Abbot | the head of a community of monks |
| Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance | see 'horn dance' |
| abbottonare | (Italian) button up |
| Abbottonatura | (Italian f.) (row of) buttons |
| abbozzare | (Italian) sketch (out) |
| abbozzare un sorriso | (Italian) give a hint of a smile |
| Abbozzo | (Italian m.) sketch |
| abbr. | abbreviation of 'abbreviation' |
| abbracciare | (Italian m.) embrace, hug (a person), take up (a profession), include (figuratively) |
| Abbraccio | (Italian m.) embrace, hug |
| abbrev. | abbreviation of 'abbreviation' |
| Abbreviamenti | (Italian) abbreviations, as, for example, in musical notation |
| abbreviare | (Italian) abbreviate, shorten, curtail |
| Abbreviate | shorten, particular where a word is represented by only a part of it |
| Abbreviation | abbreviatura (Italian), Abkürzung (German), abréviation (French), abreviación (Spanish) |
| any symbol used to indicate elements that might otherwise require a more extended notation. The most common abbreviations in music are the signs for repeated notes or repeated note patterns (see 'Repeated notes, notation of'); in piano music, the use of chords to indicate arpeggio-like figuration; con 8va or con 8va bassa both indicating the addition of notes an octave above or below the written note |
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| Abbreviatur (s.), Abbreviaturen (pl.) | (German f.) or Abkürzung, abbreviation |
| Abbreviatura (s.), Abbreviature (pl.) | (Italian f.) abbreviation(s) |
| Abbreviaturen | (Dutch pl., German f. pl.) abbreviations |
| Abbreviazione (s.), Abbreviazioni (pl.) | (Italian f.) abbreviation |
| Abbrutimento | (Italian m.) brutalization |
| ABC | the alphabet, the rudiments of a subject, alphabetical guide |
| (French m.) an alphabet book, rudiments, fundamentals |
| ABC-dieren | (Dutch) in singing exercises, to use note names rather than the solfeggio syllables do, re, mi, etc., a system most commonly found in Germany |
| ABC-diren | (German) or Abcidiren, in singing exercises, to use note names rather than the solfeggio syllables do, re, mi, etc., a system most commonly found in Germany |
| Abcès | (French m.) an abcess |
| Abcidiren | (German) or ABC-diren, in singing exercises, to use note names rather than the solfeggio syllables do, re, mi, etc., a system most commonly found in Germany |
| ABCM | abbreviation of Associate of Bandsmen's College of Music |
| ABC notation | ABC is a format for writing tunes in a portable and easy way. It was invented by Chris Walshaw, and is used for sending tunes via e-mail, for putting tune books on the net, and for typesetting tunes. There are now a number of different software packages available for handling ABC files on various platforms |
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| abdämpfen | (German) to dampen, to mute, to muffle (particularly with regard to timpani) |
| Abdelazer | see 'Behn, Aphra' |
| ab dem Zeichen | (German) dal segno, from the sign |
 |
|
| Abderian laughter | from Abdera, in Thrace, whose citizens were considered rustic simpletons who would laugh at anything or anyone they didn't understand |
| Abdicate | (from Latin abdicatus, pp. of abdicare 'disown, disinherit' - specifically abdicare magistratu 'renounce office') divest oneself of office |
| abdiquer | (French) to abdicate |
| Abdomen | (English, French m.) in mammals and other vertebrates the abdomen (belly) constitutes the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity |
- Abdomen from which this extract has been taken
|
| Abdominal | pertaining to the abdomen, the region of the body also called the belly |
| abdominal (m.), abdominale (f.) | (French) abdominal |
| Abdruck | (German m.) impression, print, reprint, reproduction |
| Abduction from the Seraglio | see Entfuhrung aus dem Serail |
| Abê | a gourd shaker enveloped in beads that features in maracatu nação (also known as maracatu de baque virado) an Afro-Brazilian performance genre |
| Abecé | (Spanish m.) alphabet (familiar term) |
| Abécédaraire | (French m.) an alphabet primer |
| Abecedarian hymns | hymns whose lines or divisions begin with the letters of the alphabet in order. For example, psalm 119 is abecedarian, and its 176 verses are divided into groups of eight, each beginning with (and headed by) a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet |
| Abecedario | (Spanish m.) alphabet |
| Abedul | (Spanish m.) birch (tree) |
| Abegg Variations | Robert Schumann's op. 1 that employs a figure made up of the five notes a, b flat, e', g', g' which in German pitch names A-B-E-G-G spell the name of the works dedicatee Meta Abegg |
|
| Abeille | (French f.) bee |
| Abellimento | (Italian) embellishment, ornament |
| Abellitura | (Italian f.) embellishment, ornament |
| Abend | (German m.) evening |
| Abendglocke (s.), Abendglocken (pl.) | (German f.) evening bell, curfew |
| Abendkurs | (German m.) evening class |
| Abendlied | (German n.) an evening song or hymn, for example, Vespers [addition by Brian A. Jefferies] |
| Abendmahl | (German n.) Holy Communion |
| Abendmusik | (German f., literally 'evening music') originating in the seventeenth century, evening music usually of a religious or contemplative nature, the German equivalent of Vespers, applies particularly to a series of Advent concerts started by Buxtehude in Lübeck (1673). Dietrich Buxtehude (c.1637-1707), belongs to the generation of organists before Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), who, like George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), once travelled to Lübeck to hear the master perform at the Marienkirche, where he served as organist for forty years, from 1667 until his death in 1707. He wrote a considerable quantity of music, choral and instrumental, for church use, as well as chamber music and keyboard music of a more secular kind |
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| abends | (German) in the evening |
| a bene placito | (Italian) ad libitum, as you like, at pleasure |
| in music, indicating that the performer may change tempo, add ornamentation or change the instrumentation as he or she wishes |
| Abenteuer | (German n.) adventure, (love) affair |
| aber | (German) but |
| Aberglaube | (German) superstition, reverence for the unknown |
| abergläubisch | (German) superstitious [corrected by Michael Zapf] |
| Aberínkula | the secular batá drums, played at parties and for music and folkloric performances and commercial recordings |
| aber nicht eilen | (German) do not rush |
| Aberración | (Spanish f.) aberration |
| aberrant | deviating from what is usually considered normal or acceptable |
| aberrant (m.), aberrante (f.) | (French) aberrant, absurd (story), nonsensical (story), irregular (linguistics) |
| Aberration | (English, French f., from Latin aberrationem, itself from aberrare 'go astray') deviation from the normal, strange behaviour |
| Aberrazione | (Italian f.) aberration |
| Abertura | (Spanish f.) opening, aperture |
| aber wuchtiger | (German) but weightier, heavier |
| Abetal | (Spanish m.) fir-wood |
| Abete | (Italian m.) fir (tree), wood of the fir tree |
| abêtir | (French) to turn into a half-wit |
| abêtissant (m.), abêtissante (f.) | (French) stupifying (work) |
| Abêtissement | (French m.) stupidity, mindlessness |
| Abeto | (Spanish m.) fir (tree) |
| Abeyance | temporary disuse |
| ab extra | (Latin) not eminating from the mind |
| Abf. | abbreviation of Abfahrt (German: departure) |
| abfallend | (German) sloping |
in a cappella works, especially if the singers are suffering from the effects of "low
pressure" weather, the conductor might speak of in der Tonhöhe abfallend, i.e. 'losing pitch'. You know what it's like. Some choir conductors say: "Early in the morning, C sometimes becomes B, and if your luck is out, even B flat!" In that case, of course, the loss of pitch is not intentional. Conductors of orchestras say etwas abfallend, which may refer to an agogic accent, or to an effect of a purely dynamic nature, i.e. 'slight decline in speed or slight decline in strength (loudness)' [comment provided by Brian A. Jefferies] |
| abfällig | (German) disparaging, disparagingly |
| Abfallzeit | (German f.) release |
| abfassen | (German) to compose |
| Abfasser | (German m.) composer, author |
| Abfindung | (German f.) (monetary) compensation, severance payment (payment on loss of job) [additional information provied by Brian A. Jefferies] |
| abflöten | (German) to play on the flute |
| Abgabe | (German f.) sale |
| abgeben | (German) to sell |
| abgedroschen | (German) hackneyed |
| abgehen | (German) to make an exit, to retire, to 'go off' or to 'come off' (the theatre stage) |
| abgekürzt | (German) abbreviated |
| abgelegte Kleidung | (German f. pl.) cast-offs |
| abgelegte Kleidung | (German) take off one's coat |
| abgeleiteter Akkord | (German) an inverted chord |
| abgemessen | (German) measured, in strict time, in tempo (Italian), en mesure (French) |
| abgepackt | (German) pre-packed |
| abgerissen | (German) abruptly |
| Abgesang (s.), Abgesänge (pl.) | (German m.) see 'bar form' |
| Abgeschiedenheit | (German f.) seclusion |
| abgeschwächt darstellen | (German) to understate |
| abgesetzt | (German) detached |
| abgeschmackt | (German) tasteless, in poor taste (figurative) |
| abgestoßen | (German, literally 'struck off' - in effected 'shortened') or abstoßen, to play notes detached, to play staccato, a term particularly associated with eighteenth-century string playing |
| (German) or gestoßen (German), detached, jerky (for example, manner of speech or manner of playing a musical line), staccato (Italian), détaché (French), piqué (French) |
| abgestossen | (German, literally 'struck off' - in effected 'shortened') or gestossen, to play notes detached, to play staccato, a term particularly associated with eighteenth-century string playing |
| abgewetzt | (German) threadbare |
| abgezehrt | (German) emaciated |
| abgk. | abbreviation of abgekürzt (German: abbreviated) |
| Abgott | (German m.) idol |
| abgöttisch | (German) idolatrous [entry corrected by Michael Zapf] |
| Abgrenzung | (German f.) demarcation |
| Abh. | abbreviation of Abhandlungen (German: transactions, treatises) |
| Abhandlung (s.), Abhandlungen (pl.) | (German f.) treatise, essay [entry corrected by Michael Zapf] |
| Abhandlung von der Fuge | (German f.) treatise on the fugue |
| Abhilfe schaffen | (German) to take (remedial) action |
| ab hinc | (Latin) from here on |
| abholen | (German) collect, call for (as person), meet (someone somewhere) |
| adhorchen | (German) to sound |
| abhören | (German) to listen to (for example, as in testing somebody on some aspect of their knowledge of something) |
| Abhörgerät | (German n.) bugging device |
| Abhorrence | disgust, detestation |
| Abhorrent | disgusting, hateful, loathsome |
| abhorrer | (French) to loathe, to abhor |
| Abide | act in accordance with |
| Abiding | enduring, permanent |
| à bientôt | (French) see you again soon! |
| Abigail | used in general sense of 'lady's maid', from a character of that name in Beaumont & Fletcher's The Scornful Lady (1616) |
| the Biblical origin of the name refers to Abigail (1 Samuel 25:24-8) who repeatedly called herself David's handmaiden |
| abigarrado | (Spanish) multi-coloured, mixed |
| Abigeato | (Spanish/Mexican m.) rustling |
| abile | (Italian) clever (intelligent) |
| Abilità | (Italian f.) ability, fitness, cleverness |
| Abilitazione | (Italian f.) qualification, diploma |
| abilitato | (Italian) qualified |
| Ability | talent, capacity, power |
| abilmente | (Italian) ably, cleverly |
| Abîme | (French m.) abyss, gulf, chasm |
| abîmer | (French) damage, spoil |
| ab init. | abbreviation of ab initio (Latin: from the beginning) |
| ab incunabulis | (Latin) from the cradle |
| ab initio | (Latin) from the beginning |
| ab intestato | (Latin) having made no will |
| Abismo | (Spanish m.) world of difference |
| Abisso | (Italian m.) abyss |
| Abito | (Italian m.) dress (of a woman), suit (of a man) |
| abituale | (Italian) usual, habitual |
| abitualmente | (Italian) usually |
| Abitudine | (Italian f.) habit |
| Abitudinario (m.), Abitudinara (f.) | (Italian) person of fixed habits |
| Abitur | (German n.) German equivalent of A-levels in the UK |
| a bizzeffe | (Italian) galore |
| Abject | miserable, wretched |
| Abjuration | a renunciation, under oath, of heresy to the Christian faith, made by a Christian wishing to be reconciled with the Church |
| abkaufen | (German) buy |
| abklingen | (German) die away, subside |
| abklingend | (German) fading away |
| adklopfen | (German) to sound |
| Abkömmling | (German m.) descendant |
| abkürzen | (German) shorten, abbreviate |
| Abkürzung (s.), Abkürzungen (pl.) | (German f.) abridgement(s), abbreviation(s) |
| (German f.) short cut(s) |
| abl | abbreviation of abril (Spanish: April) |
| Ablage | (German f.) shelf, tray |
| ablassen | (German) knock (something) off (the price of something) |
| Ablation | (French f.) removal |
| Ablauf | (German m.) expiry |
(German m.) sequence, procedure [entry provided by Brian A. Jefferies] |
| ablaufen | (German m.) expire, run out of (time) |
| Ablaut | (German) or 'apophony', a term used in linguistics to describe regular vowel gradation of a word in derivation. So, for example, the vowels of such groups of English forms as 'sing', 'sang', 'sung' are related by Ablaut. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century by the linguist Jacob Grimm, though the phenomenon was first described a century earlier by the Dutch linguist Lambert ten Kate in his book Gemeenschap tussen de Gottische spraeke en de Nederduytsche ("Commonality between the Gothic language and Dutch", 1710) |
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| Able-bodied | fit, healthy |
| Ableitung | (German f.) derivation, derivative |
| Ablenkung | (German f.) distraction |
| ablichten | (German) photocopy |
| Ablichtung | (German f.) photocopy |
| à bloc | (French) hard, tight |
| ablösen | (German, literally 'loosen' or 'detach') to play notes detached, to play staccato |
| Ablution | ceremonial washing of hands, sacred vessels, etc. |
| Abmachung | (German f.) agreement |
| abmarschieren | (German) march off |
| abmessen | (German) measure |
| Abmessungen | (German f. pl.) measurements, dimensions [additional information provided by Brian A. Jefferies] |
| abmildernd | (German) addolcendo (Italian), becoming sweet, softing, soft or dolce, sanft werdend (German), en adoucissant (French) |
| abmischen | (German) to mix |
| Abnahme | (German f.) purchase, removal, reduction (in speed) [additional information provided by Brian A. Jefferies] |
| Abnegación | (Spanish f.) self-sacrifice |
| Abnegate | give up or renounce something |
| Abnegation | denial (in the sense of something forgone) |
| Abnegazione | (Italian f.) self-sacrifice |
| abnehmend | (German, literally 'decreasing' or 'subsiding') , to soften gradually |
| abnehmend |  | (German) decrescendo (Italian), diminuendo (Italian), deficiendo>, (Italian), scemando (Italian), to get gradually softer, decreasing, en décroissant (French), getting less (i.e. diminishing in volume, decreasing in force,), dying away, becoming quieter, leiser werden (German), en amoindrissant (French) |
|
| abnehmender Ton | (German) a decrease of the tone |
| abnehmendes Tempo | (German) a decrease of the speed |
| Abnehmer | (German m.) buyer |
| abnorm | (German) abnormal |
| abnormal | deviating from the normal |
| abnutzen | (German) wear out |
| Abnutzung | (German f.) wear (and tear) |
| abobado | (Spanish) silly |
| Abobamiento | (Spanish m.) silliness |
| a boca de jarro | (Spanish) point-blank |
| a bocca aperta | (Italian) dumbfounded (figurative) |
| a bocca chiusa | (Italian) humming, with mouth closed |
| abocetar | (Spanish) sketch |
| abocinado | (Spanish) trumpet-shaped |
| abofetear | (Spanish) slap |
| Abogado | (Spanish m.) lawyer, solicitor, barrister, attorney |
| Abogado defensor | (Spanish m.) defence counsel |
| Aboiement | (French m.) bark, barking |
| Abolengo | (Spanish m.) ancestry |
| Abolish | put an end to (something) |
| Abolladura | (Spanish f.) dent |
| abollar | (Spanish) dent |
| abolsado | (Spanish) baggy |
| abombado | (Spanish) convex |
| a bombo y platillos | (Spanish) with a lot of fuss |
| Abonado | (Spanish m.) subscriber |
| abonarse | (Spanish) subscribe |
| à bon compte | (French) cheaply |
| à bon escient | (French) with good reason |
| Abonné (m.), Abonnée (f.) | (French) subscriber, one who subscribe to a subscription series at an opera house, a season-ticket holder |
| Abonnement | (German n., French m., Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, literally 'subscription') a term used in certain European opera houses for various kinds of subscription series, an important source of finance |
| (German n., French m., Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, literally 'subscription') a subscription to a journal, a society, etc. |
| (German n., French m., Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, literally 'subscription') season ticket (as, for example, to the theatre) |
| Abonnent (s.), Abonnenten (pl.) | (German m.) subscriber, one who subscribes to a subscription series at an opera house |
| abonner | (French) subscribe |
| abonnieren | (German) subscribe |
| Abono | (Spanish m.) payment, subscription |
| abordable | (French, Spanish) reasonable (price), approachable (person) |
| aborder | (French) tackle (a problem) |
| a bordo | (Spanish) on board |
| Aborigen | (Spanish m.) native |
| ab origene | (Latin) from the beginning, from the beginning of the world |
| Aborigène | (French m.) aboriginal |
| Aborigeno | (Italian m./f.) aboriginal |
| Aboriginal (s.), Aborigines (pl.) | indigenous inhabitants whose occupation of a land predates the arrival of colonists. The term is most widely applied to the original inhabitants of Australia |
| Aboriginal music | the music of the indigenous peoples of Australia is diverse and complex, and depending on the region, may or may not include vocalization (hissing, grunting, shouting, shrieking, falsettos, growlings as well as enunciated syllabic and melismatic singing of words), nonsense syllables, chanting, vibrato, tremelo, continuous singing and bitonality. Rhythms are often polymetric though isorhythms do occur. Melodic lines tend to begin loudly on high pitches ending on low softly sustained notes. Harmonies include trills, on intervals that are less than quarter tones, drones, thirds, fourths and fifths, canons, and the singing of two distinct and separate parts |
| aboriginal music is featured in Peter Gabriel's score for the film Rabbit Proof Fence (2002) directed by Phillip Noyce |
| Aboriginal musical instruments | different tribes used various instruments including boomerangs, clubs, sticks, hollow logs, drums, seed rattles and of course the didgeridoo. Hand clapping and lap/thigh slapping were common. Decorated drums were made from hollow logs and some covered with reptile skins. Large conch shells were used in the northern coastal areas. The best known of all Aboriginal musical instruments was the didgeridoo |
| Aboriginal rock | a rather nebulous term for a style of music which mixes traditional rock music elements (guitar, drums, bass etc) with the instrumentation of Indigenous Australians |
|
| aborrecible | (Spanish) loathsome |
| aborrecido | (Spanish) hated |
| Aborrecimiento | (Spanish m.) hatred |
| aborrire | (Italian) abhor |
| abort | to end or cause to end a project, before its completion |
| Abortion | failed project or action |
| abortive | fruitless, unsuccessful |
| abotonar | (Spanish) button (up) |
| à bouche fermée | (French) humming, with mouth closed |
| à bout | (French) exhausted |
| à bout de souffle | (French) out of breath |
| About-face | about turn |
| aboutir | (French) succeed, achieve a result |
| Aboutissement | (French m.) outcome |
| à bout portant | (French) point-blank |
| About-turn | turn made so as to face in the opposite direction |
| used to describe a change of opinion, etc. |
| Above | sopra (Italian), ober (German), au-dessus (French), (más) arriba (Spanish) |
| over, on top of, overhead, higher than, higher in importance, more than, beyond reach, earlier (in a book), preceding |
| ab ovo | (Latin, literally 'from the egg') from the beginning |
| ab ovo usque ad mala | (Latin, literally 'from the egg right to the apples') from start to finish (quotation from Horace) |
| aboyer | (French) bark |
| abprallen | (German) rebound, richochet |
| abprallendes Stakkato | (German) bouncing, ricochet |
| abr. | abbreviation of 'abridge', 'abridged' or 'abridgement' |
| a braccetto | (Italian) arm in arm |
| a brandelli | (Italian) in tatters |
| Abrasif | (French m.) abrasive |
| Abrasive | (French, English) a substance used in the polishing of various materials |
| Abrasivo | (Italian m., Spanish m.) abrasive |
| abrasivo | (Italian, Spanish) abrasive |
| à bras-le-corps | (French) round the waist |
| à bras ouverts | (French) with open arms, with a cordial welcome |
| abräumen | (German) clear (the table) |
| Abrazadera | (Spanish f.) bracket |
| a brazo | (Spanish) by hand |
| Abreast of | up to date with |
| Abrecartas | (Spanish m.) paper-knife |
| abrechnen | (German) settle up, get even (figuratively) |
| Abrechnung | (German f.) settlement (of accounts) |
| Abrégé (s.), Abrégés (pl.) | (French m.) abridgement, summary |
| (French m.) the coupler mechanism in an organ |
| abréger | (French) to shorten or abridge a text |
| (French) to abbreviate or shorten a word |
| (French) to curtail or cut short (a visit) |
| Abreise | (German f.) departure |
| abreißen | (German) tear off, demolish, pull down |
| (German) break off (figuratively) |
| Abreissung | (German f.) a sudden stop, a sudden pause |
| Abreviación | (Spanish f.) abbreviation, abridgement, abridged text |
| abreviado | (Spanish) brief, abridged |
| abreviar | (Spanish) to abbreviate or abridge a text |
| Abréviation | (French f.) abbreviation, abridgement, abridged text |
| Abreviatura | (Spanish f.) abbreviation |
| abrichten | (German) train |
| Abridge | shorten (a book, film, etc.) |
| Abridged sonata form | a variation of the classic 'sonata-form' where the development involves the introduction of new material rather than, as is usual, the elaboration of material already presented in the exposition |
| Abridgement | also called a 'reduction', a shortened version of a musical, literary or dramatic work, while retaining the key elements of the original |
| a briglia sciolta | (Italian) at full gallop |
| abril | (Spanish m.) April |
| abrillantar | (Spanish) polish |
| Abroad | widely, in circulation |
| abroncar | (Spanish) boo, shame |
| abroncarse | (Spanish) be ashamed, get annoyed |
| ABRSM | abbreviation of Associate Board of the Royal Schools of Music |
| a bruciapelo | (Italian) point-blank |
| abrufen | (German) retrieve (from the computer) |
| abrumador | (Spanish) overwhelming |
| abrunden | (German) round off (a number) |
| abrupt | (English, German) sudden, hasty (for example, an ending) |
| Abrupt cadence | interrupted cadence |
| Abruptio | (Latin) breaking off, a sudden pause |
| Abruptly | brevement (Italian), abgerissen (German), brusquement (French), bruscamente (Spanish) |
| brusquely, sharply, suddenly, curtly (of manner) |
| Abrupt modulation | see 'phrase modulation' |
| abrupto | (Spanish) harsh |
| abrutir | (French) dull the mind of |
| Abruzzese | a song or dance from the Abruzzi district of eastern Rome |
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| ABS | acronym for 'acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene' used in the manufacture of plastic parts for musical instruments, particularly for making plastic recorders [link provided by Michael Zapf] |
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| a.b.s. | abbreviation of aux bon soins (de) (French: c/o, care of - used in postal addresses) |
| Absage | (German f.) cancellation |
| absagen | (German) cancel |
| absägen | (German) saw off |
| Absatz | (German m.) paragraph, sale |
| (German m.) stop, pause, cadence |
| a phrase of melody generally consisting of four bars usually considered the musical equivalent of a sentence |
| abschalten | (German) switch off |
| abschätzig | (German) disparaging, disparagingly |
| Abscheu | (German m.) revulsion |
| abscheulich | (German) revolting, horrible, horribly |
| Abschied | (German m.) farewell, parting (leading to separation) |
| Abschieds-symphonie | see 'Farewell Symphony' |
| abschlägig | (German) negative |
| abschließend | (German) in conclusion |
| Abschluss (s.), Abschlüsse (pl.) | (German m.) closing, end, tag |
| Abschluß (s.), Abschlüße (pl.) | (German m.) closing, end, tag |
| Abschlußprüfung | (German f.) final examination |
| Abschlußzeugnis | (German n.) diploma |
| abschmieren | (German) grease (lubricate equipment with grease), degrease, side-slip (aeroplane) [additional entry and comment below from Michael Zapf] |
| schmieren is the more usual translation for 'to grease' as for example in 'to grease the joint of a musical instrument' |
| Abschnitt | (German m.) section (as, for example, in poetry), paragraph |
| (German m.) stage (in a stadium) |
| (German m.) counterfoil |
| abschrauben | (German) unscrew |
| abschreiben | (German) copy, write off |
| Abschreibung | (German f.) depreciation |
| Abschrift (s.), Abschriften (pl.) | (German f.) reprint, copy, transcript |
| abschwächend | (German) becoming weaker, weakening, indebolendo (Italian), affievolendo (Italian), schwächer werden (German), en affaiblissant (French) |
| (German) smorzando (Italian) extinguished, put out, gradually dying away to a whisper, calming down, subduing, dämpfend (German), en amortissant (French) |
| abschweifen | (German) disgress |
| abschwellen | (German) decrescendo, to become steadily softer |
| absehen | (German) foresee [corrected by Michael Zapf] |
| Absence makes the heart grow fonder | a line from the song The Isle of Beauty by T. Haynes Bayly (1797-1839) although found much earlier in Francis Davison's Poetical Rhapsody (1602) |
| Absence of mind | inattentiveness |
| Absent | not present, not existing, lacking, inattentive |
| Absentee | person not present |
| Absenteeism | frequently or illicitly absenting oneself from work or school, etc. |
| Absentee landlord | a person who lets property in which he does not live |
| Absentéiste | (French m./f.) absentee |
| Absent-minded | forgetful, inattentive |
| absetzen | (German, literally 'to separate') play notes detached, play staccato, to separate phrases |
| absetzen in die Tabulatur | (German absetzen, 'to set down') from the sixteenth century, to transcribe vocal music into tablature |
| Absetzung | (German f.) intabulation [entry provided by Michael Zapf] |
| Absicht | (German f.) intention |
| absichtlich | (German) intentional, intentionally, deliberate, deliberately |
| Abside | (Italian f.) apse |
| Ábside | (Spanish m.) apse |
| absingen | (German) to sing, to carol, to sing oneself to exhaustion |
| Absingung | (German f.) singing, carolling |
| absinkend | (German) abbassando (Italian), calante (Italian), calando (Italian), waning, lowering, en faisant descendre (French), en descendant (French), en abaissant (French) |
| Absinthe | (French) technically a gin, a potent alcoholic liquor distilled from wine and wormwood (Artemesia absinthium), the manufacture and consumption of which became illegal in French on 16th Mar. 1915. The name is often applied today to the less potent liquor known as Pernod |
| absit omen | (Latin) touch wood!, God forbid! |
| ABSM | abbreviation of Associate of the Birmingham School of Music |
| ABSM(TTD) | abbreviation of Associate of the Birmingham School of Music (Teacher's Training Diploma) |
| absolu | (French) absolute |
| absolument | (French) absolutely |
| absolut | (German) absolute, absolutely |
| absolutamente | (Spanish) absolutely, completely |
| Absolute | complete, utter, unconditional, despotic, neither reelative nor comparative |
| Absolute dating | methods used to find out the period from which something originated, usually based on the differential radioactive decay of various chemical isotopes, including carbon-14 (which is less dependable for specimens older than 40,000 years than it is for more recent organic remains) and potassium-argon (K-40/A-40) technique (used only for inorganic substances, i.e. rocks and minerals billions of years old) |
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| Absolute music | (English) or 'abstract music', a term used for music dependent on its structure alone for comprehension, the antithesis of programme music, for example, a Bach fugue. Generally, abstract music will exclude all vocal music particularly that where the music's character has been influenced by the text |
| absolute Musik | (German f.) absolute music, which in Germany excludes all programme and vocal music as well as that whose nature is clearly emotional |
"Music has no subject beyond the combinations of notes we hear, for music speaks not only by means of sounds, it speaks nothing but sound." [Eduard Hanslick (1825-1904) German writer on music] |
| Absolute pitch | the name given by psychologists to the phenomenon musicians call 'perfect pitch', a strong conscious or unconscious memory of musical pitch. Simpson and Huron (1994) showed that musicians possessing absolute pitch respond in a way consistent with the classic law of perceptual learning, the Hick-Hyman law, which states that response times decrease when there is a greater familiarity with the stimulus. When asked to respond as quickly as possible, the fastest responses times are for notes like C and G (which occur frequently in music), and more slowly for notes like F and B (which occur less frequently in music). The slowest responses occur for rarely occuring pitches, like A# and D#. The response time is proportional to the information content of the pitches, indicating that absolute pitch is a learned phenomenon |
recent work published at Scientific American (August 29, 2007) entitled "Perfect Pitch: You've Either Got It or You Don't" questions some well-established assumptions about absolute or perfect pitch [link provided by Nancy Darling] |
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| absoluter Tanz | (German m.) see Ausdruckstanz |
| absolutes Gehör | (German n.) the capacity of a person to recognise and name the pitch of a musical sound without prior reference to a sounded note of a different pitch, which capacity is also called 'absolute' or 'perfect' pitch. Several commentators have noted that this capacity is found just as widely among the musically gifted as among those with no special musical talent |
| absolutes Tonhöhe | (German f.) the absolute pitch of a note or tone |
| Absolute threshold of hearing | or 'ATH', the minimum amplitude (level or strength) of a pure tone that the average ear with normal hearing can hear in a noiseless environment |
|
| Absolute threshold of pain | the threshold of pain is the sound pressure level (SPL) beyond which sound becomes unbearable for a human listener. This threshold varies only slightly with frequency. Prolonged exposure to sound pressure levels in excess of the threshold of pain can cause physical damage, potentially leading to hearing impairment and tinnitus |
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| Absoluut gehoor | (Dutch) absolute pitch |
| Absorb | incorporate as part of oneself |
| absorbente | (Spanish) absorbing (commanding one's interest) |
| Absorbing | engrossing the attention of |
| Absorption | the loss or dissipation of sound energy in passing through a material or on striking a surface, usually through conversion to heat energy. The term may also refer to the property of a medium, material or object to DAMP sound energy. That part of the sound striking a surface which is not absorbed is either reflected or transmitted |
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| Absorption coefficient | the fraction of energy which is absorbed on striking any surface. It therefore takes values between 0 and 1, and is usually frequency dependent. In room acoustics, this coefficient, given the symbol a, is expressed as a fraction of the perfect absorption at an open window of equal area. A table such as the following might be consulted for choosing suitable materials for sound insulation in a room or building |
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| abspielen | (German) to play a tune, to finish playing, to play oneself to exhaustion |
| Absprache | (German f.) agreement |
| abstammen | (German) be descended |
| Abstammung | (German f.) descent |
| Abstand (s.), Abstände (pl.) | (German m.) spacing, space, interval (of time) |
| Abstand halten | (German) keep one's distance |
| Abstand nehmen von | (German) refrain from (figurative) |
| abstauben | (German) dust |
| absteigendes Intervall | (German n.) descending interval |
| absteigende Tonarten | (German f.pl.) descending scales or modes |
| Abstellraum | (German m.) box-room |
| abstimmen (mit) | (German) to harmonize (with) |
| Abstinence, Days of | days when the eating of meat is not permitted (in which case fish replaced meat), as opposed to Fast Days when only one full meal is allowed in 24 hours |
| abstoßen | (German) or abgestoßen, play notes detached, play staccato |
| (German) in organ playing, to take off a stop |
| abstossen | (German) or abgestossen, play notes detached, play staccato |
| (German) in organ playing, to take off a stop |
| abstr. | abbreviation of 'abstract' or 'abstracted' |
| Abstracción | (Spanish f.) abstraction |
| Abstract | in art, achieving effect by form and colour rather than by realism |
| a summary of the text of a book, journal article, thesis, etc. An abstract should include the main points, and not merely contain a description of the content. Abstracts are often found in indexes, such as RILM Abstracts |
| Abstract | to extract, to remove |
| Abstract ballet | ballet can follow a particular storyline, in which case it is described as being ballet d'action, or it can be designed only to satisfy particular choreographic ends, in which case it is termed 'abstract ballet'. Many choreographers have rejected this concept, arguing that, because dancers are human, no ballet can be entirely abstract. The term was first mentioned in connection with Massine's Ode (1928) in which Diaghileff attempted to put the vogue of abstract painting, then a novelty, on to the stage |
| Abstract dance | like abstract ballet, a dance designed only to satisfy particular choreographic ends |
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| Abstracted | inattentive, distracted |
| Abstracten | (German f. pl.) the tracker mechanism of an organ (archaic) |
| Abstract hip hop | a subgenre of alternative hip hop that differs from other hip hop music largely in the content of the lyrics. In stark contrast to gangsta rap, which deals with living in poor urban neighborhoods and real or imagined aspects of gang life, abstract hip hop deals with topics that usually have no association with the hip hop culture |
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| Abstraction | abstract or visionary idea, abstract qualities (for example, in art), absent-mindedness |
| Abstract music | see 'absolute music' |
| a term applied to music whose style is 'dull', 'dry' or 'academic' |
| abstracto | (Spanish) abstract |
| Abstrakte | (German f.) tracker action on an organ |
| abstrakte Musik | (German f.) abstract music |
| abstreichen | (German) in string playing, to perform a down-bow |
| abstreifen | (German) slip off (a shoe or some clothing) |
| Abstrich (s.), Abstriche (pl.) | (German m.) in string playing, a 'down-bow' |
| (German m. pl.) cuts |
in the plural form, for example Abstriche machen, used in the context of (fiscal) constraints which ask
for reductions (i.e. cuts) in spending, and/or downsizing of projects [comment provided by Michael Zapf] |
| Astriche machen | (German) to make (fiscal) cuts, to lower one's sights |
| Abstriche machen, Irgendwo muss man | (German) you can't have everything |
| abstruse | hard to understand, profound |
| abstruso | (Spanish) abstract |
| absurd | inappropriate, illogical, ridiculous |
| absurde | (French) absurd |
| Absurdité | (French f.) absurdity |
| Absurdity | something that is absurd |
| absurdo | (Spanish) absurd |
| abt | abbreviation of 'about' |
| Abt. | abbreviation of Abteilung (German: department - the equivalent English abbreviation is 'dept.') |
| Abt | (German m.) abbot |
| abtasten | (German) to scan |
| Abtastrate | (German f.) sampling rate |
| Abtei | (German f.) abbey |
| Abteil | (German n.) compartment |
| Abteilung (s.), Abteilungen (pl.) | (German f.) part, section, division (of a book, etc.) |
| abtragen | (German) clear, level, wear out, pay off |
| abtreten | (German f.) exit (in the Theatre) |
| abuchelar | (Spanish) boo |
| Abucheo | (Spanish m.) booing |
| Abuela | (Spanish f.) grandmother |
| Abuelo | (Spanish m.) grandfather |
| Abuelos | (Spanish m. pl.) grandparents |
| Abu ibn Sina | or Avicenna (8980-1036) a celebrated Arabian physician who wrote a treatise on music in Farsi. In this field, his contribution was an improvement over al Farabi's work and was far ahead of knowledge prevailing elsewhere on the subject. Doubling with the fourth and fifth was a 'great' step towards the harmonic system and doubling with the third seems to have also been allowed. Ibn Sina observed that in the series of consonances represented by (n + 1)/n, the ear is unable to distinguish them when n = 45. |
| Abulia | (Spanish f.) lack of will-power |
| Abúlico | (Spanish) weak-willed |
| abultado | (Spanish) bulky |
| abultar | (Spanish) exaggerate |
| a bulto | (Spanish) roughly |
| ab uno disce omnes | (Latin) one is very like another |
| Abu Ol-Qasem Mansur (c.934-1020) | see 'Firdausi' |
| a buon fresco | (Italian) (painting) on plaster while it is still wet |
| ab urbe condita | (Latin) or AUC, from the foundation of the city (usually a reference to Rome) |
| Aburguesamiento | (Spanish m.) conversion to a middle-class way of life |
| aburguesarse | (Spanish) become middle-class |
| Aburrimiento | (Spanish m.) boredom |
| aburrir | (Spanish) bore |
| abusare di | (Italian) abuse, take advantage of |
| abusare de la bebida | (Spanish) drink too much |
| Abuse | misuse, use improperly |
| abusif (m.), abusive (f.) | (French) excessive, mistaken (usage) |
| abusivo | (Spanish) excessive |
| Abuso | (Spanish m.) abuse |
| abuso di confidenza | (Italian) breach of confidence |
| abv. | abbreviation of 'above' |
| abwandeln | (German) modify |
| abwärts | (German) down, downwards |
| Abwe | or chekeré, beaded gourds of the Lucumi, Yoruba speakers in Cuba played, for example, in ceremonies celebrating ritual 'birthdays' |
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| abwechseln | (German, literally 'change', 'exchange' or 'alternate') or Abzuwechseln, to change one's instrument, for example, a clarinetist changing from a B flat to an A instrument, or a flautist switching to a piccolo |
| in polyphony, mit abwechselnden Chören, antiphonally, alternate groups of voices |
| in organ playing, mit abwechselnden Manualen with alternate manuals |
| in dance, alternating between different, sometimes repeated, strains or movements |
| abwechselnd | (German) alternate, alternately, alternating |
| abwechselnden Manualen, mit | (German) with alternating manuals |
| abwechslungsreich | (German) varied |
| abweichen | (German) deviate |
| Abweichung | (German f.) deviation, difference |
| Abweisung | (German f.) rejection, rebuff |
| abwertend | (German) pejorative |
| abwesend | (German) absent, absent-minded |
| Abwesenheit | (German f.) absence, absent-mindedness |
| abwischen | (German) wipe, wipe off |
| Abyección | (Spanish f.) wretchedness |
| abyecto | (Spanish) abject |
| Abysmal | extremely bad |
| Abysmal ignorance | profound ignorance |
| Abyss | immeasurable depth (for example, of despair) |
| abzahlen | (German) pay off (for example, a debt) |
| abzählen | (German) count |
| Abzahlung | (German f.) instalment |
| abzeichnen | (German) copy, initial |
| Abziehbild | (German n.) print (photograph), run off (copies) |
| Abzug | (German m.) in lute tuning, to lower the pitch of the lowest note by a tone (im Abzug), or to add an extra, open string below a stopped string (mit abzügen) |
| (German m.) scordatura |
| (German m.) an appoggiatura that makes a decrescendo when moving to the principal note, or a three note ornament that is like an 'inverted mordent' (that is, the written note, the note above and returning to the original note) |
| (German m.) print (photograph), proof (from a printer) |
| abzüglich | (German) less |
| abzuwechseln | see abwechseln |