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FP
referring to the catalogue prepared by Carl B. Schmidt of music by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
fp., fpp.
fortepiano, 'loud, then immediately p. or pp.'
fpf.
abbreviation for forte-piano-forte, where the sound starts loudly before softening and then finally growing back to its original strength
Fr
after E. W. Frisch, the cataloguer of music by Frédéric François Chopin (1810-1849)
(Spanish f.) a meter (time signature) set out with one figure above another (for example, 3/4, 2/2, 6/8, etc.)
Frachtbrief
(German m.) advice note
Fractal
generally "a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be subdivided into parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole," a property called self-similarity. The term was coined by Benoît Mandelbrot in 1975 and was derived from the Latin fractus meaning "broken" or "fractured
(Latin, literally 'the breaking of the mode') ornamental notes that break into the steady pattern of rhythmic modes
Fractional beam
where a beam does not join a group of notes, for example a beam joining a dotted quaver (eighth note) to a semiquaver (sixteenth note), the secondary beam attached to the semiquaver (sixteenth note) is called a fractional beam.
Fractional time signature
a meter (time signature) in which the top number includes or is a fraction
Fractura
(Spanish f.) fracture
frag(s).
abbreviation of 'fragment(s)'
Frage (s.), Fragen (pl.)
(German f.) issue, question
Fragestellung
(German f.) issue
Fragezeichen
(German n.) ?, mark of interrogation, question mark, interrogation point, question point, query or eroteme
(English, German n., French m.) a small part, particularly a part broken off
an incomplete piece of literature or music, one the author/composer never finished entirely
Fragmentación
(Spanish f.) fragmentation
fragmentar
(Spanish) to fragment, to divide up
fragmentario (m.), fragmentaria (f.)
(Spanish) fragmentary
fragmentarse
(Spanish) to break up
Fragmentation
breaking up a subject into small segments, any one of which may form the basis for further development
Fragmento
(Spanish m.) fragment, piece (of an object), passage (from a book)
Fraîcheur
(French f.) freshness
frailesco (m.), frailesca (f.)
(Spanish) monkish, like a monk
Frailing
see 'clawhammer'
frailuno (m.), frailuna (f.)
(Spanish) monkish, like a monk
frais (m.), fraîche (f.)
(French) fresh
frais et dispos
(French) fresh and alert
Fraktal
(German n.) fractal
fraktal
(German) fractal
Fraktur
(German) a Blackletter script used to write the German language from the beginning of the sixteenth century until 1945
in the United States, Fraktur is used to describe highly artistic and elaborate eighteenth- and nineteenth-centuries illuminated folk art drawings created by the Pennsylvania Dutch (perhaps more strictly Pennsylvania Deitsch or Pennsylvanian German). Most Fraktur were created between 1740 and 1860
abbreviation of 'Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, London'
Frambuesa
(Spanish f.) raspberry (botanical)
Frame
the structural members in the interior of a keyboard instrument (under the soundboard) which strengthen the case
of a piano, the skeleton of case iron on which the strings are stretched
in dance, 'frame' is the position maintained by dancers during partner dancing. Maintenance of the frame provides connection
Frame an extract of which provides the second entry
Frame narrative
the result of inserting one or more small stories within the body of a larger story that encompasses the smaller ones. Often this term is used interchangeably with both the literary technique and the larger story itself that contains the smaller ones, which are called pericopes, "framed narratives" or "embedded narratives."
set of standards or principles governing behaviour, thought, belief, etc.
Frame story
frame narrative
Framing method
using the same features, wording, setting, situation, or topic at both the beginning and end of a literary work so as to "frame" it or "enclose it." This technique often provides a sense of cyclical completeness or closure
Frammento
(Italian m.) fragment
franc (m.), franche (f.)
(French) frank, open-hearted, bluff
Francachella
(Spanish f.) feast (familar)
français (m.), française (f.)
(French) French
Française
(French f.) a round dance in triple or compound duple time, whose full name is contredanse Française
francamente
(Italian) boldly, ingenuously
(Italian) performed in a free style
Francarabe
(French) a term coined by Elie "Lili" Boniche (1922-2008), for his own unique oeuvre, combining the North African style with French chanson, Latin American and other influences and singing in a mixture of French and Arabic
Francés (m.), Francésa (f.)
(Spanish) Frenchman, Frenchwoman
francés (m.), francésa (f.)
(Spanish) French
Franceschi, Francesco (d. c.1599)
a printer in the Italian Renaissance. His roots were in Siena, though the bulk of his work was done in Venice. Franceschi was also known for printing music. He printed the works of Gioseffo Zarlino and several volumes of writing on music. Two probable relatives, Giovanni Antonio de' Franceschi (who worked in both Palermo and Venice) and Giacomo Franceschi of Venice, printed music as well
(Italian f.) freedom of spirit, boldness, frankness, confidence
franchir le cap de
(French) to go beyond, to go beyond the point of
Franchise
(French) freedom of spirit, boldness, frankness, candour
Franciscan
order of friars founded by St Francis of Assisi in the early 13th century in Italy; also known as the Friars Minor or the Grey Friars
Franco-Belgian bowing
the most flexible and "springy" bowing technique which is really the Italian bowing that Viotti brought out of Italy. This is the bow hold which Paganini made his own. The fingers gently curve over the stick, and the bow contacts the first joints of the fingers. For the Italian bow hold the bow hair is made very taught [taken from Violinist.com]
Franco-country
a musical style originating from French Canada. It is characterised mainly by the rhythms and styles of American country music but with the twangy Québécois Jouale accent. Sometimes the songs are sung in French, but not always
a motet based on the mensural notation championed by Franco of Cologne (fl. c.1250-1280), where there is a movement away from rhythmic modes, the voices are generally rhythmically stratified, with each voice having a faster line than the voice below
Franconian notation
the mensural notation system championed by Franco of Cologne (fl. c.1250-1280)
Frangipane
pastry with a creamy almond-flavoured filling
Franglais
French heavily interlarded with English words and expressions
Frankfurt Group
the four British composers Norman Houstoun O'Neill (1875-1934), Henry Balfour Gardiner (1877-1950), Cyril Meir Scott (1879-1970) and Roger Quilter (1877-1953) together with the Australian pianist/composer Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882-1961) all of whom were at the same time students at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt, Germany
Franking
the means of sending mail either free of postage or, using of a machine that prints out a postage-paid receipt which can be adhered or printed directly on to the mail, with postage prepaid
Franklin
a medieval profession akin to a cross between a landlord and a real estate agent. The reputation for being social climbers was perhaps well deserved, given that many of these new landowners attempted to "buy" their way into aristocratic ranks by marrying their sons and daughters into the ranks of nobility in return for cash payments
(German, archaic) a pitch below standard concert pitch
fra poco
(Italian) shortly
frappant
(French) striking, struck
frappé
(French) struck, stamping, striking
(French) iced, chilled, thick, viscous
the term may also signifies the accented part of a bar - its opposite is levé
a particular manner of beating time, or of striking notes
frapper
(French) to strike, to hit, to beat the time
frapper dans les mains
(French) to clap one's hands
Fras
(Swedish) (musical) phrase
Frase
(Danish, Dutch, Italian f., Spanish f., Portuguese) (musical) phrase
Frase large
(Italian f.) a broad (musical) phrase, largamente
Frase musical (s.), Frases musicales (pl.)
(Spanish f.) musical phrase
fra sè
(Italian) to himself
fraseeraus
(Finnish) phrasing
fraseggiare
(Italian) to phrase
fraseggio
(Italian) phrasing
fraseo
(Spanish) phrasing, phrased, phrasé (French)
Frase van 12 maten
(Dutch) twelve bar phrase
frasering
(Dutch, Danish, Swedish) phrasing
Fraseringsboog
(Dutch) slur
Fraseringsbue
(Danish) slur
Frasi
(Italian f. pl.) phrases, short musical sentences
Fratellastro
(Italian m.) stepbrother
Frater
the communal refectory of a monastic establishment
Frau
(German) a (German) housewife
fraude pleuse
(French) a pious deceit, a dishonest deed performed in the interests of religion or morality
Frauenchor
(German m.) women's choir
Frauendienst
(German, literally 'service of the lady') the medieval code of courtly love, according to which the lover is a vassel of his lady
Ulrich von Lichtenstein (c.1200/10-c.1275), a Middle High German Minnesänger, collected some 60 songs, under his own title Frauendienst (Vrouwen dîenest), and connected them with an autobiographical narrative written in rhyming couplets
Frauenstimme
(German f.) female voice
Fräulein
(German f.) a young unmarried (German) woman
(in English) a German governess in an English household
FRCM
abbreviation of 'Fellow of the Royal College of Music, London'
FRCO
abbreviation of 'Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, London'
an instrument that produces sound by using air directly as the primary vibrating means rather than through the use of a performer's breath or by constricting the air in a tube, so for example, the bull-roarer sets the air into vibration by simply spinning the instrument through the air
Free bass left hand system
an alternative to the Stradella left hand system, the free bass system has a series of single buttons in an arrangement similar to the chromatic button accordion. The free bass system facilitates the playing of bass melodies and counterpoint. It also allows for chord inversion and invention of chords not present in the Stradella system
see Stradella system
see 'converter bass system'
Freebop
one of the earliest forms of 'avant-garde' jazz in which the general approach is similar to bebop, but the chord progression is not used as an organizing principle. Thus, there is freedom in harmony, which in turn loosens restrictions on other elements of the performance
a performance technique used by a string section in a symphony orchestra to create a fuller sound than can be achieved by synchronized bowing. Free bowing was popularized by Leopold Stokowski, who as conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra experimented with many musical conventions. Brandon Hendrix has written that this technique is called for in John Corigliano's "Symphony No. 1", first movement, mm. 102-103
Free bowing from which this extract has been taken
Free canon
unlike a 'strict canon' where the consequents follow exactly the intervals and rhythmic values of the antecedent, a 'free canon' allows intervals to be modified, for example, to avoid unwanted changes in key when the voices are not at the octave or unison
Free chordal style
see 'strict chordal style'
Free content
or free information, is any kind of functional work, artwork, or other creative content having no significant legal restriction relative to people's freedom to use, redistribute, and produce modified versions of and works derived from the content
Free content from which this extract has been taken
Free dance
a twentieth-century dance form that preceded Modern dance. Rebelling against the rigid constraints of 'classical ballet', Loie Fuller, Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis developed their own styles of free dance and laid the foundations of American modern dance with their choreography and teaching. In Europe Rudolf Laban, Emile Jaques-Dalcroze and Francois Delsarte developed their own theories of human movement and methods of instruction that led to the development of European modern and Expressionist dance
one that is written without following any of the particular rules of the form
Free imitation
where the antecedent and consequent are not identical
Free improvisation
or 'free music', improvised music without any rules beyond the taste of the musicians involved, and not in any particular style. The music generally thought of as "Free Improvisation" developed mainly in Europe in the mid and late 1960s, largely as an outgrowth of free jazz and modern classical musics. Free improvisation is both a musical genre and a technique
(from French, style indirect libre) a style of third-person narration that mingles within it traits from first-person narration, often shifting pronouns, adverbs, tense, and grammatical mode
Free jazz
a jazz style from the early and middle 1960s originally associated with black cultural nationalism. It featured improvisation without regard to chord changes, even without chord changes, and sometimes two drummers and/or two bass players. This controversial style has become an ingredient in later jazz styles
(French m./f.) self-employed person who does work for several employers (hence, freelance editor)
to act as a freelance
from 'free lance', a medieval mercenary
Freelancer
someone who works in a freelance capacity
Freeloader
sponger (slang)
Free love
sexual freedom
Freely
librement (French), frei (German), a piacere (Italian)
Freeman
person who has the freedom of a city, etc.
person who is not a slave or serf
Free market
market governed by unrestricted competition
Freemason
member of an international fraternity for mutual help and fellowship with elaborate secret rituals
Freemen's songs
in use c. 1600, short compositions for three or four voices, similar to roundelays, or country ballads
Free meter
a type of Welsh poetry in which the meters do not correspond to the "strict meters" established in the 1400s
Free morpheme
any morpheme that can function by itself as a word, such as the two morphemes it and self found in the word itself. This is the opposite of a bound morpheme, one that only makes sense when it is part of a larger word--such as the bound morpheme ept in the word inept, or the morpheme gruntle in the word disgruntled
a free music non-profit organization based in Russia since 2004 which's aim is "popularization and a direct embodiment of idea of free distribution of music in commercial and non-commercial purposes"
music that, like free software, can freely be copied, distributed and modified for any purpose. Thus free music is either in the public domain or licensed under a free license. It does not mean that there should be no fee involved. The word free refers to freedom (as in free software), not to price
a nonharmonic note that is approached by a leap and left from also by a leap
Free organum
see organum
Free part
a part that is added to a canon or fugue to complete the harmony, without necessarily following the usual rules of the form
Free party
a party "free" from the restrictions of the legal club scene. They can be though of as autonomous zones where all the people present create and enforce the rules. They are typically a sound system playing electronic dance music from late at night till midday the next day (or longer) and drugs are readily available
port without customs duties or open to all traders
Freepost
system of business post where postage is paid by the addressee
Free reed
a reed whose edges do not overlap the wind passage, for example as found in the harmonium and concertina. It contrasts with the beating or striking reed of the organ and clarinet, in that it is smooth and free from rattling but with a less strong tone
Free-reed instrument
an instrument which produces sound by allowing air to pass across and cause to vibrate a reed which is mounted in such a fashion that it may vibrate in a narrow gap without striking anything. The designation free-reed is by contrast with reed instruments such as the clarinet, in which the reed beats against the mouthpiece, and the oboe, in which twin reeds beat against one another other
Free-reed mouth organs (Asian)
free-reed mouth-organs originated in East Asia and have been known in China since at least 1766-1122 BC. They can be broadly classified into four types:
the grouped type
in which bamboo tubes bearing reeds are set in a circle and fitted into a cup bearing a mouthpiece
the raft type
in which the bamboo tubes are arranged not in a circle but in two parallel rows with the reeds contained in a small air chest with mouthpiece part way down their length
the dissociated mouth organ
in which a single bamboo tube bearing one reed sounds a number of different pitches controlled by
finger holes as in the transverse flute
a miscellaneous group of simple instruments
which includes those in which free reeds are fitted into animal horns and used to produce drones
Concertina from which this information has been taken
Free rhythm
a fluid line of music with an adjustable rhythm shaped by text, for example, plainchant
swimming race in which any stroke may be used, wrestling allowing almost any hold
Free style
in composition, that where the standard rules of counterpoint are relaxed
Freestyle dancing
a reference to the use, in dance, of ab lib movements with no fixed structure
Freestyle house
also called Freestyle, Latin Freestyle and, formerly, Latin Hip Hop, a form of electronic music that is heavily influenced by Hispanic (Cuban, Dominican, Puerto Rican,) and African-American culture. Freestyle emerged around 1982 and hit its peak in 1987. It continues to be produced today and enjoys some degree of popularity, especially in urban Latino population centers. Another popular modern genre Florida breaks evolved from this sound
person who rejects dogma or authority, especially in religious belief
Free time
a type of time signature. It is used when a piece of music has no discernible beat. Instead, the rhythm is intuitive and free-flowing. There are four ways in which a piece is indicated to be in free time:
no time signature displayed
common in old vocal music such as Gaelic psalms
no time signature but the direction 'Free time' is written above the stave
time signature (usually 4/4) and the direction 'Free time' written above the stave
the word 'Free' is written downwards across the stave
this is used most often when the piece changes to free time after having had a time signature
Free music from which this information has been taken
Free tone
see 'free note'
Free verse
also at times referred to as vers libre or prose rythmée, a term describing various styles of poetry that are not written using strict meter or rhyme, but that still are recognizable as 'poetry' by virtue of complex patterns of one sort or another that readers will perceive to be part of a coherent whole
Free verse from which some of this information has been taken
driving wheel of a bicycle, able to revolve with the pedals at rest
Free-wheel
to ride a bicycle with the pedals at rest, to act without constraint
Free will
power of acting independently of necessity or fate, the ability to act without coercion (did it of my own free will)
Free world
the non-Communist countries' collective name for themselves
fregiare
(Italian) to adorn, to embellish, to ornament
fregiato
(Italian) adorned, embellished, ornamented
Fregiatura
(Italian f.) ornament, embellishment
frei (m.), freie (f.)
(German) free, freely, unrestrained as to style
freiberuflich
(German) freelance
Freibezug
(German m.) complimentary subscription
Freiburger Barockorchester
(German, 'Freiburg Baroque Orchestra') an orchestra originally founded "to enliven the world of Baroque music with new sounds." The orchestra, based in Freiburg, Germany now also performs works by later composers such as Beethoven, Schubert and Weber as well as contemporary music. They play small group chamber music as well as symphonies for large orchestras
(German m.) a title, translated as 'Baron', the female forms, of which, are Freifrau and Freiin
frei in Vortrag
(German) or nach Belieben (German), free in style or delivery, as you like, at (the performer's) pleasure), ad libitum (Latin), a piacere (Italian), a bene placito (Italian), à volonté (French)
Freilekhs
an Ashkenazic folk dance, one of the typical dances of a traditional Ashkenazic wedding celebration
Freilichtbühne
(German f.) open-air theatre
freischwingende Stimmzunge
(German f.) free reed
freistimmig
(German) or 'free voice-leading', a pseudo-contrapuntal texture in which there is no strict adherence to a given number of parts, and voices (parts) are free to enter and drop out at will
freitonal
(German) atonal
Fremdsprache
(German f.) foreign language
Fremdwort (s.), Fremdwörter (pl.)
(German n.) a foreign word, a word that has been borrowed from another language
fremente
(Italian) furiously
Fremissement
(French) humming, singing in a low voice
frenando
(Italian) braking, bremsend
French beaming
when notes are beamed according to French custom, stems are not drawn all the way to the 8th beam, but extend only as far as the beam closest to the notehead. Sometimes staff lines are even removed from the spaces between the beams to increase legibility
the French grip is an overhand grip, much like a violin or a cello bow, adopted by double-bass players who use a French bow, also called the Bottesini bow, after the player who made it famous. The French style bow resembles a violin or cello bow, with a small frog (the large piece of wood, usually ebony, that you hold and that holds the mechanism for adjusting hair tension) and a narrow space between the stick and hair. You put your thumb into the opening at the frog and your fingers are placed at the top of the stick
the alternative is the 'German grip' employed with a 'German bow' - see 'German bow/grip'
French Cancan
a highly choreographed routine lasting ten minutes or more, with the opportunity for individuals to display their "specialities". The main moves are the high kick or battement, the rond de jambe (quick rotary movement of lower leg with knee raised and skirt held up), the port d'armes (turning on one leg, while grasping the other leg by the ankle and holding it almost vertical), the cartwheel and the grand écart (the flying or jump splits). Additionally, performance practice of the can-can almost always includes the dancers screaming, yelling, cat-calling and trilling while dancing
Can-can from which this information has been taken
French chalk
a kind of talc used for marking cloth, as a dry lubricant, etc.
French chanson
chanson is a French word for song. In English language contexts, the word is often applied to any song with French words, but it can also be applied more specifically - to refer to classic, lyric-driven French songs, to refer to European songs in the 'cabaret style', or to refer to a diverse range of songs interpreted in this style. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a chansonnier
a sheet of paper that is folded twice at right angles. For cards this forms a double fold with an underside that is left blank and a outside on both sides of one fold that is printed upon
French grip
a technique used to hold drum sticks and mallets to play percussion instruments. In this form of matched grip, the palms of the hands face directly toward each other and the stick is moved primarily with the fingers rather the wrist as in German grip. This allows a greater degree of finesse, which is why many timpanists prefer French grip. For louder strokes, the wrist rotates much in the same way as when hammering a nail
(in use 1530-1630) a small bonnet made on a stiff frame and worn far back on the head. Folds of material fell below the shoulders from a short flat panel at the back. They were usually dark in colour but decorated with biliments (borders of silk, satin, or velvet, and trimmed with gold or jewels) and worn over a crespin
French horn
corno (Italian m.), corno francese (Italian m.), Horn (German n.), cor (French m.), cor d'harmonie (French m.), cor français trompa (de pistones) (Spanish m.), corno francés (Spanish m.)
the French horn is a valved brass wind instrument with a circular shape, tapering from a narrow mouthpiece to a flaring bell at the other end, as opposed to the cylindrical bore and cup-shaped mouthpiece of the trumpet family, and producing a mellow tone. Often played with the right hand inside the bell, it is said to be the most difficult instrument to play. It is referred to in most countries without any nationalistic reference and is known as the "French" horn only in English-speaking countries
the horn was actually developed in the Alps of the Germanic countries, commonly used to warn animal intruders that threatened a shepherd's flock. Since the French dominated most of the alpine region at that time, the term "French Horn" became popular. The instrument was originally constructed entirely of wood and straw, and the conical mouthpiece was also wooden. In the late 16th and 17th centuries the horn, from this time usually made of brass, was lengthened and coiled - first in a small, spiral coil, later in a wider, open loop. By the late seventeenth century, the cor de chasse ("hunting horn") emerged in France with a wide, flaring bell and a tube length of up to 4.37 m (14 ft.), the obvious prototype of the modern instrument. Responsive to a greatly increased number of its natural overtones, the cor de chasse possessed a wide enough range of pitches for use in the orchestra of the early eighteenth century. French horns are now made of brass
the horn gained greater flexibility about 1750 with an invention, attributed to the Dresden virtuoso Anton Joseph Hampel, of the technique called hand stopping. Hand stopping involves placing a hand in the bell of the horn to alter the pitch of the natural notes by as much as a whole tone. Despite this advance, cumbersome lengths of tubing, called crooks, were necessary for playing in many keys. Also at this time (the late eighteenth century) the cup-shaped, trumpet-like mouthpiece was abandoned for the funnel-shaped mouthpiece of the modern horn, resulting in a smoother, less raucous sound
the invention of valves (patented in 1818 by Heinrich Stolzel and Friedrich Bluhmel in Berlin) in the early nineteenth century revolutionized the horn, allowing the player to alter the length of the tubing by the motion of a finger and yielding an instrument virtually chromatic (proceeding by semitones) throughout its range. Although it was slow to be accepted, the valve horn prevailed by the end of the nineteenth century. Modern players still use hand stopping to affect intonation and tone color. Composers from Bach, Beethoven, Strauss and Tchaikovsky to Bernstein and Gershwin have all written for the French horn. Aubrey Brain was the first horn player ever to record an entire horn concerto, Mozart's Concerto No. 2, in 1927. Most orchestras today include four horns. The modern French horn is usually pitched in F, and has three valves and a tube length of about 3.75 m (12 ft.). The great demands on the resources of the horn have led to the widespread adoption of the "double horn," in which a separate set of coils for a horn in B-flat is added to a horn in F, a fourth valve acting as a switch between the two sets of coils. They are also used in concert and marching bands and brass ensembles. However, single horns in F or B-flat still see use, notably in operatic settings. Their lighter weight renders them much more suitable for the extended and strenuous playing required of Wagnerian operas
a late 1990s form of house music, greatly influenced by 1970s and 1980s disco and funk , as well as the productions of Thomas Bangalter. The music can be noted by the infamous "filter effect" (e.g. Daft Punk). French house may have vocal samples. French House is also known as "filter house" or "tekfunk"
French house from which this extract has been taken
Frenchify
to make French in form, manners, etc. (colloquial)
French jive
see 'modern jive'
French leave
absence without permission
French mandoline
see 'mandolin, mandoline'
French overture
a work for orchestra, originating in the 1650s, that is usually used as an introduction to a ballet, opera, or suite which is in four linked sections arranged slow (often strongly dotted) - quick (lively, often fugal) - slow (in imitation of the first section) - quick (lively)
French pitch
in the eighteenth century, there were three pitch standards used for concerted music in France. The modern version of the middle one is a'=415 Hz. The others were about a tone higher and a semitone lower than the middle one. The lower pitch, a'=392 Hz, approximately a tone lower than standard modern pitch (a'=440 Hz), was called 'very low French chamber pitch' by Quantz in 1752
in the nineteenth century, the French adopted by legal decree a new French pitch, called Diapason Normal (a'=435 Hz), which they set for a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit). In America, Theodore Thomas as far back as 1883, ordered his concert halls to be kept at a temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit, or as near to that as possible which meant that French-made wind instruments tuned to A=435 Hz at 59 degrees Fahrenheit would actually play at a'=440 Hz when played at 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius)
French poetic meter
in French poetry, meter is determined solely by the number of syllables in a line. A silent 'e' counts as a syllable before a consonant, but is elided before a vowel (where h aspiré counts as a consonant). At the end of a line, the "e" remains unelided but is hypermetrical (outside the count of syllables, like a feminine ending in English verse). The most frequently encountered meter in French is the alexandrine, composed of two hemistichs of six syllables each. Classical French poetry also had a complex set of rules for rhymes that goes beyond how words merely sound. These are usually taken into account when describing the meter of a poem
(Montserrat) a skin drum that produces an ominous sound, said to attract the jumbie spirits
French scene
a numbering system for a play in which a new scene is numbered whenever characters exit or enter the stage
French School (ballet)
the French School of ballet began in the court ceremonies of the French monarchs. Louis XIV studied with the famous ballet master Pierre Beauchamp and established the first academy of dancing, known as the Académie Royale de Musique et de Danse, in Paris in 1661. The École de Danse de l'Opéra was founded in 1713 and is now known as the École de Danse du Théâtre National de l'Opéra. Among its most famous ballet masters were Beauchamp, Pécour, Lany, Noverre, G. and A. Vestris, M. and P. Gardel, F. Taglioni, Mazilier, Saint-Léon, Mérante, Staats, Aveline and Lifar. The French School was known for its elegance and soft, graceful movements rather than technical virtuosity. Its influence spread throughout Europe and is the basis of all ballet training
French School from which this information has been taken
French sixth chord
an augmented sixth chord consisting of a major third, augmented fourth, and augmented sixth above the bass. The French sixth chord is sometimes called an 'augmented six four three chord'
a system of musical notation most commonly used in England and France and with some differences also in Italy and Spain. A different system came into use in Germany - see 'German tablature'
(French f.) sampling rate, sampling frequency, frequenza di campionamento (Italian f.), Abtastrate (German f.), frecuencia de muestreo (Spanish f.)
Freqüência
(Portuguese) frequency
Frequency
the number of vibrations per second of a musical pitch, usually measured in hertz (Hz), where one hertz is one vibration per second. The human frequency range is divided into three rough areas or bands. High frequencies (between about 5 kHz and 20 kHz), mid frequencies (between about 200 Hz and 5 kHz) and low frequencies (between about 20 Hz and 200 Hz)
Frequency analysis
in mathematics, physics and signal processing, frequency analysis is a method to decompose a function, wave, or signal into its frequency components so that it is possible to have the frequency spectrum
a range of frequencies, for example that might be allocated to carry certain kinds of electromagnetic signal such as television or radio
Frequency generator
see 'signal generator'
Frequency modulated screening
see 'stochastic screening'
Frequency modulation
the encoding of a carrier wave by variation of its frequency in accordance with an input signal
Frequency range
in singing, the distance between one's highest and lowest frequency
pitch range
Frequency response
a graph which shows how a system or piece of equipment or even an environment such as a room responds to different frequencies. Ideally, for audio work the graph should plot a flat line from below 20 Hz to above 20 kHz. In practise this is often not achieved, and the line will fluctuate up and down between these points, indicating that the equipment or environment makes some frequencies louder or quieter than others. Humans have a well documented "non-flat" response and this is the response used to specify the dB(A) scale for determining loudness. The term should not be confused with bandwidth which concerns itself only with the attenuation above an upper limit frequency and below a lower limit frequency and does not concern itself with the range between them
the vast majority of sounds we hear in real life are mixtures of simpler tones called sine waves, each with a characteristic frequency and amplitude, the combination of which give a note its distinct timbre or tone colour. A frequency spectrum, or 'spectrogram', is a graphic display or other representation of the frequency content of a signal. Two-dimensional graphic spectra usually plot amplitude (vertical axis) versus frequency (horizontal axis). There are two general types of spectra. A 'partial' spectrum portrays discrete frequencies and is suitable for graphic descriptions of harmonics. A 'continuous' spectrum portrays bands of contiguous frequencies and is suitable for graphic displays of noise bands. The frequency spectrum of a pure sine wave displays only a single component
(German f.) frequency modulation, FM (abbreviation)
see 'FM'
frescamente
(Italian) coolly, freshly, vigorously, lively
Fresco
(Italian m.) the technique of painting on lime plaster, either dry (dry fresco, or fresco secco) or wet (true fresco or buon) - in the latter method, the pigments are mixed with water and become chemically bound to the freshly laid lime plaster
the painting itself is also sometimes called a fresco
fresco
(Italian) fresh, cool, vigorous
Fresco secco
(Italian m.) a method of painting on plaster that has been allowed to dry (strictly, this method of painting is not fresco at all)
Fret
horizontal strip fixed in or tied around the fingerboard of some stringed instruments to act as a guide to where the fingers should be placed (normally close to and above the fret) to stop for a particular note
a string instrument that usually bears frets but where the frets are absent; usually found with bass guitars, the effect being to give a smoother sound
Fretless bass
electric bass guitar made without frets or from which the frets have been removed, known for the smoothness of glissando and similarity in tone to the double bass, that require very precise fingering. They are used mainly in jazz, jazz-fusion, and funk music, although they are used by some players in other genres as well
Fretless zither
Andreas Michel in his work Zithern: Musikinstrumente zwischen und Burgerlichkeit (1995) lists three categories of fretless zither:
fretless zithers with chromatic or diatonic strings from low to high (one or two courses)
fretless zithers with strings set in chords without melody strings (which allow only chords to be played)
a combination of these two, so having single melody strings, accompanied by five to seven chords of strings together (usually four chords on American models). This allowed the melody to be played with some limited accompaniment
tastato (Italian), mit Bünden versehen (German), avec sillets (French), a string instrument bearing frets. An instrument that would usually have frets but where the frets are absent is termed 'fretless' or 'unfretted'
Fretted clavichord
a fretted clavichord shares two or more notes per string (usually pair of strings)
the 12 notes in an octave might be shared across only seven pairs of strings thus:
a classification introduced by Gregg Miner for a plucked instrument that is fully fretted (and therefore cannot qualify as a "true" harp guitar) but is clearly designed to be played very much like an intricate harp guitar
the fitting of frets on a stringed instrument to mark the semitones (half steps) or tones (whole steps) of a scale
there are two types of fretting: chromatic fretting, where every semitone (half step) of a scale is marked with a fret, and diatonic fretting, where only the frets relevant to a diatonic scale are fitting on the fingerboard. The latter arrangement is characteristic of the old-time Appalachian dulcimer
frettolosamente
(Italian) hasty, hurriedly
frettoloso
(Italian) in a hurry, hasty, hurried
frettoso
(Italian) hasty, hurried
Freude
(German f.) joy, joyfulness, joyousness
Freudengesang
(German) hymn of rejoicing
Freudian slip
a slip of the tongue in which a person means to say one thing, but accidentally substitutes another word or phrase in a suggestive or revealing manner
originating from Recife, Brazil, an instrumental style, played in a fiery fast tempo with brass instruments, namely trumpets, trombones, saxophones and tuba
Frey
(German, archaic) frei
Freygish
the most important of the Klezmer gust or modes, also called the 'Eight Note Spanish Scale' because of its use in Spanish music
fri
(Danish, Norwegian) free (also used as a suffix), complimentary
Friandises
petit fours or sweetmeats
Friars
(from Latin frater, 'brother', 'one of the same community or society') members of one of the mendicant orders who lived in regular fashion but were extensively involved with the outside community
Order of St. Dominic
alias the Dominicans, the Order of the Friars Preachers, or the Black Friars
Order of Friars Minor
or Grey Friars (more recently known as Observants or Recollects) - an autonomous branch of the Franciscan Order
Order of Friars Minor Conventuals
an autonomous branch of the Franciscan Order
Capuchin Friars Minor
an autonomous branch of the Franciscan Order
Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
alias the Carmelites, or the White Friars
The Hermits of Saint Augustine
alias Austin Friars, or Augustinian Friars
Friars of the Sack
alias the Saccati (forced to disband)
Pied Friars
alias the Friars of Blessed Mary or St Mary de Arens, or Friars of the Penance of Jesus Christ (forced to disband)
the major difference between friars and other regular monks was that friars were not bound by a votum stabilitatis (a vow of permanency to remain in one place). Instead, they were at liberty to wander from place to place teaching if given the permission of the "general" of their order. Indeed, such mobility was necessary, since the friars' primary task was, as it states in their mission statement, "to save souls." Thus, while other monks sought to follow an eremitical tradition that would remove them from worldly concerns, and isolate themselves from the general public beyond the monastery's walls, the mendicant orders deliberately reinserted themselves into the world so they could preach, teach, and beg
Friars of the Sack
also called the Friars of the Penance of Jesus Christ; the largest of the lesser groups of friars in England, all of their houses were abandoned by 1314 and the members obliged to join one of the major mendicant orders
Friary
a community of friars
Fricandeau
(French) stewed veal served with a savoury sauce
Fricassée
in cooking, a dish consisting of small pieces of flesh cut up, fried or stewed, and served in a white sauce
(French f.) in the sixteenth century, a quodlibet that includes chanson, folk tunes, popular song and street cries
Fricative
also called spirant, in linguistics, any sound made by tightening but not completely closing the air passage, example of which are /s/ and /f/
Friction board
a percussion instrument in which sound can be produced by friction between a board-shaped instrument and, for example, the player's hand
a percussion instrument consisting of a single membrane stretched over a sound box, whose sound is produced by the player causing the membrane to vibrate by friction. The sound box may be a pot or jug or some open-ended hollow object. To produce the friction, the membrane may be directly rubbed with the fingers or through the use of a cloth, or a stick or cord which is attached to the centre of the membrane and then rubbed or moved with a hand, sponge or cloth, generally wet. The membrane may be depressed with the thumb while playing to vary the pitch. When a cord is used the instrument may be referred to as a "string drum" or "lion's roar"
Friction drum from which this extract has been taken
Frigidarium
(Latin) the cold room in a Roman bath
frigio
(Italian) Phrygian
frigio (m.), frigia (f.)
(Spanish) Phrygian
frígio
(Portuguese) Phrygian
Frippertronics
a term coined by Joanna Walton, guitarist Robert Fripp's poet girlfriend in the late 1970s, an analog delay system consisting of two reel-to-reel tape recorders situated side-by-side. The two machines are configured so that the tape travels from the supply reel of the first machine to the take-up reel of the second, thereby allowing sound recorded by the first machine to be played back some time later on the second. The audio of the second machine is routed back to the first, causing the delayed signal to repeat while new audio is mixed in with it. The amount of delay (usually 8 to 10 seconds) is controlled by increasing or decreasing the distance between the machines
a Slavonic form of the Magyar Fris or Friss, the quicker part of a Csárdás
Friss
see Csárdás
Frisson
(French) a shiver, a shudder, a thrill
Fritto misto
(Italian m.) a mixed dish of fried sea-food
Friture
in cooking, a deep fryer
frivolo
(Italian) frivolous, trifling, trashy
Frog
also called the 'nut', part of the violin bow to which the hair is attached and which slides along the bow stick as the screw at the end of the bow is turned, either to slacken or tighten the bow hair, tallone (Italian m.), talone (French m.), Frosch (German m.), talón (Spanish m.)
(French m.) a fat free, fresh cheese made from skimmed milk
Fromager (m.), Fromagère (f.)
(French) cheese maker, cheesemonger
fromager (m.), fromagère (f.)
(French) cheese
Froment
(French m.) wheat
from here
da qui (Italian), vin hier ab (German), depuis ici (French)
from the beginning
desde el principio (Spanish), da capo (Italian), vom Anfang (an) (German), du début (French)
from the beginning to the end
da capo al fine (Italian), wieder vom Anfang an bis zum Schluss (German), du début à la fine (French)
from the beginning to the sign
da capo al segno (Italian), wieder vom Anfang an bis zum Zeichen (German), du début au signe (French)
from the sign
dal segno (Italian), vom Zeichen (German), du signe (French)
from the sign to the end
dal segno al fine (Italian), vom Zeichen bis zum Schluss (German), du signe à la fine (French)
from the top
in jazz, play the tune from the beginning
froncer
(French) to gather
froncer les sourcils
(French) to frown
Fronde
(French) a party of malcontents, a violent political opposition, sling, revolt (figurative)
Frondeur
(French m.) a malcontent, an irreconcilable political opponent
Frons scenae
at the back of the stage, this wall faced the audience and blocked the view of the players' tiring-house (an enclosed area in an Elizabethan theatre where the actors awaited their cue to go on stage, changed their costumes, and stored stage props)
Front
in jazz, 'in front' means an introductory passage (or 'intro.'), played before the 'top'
(French m.) forehead
frontalier (m.), frontalière (f.)
(French) border
Front drape
see ''main drape'
Front ensemble
originally, the 'front ensemble', also called 'pit', consisted of keyboard percussion and timpani, the marching versions of which are heavy and awkward Today:
in a marching band or drum corps
the 'front ensemble' or 'pit' is the stationary percussion ensemble typically placed in front of the football field
in drum corps style groups
the 'front ensemble' or 'pit' is made up of the mallet instruments, marimba, vibraphone, and xylophone
in a stage musical
the accompanying orchestra sits in the orchestra pit from which the term 'pit' came to be applied to the 'fronmt ensemble'
Frontière
(French f.) border, frontier
Front line
in jazz, those players who do not form the rhythm section in a combo
Front-plucked
on a harpsichord, a string plucked close to the nut thus producing a nasal tone
Front vowel
in linguistics, a vowel made with the ridge of the tongue located near the front of the oral cavity
Frosch
(German m.) the nut (heel or frog) of a bow, tallone (Italian m.), talone (French m.), talón (Spanish m.), hausse (French f.)
Frottage
(French) a method of producing patterns by rubbing graphite over paper laid on some rough texture
Frottement
(French m.) rubbing
frotter
(French) to rub, to strike (match)
Frottoir
a rubboard used as a musical instrument in zydeco music, that is fashioned in the form of a vest and worn over the shoulders, in front of the body. Sound is produced by rubbing metal utensils against the ridges of the metal board
(Italian f., from frocta, literally 'unrelated thoughts and facts') the various poetic forms used in frottole act as a bridge between Italian medieval idioms (for example the reciting of poetry to an musical accompaniment) and those of the full-fledged Renaissance madrigal. Frottole date from the late 15th- and early 16th-centuries, are generally strophic and are written for voices, from one solo voice with an instrumental accompaniment, through to a number of unaccompanied voices. Most surviving frottole appear in Petrucci's publications
(French) the rustle of a woman's (silk) dress, ostentatious ornamentation (figurative), 'frills' (figurative)
Froussard (m.) Froussarde (f.)
(French) coward
Frousse
(French f.) fear (familiar)
FRS
abbreviation of 'Fellow of the Royal Society, London'
Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft
(German f., literally 'fruit-bringing society') founded in 1617, the linguistic and literary Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft was modelled on the Florentine Accademia della Crusca. It was the brainchild of Prince Ludwig of Anhalt-Köthen. This Sprachgesellschaft (language society), comprised mainly of aristocratic members, had two specific aims: to foster an elegant rhetorical German as a corrective to the unpolished language of the previous century; and to purify its language and literature of non-German terms as well as to streamline versification. Ironically, this goal would be reached by way of translations and adaptations from French, Italian, and Spanish literatures, demonstrating that the German language was the equal of its European counterparts. Although practice often fell short of its goal, the enterprise paved the way for the reforms inspired by Martin Opitz (1597-1639) and his Buch von der deutschen Poeterey (Book of German Poetics, 1624). In addition this Sprachgesellschaft helped to integrate diverse social classes (courtly and landed nobility, learned poets striving for ennoblement) and religious confessions (Lutheran, Calvinist, Reformed); and furthered the egalitarian movement for mutual advancement. Sprachgesellschaften spread rapidly in urban centers, from Hamburg to Leipzig, Nuremberg to Königsberg. Opitz himself furnished reform models for poems with his Teutsche Poemata [German Poems, 1624]; for novels (translations of John Barclay's political novel Argenis, 1626, and Sidney's pastoral Arcadia, 1638, in addition to his own prose-eclogue Schäfferey von der Nimfen Hercinie, [Pastoral of the Nymph Hercinie, 1630]); for opera libretti (translation of Rinuccini's Daphne for the composer Heinrich Schütz, 1627); and for play-writing (translations of Seneca's Troacles, 1625, and Sophocles' Antigone, 1636)
an Eb/F instrument, a not-entirely successful hybrid of the tenor horn (Eb alto horn in the US) and the French horn
Frusta
(Italian f.) whip, slap stick
fruste
(French) coarse
frustrer
(French) to frustrate
frustrant (m.), frustrante (f.)
(French) frustrating
Frustrum (s.), Frusta (pl.)
(Latin) the portion of a solid figure (for example, a cone) which remains when the apex has been sliced off
frygisch
(Dutch) Phrygian
Frying Pan
the nickname given to the commercial cast-aluminium successor to a prototype Rickenbacker Electro Hawaiian manufactured in 1931 by the Electro String Instrument Corporation of Los Angeles, California. The 'Frying Pan' was the first commercially successful electric guitar, its electromagnetic pickup is essentially the technology used on all electric guitars today
after Dan Fog and Torben Schousboe, the cataloguers of music by Carl August Nielsen (1865-1931)
fs
abbreviation of 'full score'
F-Schlüssel
(German m., literally 'F clef') a clef sign that shows the position of F on the staff, for example, the bass clef
F sharp
fa diesis (Italian), Fis (German), fa dièse (French), the sharpened fourth degree of the scale of C major, which in 'fixed do' solfeggio is called fi
F sharp major
the key of 'F sharp major'
the scale of 'F sharp major'
F sharp minor
the key of 'F sharp minor'
F-sleutel
(Dutch) a clef sign that shows the position of F on the staff, for example, the bass clef
FSt
abbreviation of Frauenstimme(n) (German: women's voice(s) - voix de femme(s) (French))
F style mandoline
see 'mandolin, mandoline'
FTCL, F.T.C.L.
abbreviation of 'Fellow of Trinity College of Music, London'
f.ten.
abbreviation of forte tenuto
Fturkes
Klezmer second violins
Fuchi
(Japanese) the rim of the drum, where the ka note is played
Fuchigashira
(Japanese) the pommel of a (Japanese) sword
Fuchs-schwanz
(German, literally 'fox-tail'S) in old organs this is a Nebenzug to which is attached a real fox's tail, as a sort of joke. If any over-curious or ignorant person draws out the register, the fox-tail is droawn out with it, into the hand, and it is a lot of trouble to put it in again
(Spanish m.) code of laws, privilege, exemption, jurisdiction
fuerte
(Spanish) f, forte
Fuerza de gravedad
(Spanish f.) force of gravity
Fuga
(Latin) a fifteenth- or sixteenth-century canon
(Italian f., Spanish f., Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Portuguese) a fugue
Fuga ad octavam
(Latin) a fugue at the octave
Fuga ad quintam
(Latin) a fugue at the fifth
Fuga aequalis motus
(Latin) a fugue in which the answer ascends and descends in a similar way to the subject, synonymous with fuga recta
Fuga al contrario
(Italian f.) fuga contraria
Fuga al riverso
(Italian f.) fuga al contrario
Fuga al rovescio
(Italian f.) fuga al contrario
Fuga authentica
(Latin) a fugue with an ascending subject
Fuga canonica
(Latin) a canon
Fuga composita
(Latin) a fugue in which the subject proceeds by degrees, not by leaps
Fuga contraria
(Latin) a fugue in which the answer imitates the subject at once by contrary motion, or some degree of inversion
Fuga del tuono
(Italian f.) a tonal fugue
Fuga doppia
(Latin) a double fugue, i.e. a fugue with two subjects
Fuga homophona
(Latin) a fugue with the answer at the unision
Fuga impropria
(Latin) synonymous with fuga irregularis, an irregular fugue
Fuga inaequalis
(Latin) synonymous with fuga contraria
Fuga incomposita
(Latin) a fugue in which the subject proceeds by leaps, not by degrees
Fuga in consequenza
(Italian f.) a canon
Fuga in contrario tempore
(Latin) a fugue in broken rhythmical division, in which the accentuation of the answer differs from that of the subject, the accented notes of one being the unaccented in the other, and vice versa
Fuga inversa
(Latin) a fugue throughout in double counterpoint and contrary motion
Fuga irregularis
(Latin) irregular fugue, i.e. a fugue that lacks one or more of the features that characterise the form
Fuga libera
(Latin) a fugue with free episodes
Fuga ligata
(Latin, Italian f.) a fugue without free episodes, entirely developed out of the subject and the countersubject
Fuga mixta
(Latin) a fugue in which several kinds of answer occur, for example, by augmentation, by diminution, by contrary motion, etc.
Fuga obbligata
(Italian f.) synonymous with fuga ligata, a strict regular fugue
Fuga obligata
(Latin, Italian) synonymous with fuga ligata, a strict regular fugue
Fuga obstinata
(Latin, Italian) or fuga perfida, a fugue in which one figure is steadily adhered to
Fuga partialis
(Latin) or fuga perodica, a fugue with partial or periodic imitation, in contradistinction to a fugue with canonic or uninterrupted (perpetual) imitation, i.e. what we call a fugue rather than a canon
Fuga per arsin et thesin
(Latin) synonymous with fuga in contrario tempo
Fuga per augmentationem
(Latin) a fugue in which the answer is by augmentation
Fuga per diminutionem
(Latin) a fugue in which the answer is by diminution
Fuga perfida
(Latin, Italian) or fuga obstinata, a fugue in which one figure is steadily adhered to
Fuga per motum contrarium
(Latin) a fugue in which the answer is by contrary motion
Fuga perodica
see fuga partialis
Fuga plagalis
(Latin) a fugue with a descending subject
Fuga propria
(Latin) synonymous with fuga regularis, a regular fugue
Fugara
(Latin) a bright-toned slow-speaking organ stop of the gamba species
Fuga reale
(Italian f.) a real fugue
Fuga recta
(Latin) synonymous with fuga aequalis motus
Fuga reditta
(Italian f.) a fugue in the middle or at the end of which tw or more parts are treated canonically
Fuga regularis
(Latin) a regular fugue, a fugue which has all the features that characterise the form
Fuga retrograda
(Latin) a fugue in which the answer is by retrograde motion
Fuga retrograda per motum contrarium
(Latin) a fugue in which the answer is both by retrograde and contrary motion
Fuga ricercata
(Italian f.) an elaborate fugue, which may include canonic imitation, imitation by augmentation, diminution and by contrary and retrograde motion
Fuga sciolta
(Italian f.) a free fugue, synonymous with fuga libera
Fuga soluta
(Latin) synonymous with fuga libera
Fugato
a passage in a fugal style but not a strict fugue
Fuga tonale
(Italian f.) tonal fugue
Fuga totalis
(Latin) a canon
Fuga-vorm
(Dutch) fugal form
Fuge
(German f.) fugue
(German f.) a term applied to the ranks of a mixture stop, in an organ
Fuge galante
(German f.) a free fugue, in a chamber music style
Fugenart
(German f.) fugal style
fugenmässig
(German) fugal
fuggire con
(Italian) to run away with
fuggire con ...
(Italian) to get away with ...
Fughetta
(Italian f.) a short fugue, not developed at any great length
Fughette
(German) a short fugue
Fugiertes
(German) in the syle of a fugue
Fuging
constructing a fugue on a tune although the result more often than not involves imitative counterpoint rather than true fugal writing
Fuging tune
or 'fuguing tune', a tune upon which a fugue can be constructed, a musical form that was very popular in late eighteenth-century New England
strictly speaking 'fuging' (or 'fuguing') more often than not involves imitative counterpoint rather than true fugal writing
Fugist
(German) a term applied to the ranks of a mixture stop, in an organ
(French f., English) a contrapuntal form that is built from a single subject and has an exposition where all voices state the subject in turn, alternating tonic and dominant entrances. The fugue continues with various contrapuntal artifices which may include restatement of the subject, stretto, subject manipulations (fragmentation, inversion, retrograde, augmentation, etc). The fugue usually has several sections that are a combination of subject-sections, episodes, counterexpositions, stretti, etc.
in the early seventeenth century, there was no clear definition for the word 'fugue'. The word fuga first appeared as another word for a 'canon' with works by Oswald von Wolkenstein (1377-1445). It then changed its meaning to 'freely imitative paraphrases of another vocal work' in pieces by Leonhard Kleber (1490-1556) and Bernhard Schmid the Younger (1555-1625) defined the 'fugue' as canzona alla francese. Gabrieli and Maschera (late sixteenth century) both called their instrumental canzonas 'fugues'. It was the 'fugues' in the Woltz tablature in 1617 by Simon Lohet (1550-1611) that follow the meaning that we use today
fugues may be distinguished according to the type of imitation:
by the interval of the answer
by melodic motion of the answer
by change of note values of the answer
fugues by augmentation
fugues by diminution
fugues by imitation in contrary rhythm
fugues with interrupted imitation
fugues combining all the mentioned devices, termed fuga mixta
there are essential and non-essential elements found in every fugue:
(French) a fugue, in which the answer is made in contrary motion to that of the subject
Fuguing
see 'fuging'
führend
(German) leading
Führer
(German m.) the subject of a fugue, conductor, director, leader
Führerprinzip
(German n.) the doctrine that dictatorship is efficient and desirable
Führung der Stimme
(German f.) placing of the voice
Führungsblatt
(German n.) lead sheet
Fujara
Slovakian handmade shepherd's flute approx. 1.80 metres long (6 feet)
Fuji
(Nigeria) dance music, with apala and sakara influences, that emerged from the Lagosian Heartland of Mushin and is steeped in the Islamic roots of Ajisari. V. It is a percussion and vocal dominated genre of music (vocals are backed by a lineup of dundun and iyalu percussion, led by a bell-shaped drum) which rose to popularity in the 1970s to become the most popular of Yoruba musical genres
a call and response music style from eastern Venezuela with Spanish musical roots
Fuliginous
(from Latin fuligo, 'soot') a sooty or dusky colour
Full
pieno (Italian), voll (German), plein (French)
for all voices and/or instruments
in cathedral music, it means that the passage is to be sung by both sides of the choir
Full anthem
unaccompanied anthem with four or more parts, without verses or solo passages, to be sung throughout by an entire choir
Full band
a military band, or an orchestra, having all the customary instruments
Full cadence
perfect cadence
Full choir
(on Great and Swell) draw all the stops of the Choir organ
Full chord
a chord that has one of the expected three or four notes doubled at the octave
Full close
perfect cadence
Full diminished seventh chord
the full-diminished seventh chord has successive intervals minor third, minor third and minor third, that is a diminished triad with an added diminished seventh
see 'diminished seventh chord'
Füll-flöte
(German, literally 'filling-flute') a stopped organ register, of 4 ft. tone
Full German system
see 'Oehler system'
Full harpsichord
the fullest combination of stops found on a given harpsichord. Normally it would consist of two eight foot stops and a four foot stop. If the instrument has a sixteen foot stop, full harpsichord would be 1 x 16', 2 x 8', 1 x 4'. Full harpsichord never includes both ranks of jacks plucking the same string nor would it include the buff stop
Full house
also 'packed house' or 'sell-out', a theatre or opera house filled to capacity
Fulling
or tucking or walking ('waulking' in Scotland), a finishing process in which the woven or knitted cloth is subjected to moisture, heat and friction causing it to shrink considerably in both directions and become compact and solid
Full orchestra
an orchestra with all of its four sections, strings, woodwind, brass and percussion
Full organ
an organ with all its stops and couplers drawn
Full power
tutta forza (Italian), volle Kraft (German), plein jeu (French)
Full rhyme
another term for perfect rhyme, true rhyme, or exact rhyme
full-sized conductor's score, usable for performance that shows every part
Full service
a service for the whole choir in chorus, without any verse, or solo parts
Füllstimme (s.), Fullstimmen (pl.)
(German f.) the middle voice(s) in a polyphonic composition generally of little musical importance
part(s) in an ensemble or orchestra not played by the section princpals
in an organ, a mixture stop
Full to fifteenth
an instruction on the organ to draw all stops except mixtures and reeds
Full up
see plein jeu
Full voice
singing that is highly resonant, at maximum volume and capacity
the part of the vocal range that lies beneath the passaggio, or break, where even an untrained singer can produce a powerful sound
Fully diminished seventh chord
the fully diminished seventh chord has successive intervals minor third, minor third and minor third, that is a diminished triad with an added diminished seventh
see 'diminished seventh chord'
Fumage
(French) a collage made with smoked paper
Fumaruola (s.), Fumaruole (pl.)
(Italian f.) in a volcano, the hole(s) from which smoke issues
fumé
(French) smoked (as in smoked fish, meats, etc.)
Fumet
(French) the essence or concentrated flavour
Fumetto
(Italian m.) comic strip
Fumetti
(Italian m. pl.) comics
Fumiste
(French m./f.) a hoaxer, a practical joker, an artist who practises fumage
Funacola
(Cape Verde) a hybrid of funana and coladeira
Funambolo
(Italian m./f.) tightrope walker
Funambule
(French m./f.) tightrope walker
Funambulist
(from Latin, funambulus) a tight-rope walker or rope dancer
a person who is mentally agile (figurative)
Funana
a mixed Portuguese and African dance from Cape Verde
an accordion-based genre from the island of Santiago, Cape Verde, accompanied by ferrinho
Funana from which these definitions have been taken
Funcionamiento
(Spanish m.) functioning, working
funcionar
(Spanish) to function, to work
Function
the way in which chords, and individual tones within the chord, tend to imply movement toward another chord
Function analysis
see 'wordless functional analysis'
Functional chord
or 'structural chord', a chord which has a structural significance in the phrase and which is not created by melodic elaboration (such as 'auxiliary notes', 'passing notes' or 'appoggiaturas'). A functional chord can exist on any degree of the musical scale. A non-functional (or non-structural) chord is one that does not have a structural significance in the phrase and which is created by melodic elaboration (such as 'auxiliary notes', 'passing notes' or 'appoggiaturas')
the use of chords and root progressions that establish a sense of key
a theory of tonal harmony developed by Hugo Riemann (1849-1919), the basic concept being that all harmonic sounds used in music may be classed either distinctly or ambiguously as a member of three chord/sound groups:
the tonic class
the tonic chord (the fundamental sound), the submediant chord (the inferior [lower] related sound) and the mediant chord (the superior [upper] related sound). The mediant chord 'sounds' in the tonic category because it functions as a 'reflection' of the tonic (fundamental) sound
the subdominant class
subdominant chord (the fundamental sound), the supertonic chord (the inferior [lower] related sound), and the submediant chord which functions in this classification when it sounds as a reflection of the subdominant sound
the dominant class
the dominant chord (the fundamental sound), the mediant chord (the inferior [lower] related sound), and the leading note (tone) chord (the superior [upper] related sound). The leading note (tone) may be said to be an incomplete sound
Functional music
a generic name given to commercial closed-circuit or restricted-broadcast music whose purpose is to achieve specific goals, such as enhancing worker productivity in office and industrial establishments. The best-know functional music is Muzak - a Seattle-based company founded in 1936. Other providers of commercial functional music include Rowe International, Ditchburn, Tape-Athon, Magnetronics, Audio Environments, Yesco and the 3M Corporation
Functional shift
the linguistic equivalent of poetic anthimeria, in which one part of grammatical speech becomes another. An especially common type of functional shift in everyday grammar is taking a noun and treating it as an adjective
solmization that represents the functions of pitches (such as tonic sol-fa) is called "functional" solmization. All musicians that use functional solmization use "do" to represent the tonic (also known as the "keynote") in the major mode. However, approaches to the minor mode fall into two camps. Some musicians use "do" to represent the tonic in minor (a parallel approach), whereas others prefer to label the tonic in minor as "la" (a relative approach) Both systems have their advantages: The former system more directly represents the scale-degree functions of the pitches in a key; the latter more directly represents the intervals between pitches in any given key signature
Tonic Sol-fa from which this extract has been taken
functionele Harmonie
(Dutch) functional harmony
Function word
a part of speech, usually abstract and existing in a limited number of examples, which marks grammatical structure rather than referring to something concrete. Examples include prepositions, articles, and conjunctions
functus officio
(Latin) having ceased to hold some public appointment
Funda
(Spanish) cover (flexible), case (rigid), sheath
Fundación
(Spanish f.) foundation
Funda de almohada
(Spanish f.) pillow-case
fundado (m.), fundada (f.)
(Spanish) firm, well-founded, justified
Fundador (m.), Fundadora (f.)
(Spanish) founder
Fundamental
fondamentale (Italian, French), Grund (German)
fundamental principle, fundamental note (for example, of the harmonic series, the lowest note of a chord, etc.)
fundamental
(English, Spanish) of or being a base of foundation, essential, primary
an imaginary bass line formed by the root notes of successive chords whether the lowest note is the root of the chord or not
the bass is not intended to be played but merely serves as a test of the correctness of the harmony
the generator, the root, the note from which harmonies are derived
Fundamental chord
a chord, the lowest note of which is its root
Fundamental frequency
the principal frequency component of a complex harmonic or pseudo-harmonic tone; the basic cycle of repetition for a periodic waveform. The fundamental frequency is commonly, although not always (see comment below), associated with the perceived pitch of a tone
one can explore the relationship between the frequency content of a musical note and the pitch perceived by listeners. Musical notes are complex tones consisting of a fundamental frequency and higher harmonics (known as partials) that are integer multiples of the fundamental frequency. The particular mix of partials is part (but only part!) of what gives different musical instruments their individual character. The pitch of the note is related to the fundamental frequency of the complex tone. However, the pitch of the note remains unchanged if this fundamental frequency is removed. It is possible to construct a complex tone made up of a fundamental and nine higher harmonics. The first tone has all the frequencies, the second tone has the fundamental removed but maintains all of the higher harmonics. Each successive tone sequentially removes the lowest harmonic. Although the character of each note changes, the pitch remains the same [the comment above has been taken from Acoustics Demonstrations - The Missing Fundamental]
the fundamental frequency (in Hz) of a vibrating string is given by (√(F/r))/(2*L) where L is the string length (m), F is the tensile force (N) and r is the linear density (kg/m)
the fundamental frequency (in Hz) of a cylindrical or square pipe (in which the circular or square cross section is small compared to the square of its length) depends on whether the pipe is open at both ends (an 'open pipe') or closed at one end (a 'closed pipe'). In the former case, the pipe is directly equivalent to a stretched string in that its length is effectively half the fundamental frequency. In the latter case, the pipe's length is one quarter of the fundamental frequency and therefore a 'closed pipe' sounds a fundamental one octave lower than that of an 'open pipe' of the same length. Also because a 'closed cylindrical or square pipe' can produce only odd-numbered harmonics it has a different 'timbre' to that of an 'open cylindrical or square pipe'. Open and closed conical pipes produce the full harmonic series and therefore generally behave in a similar way
the fundamental frequency of speech can vary from 40 Hz for low-pitched male voices to 600 Hz for children or high-pitched female voices
Fundamental note
the lowest note of a chord that is reduced to a series of thirds placed one above the other
the term can also be applied to the tonic, dominant and sub-dominant of any key or scale
Fundamental position
when the root of a chord is in the bass, root position
Fundamental tone
(US) fundamental note
Fundamento
in Cuba, Yoruba speakers became known by the collective term Lucumí, after a Yoruba phrase, oloku mi, meaning my friend. The most sacred instruments among the Lucumí are the trio of batá drums, which when consecrated according to the rite of the santeria religion, are called fundamento and are said to hold an indwelling deity called Añá
Fundición
(Spanish f.) to melt, to found (metal), to cast (bell, etc.), foundry, smelting works
Fundición de acero
(Spanish f.) steelworks
Fundido
(Spanish m.) TV fade-in, TV fade-out
Fundidor
(Spanish m.) caster, smelter
fundort Verzeichnis
(German) found or discovered index
Fune
(Italian f.) rope, cable
funebre
(Italian) funereal, gloomy, mournful
funèbre
(French) funereal, gloomy, mournful
funebreo
(Italian) funereal, mournful
Funerale
(Italian m.) funeral
Funeral march
a march in slow 4/4 time usually in a minor key, for example, the slow movement from Chopin's piano sonata in B flat minor
funereo
(Italian) funereal, mournful
funesto
(Italian) sad
fünf
(German) five
Fünffach
(German n.) five-fold, an adjective applied by organ builders and organists to a mixture stop that has five ranks of pipes
(English, German m.) see 'funk dance', 'funk music'
Funkcore
a musical genre, or perhaps movement, derived from a fusion of American-styled hardcore punk and funk. Most often, hard, loud, fast guitars are featured, but unlike in rock music, it does not overpower the bass, which is heavy and driving
or funk styles, a term that refers to dance styles that were originally danced to funk music. More specifically they can be used for a group of street dance styles that originated in California in the 1970s, mainly popping and locking
(Portuguese) a term used in Brazil for a 'rap' enthusiast
Funk finger style
a playing style pioneered by Tony Levin, using two wooden dowels (called 'funk fingers'), which are affixed with velcro to the index and middle finger of the right hand and used to strike the strings of the bass, producing a percussive attack and timbre similar to the 'slap and pop'
a type of music that incorporates hard-driving heavy metal guitar riffs, the pounding bass rhythms characteristic of funk, and sometimes, hip hop-style rhymes
a music genre that fuses funk and rock elements. It can incorporate a wide range of instruments, but tends to have a definite bass or drum beat and electric guitars
a term in jazz signifying down-to-earth, a blues feeling, soulful, groovy
Funky beats
see 'Florida breaks'
Funky drummer
the "funky drummer" break is one of the most used sampled drum loops in hip hop and drum and bass music, together with the Amen break, which is more related to drum-and-bass
Funky drummer from which this extract has been taken
Funnel
in clothing, a large over size neck shape, stands away from the neck. It is similar to the turtle neck but larger, but, unlike the polo neck, it doesn't roll or fold over
Funzione (s.), Funzioni (pl.)
(Italian f.) function, office, service in the Roman Catholic church, sacred musical performances including oratorio and masses
Fuoci d'artificio
(Italian m. pl.) fireworks
Fuoco
(Italian m.) fire, force, speed, ardour, passion, dash, energy [corrected by Tim Lemon]
fuocoso
(Italian) fiery, ardently, impetuously
fuori mano
(Italian) out of the way
fuori strada
(Italian) far afield
fuori tema
(Italian) beside the point, away from the point, off topic, far afield
Fu poetry
flowery, irregular "prose-poem" form of Chinese literature common during the Han period
für
(German) for
für bare Münze nehmen
(German) to take as gospel (figurative)
Furbelow
a gathered strip or pleated border, showy ornament or trimming
für das ganze Werk
(German) for the full organ
für das volle Werk
(German) for the full organ
Fureur
(French) fury, rage, madness
Furia
(Italian f.) fury, passion, rage, impetuosity
furibondo
(Italian) furiously, wildly, as in G. F. Handel's Furibondo spira il vento, 'Furiously breathes the wind'
Furie
(French) fury, passion, impetuosity
furieusement
(French) furiously, madly
furieux (m), furieuse (f.)
(French) with fury, wildly, vehemently, fiercely
furiosamente
(Italian) furiously, madly
Furióso
(Italian, mentioned in John Florio's Queen Anna's New World of Words (1611)) furious, outragious, franticke, mad, enraged, bedlam, raging
a rapid, polyrhythmic dance type in triple time from Bohemia
Furie
a rapid, polyrhythmic dance type in triple time from Bohemia
furieux (m.), furieusement (f.)
(French) furious, furiously
Furlana
(Italian f.) synonymous with forlana
Furlando
see Furlano
Furlano
(Italian m.) or Furlando, synonymous with forlana
für meine Begriff
(German) to my mind
Furnier
(German n.) inlay, veneer, veneering
Furniture
or 'furniture stop', a mixture stop of the organ, i.e. a stop consisting of several ranks of pipes, of very acute pitch
Furniture music
a derogatory description (originally coined in French as musique d'amueblement by Erik Satie (1866-1925) for background music that sticks in the memory
Furore
(Italian m.) fury, rage, passion, madness, enthusiasm, wild excitement, enthusiastic popular acclamation
Furrucos
(Venzuela) friction drums
Furry dance
an ancient processional dance from Cornwall, also called the 'Floral Dance' or 'Flora'
or furulya, a Hungarian shepherd's pipe or recorder
there are three forms:
long woodwind-flute (hosszú furugla)
made of elderberry, nearly one metre long with five holes at the end. The lower octave sound of the instrument is nearly always accompanied by the player's murmuring and growling voice. It can be played only with a lifted head and stretched arms
small recorder or six hole pipe
which fit the player's fingers perfectly - are from between 30-60 cm in length. The smaller ones are called piccolo. The recorders are made of elderberry and maple wood. It is the favorite instrument of herdsmen
double recorder
used in Transdanubia, Transylvania and by the Csángós, one pipe, with 4 holes, plays the melody, while the other with only 2 or 3 holes plays the accompanying tune. It is an ancient Asian peculiarity, that - especially in Transylvania and Somogy - the musician produces a murmuring sound of the throat while playing. This guttural ostinato serves to colour and strengthen the sound of the pipe. The combination produces three clearly audible parts
(Latin) in mensural notation, eighth note or quaver
(Catalan f., Spanish, Portuguese) a demisemiquaver (thirty-second note), a note one thirty-second the time value of a whole note or semibreve
Fusão
(Portuguese) fusion (a musical genre)
Fusée
(French f., literally 'squib' or 'rocket') a rapid series of notes ascending or descending by degrees, a roulade, a skip
Fuselage
(French) the body of an aeroplane
Fusella
(Latin) a demisemiquaver, a thirty-second note, a note one thirty-second the time value of a whole note or semibreve
Fusellala
(Latin) a hemidemisemiquaver, a sixty-fourth note, a note one sixty-fourth the time value of a whole note or semibreve
Fushi
(Japanese, literally 'section' or 'node') a song with a distinctive melody. Its name is rarely used on its own, but is usually prefixed by a term referring to the occupation, location, personal name, and so on of the song's subject
Fusion
(English, German f.) term sometimes used to describe 'third stream' classical-jazz work by John Lewis, Gunther Schuller and others in the 1950-60s. In the late 60s, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Chick Corea and others, partly as a reaction to the eclipse of jazz on the music scene by rock, incorporated elements of rock into jazz and made greater use of repetition and non-improvised passages. Harmonic language was simplified; key feeling tended to be established by repetition rather than harmonic movement. Straight-8 time and a strong back-beat predominated
(German m.) that part of an organ pipe below the mouth
a term used to describe the pitch of organ pipes
(German m.) pedestal, base or plinth of a column as on a harp, zoccolo (Italian m.), cuvette (French f.), socle (French m.)
Fußabtreter
(German m.) doormat
Füsse
(German m. pl.) plural of Fuss
füssig
(German) footed, as, for example, 8-füssig (German: of 8 ft. pitch, or scale)
Fußklaviatur
(German f.) pedal keyboard
Fußlagen
(German, literally 'measurement in feet') the old measurement for organ pipe construction is the foot - 8 ft., 16 ft, etc. A 'foot' varied from country to country and in different eras, somewhere between 26.5 and 30.5 centimetres. Since the Middle Ages, the height of a pipe was set at 8 ft. for C0 (middle C is C3), 4 ft. for the octave above, 16 ft. for the octave below, and so on. Other intervals are achieved by fractions, for example, 5 1/3 ft. for a fifth, 2 2/3 ft. for a twelfth, and so on
(German) of Fusston, tone or pitch, as in, for example, 8 Fusston (German: a pipe that produces notes in the 8 ft. register)
Fußzeile (s.), Fußzeilen (pl.)
(German f.) footer (text that appears at the foot of each page of a piece of music, etc.)
Fusta
(Spanish m.), whip, slapstick
Fustanella
(Italian from Greek) the stiff full petticoat of white cotton or linen worn, for example, by Greek soldiers
Fût
(French m.) shell or body of a drum
fut.
abbreviation of 'future' (a verb tense that expresses actions or states in the future)
Fût de batterie
(French m.) tom-tom drums
Futhorc
the runic alphabet used by the Norse and other Germanic tribes. The Anglo-Saxon letters ash, thorn, wynn, and edh (or -eth) used in early medieval England were borrowed from futhorc
Futter
(German m.) lining (of a dress, etc.)
Futteral
(German n.) case, cover, backing (of a dress, costume, etc.)
Futterleiste
(German f.) Reifchen (German n.), contre-éclisse (French f.), controfascia (Italian f.), lining, softwood strip(s) used in string instrument making to strengthen the join between the ribs and the back and belly
Futterstoff
(German m.) lining
Future
a verb tense that expresses actions or states in the future
Futurepop
a recently-emerging electronic dance music genre, an outgrowth of electronic body music incorporating influences from synth pop (such as song structure and vocal style) and trance (uplifting, grandiose and arpeggiated synthesizer melodies)
Futurism was a far-reaching Italian movement that included poetry, literature, painting, graphics, typography,
sculpture, product design, architecture, photography, cinema and the performing arts and focused on the dynamic, energetic and violent character of changing twentieth-century life, especially city life. It particularly emphasised the power, force and motion of machinery combined with the contemporary
fascination with speed while at the same time denouncing the 'static' art of the past and the passéist or old-fashioned establishment. On the downside it also glorified war, apparently denigrated women, initially favoured Fascism and vilified artistic tradition wanting to 'destroy the museums, libraries, academies of every kind'
'fuzz box' or 'fuzz pedal', a type of stomp box comprising an amplifier and a clipping circuit, which generates a deliberately distorted version of the input signal. As opposed to other distortion guitar effect pedals, a fuzzbox boosts and clips the signal sufficiently to turn a standard sine wave input in to what is effectively a square wave output. This gives a much more distorted and synthetic sound than a standard distortion or overdrive. Fuzzboxes were the first distortion devices not based on vacuum tubes
an effect associated with the electric guitar where distortion or 'fuzz' is added to the usual sound, possibly an attempt to mimic the characteristic sound of cheaper amplifiers
Fuzzy logic
a branch of logic designed to allow degrees of imprecision in reasoning and knowledge, typified by terms such as 'very', 'quite possibly', and 'unlikely', to be represented in such a way that the information can be processed by computer
abbreviation of 'Fitzwilliam Virginal Book' (c.1562-1612), a collection containing music by William Byrd, Giles Farnaby, John Bull, Orlando Gibbons, Peter Philips, William Inglott, Martin Peerson, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, and others
FWV
or Mohr, after Wilhelm Mohr, the cataloguer of music by César Franck (1822-1890)
FX
pronounced 'effects', this term refers to various electronic ways to process sound, such as chorus, reverb, echo, distortion etc.
f/x
abbreviation of 'special visual effects'
FYC
acronym of 'for your consideration'
Fyell
Kosovar Albanian end-blown flute
fyra
(Swedish) four
Fyrmannadans
(Swedish, literally 'dance for four') a dance form that has long been a part of the formal Swedish folk dance repertoire
Fyrre (tyve)
(Danish) forty
fyrste
(Norwegian) first
fyrtio
(Swedish) forty
fz.
forzando or forzato, synonymous with sforzando (sf. or sfz.)
the result of this marking is that the note bearing it is to be strongly accented
