music dictionary : H - Hd 
 



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Hafter Eugene Helm who catalogued the music by C.P.E. Bach (1714-1788)
after Willy Hess who catalogued the unpublished works of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), used only for works not catalogued by Kinsky & Halm
after H. Wiley Hitchcock (1923-2007) who catalogued the music of Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1645-1704)
or Hop, after Cecil Hopkinson, the cataloguer of music by John Field (1782-1837)
catalogue of the music of George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) by Bernd Bäselt (1934-93)
catalogue of music by Gustav Holst (1874-1934) prepared by his daughter Imogen Holst (1907-1984)
after Ronald M. Huntington, the cataloguer of music by Leo Sowerby (1895-1968)
after Harry Halbreich, the cataloguer of the music of Bohuslav Martinu (1890-1959) and Arthur Honegger (1892-1955)
after Friedrich Helm (1809-1888), cataloguer of the music of Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
after D. Kern Holoman, the cataloguer of the music Hector Berloz (1803-1869)
after Paul Hindmarsh, the cataloguer of music by Frank Bridge (1879-1941)
H.an abbreviation of 'horn'
in organ music, an abbreviation of 'heel'
in keyboard music, an abbreviation of 'hand'
abbreviated form of Hauptstimme, the main polyphonic voice in a composition, a term coined by Arnold Schönberg (1874-1951)
H, h
note B natural in German
(German n.) German for the note 'B natural' (in German, 'B' is reserved for 'B flat')
Haardingfele(Italian m.) Hardanger fiddle, Hardanger Fiedel (German), violon de Hardanger (French)
Haarstrich(German m.) hairline
Haas effecta psychoacoustic effect, also known as the Precedence Effect or law of the first wave front. A listener hears two identical sounds (i.e. identical soundwaves of the same intensity) from two sources: A and B. The sound created at source A, which is closer to the listener than source B, arrives first. To the listener, this creates the impression that A is the only source of the sound. This effect occurs for only 40 milliseconds
haasten(Dutch) rush, hurry
Habanera(Italian f., Spanish f., German f., havanaise (French f.)) owing its name to the Cuban capital Havana (in Spanish, La Habana), where, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the dance developed from the contradanza and danza, it was the final precursor to the danzón style. With its duple meter, slow tempo and distinctive dotted or syncopated rhythm, the Habanera was brought back to Spain by returning Spanish soldiers where the songs, with their compelling mix of Antillean musical elements and sad folksong, became an important part of Spain's own musical culture
Habemus Papem(Latin, literally 'we have a Pope') the declaration made upon the announcement of a new Pope
Haberl, Franz Xaver
(1840-1910)
working for church music reform, in 1874 Haberl founded a famous school for church musicians at Regensburg (Ratisbon). This school began with three professors - Dr. Haberl, Dr. Jacob, and Canon Haller - and only three pupils, and attracted reform-minded church music programs. Haberl not only secured permanency for the school in the shape of endowment, but he built next to it a church, dedicated to St. Cecilia, where pupils are given opportunities for practising the knowledge they have acquired in theory. As president of the St. Cecilia Society, which position he held from 1899 until his death, as editor of Musica Sacra and Fliegende Blätter für Kirchenmusik, the official organ of the society, as the author of Magister Choralis, now in the twelfth edition, and of innumerable articles on historical, theoretical, and scientific subjects, but especially as director of the school which he founded, Haberl championed the spirit and authority of the Church in musical matters against modernizing influences
Haberrohr(German) shepherd's flute
Habeus corpus(Latin, literally 'you have the body') a term used to describe an application to court (a writ) requiring that an improsonment be justified by showing grounds acceptable to a court
habile(French) skilful, clever
Habileté(French f.) skill
Habilidade artística(Portuguese) artistry
habilité à faire(French) entitled to do
habiller(French) to dress, clothe, cover
habiller de(French) to dress in, cover with
habillé(French) (costume) dressy
Habillement(French m.) clothing
Habit (s.), Habits (pl.)(French m.) dress, outfit, tails (i.e. tailcoat), clothes (plural form)
the distinctive clothing worn by members of monastic orders
an established custom
Habitant (m.), Habitante (f.)(French) occupant (of a house), inhabitant (of a country)
Habitat(French m.) housing conditions
(Latin, literally 'it lives) the native region of a plant or animal
Habitation(French f.) a living, a house
habité(French) inhabited
habiter(French) to live, to live in, to inhabit
Habituationsee 'adaptation'
Habitude(French f.) habit
Habitué (m.), Habituée (f.)(French) a regular visitor, a regular (client)
Habitué de la maison(French m.) a regular visitor to a house, a regular customer (at a café)
habituel (m.), habituelle (f.)(French) usual
habituellement(French) usually
habituer à(French) accustom to
hablar a borbollones(Spanish) gabble
hablar a borbotones(Spanish) gabble
hablar a destajo(Spanish) talk nineteen to the dozen
hablar entre dientes(Spanish) mumble
HabonCuban classical music, lighter and more rhythmic than the Cuban contradanza
hacer añicos(Spanish) to smash to bits, to smash to pieces, to wear out
hacer ascos de algo(Spanish) to turn up one's nose at
hacer aspavientos(Spanish) to make a big fuss
hacer arpegios(Spanish) to arpeggiate, arpéger (French)
hacer bancarotta(Spanish) to go bankrupt
hacer deporte(Spanish) to take part in sports
hacer destrozos(Spanish) to ruin
hacer resaltar(Spanish) to emphasize, to stress, to underline
hacerse el desentendido(Spanish) to pretend not to hear
haché(French) in cooking, finely chopped or minced
HachiJapanese cymbals used in Buddhist rites
hacia atrás(Spanish) backward (for example, step), backwards
Hacienda(Spanish f.) a country estate, a plantation
Hackbräde(Swedish) the hammered dulcimer
Hackbrett(German n.) hammered dulcimer, salterio tedesco (German m.), tympanon (French m.)
Hackbretter(German n. pl.) the name given to crank-operated pianos built by Andreas Ruth
the firm of A Ruth u. Sohn built organs in Waldkirch im Breisgau from 1841 to 1938. The firm's founder Andreas Ruth (1817-1888) learned the organ building trade from Ignaz Bruder, whose wife was a relation of Ruth. He settled in Waldkirch in 1841 where he built clocks with playing mechanisms, crank-operated pianos, which were known to insiders as Hackbretter and later barrel organs
Hackbrett geschlagen(German n.) dulcimer played by beating the strings with wooden mallets
Hackbrett gezupft(German n.) dulcimer played by plucking the strings with a plectrum
Hadith (s.), Hadithat (pl.)(Arabic) traditions relating to the words and deeds of Muhammad. Hadith collections are regarded as important tools for determining the Sunnah, or Muslim way of life, by all traditional schools of jurisprudence
  • Hadith from which this information has been taken
Hadjouj(Arabic) or hadjuj, a North African bass oud
Hadjujsee hadjouj
Haefte(Danish) part
Haegeum(Korean) or haegum, two-string spike fiddle, of Chinese origin, which is played with the bow inserted in between the two strings called choonghyon and yuhyon
Haegumsee haegeum
haftad(Swedish) sewn, stitched (ref. binding of books)
Hafte(Swedish) part, number
Haftetikett(German n.) a sticky note (for example, a Post-It note or Post-It Notiz (German f.))
Hagiographythe study of saints. A hagiography refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy persons, and specifically the biographies of ecclesiastical and secular leaders. Though many hagiographies focus on the lives of men and women canonized by the Christian Church, other religions such as Buddhism and Islam also create and maintain hagiographical texts concerning saints and other individuals believed to be imbued with the sacred. The related term hagiology refers to the study of saints collectively, without focusing on the life of an individual saint. The term "hagiography" has also come to be used as a pejorative reference to the works of contemporary biographers and historians whom critics perceive to be uncritical and even "reverential" in their writing
hahnebüchen(German) coarse, heavy
Haidi(Chinese, literally 'sea flute') double-reed shawm, a smaller suona pitched a fourth higher
Haiku(Japanese) or hokku, the shortest form of Japanese poem, consisting of three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively
Hail ColumbiaHail Columbia is the prescribed honours music for the Vice President of the United States of America. The Department of Defense arrangement of Hail Columbia is performed following the completion of Ruffles and Flourishes
Hail to the ChiefHail to the Chief is the prescribed honours music for the President of the United States of America. The Department of Defense arrangement of Hail to the Chief is performed following the completion of Ruffles and Flourishes
Hairthe material, usually long, white hair from the tail of horses raised in cold climates (since their hair is stronger), used to 'string' the bow of certain stringed musical instruments, although occasionally synthetic (i.e. fiberglass) hair is supplied but it fails to hold resin satisfactorily and feels 'wrong'
Hair metala derogatory term for a popular music genre, 'glam metal'
Hairpins
crescendo and decrescendo marksfirst used in the violin sonatas of Giovanni Antonio Piani (1678-1760) published in 1712, the colloquial term for signs indicating graded dynamic change, i.e. crescendo (marked '‹') and decrescendo or diminuendo (marked '›')
Haitian dancean expression of traditional African way of life since African peoples were taken from various nations, enslaved and brought to the Caribbean Island Ayiti, during the colonial period. To this day, Haitian people remain true to their roots in the Dahomey region and Congo where many of their ancestors originated practicing rituals and cultural traditions through dance, music, religion and everyday life
Haitian merenguesimple and smooth in its slow version, colourful and exciting in its faster forms
Hajhoujan alternative Gwana name for the guembri
Hajji(Arabic) a Moslem who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca
Hajnalsee Nachtwächter, Der
Hakathe gestures, or dance movements, that form part of the traditional dances from many Polynesian Islands
(Maori) the generic name for Maori dance
Haka laufola(literally 'outstretched arm gestures') arm movements that, in Polynesian tradition dances, are supposed to be performed away from the body
Haka nounou(literally 'close armed gestures') arm movements that, in Polynesian tradition dances, are supposed to be performed close the body
Haken(German m.) hook, tick, snag (familiar)
(German m. pl.) simple devices, called 'blades', found on some harps to raise, by one semitone, the pitch of individual strings
[entry prompted by Michael Zapf]
haken(German) to hook
Hakenkreutz(German n.) swastika
Hakennase(German f.) hooked nose
Hakenstil(German m.) 'run-on-lines', enjambement or enjambment, a poetic style in which the sense is run on from line to line (as opposed to Zeilenstil)
Hakim(Arabic) a Moslem physician, practitioner of an indigenous form of medicine
(Arabic) a Moslem judge or ruler
in Arabic the spelling of hakim is different in each case although in English the spellings are usually the same
Hakkebord(Dutch) dulcimer
HalamSenegalese plucked lute, also known as kontingo, xalam, ngoni and koni
Halauthe schools in which Hawaiian hula is taught
Halaya square dance, originally from the west and south of Turkey, in which the participants join hands, making a circle, and the music and the dance start slowly but gets faster and faster. It is danced with the accompaniment of a drum and shrill pipe, especially on holidays and weddings
halb(German) half
Halbbd.(German) part, half-volume (book)
Halbband(German m.) part, half-volume (book)
Halbcadenz(German f.) half close, semi-cadence
halbe(German) half
Halbe
minim(German f.) a minim (half note), a note half the value of a semibreve (whole note)
halbe Note
minim(German f.) a minim (half note), a note half the value of a semibreve (whole note)
halbe Pause
minim rest(German f.) a minim rest (half note rest), a rest half the value of a semibreve rest (whole note rest)
Halber Ton(German m.) a semitone, a half-step
halbes Werk(German n.) reduced organ
halbe taktieren(German) beat half-notes, beat minims
Halbgelehrte (m.), Halbgelehrter (f.)(German) a half-educated person, one with a mere smattering of a subject
halblaut(German) moderately loud (volume of sound), in an undertone (or half voice)
in terms of volume the equivalent terms are mezzo forte or mezzoforte (Italian), mittelstark (German), mi-fort (French)
halbleise(German) moderately soft (volume of sound), in an undertone (or half voice)
in terms of volume the equivalent terms are mezzo piano or mezzopiano (Italian), mittelleise (German), mi-doux (French)
Halbmond(German, literally, 'half-moon') the Hanoverian Halbmond, made of copper, had a U-shaped wide bore and leather cross straps. It was pitched in D. The Halbmond developed from the older flugelhorn, a German hunting bugle, an example of which may be seen in the Brussels Collection. A military version of the Halbmond was in use in the Hanoverian forces in 1758
Halbprincipal(German m.) an organ stop of 4ft. pitch
Halbschluss (s.), Halbschlüsse (pl.)(German m.) half or imperfect cadence
Halbschuh(German m.) flat shoe
Halbsoprano(German m.) mezzo-soprano
halb Stark(German) moderately loud
Halbstarke (s.), Halbstarken (pl.)(German m.) a young hooligan, a juvenile delinquent
Halbtenor(German m.) baritone
Halbton (s.), Halbschlüsse (pl.)(German m.) half tone, half step, semitone, in the equal temperament scale one twelfth of an octave, hemitonium
chromatischer Halbton (German: chromatic semitone), also called übermäßige Prime (German: augmented unison)
diatonischer Halbton (German: diatonic semitone), also called kleine Sekunde (German: minor second)
halbverminderte Septakkord(German m.) half-diminished seventh chord
Halb-Violin(German m.) the smallest double basses, the so-called Halb-Violons or German basses, are tuned like and one octave below the violin, and were mainly used in small towns for dance music
halbwegs(German) half-way, more or less
Halewijn Liedone of the oldest known Dutch songs
Halfmezzo (Italian), halb (German), demi (French)
Half cadenceimperfect cadence, cadenza imperfetta (Italian, Halbschluss (German), cadence imparfaite (French)
the terms 'half close' and 'half cadence' are sometimes applied to 'plagal' cadences which are authentic but in which the chord is not in root position, or the melody does not end on the tonic
Half closehalf or imperfect cadence
Half-colorationsee 'coloration'
Half-diminished
in jazz, the name given to:
a minor 7th chord with a flat 5th
the chord built off of the sixth mode of the melodic minor scale
the chord built off of the seventh mode of the major scale
Half-diminished seventh chordhalbverminderte Septakkord (German), which, when written slightly differently, as the notes F, B, D# and G#, consisting successively of the intervals, an augmented fourth, a major third, and a perfect fourth, is called the Tristan chord), the half-diminished seventh chord is made up of a diminished triad with an added minor seventh; for example, F, Ab, Cd, Ed, the intervals being successively minor third, minor third, major third. 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
in functional analysis, naming a chord and deciding which enharmonic choices to make when writing it should be determined by how the chord is perceived to function. In non-functional (or structural analysis) the notes alone tell us what it is. The half-diminished seventh chord, which we have already noted can be rewritten as the Tristan chord, may also be further rewritten, using the notes B, D#, F, A, in which case it could be interpreted as a suspended altered subdominant II chord
see 'diminished seventh chord'
Half, final callthe time, traditionally half an hour before 'curtain up', by which all the actors must be present in the theatre
halfjaarlijk(Dutch) half-yearly
Half loudmezzo forte (Italian), Halbstark (German)
Half mordentthe 'turn-with-a-line-through-it' is a mystery ornament that occurs in Haydn's piano music, which he called a "half mordent" but for which he offered no explanation as to how it should be played. The confusion is made greater by the fact that his use of the symbol was inconsistent. In similar places he sometimes substitutes the normal turn as a symbol or even writes the turn out. Today, pianists play a normal turn or a mordent since, in his use of the ornament, it is generally indistinguishable from a mordent. This strange ornament is discussed in the preface to the Weiner Urtext Edition of Haydn's Piano Sonatas. Sonja Gerlach, in the Preface to the Henle edition of the Violoncello Concerto in D major (Hob. V11b:2), writes "Haydn's "half mordent" Q should usually be regarded as a quick turn performed on the beat, though it may also be intended as an inverted mordent
Half noteblanca (Spanish), minima (Italian), blanche (French), minim (English), Halbe (German), halbe Note (German)
minima minim, a note half the value of a semibreve (whole note)
Half-pedal markpart of the variable pedal marking that is used to more accurately indicates the precise use of the sustain pedal. An extended lower line tells the pianist to keep the sustain pedal depressed for all notes below which it appears. The inverted "V" shape indicates the pedal is to be momentarily released, then depressed again
Half positiondemi-position (French f.), a hand position between open position and first position on stopped stringed instruments
Half restsilencio de blanca (Spanish), pausa de blanca (Spanish), pausa di minima (Italian), demi-pause (French), minim rest (English), halbe Pause (German)
minim resta minim rest, a rest half the value of a semibreve rest (whole rest)
Half-shiftsee 'shift'
Half stepa semitone, the smallest interval in the tempered scale, equivalent to a minor second
Half step trilla trill between two notes a semitone (half step) apart. Depending on the period of composition and the instructions given by the composer, the trill may begin on the upper or lower note
Half stopsee 'organ stop'
Half stopped hornsometimes called 'echo horn', these notes are performed by closing the bell nearly totally and fingering the notes a half step above the note you want to sound. This effect is specifically requested by some composers to obtain a very distant sound, like an echo. Paul Dukas calls for this effect (for example, by writing sons d'écho (prenez le doigté un 1/2 ton au dessus)) in the well-known horn solo Villanelle and in Sorcerer's Apprentice where the composer asks that the opening solo on the first horn to be played half-stopped. It makes it very, very difficult to play and most players will either play it fully stopped or will possibly even use a mute
Hälfte(German f.) or, alternatively, die Hälfte - half the section (referring to an orchestra)
Half-thrashsee 'groove metal'
Half timea tempo half as fast
Half time feela time that feel half as fast, although the chords are played at the same speed as in the original time
Half titlesee 'bastard title'
Half tonea minor or chromatic second
Half-valvethe opening of stops or valves on instruments like the trumpet, French horn, cornet and tuba, used by jazz musicians when they are approaching a glissando, attempting to change the pitch of a tone without hitting the note or its closest interval, and in the process of highlighting blue notes, for vibrato effects and tremolos
Halitus(Latin) vapour, exhalation
Halkgeneral term for Turkish folk music
Hall(German m.) reverb, sound, clangour
Hall churcha church in which nave and aisles are of approximately equal height
Hall-drommete(German) a powerful trumpet (mentioned in Martin Luther's German translation of the Bible)
Halle(German f.) hall
Halleffekt(German m.) echo effect
Hallelujah(Hebrew, literally 'Praise ye the Lord') a song in praise of God, its Latinized form being Alleluia
hallen(German) to clang, to resound, to echo
Hallinga lively Norwegian folk dance generally in 2/4 time and danced by a solo man
Halloweensee 'All Hallows Eve'
Hall-trompete(German) a powerful trumpet
Hals(German m., Dutch, Danish) manico (Italian m.), manche (French m.), neck (for example, of a violin, viola, etc.)
(German m., Dutch, Danish) stem (of a note sign)
(German m.) throat
Halsluitinstrumenten(Dutch) necked lutes
Halsschmerzen(German m. pl.) sore throat
Hals- und Beinbruch!(German) the German equivalent of the stage phrase, 'Break a leg!', said just before a performer goes on stage, the phrase implying 'Good luck!'
[entry suggested by Michael Zapf]
Halswinkel (die Griffbrettlage)(German m.) angle of fingerboard or 'neck projection', renversement (French m.), inclinazione del manico (angolazione della tastiera) (Italian)
Halt
fermata(German) fermata or pause, a musical symbol placed over a note or rest to be extended beyond its normal duration
Haltebogen (s.), Haltebögen (pl.)(German m.) tie
halten(German) to hold, to sustain
Haltepedal(German n.) hold pedal
a MIDI effect, which when on, holds (i.e. sustains) notes that are playing, even if the musician releases the notes. (i.e. the 'Note Off' effect is postponed until the musician switches the 'Hold Pedal' off). On a multitimbral device, each Part usually has its own 'Hold Pedal' setting
Halter neckdress or top shape with a high panel on the front, which is then tied around the neck, exposing the back and shoulders
Haltung(German f.) posture, manner, attitude, composure
Halv
minim(Swedish, Danish) a minim (half note), a note half the value of a semibreve (whole note)
halvarlig(Danish, Norwegian) half-yearly
halvars-(Swedish) half-yearly (suffix)
Halvbind(Danish, Norwegian) part (of), half-volume
halvfems (indstyve)(Danish) ninety
halvfjerds (indstyve)(Danish) seventy
halvmanedlig(Danish) fortnightly
Halve noot
minim(Dutch) minim, half-note
Halve rust
minim rest(Dutch) minim rest, half rest
Halvnode
minim(Danish) minim, half note
Halvnodespause
minim rest(Danish) minim rest, half rest
Halvnot
minim(Swedish) minim, half note
Halvpaus
minim rest(Swedish) minim rest, half rest
Halv toon(Dutch) a semitone, a half note, the interval of a minor second
Halve toonsafstand(Dutch) semitone, half tone, helf step
Halvton(Swedish) a semitone, a half note, the interval of a minor second
Halvtone(Danish) a semitone, a half note, the interval of a minor second
halvtreds (indstyve)(Danish) fifty
Hama bad actor, usually one who, in some way, draws the audience's attention away from his fellow actors
also used as a term of endearment for a good but over-exuberant actor
Hama(China) friction drum
Hamamthe bride's pre-wedding visit to the hamam was a distinctive custom in ancient Turkey. One of the prerequisite gifts of the family of the groom was a vest, and a pair of loose trousers, the shalvar made of fine felt cloth. This outfit was worn on the special day for going to and coming back from the bath during the winter months. Another item of clothing worn specifically on the day of the bride's visit to the hamam, was a silk robe open at the front similar to the Japanese kimono. The collar, the sleeves, and the front borders were all embroidered. In this ornate robe, the bride would sit on an elevated seat, much like a throne in the tepidarium, or the warm room of the hamam. Maidens and young attendants carried candles as they walked in circle around the would-be bride. Then, with the bride leading the way, the procession would move slowly behind a woman beating the tambourine, around the hamam's main pool. Singing and chanting joyously, the candle-bearing procession would go around the pool several times. Following this ritual, the bridal veil is produced and used to cover the bride's head. After the procession comes the ceremony of wishing. Unmarried girls, wishing to find an ideal husband, tossed coins into the pool
  • Hamam from which this information has been taken
Hamartia(Greek) a tragic error or flaw, a mistake or defect of character involving tragic consequences, or precipitating tragedy
Hamboa fairly difficult traditional dance originally from Sweden, performed by couples, to music in 3/4 meter
  • Hambo from which this information has been taken
Hambonesee 'Juba dance'
Hambopolska(Swedish) a subtle syncopated provincial form of the polska
Hamer(Dutch) hammer
hamerend(Dutch) hammering
Hamersteel(Dutch) hammer shank
Hammam(Arabic) a Turkish bath
Hammarharpa(Swedish) the hammered dulcimer
Hammer(English, German m.) part of the action of a piano that strikes the strings to produce a note, a wooden shaft with a compressed-felt tip
(English, German m.) a beater used to strike a percussion instrument such as a bell or chimes, for example, a tubular bell
(English, German m.) marteau (French), martello (Italian), martillo (Spanish), which may signify a hammer blow (for example in Mahler's Sixth Symphony) where the percussionist must strike some part of the stage or building's structure to produce the required effect with the necessary resonance
Hammerbeama horizontal bracket supported by braces, designed to carry arched braces and struts which support a roof
Hammerclavierthe name of Beethoven's pianoforte sonatas Op. 90, 101, 106, 109, 110, the name used to distinguish the hammered strings of the pianoforte from the plucked strings of the harpsichord
Hammer dulcimersee 'dulcimer'
Hammeredstruck with a hammer, struck strongly as though with a hammer, martellato (Italian), gehämmert (German), martelé (French)
Hammered dulcimerthe hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. The instrument is typically set at an angle on a stand in front of the musician, who holds a hammer in either hand with which to strike the strings (for the plucked Appalachian dulcimer, see Appalachian dulcimer). The hammered dulcimer comes in various sizes, identified by the number of strings that cross each of the bridges. A 15/14, for example, has two bridges and spans three octaves
Hammerklavier(German n.) fortepiano
hämmern(German) hammer, pound
[entry corrected by Brian A. Jefferies]
Hammer on(English, Hammer-On (German)) slurs on the guitar are known as 'hammer on' and 'pull off'. Another type of slur is known as the 'slide'
Hammerschlag(German m.) hammer-blow
Hammersmith Arts & Crafts 'Colony'established in about 1900, a loose circle of Arts & Crafts practitioners living in West London that included Arthur Penny, Romney Green, Emery Walker, Cobden-Sanderson & May Morris - also from 1905, E. Johnston and Eric Gill
Hammond organ(English) Hammondorgel (German), an electronic organ developed by Laurens Hammond in the early 1930s for Hammond Clock, which later became Hammond Organ. The 'Hammond B3 organ', a tone wheel organ made by the Hammond factory, is considered to be the most popular Hammond organ and has been used in many popular rock bands and jazz-ensembles. It is also popular as a theatre organ
Hammondorgel(German f.) Hammond organ
Hampe(French f.) stem
Hampstead Artists Colonyfounded in the 1930s, a loose group of artists & sculptors that included Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Paul Nash and Ben Nicholson. In the mid 1930s, following the closure of the Bauhaus in Germany, the enclave was joined by László Moholy-Nagy, Walter Gropius and Piet Mondrian
Hanacca(German) or hanakisch, Moravian dance in simple triple time, like the polonaise, only quicker
Hanaise(French) hanacca, hanakisch
Hanakischsee hanacca
Hanamokugyofrom Japan, a portable woodblock used by Buddhist priests to accompany the chanting of sutras. A piece of wood is attached by a wire to the middle of the handle. It is either shaken or struck with something so that the piece of wood produces a sound
Hanche(French) anche
Hand(English, German f.) mano (Italian, Spanish), main (French)
scrittura (Italian), Handschrift (German), écriture (French), escritura (Spanish), the distinctive features of the handwriting of an individual
operaio (Italian), Arbeiter (German m.), Arbeiterin (German f.), ouvrier (French m.), ouvrière (French f.), obrero (Spanish), worker (as in farm-hand, etc.)
lancetta (Italian), Zeiger (German), aiguille (French), manecilla (Spanish), hand of a clock
Hand-Aeolinesee Konzertina
Handarbeit(German f.) hand-made article
Hand bellhand bells, classified as percussion instruments, come in various sizes, each size sounding a separate pitch, and are usually played by a group of musicians, either each holding a bell in each hand, or lifting them from a table, in sets ranging in number from six to sixty
Handbellesee belle
Handbewegung(German f.) gesture
(German f.) hand movement (as, for example, in piano playing or conducting)
[additional entry provided by Brian A. Jefferies]
Handbuch(German n.) handbook, manual
Hand horna natural horn in which the player places a hand into the bell to produce certain notes
Händ (s.), Hände (pl.)(German f.) hand
Handdrücken(German m.) back of the hand
hände kreuzend(German) or übergreifen, crossing hands
Handelingen(Dutch) proceedings
Handel-Werke-Verzeichnissee HWV
Handfläche(German f.) palm of the hand
Handgelenk(German n.) wrist
Hängelsaite(German f.) Anhängesaite (German f.), attache cordier (French f.), reggi-cordiera (Italian m.), tailgut
handgemachthand-made
handgeschreiben(German) hand-written
Handglocke(German f.) handbell
Hand-guidesee guide-main or chiroplast
Handharmonika(Germany f., literally, 'hand-harmonica') accordion
Handholdin dance, one of the element of 'connection', the way the partners hold each other by hands
Hand-hornthe natural French horn (without valves or pistons)
Handkerchieffazzoletto (Italian), Taschentuch (German), mouchoir (French), pañuelo (Spanish), a square of cloth, often cotton or silk, kept usually in a pocket, and use for wiping one's nose, etc.
Hand-klapper(German) castanet
Handklaver(Sweden, literally 'hand-piano') accordion
Handleiter(German m.) see chiroplast
Handle pianoa mechanical piano operated by a barrel organ mechanism
Handlung(German f.) act, action, plot (of an opera, play, film, etc.)
Hand mutesee 'echo horn'
Hand notea stopped note on the horn, produced by the hand being inserted in the bell of the instrument
Hand organa portable barrel organ
Handorgel(German f.) accordion
Handqa(Arabic) small North African cymbals
Handschrift(German f., Dutch) handwriting, hand (style of handwriting), autograph (although Originalhandschrift is more specific), manuscript
Handschriftenabteilung(German f.) handwriting department
handschriftliche(German) hand-written (manuscript)
Handschutz(German m.) hand guard
Handskrift(Swedish, Norwegian, Swedish) autograph, a work written in the composer's own hand
Håndskrift(Danish) autograph, a work written in the composer's own hand
Hands, TheMichel Waisvisz conceived of The Hands in the early 1980s. The Hands are aluminum plates containing touch sensitive keys, thumb pressure sensors, and tilt and proximity sensors, held under a performer's hands with velcro fasteners. Waisvisz' idea was to perform with large overt body motions as well as small fingertip control
Hands Threeone of the figures unique to, or traditionally associated with, square dancing
Handstopa mechanism operated by hand, on a keyboard instrument, which moves the register or the buff stop batten
Handstück (s.), Handstücke (pl.)(German n.) technical exercise
Handtrommel(German f.) tambourine
Hand übersetzen(German) in keyboard playing, to pass on hand over another
Handwerk(German n.) craft, trade
Handwerker(German m.) craftsman
Handzeichnung(German f.) hand drawing
hängendes Becken(German n.) suspended cymbal
Hänger(German f.) cipher
[entry by Michael Zapf]
Hanshosee den-sho
Hanslick, Eduard
(1825-1904)
a Bohemian-Austrian writer on music, perhaps the most influential music critic of the nineteenth century
Hanumanthe ‘Monkey-God’ who serves Rama in the Ramayana
Hanuri(Finnish) accordion
Haolaibao(Mongolian) also called haolibao, a singing and storytelling form of quyi popular with the Mongolian people which dates back to the twelfth century. The singers accompany themselves on the sihu (a four-stringed musical instrument)
HaotongChinese trumpet
Hapax legomenon (s.), Hapax legomena (pl.)(Greek) a word or expression of which there is only one example in the surviving records of a language
Happeningcomposer John Cage (1912-1992) was at Black Mountain College, near Asheville, North Carolina, USA, for the summer sessions of 1948, 1952, and 1953. During the 1952 session he worked with Merce Cunningham, M.C. Richards, Robert Rauschenberg, and David Tudor to produce a mixed media theatrical event, which has become known as The Happening. This term is now applied generally to multimedia events, for example, those organised by members of Fluxus
Happycorea variety of swift, hard trance music
Happy hardcorea form of dance music typified by a very fast BPM (usually around 165-180), female vocals, and saccharine lyrics. Its characteristically 4/4 beat "happy" sound distinguishes it from most other forms of breakbeat hardcore, which tend to be darker
Hara-kiri(Japanese) or seppuku, ritual suicide
in Japanese, hara-kiri is a colloquialism, seppuku being the more formal term. Samurai (and modern adherents of bushido) would use seppuku, whereas ordinary Japanese (who in feudal times as well as today looked askance at the practice) would use hara-kiri. Hara-kiri is the more common term in English, where it is often mistakenly rendered hari-kari
jigai was a traditional method of ritual suicide for women in Japan (for example, that of Cio-Cio-San (Madame Butterfly)). Although the term literally means 'self damage' and in principle can refer to suicide in general, in practice it normally refers to the ritual suicide of women by the cutting of the jugular vein with a tanto (6-12 inch knife) or kaiken (6 inch knife). Often, they would be hidden prior within the sash of their kimono. Cio-Cio-San uses her father's dagger - the weapon with which he committed suicide - and reads its inscription: "To die with honour, when one can no longer live with honour." She takes the sword and a white scarf behind a screen, and emerges a moment later with the scarf wrapped round her throat
  • Jigai from which the relevant comment has been taken
  • Seppuku from which the relevant comment has been taken
Haraldstrompete(German f.) herald's trumpet
Hardanger fiddleHaardingfele (Italian), Hardanger Fiedel (German), violon de Hardanger (French), a Norwegian folk fiddle with 4 strings above the fingerboard and 4 or 5 sympathetic strings below, the fingerboard being narrower and shorter than the standard violin
Hardanger Fiedel(German f.) Hardanger fiddle, Haardingfele (Italian), violon de Hardanger (French)
Hardarta musical instruent invented by Peter Schickele which consists of a variety of tone-generating devices mounted on the frame of an Automat (a coin-operated food dispenser). It is used in the Concerto for Horn and Hardart, a play on the name of proprietors Horn & Hardart, who pioneered the North American use of the Automat
Hardbasssee 'Hardstyle'
Hard bopthe style of the late 50s, engineered by Horace Silver, Art Blakey, etc. Still essentially 'bebop', the style used hard-driving rhythmic feel and vehement, biting lines and harmony drenched with urban blues, rhythm 'n blues and gospel. Original compositions were stressed over the old standards used in 'bebop', ranging from simple riff-based blues to elaborate compositions, sometimes using whole-tone scales. Hard bop had a black, street flavor - a reaction, in part, to the intellectuality of the Cool School
Hardcorehardcore (sometimes 'ardcore) is a term that has been used to describe a variety of related electronic dance music styles over almost two decades. While the term "hardcore" was first used in a musical genre title with the emergence of hardcore punk in the late 1970s, it was also used in the early 1990s in reference to both hardcore techno, an intensified and harsh form of techno that emerged from the United States and the Netherlands, and breakbeat hardcore, which emerged in the UK from acid house and breakbeat
see 'hardcore punk'
Hardcore dancinga form of 'mosh' (or 'slamdancing'), an activity performed in a 'mosh' pit at hardcore music shows. Generally the dancing is done to certain visceral parts of hardcore songs specially written to make the audience move around. Common names for these parts are "breakdowns", "beatdowns", and "two-steps"
Hardcore Emoa style of music that existed primarily in the early-mid 90s, also known as "chaotic emo"
Hardcore punkor hardcore, a faster and heavier version of 'punk rock' usually characterized by short, loud, and often passionate songs with exceptionally fast tempos and chord changes
Hardcore technoa kind of techno music typified by fast repetitive beats, often with a compressed kick-drum
Hardcore trancea hybrid of 'trance' music and 'happy hardcore' with 'house' elements. The style focuses largly on fast 4/4 beats with uplifting leads, looped vocals (often sampled from cult films) and extended builds leading to frantic crescendos, before 'dropping the beat'
Hard gospela new style of singing 'Negro spirituals' that largely eclipsed jubilee singing by the 1950s, a more improvisational and fervent style of a cappella quartet singing
Hard hexachordsee 'hexachord'
Hard housea style of electronic music that evolved from mixing techno and house music in the 1990s. Hard house is typified by a set formula of up-tempo compressed kick drums, signature acid house style basslines and the use of 'hoover' type sounds. Generally hard house is part of a wider group of styles called hard dance and has little in common with the modern techno or house scenes
  • Hard house from which this extract has been taken
hardi(French, literally 'rash') daring, bold, impudent, ardito
"Brave, valiant, courageous .... Also means impudent, saucy. ... Is sometimes simply the opposite of modest. ... Also sometimes means assured, firm, and is especially said about the hand: "That writer has a hand that is hardi, that lutenist's hand is hardi, his playing is fort and brilliant." - Furetière (1690)
Hardiesse(French f.) boldness, daring, the quality of someone who is hardi
hardiment(French, literally 'rash') boldly, freely without hesitating, firmly
Hardingfelesee 'Hardanger fiddle'
Hardingfelasee 'Hardanger fiddle'
Hard rock(English, Hardrock (German m.)) a form of rock and roll music which finds its closest roots in early 1960s garage rock
  • Hard rock from which this extract has been taken
Hard shuffle(or 'hard swing') in jazz, the augmentation of the first and diminution of the second of a pair of even notes such that the ratio of their lengths is 2:1 is called 'shuffle' or 'swing'. If the effect is exaggerated, so that the ratio become 3:1, the result is called 'hard shuffle'
Hardstepa drum and bass subgenre which emerged in 1996 and is characterized by fast speed beats, steelhard breaks, and thumping bass lines
  • Hardstep from which this extract has been taken
Hardstylesometimes referred to as hardbass, a sub-genre of trance music that is closely related to nu style gabber and hard trance
  • Hardstyle from which this extract has been taken
Hard swingsee 'hard shuffle'
Hard taila term used to describe an electric guitar without a vibrato bridge
Hardtopindoor movie theatre (colloquial)
Hard tranceor Hardcore Trance, an aggressive sounding subgenre of trance music. Originating in Frankfurt, hard trance incorporates influences from hardcore techno and euro house
Hardwareon the guitar, the term is applied to the different parts including jacks, bridge, tuners, and so on
Harem(Arabic) the part of the household forbidden to male strangers. The world knows the harem by way of the Ottoman Empire. The word itself means privacy that is very respected and honoured. In Western languages such as English, this term refers collectively to the women in any polygynous household as well as to the "no men allowed" area, or in more modern usage to a number of women followers or admirers of a man. In other Western languages, the term seraglio - from an Italian variant of Persian saraay, meaning 'palace, enclosed courts' - has much the same connotation
  • Harem from which this extract has been taken
Harem pantsloose fitting trousers tied or gathered at the ankle, very popular in Turkish dress and ‘belly dancing’
Harfe(German f.) harp, arpa (Italian, Spanish), harpe (French)
Harfenbass(German m.) an arpeggiated bass, for example, an Alberti bass
Harfener(German m.) harpist
Harfenett(German n.) a small harp
Harfenist (m.), Harfenistin (f.)(German) harpist
Harfen-saite(German) harp string
Harfen-spieler(German) harpist
Harfne citre(Slovenia) harp zither
Haricot(French m.) bean
Haricot vert(French m.) French bean, string bean
Harijansliterally, children of god
Härjedalspipawooden whistle from Härjedalen, a county about 300km north of Stockholm
[information supplied by Tore Hellström]
Harlem Renaissancea flowering of art, literature and music in the United States led primarily by the African American community based in Harlem, New York City
Harmabbreviation of Harmonium (German: harmonium)
Harmattan(Fanti) a dry land wind that blows on the coast of West Africa between December and February, filling the air with reddish dust
harm.gliss.abbreviated form of 'harmonic glissando'
Harmolodicsa term coined by saxophonist Ornette Coleman (born 1930) for the theory that melody, harmony and rhythm should have equal importance in collective improvisation, so that any group member, at any stage in the improvisation, might play a harmonic, rhythmic or melodic role
Harmonia(Greek, Latin, Italian, Finnish) harmony
harmoniajärjestelmä(Finnish) functional harmony
Harmonicarmonica (Italian), harmonisch (German), harmonique (French), relating to harmony, for example, harmonic minor scale, and to the theory and practice of harmony
or harmonics, suoni armonici (Italian pl.), Übertöne (German pl.), sons harmoniques (French pl.), a series of notes, called partials that accompany the fundamental (prime tone, generator) when it is produced with a string, a pipe, the human voice, etc. The fundamental frequency is called 'first harmonic', the 'first partial' or the 'first mode'. If all the partials are harmonic then the numbering of the harmonics matches that of the partials. On a string, harmonics can be produced by lightly stopping it at various points along its length
there is a lack of consistency in the use of the terms 'natural harmonics' and 'artifical harmonics'. Many writers distinguish between the harmonics present in any note, the contribution of which gives a note its particular character (which they call 'natural' because to some degree they are a feature of any note and are therefore part of the 'nature of the note'), and those which have to be produced by the intervention of the performer (for example, by the careful placing of a finger on a vibrating string, in order to stiffle particular harmonics while allowing the presence of others, thereby causing a change in the pitch of the resultant note), which they term 'artificial' because the string is no longer vibrating in its natural modes. Other writers make no distinction and use both terms synonymously.
Harmonicaor glass harmonica, a set of glass bowls set horizontally to rotate in a water filled chamber where the sound is generated by touching lightly the edge of one of the bowls with a wettened finger (musical glasses)
or glass dulcimer, a glockenspiel with strips or plates of glass rather than strings
(English, French m.) also known, among other things, as a 'mouth organ', 'French harp', 'tin sandwich', 'blues harp', simply 'harp', 'Mississippi saxophone', Mundharmonika (German f). The prototype of the harmonica was undoubtedly the work of Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann (1805-1864) son of the maker of the Terpodion, another 'free-reed' instrument. In 1821 he constructed a small mouth-blown instrument of 15 reeds as an aid to tuning. He discovered that the free-reeds could be played both soft and loud without affecting the pitch of the sound, and he proceeded to make an improved model, called the Aura, which he described in a letter in 1828 as being suitable for melodic playing accompanied by the Terpodion
see 'chromatic harmonica'
Harmônica(Portuguese f.) harmonic
Harmonica à bouche(French f.) mouth organ, harmonica
Harmonica à clavier(French f.) keyed harmonica, melodica
Harmonica-ätherisch(German) in German organs, a mixture stop of very delicate scale
Harmonic accompanimentmusic, usually chordal, played to accompany a melody line
Harmonica de bois(French f.) xylophone
Harmonica de verre(French f.) a glass harmonica
Harmonic cadencecadencia (armónica) (Spanish), cadenza (armonica) (Italian), cadence harmonique (French), Schlusskadenz (German)
see 'cadence (harmonic)'
Harmonic curvecurva della meccanica (Italian f.), Mechanikbogen (German m.), console (French f. - neck, of a harp), the particular shape of the neck of the harp, or of the bridge on a piano or harpsichord, which is determined by the length and gauge of the strings required for each note as well as the string material being used, and the disposition of tension on the bridge, and through it, on the soundboard, that the designer believes will give the instrument the tonal characteristics desired
Harmonic divisionZarlino's theory of harmony, Istituzioni harmoniche (1558), is based partly on comparing two sequences, one harmonic or geometric (indicated by the fractions 1/6, 1/5, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 1) and the other arithmetic (indicated by the fractions 1/6, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6, 5/6, 6/6=1). The harmonic sequence (divisio harmonica) produces the natural harmonics and particularly the major triad, while the former (divisio arithmetica) gives the notes of a minor triad
Harmonicelloa baritone string instrument with five playing strings made of gut and ten sympathetic strings made of metal
Harmonic figurationbroken chords
Harmonic flutesee 'harmonic stop'
Harmonic forma reference to one of the forms of the minor scale, namely 'the harmonic minor scale'
Harmonic functiontraditional harmonic theory holds that chords have 'functions'. These functions are believed to spring from the idea of a harmonic axis consisting of I and V. The other sonorities, or chords are considered to be substitutes for I or V, or for the IV, called the dominant preparation. The function of I is that of resolution and stability, whereas V represents instability, tension and drive
Harmonic glissandoproduced by sliding the finger lightly over the string rather then pressing the string against the fingerboard (as for a normal glissando). The effect is notated by placing a small o over the notehead and also with the instruction harm. gliss.
Harmonic handsee 'Guidonian hand'
Harmonichordalso known as the piano-violin, violin-piano and the tetrachordon, a keyed-instrument invented by father and son Johann Gottfried and Johann Friedrich Kaufmann in 1810. It resembles a piano in appearance and is played like a piano, but produces a sound like a violin. The sound is produced by the pressure of the keys which sets a revolving wooden cylinder covered with leather, and charged with rosin, in action on the strings
Harmonici(Italian pl.) harmonics
Harmonic intervalthe interval between two notes in a chord
generally, two notes played simultaneously
Harmoniciste(French m./f.) harmonica player
Harmonic legatoa performing device on the piano which Chopin liked to use but which today is largely forgotten
Harmonic markin violin music, a sign (o) placed over a note signifying that a harmonic note is required
Harmonic major scaleharmonic major scale
the harmonic major scale is the same as the major scale, except that the sixth degree, VI, is lowered by a semitone (half step) both when the scale is ascending and when it is descending. It can also be thought of as the harmonic minor scale with the third degree sharpened or as a mode of the inversion of the harmonic minor scale
[corrected by Mat]
Harmonic major thirdthe interval between two notes whose frequencies are in the ratio (5:4)
Harmonic minor scaleharmonic minor scale
the harmonic minor scale is the same as the natural minor scale, except that the leading note, the seventh degree, VII, is raised by a semitone (half step) both when the scale is ascending and when it is descending
a mode consisting of the rising interval sequence T-S-T-T-S-T+S-S (T=tone or whole-step, S=semitone or half-step, T+S=three semitones or half-steps)
Harmonic minor thirdthe interval between two notes whose frequencies are in the ratio (6:5)
Harmonic notesee 'flageolet-tone'
also called 'harmonic tone', a note that is part of the chord that is sounding
Harmônico(Portuguese m.) harmonic, overtone
Harmoniconan orchestrion, a musical instrument consisting of a large barrel-organ, containing, in addition to the ordinary pipes, others to imitate the different wind-instruments, and an apparatus to produce the effects of drums, triangles, cymbals, etc. so that the combined sounds produced the effect of a military band
a harmonica
a keyed harmonica combined with flue stops
Harmonic ostinatosee ostinato
Harmonic overtoneuse of the term overtone is generally confined to acoustic waves, especially in applications related to music. Despite confused usage, an overtone is either a harmonic or a partial. A harmonic (or harmonic overtone) is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency. A partial or inharmonic overtone is a non-integer multiple of a fundamental frequency
Harmonic piano pedal
the harmonic pedal give three effects :
"sounding-on" for all the strings, while at the same time the player may use an articulated playing style
a resonance (or sustain) effect usually produced with the classical damper pedal
a sostenuto for notes already played, without compromising the use of the damper pedal when playing other notes
the harmonic pedal allows the "storage" of any notes chosen that are to be kept in resonance. The hand is free to release these notes, and can now play other notes
Harmonic piccolosee 'harmonic stop'
Harmonic progressionthe movement from one chord to another, usually in terms of their function
Harmonic reedsan organ stop, one of the 'harmonic stops'
Harmonic regressionan unconventional sequence of chords that functions in opposition to conventional harmonic theory concepts
Harmonic rhythmthe rate of harmonic change
HarmonicsClaudius Ptolemaeus (c.100-c.178), who we call Ptolemy, wrote an influential work, Harmonics on music theory. After criticizing the approaches of his predecessors, Ptolemy argued for basing musical intervals on mathematical ratios (in contrast to the followers of Aristoxenus) backed up by empirical observation (in contrast to the overly-theoretical approach of the Pythagoreans). He presented his own divisions of the tetrachord and the octave, which he derived with the help of a monochord. Ptolemy's astronomical interests also appeared in a discussion of the music of the spheres
  • Ptolemy from which this extract has been taken
suoni armonici (Italian pl.), Übertöne (German pl.), sons harmoniques (French pl.), the elements of the aural spectrum
there is a lack of consistency in the use of the terms 'natural harmonics' and 'artifical harmonics'. Many writers distinguish between the harmonics present in any note, the contribution of which gives a note its particular character (which they call 'natural' because to some degree they are a feature of any note and are therefore part of the 'nature of the note'), and those which have to be produced by the intervention of the performer (for example, by the careful placing of a finger on a vibrating string, in order to stiffle particular harmonics while allowing the presence of others, thereby causing a change in the pitch of the resultant note), which they term 'artificial' because the string is no longer vibrating in its natural modes. Other writers make no distinction and use both terms synonymously.
the harmonics of a freely vibrating string fixed at both ends - where all the partials and overtones are harmonic
element namealternative nameswavelengthfrequency
fundamental frequency
first harmonic
first partial
first mode
λf
second harmonicsecond partial
second mode
first overtone
λ/22f
third harmonicthird partial
third mode
second overtone
λ/33f
fourth harmonicfourth partial
fourth mode
third overtone
λ/44f
fifth harmonicfifth partial
fifth mode
fourth overtone
λ/55f
........   
nth harmonicnth partial
nth mode
(n-1)th overtone
λ/nnf
Harmonics, artificialsee 'artificial harmonics'
Harmonic scalethe succession of harmonic notes
Harmonic seriesan alternative term for the harmonics that derive from a particular fundamental note or tone
Harmonic sequencethe successive repetition of a particular harmonic pattern at a high or lower pitch
Harmonic singingsee 'throat-singing'
Harmonics, naturalsee 'natural harmonics'
Harmonic stopa full-sounding stop invented by the French organ builder Cavaillé Coll, in which organ pipes both flue and reed, twice the ordinary length but pierced mid-way, produce the second harmonic, i.e. one octave higher than the expected fundamental. Two stops of this type are the harmonic flute (8 ft. in length, but sounding as a 4 ft. stop) and the harmonic piccolo (4 ft. in length but sounding as a 2 ft. stop)
Harmonic tonesee 'flageolet-note'
see 'harmonic note'
Harmonic triadthe chord of a note with its third and fifth
Harmonie(French f., German f.) a band of wind, usually woodwind, brass and percussion
(French f., German f.) the wind section of an orchestra
(German f.) in the late eighteenth century, a group of wind players employed on festive occasions or the music played by such a group (also called Harmoniemusik) usually comprising pairs of oboes, clarinets, horns and bassoons
(French f., German f., Dutch) harmony, concord
(German f.) a chime
(German f.) sympathy, reconciliation
Harmonie, cor d'(French f.) French horn without valves
Harmonie de quartes(French f.) quartal harmony
Harmonie de quintes(French f.) quintal harmony
Harmonie de secondes(French f.) secondal harmony
Harmonie de tierces(French f.) tertial harmony
Harmonie en quartes(French f.) quartal harmony
Harmonie en quintes(French f.) quintal harmony
Harmonie en secondes(French f.) secondal harmony
Harmonie en tierces(French f.) tertial harmony
harmoniefremder Ton(German m.) non-harmonic note
Harmonie imitative(French f.) onomatopoeia
Harmonieleer(Dutch) the study of harmony, a treatise on harmony
Harmonielehre(German f.) the study of harmony, a treatise on harmony
Harmoniemusik(German f.) a band of woodwind, brass and percussion (usually comprising pairs of oboes, clarinets, horns and bassoons)
(German f.) the music written for a wind band
Harmonien(German n. pl.) plural of Harmonium
Harmonie-regeln(German) the rules, or laws, of harmony
harmonieren(German) to harmonize, to chime, to tone in
harmonieren mit(German) to tone in with
Harmonies(French f. pl.) plural of harmonie
Harmonie, Trompette d'(French) the modern-day trumpet
Harmonie Universelle, l' (1636-37)an important wide-ranging treatise on music, published in Paris and written by the French monk Marin Mersenne (1588-1648)
harmonieusement(French) harmoniously
harmonieux (m.), harmonieuse (f.)(French) harmonious, well matched (colours, etc.)
Harmonie-verständiger(German) harmonist, one versed in harmony
Harmonik(German f.) harmony
Harmonika(German f.) harmonica, accordion, concertina
instruments with multiple tuned plates, reeds or pipes like the xylophone, marimba, etc.
(Russian) see garmon
harmoninen kadenssi(Finnish) harmonic cadence
Harmonioussweet sounding, consonant, armonioso (Italian), harmonisch (German), harmonieux (French m.), harmonieuse (French f.)
Harmoniphoninvented in 1837, a wind musical instrument with a keyboard, in which the sound, which resembles that of an oboe, is produced by the vibration of thin metallic plates, acted upon by blowing through a tube
Harmonique(French m.) harmonic, Teilton (German m.)
harmonique(French) harmonic
applied to organ pipes of double length, see, for example, 'harmonic flute'
Harmonique inférieure(French) undertone
harmoniquement(French) harmonically
harmoniren(German) harmonize, be in unison
(German) archaic spelling of harmonieren
Harmonisation(French f.) harmonization
on a piano, harmonisation is the process carried out on a new piano that entails adjusting the touch, tone, etc. so that they are even throughout the instruments range. The process may be repeated when an instrument it overhauled
harmonisch(German) harmonic, harmonious, harmonical, concordant, tuneful
harmonische Cadens(Dutch) harmonic cadence
harmonische Durskala(German f.) harmonic major scale
harmonische Folge(German f.) harmonic progression
harmonische Ganze(German n.) blend
harmonische Mineur-toonladder(Dutch) harmonic minor scale
harmonische Mollskala(German f.) harmonic minor scale
Harmonischen(Dutch) harmonics
harmonische Progression(German) harmonic progression
harmonischer Rhythmus(German m.) harmonic rhythm
harmonisches Moll(German n.) harmonic minor
harmonische Teilung(German f.) harmonical division
harmonische Töne(German m. pl.) harmonics
harmonische Verhältnis(German n.) balance
harmonisch machen(German) to harmonize
Harmonisch Moll-Leiter(German f.) harmonic minor scale
harmoniser(French) to harmonize
Harmoniseror 'harmonizer', the automatic provision of harmony available on certain electronic keyboards
harmonisieren(German) to harmonize
harmonisk Kadence(Danish) harmonic cadence
harmonisk Kadens(Swedish) harmonic cadence
Harmonistone acquainted with the laws and science of harmony
Harmoniste(French m./f.) one acquainted with the laws and science of harmony
Harmonium(English, German n., French m.) an organ-like keyboard instrument, invented in 1843 by A. Debain of Paris, in which air is pumped, using foot operated pedals, outward through a set of metallic reeds
in India, the 'harmonium' also known as peti or baja. This instrument is not a native Indian instrument. It is a European instrument which was imported in the nineteenth century. It is a reed organ with hand pumped bellows. Although it is a relatively recent introduction, it has spread throughout the subcontinent. Today, it is used in virtually every musical genre except the south Indian classical genre
Harmonium indien(French m.) Indian harmonium, peti, baja
Harmonium, noisesee 'Rumorarmonio'
Harmonizador(Portuguese) harmoniser, harmonizer
Harmonizeror 'harmoniser', the automatic provision of harmony available on certain electronic keyboards
Harmonometer(German) an instrument, now obsolete, for measuring the relative pitch of sounds
Harmonomètre(French) Harmonometer
Harmonyarmonía (Spanish), armonia (Italian), harmonie (French), Harmonie (German), Zusammenklang (German)
the relationship between notes when heard together, often described as the vertical dimension in music, where melody (or counterpoint) is the horizontal
Harmony flutea term aplied to flute sizes other than the concert flute and piccolo
Harmony Hall
[1839-1845]
founded by Robert Owen, the official Owenite community sponsored by the Universal Community Society of Rational Religionists. Conceived on a grand scale it consisted of a series of farms around an impressive 3 storey communal house. The scheme was beset with problems almost from the start, the only sucesses being on the farming side. Much of the failure of the community must be blamed on Owen's mismanagement, despite attempts by others to save the project. The failure of Harmony Hall marked the end of Owenite socialism as a movement
Harmony of the Universe, Pythagoreansee 'Music of the Spheres'
Harmos1/1728 part of an octave. A twelve-based measure suggested by Paul Beaver: 1728 is 123. In the 1960s he asked John Chalmers to compute a table of Harmos, which he did later in decimal and duodecimal notation
harnacher(French) to harness
Harnais(French m.) harness
Harparpa (Italian, Spanish), Harfe (German), harpe (French f.)
an instrument of ancient lineage in which strings are plucked individually or in groups with the fingers and thumbs of one or two hands
single-strung harpthe orchestral, pedal harp is single strung as is the standard lever harp where seven strings are set for each octave and levers or pedals provide inflections (i.e. flats and/or sharps) and to help the player locate the position of each octave certain strings are coloured, for example, every C is red, and every F is black or blue
double-strung harpa harp which has strings that run in two parallel rows
triple-strung harpa harp, mainly used in Wales, that has two parallel rows plus a third row of strings up the centre that are the sharp/flats. The third row is slightly offset so that the player hooks their finger between the outer rows and reaches in between the outer strings to reach the accidentals
see 'triple harp'
cross-strung harpa harp that has two rows of strings, but the strings are not in parallel rows. Instead, the strings cross in the centre of the harp, just like a big X. The harp is tuned so that the right hand reaches "up" for the naturals and "down" for the flats, and the left hand does the opposite. The advantage of a cross-strung harp is that all of the notes are available to the fingers at all times. The disadvantage is that the space required for an octave is much wider because you have to allow room for an additional 5 strings to vibrate within that octave. This means that you have to stretch your hand much wider to reach an octave. It also means that a cross-strung harp either has a small note range or is very large
in African culture, an instrument distinguished from a lyre by its triangular shape and the unequal length of its strings. Called dilla (Chad), ouombi (Gabon), ngombi (Central Africa), loma (Liberia), kinde (Islamicized regions), and ougdye (Cameroon), it has spread throughout Africa with a wide diversity of shapes (angled, arched), it is used commonly for praises, healing ceremonies, and bardic songs
Harpalternative name for the 'harmonica' or 'mouth organ'
in nyabinghi, a religious movement that influenced many Jamaican Rastafari, 'harp' is the generic term for drums, in particular, a bass drum and two middle-pitched drums called akete (also called the 'repeater') and funde that accompany nyabinghi chants (also binghi)
  • Nyabinghi from whihc this information has been taken
Harpa(Spanish f., Portuguese) harp
Harp, ditalsee 'dital harp'
Harpe(French f., Norwegian) harparpa (Italian, Spanish), harpe (French)
Harpe à crochets(French f.) hook or hooked harp
Harpe à double accrochement(French f.) double action harp, arpa a doppio movimento (Italian), Doppelpedalharfe (German)
Harpe à double mouvement(French f.) double action harp, arpa a doppio movimento (Italian), Doppelpedalharfe (German)
Harpe aeolienne(French f.) an Aeolian harp
(French) a harmonium stop
Harpe à pédale(French f.) pedal harp
Harpe celtique(French f.) Celtic harp
Harpe d'Eole(French f.) an Aeolian harp
Harpe dital(French f.) dital harp
Harpe éolienne(French f.) Aeolian harp
Harpejador(Portuguese) arpeggiator
Harpejo(Portuguese) arpeggio
HarpeleikNorwegian fretless zither
Harp guitara multi-string instrument, shaped much like a guitar, but with an extended second neck, stretching above the main neck of the instrument. This second neck holds up to seven unfretted bass strings, which are plucked like those of a harp. The six central strings are fretted on the standard guitar neck, and are frequently strummed like on a standard guitar. There are also eight unfretted treble strings below these 'guitar' strings, which are also plucked. The same modification has been applied to the Hawaiian guitar and the ukulele
Harpicordo(Italian) harpsichord
Harpistone who plays the harp
Harpiste(French m./f.) harpist
Harp lutea modern stringed instrument, a cross between the harp and the guitar, with frets, twelve strings with a pleasant but not very powerful sound
see 'lute harp'
Harp mandolinharp mandolins were made at the turn of the twentieth century. While the harp guitar combines a number (usually 4) tunable bass strings that can be plucked like a harp, with a standard guitar, the harp mandolin has no bass strings although the body extends on the bass side all the way upwards to the headstock
Harpolyrepatented by Jean Francois Salomon in 1829 (and built by Andre Augustin Chevrier), this is a very interesting instrument, and a difficult one to classify. Since it is fully fretted, it cannot technically qualify as a "true" harp guitar by any definition. Yet it was clearly designed to be played very much like an intricate harp guitar. Ergo, I created the new classification of "fretted harp guitars"
Harpon(French m.) harpoon
harponner(French) to harpoon, to detain (familar)
Harpouditarcreated by Fred Carlson, this instrument is a combination of wire-strung harp or zither, mid-eastern oud and classical guitar
Harpsecola corruption of the word 'harpsichord'
Harpsicala corruption of the word 'harpsichord'
Harpsichordclavicembalo (Italian), Cembalo (German), clavecin (French), a large family of keyboard instruments, in which the strings are plucked by plectra, including also spinets and virginals
Harpsichord, pedalsee 'pedal harpsichord'
harpspeler(Dutch) harpist
Harp stopsee 'buff stop'
Harris tweeda soft thick tweed woven from hand dyed woolen yarns, popular for coats and suits for both men and women
Harry Partch's 43-tone scalethe 43-tone scale is a just intonation scale with 43 pitches in each octave invented and used by Harry Partch. It is somewhat ironic that Partch became so associated with this 43-tone scale, because the number 43 is more or less arbitrary. In fact, the first of Partch's "four concepts" is The scale of musical intervals begins with absolute consonance (1 to 1) and gradually progresses into an infinitude of dissonance, the consonance of the intervals decreasing as the odd numbers of their ratios increase. Nevertheless, almost all of Partch's music is written in the 43-tone scale, and although most of his instruments can play only subsets of the full scale, it's useful as an all-encompassing framework. If an interval isn't found in Partch's 43-tone scale, it probably isn't of great importance to Partch's music
hart, harte(German) hard, major (in respect to intervals and scales)
Härte(German f.) hardeness, harshness
härten(German) to harden
Härter(German m.) hardener
harter Einstaz(German m.) soft attack
Hartfaserplatte(German f.) hardboard
hart geschlagen(German) struck hard
hart klingend(German) hard-sounding, of a harsh sound
hartlöten(German) to braze, to solder with an alloy of brass and zinc
hartnäckig(German) stubborn, studbbornly, persistent, persistently
Hartnäckigkeit(German f.) stubbornness, persistence
hart schlagen(German) strike hard
[corrected by Brian A. Jefferies]
hartstochtelijk(Dutch) passionate
Harz(German n.) rosin, resin
rosin is also known as colophony or colophonia resina from its origin in Colophon, an ancient Ionic city
Hasapi(Indonesia) two-stringed mandolin from Sumatra
Hasapicosee hasapiko
Hasapikasee hasapiko
Hasapiko(Greek) also transliterated 'hassapiko', 'hasapika' and 'hasapico', a Greek traditional dance that originated among members of the Butcher's Guild in Constantinople in Byzantine times, and was originally called makellarikos horos, although some only use this term for the fast version of this dance, usually in 2/4 meter, which is also called grigoro hasapiko, grigoros hasapikos, sousta or hasaposerviko. The slower version, usually in 4/4 meter, is called hasapiko vari or hasapikos varis
Hasápikossee hasapiko
Hasapikos horossee hasapiko
Hasapiko varisee hasapiko
Hasaposervikosee hasapiko
Hasard(French m.) chance, coincidence
hasarder(French) to risk, to venture (remark)
hasardeux (m.), hasardeuse (f.)(French) risky
Hashish(Arabic) a preparation of Indian hemp, that may be smoked or drunk
Haslemere Peasant Industriesset up in 1896 by Godfrey Blount and his wife Ethel, an artistic community with the aim of integrating work, leisure and the country life and the philanthropic principles of the home industries movement. The Peasant Industries was an umbrella organisation of small workshops that employed local craftworkers. It also ran a shop in London. Along with C.R.Ashbee's wife Janet, the Blounts were prominent members of the Healthy and Artistic Dress Union (1890) which promoted the wearing of "unusually comfortable, loose-fitting clothes made of hand-woven cloth."
Haß(German m.) hatred
Hassapiaan ancient Thracian dance that simulates a stealth approach on an enemy camp, leading to victory
Hassapikosee hasapiko
hassen(German) to hate
haßlich(German) ugly, nasty, nastily
Haßlichkeit(German f.) ugliness, nastiness
Hast(German f.) haste
hasta la nada(Spanish) al niente
hasta la vista(Spanish) farewell!, a rivederci (Italian), auf Wiedersehen (German), au revoir (French)
hasta luego(Spanish) goodbye! (implying a further meeting is expected or planned for later the same day)
hasten(German) to hasten, to hurry
Hastening the time, Hastening the tempoaccelerando (Italian), stringendo (Italian), affrettando (Italian), drängend (German), treibend (German), en pressant (French), pressez (French)
hastig(German) quick, hasty, hurried, impetuous, hastily, hurriedly
Hasur(Hebrew) an ancient instrument with ten strings
Hat a daosee ca tru
Hatbox mellophonea mellophone with a detachable bell
hâté(French) hurried
Hatecorea style of hardcore punk with white supremacy-themed lyrics
hâter(French) to hasten
hâtif (m.), hâtive (f.)(French) hasty, early (precocious)
Hat noisee ca tru
Haubois(French) corruption of hautbois
Hauch(German m.) breath
hauchen(German) breathe
Haunghaung(China) a Jew's harp made of bamboo with a metal tongue to which a cord is attached
  • Haunghaung from which this information has been taken
Haupangothe Mexican Haupango is a descendant of the Spanish son, but its rhythm is definitely of the new world, combining 2/4 time with 3/4 time and 6/8 time, creating cross rhythms of great complexity
Haupt(German n.) head, principal, chief
Hauptanliegen(German n.) the chief concern
Hauptbahnhof(German m.) the central station
Hauptbestandteil(German m.) the basis, the body
Hauptdarsteller (m.), Hauptdarstellerin (f.)(German) male/female lead (actor/actress in a leading role)
Hauptdreiklang (s.), Hauptdreiklänge (pl.)(German m.) primary triad
Haupteingang(German m.) main entrance
Hauptereignis(German n.) the outstanding event, the main event
Hauptfeind (m.), Hauptfeindin (f.)(German) the principal enemy, the main enemy
Hauptfigur(German f.) the central character, the chief character (in a story)
Hauptfrage(German f.) principal question, main question, pivotal question
Hauptgedanke(German m.) the principal thought, the main thought
Hauptgefreite(German m.) the corporal
Hauptgesang(German m.) the principal melody, the main melody
Hauptkirche(German f.) cathedral, metropolian church
Hauptl