Meaning

	A B C D E F G               H I J K L M N               O P Q R S T U                 V W X Y Z
Music Words Meaning

C

C

In music, C is the keynote of the normal or natural scale, which has neither flats nor sharps in its signature. It is also, the third note of the relative minor scale of the same. C after the clef is the mark of common time, in which each measure is a semi-breve.

CABASA

The cabasa is a South American rattle made from a metal cylinder with metal beads around it which are scraped against it. It is related to the African gourd rattles with beads.

CABINET ORGAN

A cabinet organ is a small organ designed for use in a chapel or for domestic use.

CABRETTE

The cabrette is a type of French bagpipe.

CACHUCA

The cachuca is a graceful dance marked by movements of the head and shoulders.

CACOPHONY

In music, a cacophony is a combination of discordant sounds. It was a style very popular during the punk rock era of the 1970s as a reaction to the long drawn-out, rather self-congratulatory style of popular music which had become prevalent.

CADENCE

In music, cadence is the name given to the closing - usually last two - chords of a phrase. The varieties of cadence may be grouped as perfect, imperfect and interrupted. The perfect must have its last chord on the tonic. When the penultimate chord is on the subdominant it is called an 'authentic'; when on the dominant, a 'plagal' cadence. The harmony of the imperfect is often that of the perfect reversed. The interrupted is a progression of chords leading the ear to expect a tonic chord, but another is substituted for the latter; the effect is often as charming as it is unexpected.

CADENZA

In music, a cadenza is an ornamental passage sometimes introduced before the close of a section of a musical composition. At one time they were left to the improvisation of the performer, but since the end of the 19th century they have been written out in full by the composer.

CAJON

The cajon is a Cuban box drum, made from a wooden vox.

CAKEWALK

The cakewalk is an American dance which originated amongst the blacks.

CALANDO

Calandro is a musical term meaning gradually diminishing in rapidity and loudness.

CAMBRE

In ballet, a cambre is a bend from the waist.

CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS

Camille Saint-Saens was a French composer. He was born in 1835 and died in 1921. He composed Carnival of Animals (The Swan), Samson and Delilah, Danse Macabre.

CANCAN

The cancan is a soft-porn, high kicking dance which originated during the 19th century in the polka grdens of the Rue de la Grande-Chaumiere, in the Montmart region of Paris, France, but which became famous after being staged in the Moulin Rouge dance hall. Tame by today's standards, at the end of the 19th century the sight of lady dancers revealing their frilly underwear was a shocking and exciting spectacle to the spectators.

CANON

A canon is a musical composition in which the voices begin one after another, at regular intervals, successively taking up the same subject. It either winds up with a coda (tailpiece), or, as each voice finishes, commences anew, thus forming a perpetual fugue or round. It is the strictest form of imitation.

CANTABILE

In music, cantabile is a term applied to movements intended to be performed in a graceful, elegant and melodious style as opposed to bravura, recitativo, or parlando. The term is also used to describe a piece or passage, whether vocal or instrumental, peculiarly adapted to singing.

CANTATA

A cantata is a poem set to music. The term also describes a musical composition comprising choruses, solos, interludes, etc., arranged in a somewhat dramatic manner. It was originally, a composition for a single noise, consisting of both recitative and melody.

CANTATRICE

A cantatrice is a female professional singer.

CANTO

In music, canto describes the highest vocal part, the air or melody in choral music. It was anciently the tenor, now it is the soprano.

CANTO FERMO

Canto fermo is the plain ecclesiastical chant in cathedral service; the plain song.

CANUN

See "Kanoon"

CANZONE

A canzone is a song or air for one or more voices, of Provencal origin, resembling, though not strictly, the madrigal.

CANZONET

A canzonet is a short song, in one or more parts.

CAPELLE

A capelle is the private orchestra or band of a prince or of a church.

CAPRICCIO

A capriccio is a musical piece in a free form, with frequent digressions from the theme - a fantasia.

CARILLON

A carillon is a musical instrument comprised of bells diatonically tuned, played by clockwork or by finger keys. The name is also given to a tune adapted to be played by musical bells.

CARL MARIA VON WEBER

Carl Maria Von Weber was a German composer. He was born in 1786 and died in 1826. He composed Der Freischutz.

CARL ORFF

Carl Orff was a German composer. He was born in 1895 and died in 1982. He composed Carmina Burana.

CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL BACH

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was a German composer. He was born in 1714 and died in 1788. He composed Cantatas, passions, numerous keyboard and instrumental works.

CARMEN

Carmen is an opera written by Bizet and released shortly before his death.

CAROL

Originally a carol was a song associated with a round dance, the term came later to be applied to popular songs (as distinct from hymns) associated with the great annual festivals, such as May Day, the New Year, Easter, and Christmas. Christmas Carols were popular as early as the 15th century. The custom of singing Carols from house to house, collecting gifts, was associated with ' wassailing'. Many of the best- known Carols such as 'God rest you merry' and 'Noel' date back as least as far as the 16th century. Other such as 'Good King Wenceslas' have modern words but an ancient tune, and yet others are completely modern.

CASTANETS

Castanets are small concave shells of ivory or hard wood used by the Spaniards and Moors to make a rattling sound to accompany dancing. A pair of castanets are held in the palm of the hand and struck with the middle finger.

CATCH

In music, a catch is a humorous canon or round, so contrived that the singers catch up each other's words.

CAVAL

The caval is a Bulgarian wind instrument of some antiquity, varying from 50 to 80 cm long. They are used especially in Thrace and Dobrudja.

CAVATINA

In music, a cavatina is a melody of simpler character than the aria, and without a second part and a dacapo or return part.

CELLO

See "Violoncello"

CERVELAT

The cervelat was an ancient musical wind instrument, resembling the bassoon in tone.

CESAR FRANCK

Cesar Auguste Franck was a French composer. He was born in 1822 at Liege and died in 1890. He wrote one symphony and organ music.

CHACONNE

The chaconne is an old Spanish dance in moderate three-four measure, like the Passacaglia, which is slower. Both are used by classical composers as themes for variations.

CHANGE

In music, a change is any order in which a number of bells are struck, other than that of the diatonic scale.

CHANGEMENT

In ballet, a changement is a jump where the position of the feet is changed.

CHANT

A chant is a short and simple musical melody, divided into two parts by double bars, to which unmetrical psalms, etc., are sung or recited. It is the most ancient form of choral music.

CHANTANT

In music, chantant describes music composed in a melodious and singing style.

CHARLES GOUNOD

Charles Francois Gounod was a French composer. He was born in 1818 at Paris and died in 1893.

CHARLES IVES

Charles Ives was an American composer. He was born in 1874 and died in 1954. He composed Concord Sonata, 4 symphonies.

CHENG

The cheng is a Chinese musical instrument. It is comprised of a series of tubes with free reeds. Its introduction into Europe led to the development of the accordion and harmonium.

CHINESE PAVILION

A Chinese pavilion is a musical instrument composed of a pole with several transverse crescent-shaped or otherwise shaped brass plates, generally terminating at the top with a conical pavilion or hat. On all the small parts are hung small bells, which the performer causes to jingle by shaking the instrument held vertically up and down.

CHIROPLAST

A chiroplast is an instrument used to guide the hands and fingers of pupils in playing on the piano, etc.

CHITARRONE

The chitarrone was a long double-necked stringed musical instrument of the lute family, popular in Italy during the 16th century. It had wire strings and two sets of tuning pegs, the lower set having twelve and the higher eight strings attached.

CHOIR ORGAN

In music, a choir organ is one of the three or five distinct organs included in the full organ, each separable from the rest, but all controlled by one performer; a portion of the full organ, complete in itself, and more practicable for ordinary service and in the accompanying of the vocal choir.

CHORAL

A choral is a hymn tune. Usually a simple sacred tune, sung in unison by the congregation; as for example the Lutheran chorals.

CHORALE

A chorale is a melody to which hymns are sung in church, usually in unison. The name is generally applied to those in the style introduced by Martin Luther into the German Protestant church in the 16th century. He realised the great power of music to awaken religious emotion and determined to carry his reforms into the music of the church service. Selecting simple tunes from many sources, sacred and secular, he arranged them to fit the hymns and psalms used in the service. Some were ancient Latin hymns; German folk songs furnished material for many others. The most important of the early collections of chorales was that published in 1524 by Luther and his friend the German composer Johann Walther. Chorales were intended to have an organ accompaniment, which was usually contrapuntal, and as time went on these accompaniments were made more and more elaborate by the organists. In the 17th century the church cantata developed; it used the words and tunes of chorales as a foundation.

CHORALIST

A choralist is a singer or composer of chorals.

CHORALLY

In music, chorally describes a piece in the manner of a chorus or adapted to be sung by a choir.

CHORD

In music, a chord is a combination of tones simultaneously performed, producing a more or less perfect harmony, as, the common chord.

CHORUS

In music the term chorus is given to a company of singers singing in concert; and also to a composition of two or more parts, each of which is intended to be sung by a number of voices. The term chorus also describes the parts of a song or hymn that recur at intervals, as at the end of stanzas and also, a company of singers who join with the singer or choir in singer or choir in singing such parts.

CHRISTOPH VON GLUCK

Christoph Willibald Von Gluck was a German composer of operas. He was born in 1714 at Bavaria and died in 1787.

CHRISTOPH W. GLUCK

Christoph W Gluck was a German composer. He was born in 1714 and died in 1787. He composed Alceste, Iphigenie en Tauride.

CHROMATIC

In music, the term chromatic means proceeding by the smaller intervals (half steps or semitones) of the scale, instead of the regular intervals of the diatonic scale. The intermediate tones were formerly written and printed in colours.

CHROMATIC SCALE

In music, a chromatic scale is a scale consisting of thirteen tones, including the eight scale tones and the five intermediate tones.

CHURCH MODES

The church modes were the modes or scales used in ancient church music.

CIMBASSO

The cimbasso is an Italian valved, brass instrument, similar to the trombone - some might say it is a contrabass trombone - but angled.

CIMPOI

The cimpoi is a Romanian Bagpipe, usually with a single drone.

CITHARA

The cithara was an ancient musical instrument resembling the harp.

CITOLE

The citole was a musical instrument, a kind of dulcimer.

CITTERN

The cittern was a musical instrument shaped like a lute, but strung with wire and played with a quill or plectrum.

CLANG

In music, clang describes the quality of tone.

CLARIBELLA

A claribella is a soft, sweet stop, or set of open wood pipes in an organ.

CLARICHORD

The clarichord (manichord or clavichord) was a musical instrument in the form of a spinet.

CLARINET

A clarinet (clarionet) is a woodwind musical instrument of the reed kind invented by Johann Denner in Nuremberg around 1690. It consists of a cylindrical tube which ends in a bell at the lower part, and at the upper part terminates in a cone-shaped mouthpiece, which is bevelled to a thin edge on one side, and has a flattened longitudinal portion on the other, upon which the reed is laid and kept in position by a ligature containing two screws.

CLARINO

A clarino is a reed stop in an organ.

CLARION

A clarion is a kind of trumpet, whose note is clear and shrill.

CLARIONET

See "Clarinet"

CLARSACH

The clarsach is a Scottish folk harp usually of between 25 and 34 strings.

CLAUDE DEBUSSY

Claude Achille Debussy was a French composer. He was born in 1862, dying in 1918. He was leader of the French impressionist school in music.

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI

Claudio Monteverdi was an Italian composer. He was born in 1567 at Cremona and died in 1643. He wrote a lot of church music.

CLAVIER

A clavier is the keyboard of an organ, pianoforte, or harmonium.

CLEF

In music, a clef is a sign placed at the beginning of a stave to indicate the pitch and name of notes. There are now only three clefs in use: the treble or G clef; the base or F clef; and the C clef. The G clef consists of the five highest lines, the F clef of the five lowest lines, of the great stave. The C clef may have three positions. It may be placed upon the first or lower line of the staff, in which case it is called soprano clef, upon the third line, in which case it called alto clef, or upon the fourth line, in which case tenor clef. It rarely or never is placed upon the second line, except in ancient music.

CLEMENT DUBOIS

Clement Francois Theodore Dubois was a French musical composer. He was born at Rosnay, Marne in 1837. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire under Ambroise Thomas and Benott. His cantata Atala gained for him the Grand Priz de Rome in 1861. He visited Rome, and on his return to Paris he became choirmaster of St. Clotilde, and later organist at the Madeleine Church; was appointed professor of harmony at the conservatoire in 1871, and professor of composition in 1891; and in 1896 he succeeded Ambroise Thomas as director. His compositions, although not of the first rank, nevertheless stamp him as a musician of talent. In addition to his sacred and orchestral works, he composed the oratorios Les Sept Paroles du Christ in 1867, and Le Paradis Perdu, which gained the musical prize at Paris in 1878; the comic opera La Guzla de L'Emir in 1873, the ballet Farandole in 1883, the lyrical drama Aben-Hamed in 1884, and the dramatic idyll Xaviere in 1885.

CLOSE

In music, a close is a double bar marking the end.

CLOSE HARMONY

In music a close harmony is a compact harmony, in which the tones composing each chord are not widely distributed over several octaves.

COBZA

The cobza is a traditional Romanian folk instrument, being a kind of lute.

CODA

In music a coda is a few measures added beyond the natural termination of a composition.

CODETTA

In music a codetta is a short passage connecting two sections, but not forming part of either; a short coda.

COLE PORTER

Cole Porter was an American composer and song-writer. He was born in 1891 and died in 1964.

COLOURATURE

Colourature is vocal music coloured, as it were, by florid ornaments, runs, or rapid passages.

COMES

In music a comes is the answer to the theme (dux) in a fugue.

COMMA

In music a comma is a small interval (the difference between a major and minor half step). It is seldom used except by tuners.

COMMON CHORD

In music a common chord is a chord consisting of the fundamental tone, with its third and fifth.

COMMON TIME

In music common time is that variety of time in which the measure consists of two or of four equal portions.

COMPASS

In music a compass is the range of notes, or tones, within the capacity of a voice or instrument.

COMPLEMENT

In music a complement is the interval wanting to complete the octave. For example the fourth is the complement of the fifth, the sixth of the third.

COMPOUND TIME

In music, compound time is that in which two or more simple measures are combined in one; as, 6-8 time is the joining of two measures of 3-8 time.

CON DESIDERIO

In music the term con desiderio implies that a piece should be played 'longingly', with desire.

CONCERTANTE

A concertante is a musical concert for two or more principal instruments, with orchestral accompaniment.

CONCERTED PIECE

In music, a concerted piece is a composition in parts for several voices or instrument, such as a trio, a quartet, etc.

CONCERTINA

A concertina is a wind musical instrument comprised of bellows and two keyboards. It was invented in 1829 by Wheatstone.

CONCERTINO

In music, a concertino is a piece for one or more solo instruments with orchestra. It is more concise than the concerto.

CONCERTMEISTER

A concertmeister (concert master) is the head violinist or leader of the strings in an orchestra; the sub- leader of the orchestra.

CONCERTO

A concerto is a musical composition (usually in symphonic form with three movements) in which one instrument (or two or three) stands out in bold relief against the orchestra, or accompaniment, so as to display its qualities or the performer's skill.

CONCORD

In music, a concord is an agreeable combination of tones heard
simultaneously, a consonant chord or consonance or harmony.

CONDUCTOR

A conductor is the leader or director of an orchestra or chorus.

CONGA

The conga is an Afro-Cuban dance usually performed in a long line using simple repetitive steps.

CONJOINT DEGREES

Conjoint degrees are two notes which follow each other immediately in the order of the scale, as ut and re. Johnson.

CONJOINT TETRACHORDS

In music, conjoint tetrachords (conjunct) are two tetrachords or fourths, where the same note is the highest of one and the lowest of the other.

CONSECUTIVE

In music, the term consecutive describes music having a similarity of sequence;. It is said of certain parallel progressions of two parts in a piece of harmony, for example consecutive fifths, or consecutive octaves, which are forbidden.

CONSECUTIVE CHORDS

In music consecutive chords are chords of the same kind succeeding one another without interruption.

CONSONANCE

In music consonance is accord or agreement of sounds produced simultaneously, as a note with its third, fifth, and eighth.

CONSONANT

In music the term consonant describes notes harmonising together for example consonant tones or consonant chords.

CONSTANT LAMBERT

Leonard Constant Lambert was a composer, conductor and author who founded the English ballet. He was born in 1905 and died in 1951.

CONTINUED BASS

In music a continued bass (basso continuo) is a bass continued through an entire piece of music, while the other parts of the harmony are indicated by figures beneath the bass; the same as thorough bass or figured bass.

CONTRABASS

In music contrabass or double bass is a term applied to any instrument of the same deep range as the stringed double bass; such as, the contrabass ophicleide; the contrabass tuba or bombardon.

CONTRABASSO

The contrabasso is the largest kind of bass viol.

CONTRAFAGETTO

The contrafagetto is the double bassoon. It is an octave deeper than the bassoon.

CONTRALTO

In music, contralto is the highest voice of a male adult, or the lowest of a woman or boy. It is also known as Alto or counter-tenor. The usual range of the contralto voice is from G, below middle C, to the C above that; though exceptionally it embraces two octaves.

CONTRAPUNTIST

In music, a contrapuntist is one skilled in counterpoint.

CONTRARY MOTION

In music, a contrary motion is the progression of parts in opposite directions, one ascending, the other descending.

COPOPHONE

The copophone is a musical instrument consisting of a series of glass tumblers connected with a sounding board. The sounds are produced by moving wet fingers around the edge of the glasses. It was invented by Chevalier Coelho who first demonstrated it at parties in London in 1875.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright is the exclusive right to reproduce or authorise others to reproduce artistic, dramatic, literary, or musical works. It is conferred by the Copyright Act (1988), which also extends to sound broadcasting, cinematograph films, and television broadcasts. Copyright lasts for the author' s lifetime plus 50 years from the end of the year in which he died (or from the end of the year in which a film or broadcast was made); it can be assigned or transmitted on death. The principal remedies for breach of copyright are an action for damages and account of profits or an injunction. It is a criminal offence to make or deal in articles that infringe a copyright.

COR ANGLAIS

The Cor Anglais (English Horn) is a musical instrument. It is really a tenor oboe.

CORNET

The cornet is a treble wind instrument made of brass, of comparatively recent origin. It was formerly called a cornopean. It is played with a cupped mouthpiece, and possesses a quality of tone which comes between those of the trumpet and the bugle, the size of its tube being intermediate to those used for these instruments. Three slides are employed which lengthen the tube to produce intermediate tones.

CORNO DI BASSETTO

See "Basset Horn"

CORNOPEAN

See "Cornet"

COTILLION

The cotillion is a French dance for four couples in square formation. It is a form of contredanse that originated about 1700. By about 1800, it had spread to England and North America and elsewhere. One variety of the cotillion developed three to five complex figures, each with its own tune; known as the quadrille, and this was the direct ancestor of the American square dance. In the late 19th century the remaining varieties of the cotillion developed into flirting game-dances with prizes, forfeits, and frequent exchanges of partners.

COUNTER TENOR

The counter tenor is one of the middle parts in music, between the tenor and the treble; high tenor.

COUNTER-TENOR CLEF

See "Alto Clef"

COUNTERPOINT

In music, counterpoint is the simultaneous combination of two or more melodies. Although counterpoint is nearly synonymous with polyphony (a musical texture containing two or more melodies simultaneously), the two words differ slightly in common usage. Polyphony refers to textures in general (polyphonic versus homophonic) and to early music (medieval polyphony), whereas counterpoint commonly refers to texture in later music (Johann Sebastian Bach's counterpoint) or to the techniques of composing polyphony (16th century. counterpoint) . One familiar instance of counterpoint is the round, a simple kind of canon. In a round each part (or voice) has the same melody, but the second and succeeding parts begin one after another, as in 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat.' In a homophonic texture, which has a melody with choral accompaniment, the listener focuses on the melody in the highest voice; in a round, the listener follows the melodic activity from one voice to another.

COUNTRY DANCE

Country dance is a traditional form of British folk and aristocratic dance, from which many variations developed. Flirtatious and social, it is danced by a 'set', or group of couples, who execute various patterns or figures with one another. A set can have various formations. In a longways set, for example, partners face each other in parallel lines of men and women, while in a Sicilian circle couple faces couple. Sets are generally divided into ' minor sets' of two or three couples. By the end of the overall pattern, each leading couple has exchanged places with another couple, and the dance repeats until all couples have had a chance to be leaders. Country dances, although known earlier, were first printed in 'The English Dancing Master' published in 1650 by the English musician John Playford. By 1700 English dancing had become a European fashion, and continental forms acquired a French name, contredanse, and more intricate footwork. One French dance in square formation, the cotillion, gave rise to the quadrille, which, like other contredanses, became the vogue in England and the USA. The quadrille absorbed other influences in North America and evolved into the square dance. A popular form of country dance is the Virginia Reel, an American version of an English dance called the Sir Roger de Coverley, which was one of the few older English dances to survive the onslaught of the contredanse.

COURANTE

The courante is a dance of French origin, popular between 1600 and 1800. In music, the term is given to a movement usually forming part of a suite, and following the Allemande.

CRACOVIENNE

The cracovienne is a Polish national dance with strongly marked rhythm in 2 4 time. It frequently has lyrics sung to the tune.

CRESCENDO

In music a crescendo is a gradual increase in the strength and fullness of tone with which a passage is performed. The term also describes a passage to be performed with constantly increasing volume of tone.

CROMORNA

A cromorna is a certain reed stop in the organ, of a quality of tone resembling that of the oboe.

CROOK

A crook is a small tube, usually curved, applied to a trumpet, horn, etc., to change its pitch or key.

CROTALUM

The crotalum was a kind of ancient Greek castanet, rattle or clapper used to mark the rhythm of dance in the worship of Cybele. It was generally made of wood, having a loose piece hinged midway, so that when shaken in the hand a clattering noise was produced.

CROTCHET

In music, a crotchet is a time note, with a stem, having one quarter the value of a semi-breve, one half that of a minim, and twice that of a quaver.

CRWTH

The crwth was a Welsh and Irish form of violin originally with three strings and later with six strings. Four of the strings were played with a bow, the other two being plucked by the fingers. Crwth were mentioned in the early 7th century and were being used in Wales, Ireland and Brittany until the 19th century.

CSARDAS

The csardas (or czardasch) is a Hungarian national dance in two movements - an andante and an allegro - both in the same key and always in 4 4 or 2 4 time.

CYMBAL

The cymbal is a brass musical instrument, and the oldest recorded known musical instrument. Generally it consists of a suspended brass disk which is struck with a stick.

CZARDASCH

See "Csardas"

CZIMBALOM

See "Dulcimer"