This page gathers the 2,706 dictionary entries belonging to the domain “Music”, as labelled by Wiktionary. Each word leads to its full entry: definitions, etymology, pronunciation, examples. Page 26 of 27: from “trill” to “viola”.
- trill noun A rapid alternation between an indicated note and the one above it as an ornament; in musical notation usually indicated with the letters…
- trio noun A piece of music written for three musicians.
- triple adj Of time, three times as fast as very fast.
- triple contrabass viol noun A stringed instrument of the viol family, a variant of the octobass distinguished by its extreme size -- at more than ten feet all, it must…
- triple harp noun A type of multi-course harp employing three parallel rows of strings instead of the more common single row, a common version being the…
- triple time noun A rhythm or time with three beats per bar: one accented followed by two unaccented.
- triplet noun A group of three notes of even rhythm played or written where two of those notes would ordinarily be; a form of tuplet.
- triplex noun Triple time.
- tripodian noun An ancient stringed instrument, apparently resembling the Delphic tripod in form, and very difficult to play.
- Tristan chord noun A chord in musical composition consisting originally of the notes F, B, D♯ and G♯ which can be translated more generally in intervalic…
- tritave noun An interval with a frequency ratio of 3:1, usually in the context of the Bohlen–Pierce scale where it replaces the octave.
- trite noun In Ancient Greek musical theory, the lower-pitched of the two movable notes in the farther tetrachord on a lyre, pitched lower than the…
- tritone noun An interval of three whole tones.
- troll verb To sing the parts of (a catch, round, or similar song) in succession; also (generally), to sing (a song) freely or in a carefree way, or…
- tromba marina noun A Middle Ages European string instrument with a long, slender and triangular-shaped body, featuring one main string and sometimes…
- tromboon noun A trombone with the reed and bocal of a bassoon placed instead of the usual mouthpiece, which combines the limitations of both instruments…
- trope noun A short cadence at the end of the melody in some early music.
- tropical rock noun A genre of popular music with elements of rock, reggae, country, folk, calypso, zydeco, and pop music, with themes and musical compositions…
- truck driver's gear change noun The practice of extending a composition by repeating an earlier section but transposed to a higher pitch.
- trump noun Synonym of Jew's harp.
- trumpet noun A musical instrument of the brass family, generally tuned to the key of B-flat; by extension, any type of lip-vibrated aerophone, most…
- trumpophone noun A musical instrument combining a trumpet and a saxophone, especially a trumpet played with a saxophone mouthpiece.
- trve adj True to the ideology or stereotypical manifestation of a given subculture, particularly among fans of black metal.
- tubular bells noun A percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned metal tubes that are struck with a mallet, producing sounds like those of church bells.
- tuck noun The act of keeping the thumb in position while moving the rest of the hand over it to continue playing keys that are outside the thumb.
- tuk noun A Barbadian musical style, based on British regimental music of the colonial era, but accompanied by costumed performances based on African…
- tune up verb To tune one's instrument in preparation for performance.
- tuning noun The calibration of a musical instrument to a standard pitch.
- tuning fork noun A fork-shaped object which emits a tone of a specific frequency when struck, producing a reference note for tuning instruments.
- tuning system noun A system used to define the number and frequencies of tones, or pitches that are used when playing music.
- turnaround noun A cadence linking the end of a verse to the beginning of the next.
- turntable verb To play (a record) using a turntable.
- tutti adv All together. Indicates that the remainder of a group should join in playing after a solo or other passage with a reduced number of voices.
- twang noun A particular sharp vibrating sound characteristic of electric guitars.
- twee noun Ellipsis of twee pop.
- twelfth noun An interval equal to an octave plus a fifth.
- twelve bar blues noun A blues form built on a twelve-measure chord progression, most typically based around the tonic, subdominant and dominant seventh chords of…
- two-step noun A piece of music for this dance.
- tympan noun The stretched membrane of a drum.
- tympanic adj Resonant.
- type beat noun An instrumental made with the intention of emulating the style and sound of a particular musical artist or producer.
- ugly stick noun A traditional Newfoundland musical instrument fashioned from household and toolshed items, typically a mop handle attached with bottle…
- UK dubstep noun The original, classic form of dubstep that emerged in the early 2000s from South London, particularly areas like Croydon.
- UK garage noun A genre of electronic music descended from house music, originating from England in the early 1990s, typically featuring a syncopated 4/4…
- una corda adv In piano music, the notation indicating that the player depresses the soft pedal, altering, and reducing the volume of the sound. In many…
- unaccompanied adj performed or scored without accompaniment; solo
- unacoustic adj Not acoustic; electronically generated or amplified.
- unda maris noun An organ stop similar to the voix céleste, but typically using a dulciana or a softer-scale string (or even flutes).
- underhold verb To hold a note for a shorter duration than required.
- underlay noun Lyrics; or more specifically, the way in which lyrics are assigned to musical notes.
- undernote noun A low or subdued note, such as a drone, that forms a background to the melody.
- underpoint noun The lowest intensity point of a diminuendo that is followed by an increase in volume and intensity.
- underrecord verb Of a work or a performer, to make too few recordings.
- underscore noun A piece of background music.
- undulation noun A tremulous tone produced by a peculiar pressure of the finger on a string.
- unfretted adj Not fretted; without frets.
- unison noun Identical pitch between two notes or sounds; the simultaneous playing of notes of identical pitch (or separated by one or more octaves).
- unkeyed adj Atonal.
- unpitched adj Without pitch.
- unplugged adj Using acoustic instruments, especially instead of electric ones.
- unproduced adj Recording the music directly, with a minimum of overdubs, effects and other processing.
- untexted adj Without accompanying words or text.
- upbow noun A note performed on a string instrument by drawing the bow upward or to the left across the instrument, moving the point of contact from…
- upper joint noun The top section of the instrument body where the left hand is placed to operate keys and tone holes.
- uptempo adj Having a fast tempo.
- upweight noun The amount of weight (in grams) a piano key will lift back up from its depressed position.
- Urban Cowboy noun Pop-styled country music which became popular during the early 1980s, following the release of the movie Urban Cowboy (1980).
- urtext noun The original version of a piece of music or text, often as created by the composer or writer.
- urumi noun A double-headed hourglass drum from south India.
- utonality noun A family of pitches that can all be expressed as ratios with a specified fixed tone, such that all ratios have the same numerator; a…
- uvula noun an object so suspended inside a bell that it may hit the bell and cause it to ring; a clapper
- v.s. verb volti subito
- vallenato noun A popular style of folk music from Colombia.
- value noun The relative duration of a musical note.
- vamp noun A repeated and often improvised accompaniment, usually consisting of one or two measures, often a single chord or simple chord progression…
- vanity label noun A record label established as a wholly or partially owned subsidiary of another label, and nominally owned by one of that label's artists…
- vaporwave noun A genre of electronic music and visual arts style that emerged in the early 2010s. As a musical genre, it evolved from chillwave and…
- variation noun A technique where material is repeated with alterations to the melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, texture, counterpoint or orchestration; but…
- vary verb To embellish; to change fancifully; to present under new aspects, as of form, key, measure, etc. See variation.
- veena noun A plucked stringed instrument with five or seven steel strings stretched on a long fretted finger-board over two gourds, used mostly in…
- verb noun Reverb.
- verrophone noun A musical instrument consisting of an arrangement of open-ended glass tubes of various sizes, which are rubbed or struck with a mallet to…
- verse noun A portion of an anthem to be performed by a single voice to each part.
- verse-chorus adj (of a song, sound or recording) Structured such that choruses and verses alternate, in a manner characteristic of pop music.
- verset noun A very short organ interlude or prelude.
- versicle noun One of a series of lines that are shorter than a standard line of verse, particularly in a hymn.
- version noun An instrumental in sound system culture.
- versus prep Mashed up with.
- vertical adj Of an interval: having the two notes sound simultaneously.
- vib. noun The musical effect or technique where the pitch or frequency of a note or sound is quickly and repeatedly raised and lowered over a small…
- vibrate verb To use vibrato.
- vibrato noun The musical effect or technique where the pitch or frequency of a note or sound is quickly and repeatedly raised and lowered over a small…
- vielle noun A medieval stringed instrument similar to a violin.
- vigoroso noun A tempo mark directing that a passage is to be played with emphasis, spirit, vigour or energy.
- vihuela noun A guitar-like string instrument of 15th- and 16th-century Spain, usually with six courses or sets of strings (twelve strings in total).
- Viking metal noun A genre of heavy metal featuring lyrical and visual themes focused on the Vikings, and influenced by black metal, folk-metal and Nordic…
- villancico noun A traditional Spanish (or Portuguese) folk song with short stanzas and a refrain; now especially common as a Christmas carol.
- vinyl noun Phonograph records as a medium.
- viol noun A stringed instrument related to the violin family, but held in the lap between the legs like a cello, usually with C-holes, a flat back, a…
- viola noun An organ stop having a similar tone.