Table of Contents
Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Jeffrey Hodapp (1957-2009), an extraordinary friend, colleague, and musician.
Introduction
Dictionaries have always been a main source of inspiration and discovery for me. I would find the word I was looking for and then maybe see a picture on the side and start looking at that, then see another interesting word, and soon Id learned a lot more than I had intended to. You cant do that with online dictionaries. You only get the word you want (in the middle of a lot of pop-up ads). So when I started writing this dictionary, I wanted to give the beginning and intermediate musician an easily accessible source for only the most interesting and necessary music terms they would need.
How to Use This Dictionary
Its easy to find the term or symbol you are looking for in this dictionary. Why look through a lot of musical terms that are irrelevant to your needs? Most people dont have time to flip through a thick dictionary thats full of terms only doctoral music students need to know. Believe me, Ive gone that route, and its not necessary to know the name of some archaic medieval instrument or an obscure treatise from the renaissance period. Only the most commonly used terms are covered, and I will often abbreviate the country from which the term originated and for which a translation is given. (For example, It. = Italian, G. = German, F. = French, and L. = Latin.) Most importantly, I will use definitions that are clear and to the point.
What makes this dictionary easier to use than others is the meaning within a meaning style I have opted to use for many of the words. In most dictionaries, a definition of a term uses more unfamiliar words than the actual term (there is definitely a lot of jargon in music). Although this is hard to avoid, I often define what those definitions actually meanin laymans terms, and in the same paragraph. You want a dictionary that makes things easier, not harder.
From A to Z
I think youll find this dictionary is very user-friendly. Ive included only the most used and relevant classical, jazz, and rock and music theory terms; musical notation definitions; instrumental names and descriptions; and the most famous performers, composers, and bands. If you want to see who else is playing the same kind of music you are, and the names of a few of their songs, Ive included many names of different kinds of musical styles and genres, performers who play them, and titles of some of the most famous songs from these styles so you can check it out for yourself. I even give you a lot of jazz and rock slang that will catch you up on the language of being a musician.
The Visual Index
My favorite part is the Visual Index in Appendix B, which names a musical note or symbol you would find in a written piece of music and tells you where in the dictionary to find the definition and its usage. So now, when you see a symbol or note in a piece of music, you can just look it up in the Visual Index. Very handy.
And More!
Online guitar, piano, instrumental, and theory lessons are helpful in getting you started playing, so Ive actually included a number of online and book-based instructional sites in the resource section of this dictionary.
Although I think of music as the best vocation there is, there is also a lot of work involved in getting as good as you can be. I hope you find this dictionary helpful in making your musical ambitions more fruitful.
Acknowledgments
I would like to acknowledge the wonderful support of my editor Karyn Gerhard and literary agent Marilyn Allen. Also thanks to Dr. Jeffrey Hodapp for his invaluable contribution. Most of all, I would like to thank my wonderful wife, Antonia, for all her love and support. Her eye for detail and encouraging words were a great help.
Trademarks
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be or are suspected of being trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Alpha Books and Penguin Group (USA) Inc. cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.
A
A Pitch name for the sixth step in the C-Major scale. The sixth white note above the pianos middle C.
a cappella A musical term indicating there is no accompaniment used to back up a solo line or choral piece.
A section The part of a song in which the main melody first appears.
a tempo If the tempo of the song being performed has changed, a tempo indicates to the performer a return to the established tempo.
A440 Also called concert A, the A above middle C on the keyboard. This is the audio frequency used to tune musical instruments, established by the American Standards Association in 1936.
AABA form A song structure often used in popular music that follows this specific format: A, first verse (main melody); A, second verse (same or different words put to the same music); B, the chorus of the song (different melody than A); and A, third verse (repeats the original melody).
ABBA Pop band from Sweden formed in 1972. ABBA uses the first letter from the four members names (Agnetha, Bjrn, Benny, and Anni-Frid). They have sold more than 370 million records around the world and are considered one of worlds best-selling musical groups.
Abduction from the Seraglio German opera composed in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with libretto by Christoph Bretzner. Produced in 1782 in Vienna, the setting is Turkey in the sixteenth century.
absolute music Music representing or describing nothing in particular. It uses no text and has no reference to images or stories. The opposite of program music.
absolute pitch A persons ability to exactly identify the rate of vibration of a certain pitch, using no reference to other sounded pitches in the musical scale, and give it a name. Although it is no indication of musical talent, it is more often found in people with some musical experience.
abstract musicSee absolute music.
AC/DC A hard rock/heavy metal band from Sydney, Australia, which formed in 1973 and put out their first album, High Voltage, in 1975. Nominated for one American Music Award, five Grammy Awards, and one MTV Video Music Award, one of AC/DCs most famous songs was Highway to Hell.
academy The name used throughout history for artistic societies and musical organizations.
accelerando (It., accelerated) A notation in the music for the performer to play faster.
accent An emphasized chord or note.
accentuation The proper use of accents, especially in music with text.
acciaccatura An ornamental note that is played at the same time as the principle note a half or whole step above. This crushed sound adds dissonance to the harmony.
