a Ring finger of the right hand See p,i,m,a in Left & Right Hand Fingerings
A A grading system to differentiate the quality in wood. A is given for lack of stiffness, inconsistent ring spacing with visible cosmetic flaws. See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
À (French) by, for, in, to, with, in the manner of
A (Italian) by, for, in, to, with, in the manner of
A String The fifth string of the guitar. See How to Change Classical Guitar Strings
Ab (German) off
A balata (Italian) in the style of a ballad
Abandonatamente (Italian) vehemently, violently
Abandonné (French) negligent, free-and-easy
Abbandono (Italian) negligent, free-and-easy, impassioned
Abanico (Spanish) a stylized roll played by the timbalero usually to signify a change in the music; a word used to describe the timbales figure (roll and accent) played to introduce or close sections and to setup various ensemble passages
A battuta (Italian) with the beat, in strict time
Abbassare (Italian) to lower, to tune a string down
Abbellimenti (Italian) embellishments, ornaments
Abbellimento (Italian) embellishment, ornament
Abbellire (Italian) to ornament
Abdämpfen (German) to dampen, to mute
Abend (German) evening
Abendlied (German) evening song
Abendmusik (German) originating in the seventeenth-century, evening music usually of a religious or contemplative nature
Aber (German) but
Abgestossen (German) to play notes detached, to play staccato
Ab initio (Latin) from the beginning
Abkurzung (German) abridgement, abbreviation
Ablösen (German) to play notes detached, to play staccato
Abnehmend (German) diminuendo, to soften gradually
Aboriginal music the music of the indigenous people's of Australia
Abruzzese a song or dance from the Abruzzi district of eastern Rome
Absetzen (German) to play notes detached, to play staccato
Absolute music term used for music dependent on its structure alone for comprehension, the antithesis of program music
Absolute pitch perfect pitch, a strong conscious or unconscious memory of musical pitch
Abstossen (German) to play notes detached, to play staccato
Abwechseln (German) to change one's instrument; changing parts in polyphony
Abzuwechseln (German) to change one's instrument; changing parts in polyphony
A cappella (Italian) music that is vocal or choral but without instrumental accompaniment
A capriccio (Italian) capriciously; as the player wishes
Accarezzevole (Italian) caressing
Accarezzevolmente (Italian) caressingly
Accel. (Italian) accelerating, getting steadily faster
Accelerando (Italian) accelerating, getting steadily faster
Accelerato (Italian) accelerated
Accent a stress or emphasis placed upon a note or a passage indicating an elevated importance See Accents in Elements of a Musical Score See Accents in Note Symbols See Elements of Standard Notation for Classical Guitar
Accent Fallend a note ornament see Accent Fallend in Note Ornamentation
Accent Steigend a note ornament see Accent Steigend in Note Ornamentation
Accent und Mordant a note ornament see Accent und Mordant in Note Ornamentation
Accent und Trillo a note ornament see Accent und Trillo in Note Ornamentation
Accentato (Italian) accented
Accento (Italian) accent
Accentué (French) accented
Accentuare (Italian) to mark with an accent; accessory notes, for example: the upper note in a trill, or the notes above and below the written note in a turn
Acciaccato (Italian) a spread chord, played from top to bottom; brusquely, forcibly
Acciaccatura (Italian) Grace note; crushed note, written with a diagonal line through the note hook or flag
Accidental sign for raising, lowering the pitch of a note or of canceling a previously applied sign, the sharp and flat signs in a key signature are not strictly accidentals although this term is commonly used to describe them
Accidental chord chord containing one or more notes foreign to its proper harmony
Accompagnato (Italian) accompanied, accompanying; where the accompanist must follow the singer allowing the singer to vary the tempo as he or she wishes
Accompaniment support provided by harmonically or melodically to the main theme in a piece of music, which although designed to be subordinate may, on occasions, dominate, for example, when the melody line is not playing
Accompany to perform with another but in a subordinate role
Accord (French) chord, tuning
Accordare (Italian) to tune
Accordata (Italian) tuned
Accordate (Italian) tuned
Accordati (Italian) tuned
Accordato (Italian) tuned
Accordatura (Italian) tuning
Accordé (French) tuned
Accorder (French) to tune
Accordo (Italian) chord
Accrescendo (Italian) getting louder
Accusé (French) emphasized
Acht (German) eight, care
Achtel (German) a note one eighth the time value of a whole note see Note Values
Achtelnote (German) a note one eighth the time value of a whole note see Note Values
Achtelpause (German) a rest one eighth the time value of a whole rest
Achtstimmung (German) in eight parts
Acid rock a genre of American rock, often associated with psychedelic drugs, that emerged in the late 1960's
Acoustic a term used to distinguish a non-electric instrument from its electric version
Acrylic Lacquer Originally used on cars, it is a guitar finish similar to nitrocellulose lacquer, but dries quicker and harder, but with age, does not producing the vintage look. See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Action Notation a musical notation which gives mechanical directions to a musical performer but without giving any indication of the resulting sound
Adagietto (Italian) slow
Adagio (Italian) slow
Adagissimo (Italian) slow
Additive meter patterns of beats that subdivide into smaller, irregular groups, for example, 2 + 3 + 2 + 3 = 10; a meter common in certain types of Eastern European music
Additive time signature patterns of beats that subdivide into smaller, irregular groups, for example, 2 + 3 + 2 + 3 = 10; a meter common in certain types of Eastern European music
Addolcendo (Italian) becoming sweet or soft
Addolorato (Italian) in a mournful manner
Adel (German) nobility
À demi-jeu (French) with half the power or strength
À demi-voix (French) with half the power of the voice
À deux (French) for two performers or two instruments
À deux cordes (French) playing on two strings
Adirato (Italian) angered, irate
Ad lib. (Latin) at pleasure, as you wish it
Ad libitum (Latin) at pleasure, as you wish it
A due (Italian) for two performers or two instruments
A due corde (Italian) playing on two strings
Adungu a seven to ten stringed harp of the Alur people from Uganda
Advent Christian religious observance which takes place in the four weeks immediately preceding Christmas
Aehnlich (German) anxious
Aeolian Harp a box across which lie strings of various thicknesses, stretched and tuned in unison, which when placed in a window and the strings are excited by the wind, emits chords of harmonics
Aeusserst (German) extremely
Affabile (Italian) in a gentle pleasant manner; in an affable manner
Affabilissant (French) diminuendo, a steady softening
Affannato (Italian) in a distressful or anxious manner
Affannosamente (Italian) distressingly or anxiously
Affannoso (Italian) distressed or anxious
Affection a persistent emotional state of mind, such as wonder, fear, joy, rage
Affections, doctrine of a theory that arose during the Baroque period that associated certain musical methods and figures to arouse or portray particular emotions, for example, faster notes and major sonorities with happiness, minor keys and slower movement with sadness, loudness and harsh discordant harmonies with anger
Affekt (German) fervor
Affektvoll (German) full of fervor
Affetto (Italian) affection
Affettuosa (Italian) tenderly
Affettuosamente (Italian) affectionately
Affettuoso (Italian) with tenderness
Affezione (Italian) affection
Afflitto (Italian) afflicted, sad, melancholy
Afflizione (Italian) affliction
Affrettare (Italian) to hurry
Affrettando (Italian) hurrying, in a quickening tempo
Affrettato (Italian) hurried
Affrettoso (Italian) hurried
Affrettuoso (Italian) hurried
Affrettatamente (Italian) in a hurrying manner
African Blackwood A very responsive, excellent tone wood. It is very fine grained, and stable when dry. Because of its rarity, African Blackwood is expensive. See Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
African Mahogany A Mahogany a little heavier and finer textured than Honduran Mahogany. Mahogany is fine for guitars due to its relative low cost, ease of working, and stability. Colors range from light pink to medium brown to reddish brown. See Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
African Padauk An alternative wood for the back and sides of a classical guitar. See Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Afro a rhythmic style combining adaptations of sacred Batá drum rhythms popularized in Cuba in the 1940s, and often used to interpret lullabies
Afrobeat the fusion of West African and black American music
Afroxê a rhythm from Bahia, Brazil used in street parades
Afterbeat an accent placed on any beat in a measure other than the first
Afzelia Burl An alternative wood for the back and sides of a classical guitar. See Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Afzelia Xy-Lay An alternative wood for the back and sides of a classical guitar. See See Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Agevole (Italian) lightly and easily, unlabored
Agevolezza (Italian) ease
Aggiustamente (Italian) rhythmically exact
Aggiustatamente (Italian) rhythmically exact
Aggradevole (Italian) agreeable
Agiatamente (Italian) free or comfortable tempo
Agilement (French) lively
Agilmente (Italian) in an agile and nimble fashion
Agilità (Italian) in an agile and nimble fashion
Agilité (French) in an agile and nimble fashion
Agitamento (Italian) agitation
Agitanado (Spanish) the gypsy feeling of a Spanish dance
Agiatatamente (Italian) agitatedly
Agitato (Italian) agitated, agitatedly, excited, fast, hurried, restless
Agitazione (Italian) agitation
Agité (French) agitated, agitatedly
Agitiert (German) agitatedly
Agitirt (German) agitated
Agogic the slight variations of rhythmic strength, tempo, accent and volume derived from the nature of a particular musical phrase in contrast to the regular pulse set by the time signature, for example, by accentuating a note by holding it for longer, rather than by playing it more forcefully
Agrément (French) ornament, grace note
Agréments (French) ornaments, grace notes
Agreste (French) rural
Aguado, Dionisio (1784-1849) See Classical Guitarists and Composers
Aguinaldo Christmas songs from Spain and Spanish America
Agustin Barrios Mangore (1885-1944) See Classical Guitarists and Composers
Ähnlich (German) similar, like
Ai (Italian) at the, to the
Aigu (French) shrill, high pitch
Aiguë (French) shrill, high pitch
Air tune, tuneful song, art song accompanied by the lute or viola da gamba
Air de cour (French) monodic song or chanson often with a simple lute accompaniment
Aise (French) ease
Aita a stringed instrument from the Baka forest people of southeast Cameroon
Ait atta a Moroccan harvest dance performed by men and women
Ait bodar a Moroccan warrior dance performed only by men. They link arms as if welded to each other and chant their song during a continuous backwards and forward movement
Ait bugemaz a Moroccan dance
Ajaeng Korean seven-string zither
Ajouter (French) to add
Ajsino oro Albanian dance for men and women, in separate circles
Akkord (German) chord
Akkordieren (German) to tune
Al (Italian) at the, to the, in the
À l' (French) to the, at the, on the, with the, in the manner of
À la (French) to the, at the, on the, with the, in the manner of
Alabanzas religious praise songs in Spain and Spanish America
Á la corde (French) playing legato
Alalás (Spanish) traditional Galician folk-song
Alba troubadour or trouvère song about a lover's morning departure from his beloved after an illicit tryst
Alberti Bass a simple accompaniment consisting of broken chords, usually 'tonic, dominant, mediant, dominant' in succession
Alborada (Spanish) morning music, particular of a rough pastoral form
Alboreá (Spanish) gypsy wedding song; a flamenco style
Albumblatt (German) a page or leaf from a book, or a short, easy piece
Alcatraza Flirtatious and erotic dance from Peru. It's a couple's dance. Traditionally, the woman has a piece of tissue between her legs while the man dances with a lit candle trying to light the tissue. If the man can light the woman's fire, that means that she is his
Alcun' (Italian) some
Alcuna (Italian) some
Alcuno (Italian) some
Aleatoric (Latin) a compositional technique where the choice of pitch, rhythmic value and order of events is left to chance
Aleatory (Latin) a compositional technique where the choice of pitch, rhythmic value and order of events is left to chance
Alegrías a joyful flamenco dance, with twelve beats, from the province of Cádiz
Al fine (Italian) to the end
All' (Italian) to the, at the, on the, with the, in the manner of, in the style of
Alla (Italian) to the, at the, on the, with the, in the manner of, in the style of
Alla breve cut time; used for quick duple time in which the half note is given one beat instead of two
Alla caccia (Italian) in the style of a hunting piece
Allant (French) going on, continuing to get
Allarg. (Italian) getting slower and slower, with a fuller tone
Allargando (Italian) getting slower and slower, with a fuller tone
Alla turca (Italian) in the Turkish style
Alla zingarese (Italian) in a gypsy style
Alle (German) all
Alle (Italian) to the
Allegramente (Italian) brightly, gaily
Allègrement (French) brightly, gaily
Allegretto (Italian) lively but less so than allegro
Allegrissimo (Italian) very fast tempo marking between presto and vivacissimo
Allegro (Italian) quick, lively, bright, not as fast as presto
Allegro assai (Italian) very quick
Allegro giusto (Italian) quick with precision
Allegro Maestoso (Italian) quick with precision and dignified
Allegro moderato (Italian) moderately quick
Allegro non troppo (Italian) fast, but not too fast
Allein (German) alone, single
Alleluia a highly melismatic responsoral chant from the mass; the third element in the Proper of the Roman Catholic Mass
Allemand (French) a dance of German origin with 4 moderate beats to the bar, although sometimes written as two longer beats in a bar, often the first movement in a suite of dances; in the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century, a quick dance written in triple time, the precursor of the waltz
Allemande (French) a dance of German origin with 4 moderate beats to the bar, although sometimes written as two longer beats in a bar, often the first movement in a suite of dances; in the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century, a quick dance written in triple time, the precursor of the waltz
Allentamento (Italian) slowing
Allentando (Italian) slowing down
Allmählich (German) gradually, little by little
Allmählig (German) gradually, little by little
Allmälig (German) gradually, little by little
Allonger (French) to lengthen the notes, to slow the tempo
Allora (Italian) then
Allure (French) manner
Almain (French) a dance of German origin with 4 moderate beats to the bar, although sometimes written as two longer beats in a bar, often the first movement in a suite of dances; in the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century, a quick dance written in triple time, the precursor of the waltz
Almayne (French) a dance of German origin with 4 moderate beats to the bar, although sometimes written as two longer beats in a bar, often the first movement in a suite of dances; in the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century, a quick dance written in triple time, the precursor of the waltz
Almand (French) a dance of German origin with 4 moderate beats to the bar, although sometimes written as two longer beats in a bar, often the first movement in a suite of dances; in the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century, a quick dance written in triple time, the precursor of the waltz
Als (German) as, like, when, than
Al segno (Italian) go back to the sign or go on to the sign
Also (German) thus
Alt (Italian) high
Alta (Italian) high
Al Tedesca in the German style
Alteration the raising or lowering of a note by means of an accidental- a double sharp, sharp, double flat, flat or natural sign
Altered chord a chord in which a note has been changed from its normal position, usually chromatically
Alternative fingering substitute fingering, often used to provide tonal contrast; also used to make the playing of passage work easier
Alternativo (Italian) alternating one movement with another
Altissimo (Italian) very high
Alto Clef See clef in Staff, Barline, & Clef
Altra (Italian) another
Altra volta (Italian) encore, play it again
Altre (Italian) another
Altri (Italian) others
Altro (Italian) another
Alzata (Italian) raised, lifted off, unmated
Alzate (Italian) raised, lifted off, unmated
Alzati (Italian) raised, lifted off, unmated
Alzato (Italian) raised, lifted off, unmated
Am (German) at the, on the, to the, by the, near the
Amabile (Italian) lovable, sweet
Amabilità (Italian) lovableness
Amarevole (Italian) bitterly
Amarezza (Italian) bitterness
Amazigh music performed by the Berbers of Northwestern Africa
Amazon Rosewood A straight grained wood, compares tonally to Brazilian Rosewood though a little heavier and brittle. See Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Ambiance sounds in the background arising from the environment
Ambience sounds in the background arising from the environment
Ambient noise sounds in the background arising from the environment
Amboyna Burl A alternative wood for the back and sides of a classical guitar. See Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides