f forte, loud
F clef a clef sign that shows the position of F on the staff See clef in Staff, Barline, & Clef
Faburden (English) a part added to a melody that move at the same rate, a drone bass
Fach (German) fold
Facile (French) easy
Facilement (French) easily
Facilmente (Italian) easily
Facilità (Italian) ease, simplification
Fackeltanz (German) a torch dance
Fadding an Irish dance of the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century
Fading an Irish dance of the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century
Fadinho a type of Portuguese song and dance to guitar accompaniment
Fado a type of Portuguese song and dance to guitar accompaniment
Fähnchen (German) the flag attached to the tail of a note to show its length
Fahren (German) to go
Faible (French) feeble, weak in tone
Faire (French) to do, to make
Faites (French) do, make
Fall (Old English) cadence
Fall (German) case
Fall off a descending glissando that falls from the end of a note
Falle (German) case
False cadence deceptive cadence
False fingering different combinations of fingering that produce the same pitch, used to make tonal contrast, or make the playing of passage work easier
Falsetas the melody played on a flamenco guitar
Falsobordone (Italian) a part added to a melody that move at the same rate, a drone bass
Family instruments with a common characteristic
Fan Bracing Generally made of spruce, braces add stiffness to the top of a classical guitar. The wood chosen is very straight grained running the length of the brace. The fan describes the pattern in which the braces lay.
Fantasia (Italian) a piece with an improvisatory feel to it
Fantasie (Italian) a piece with an improvisatory feel to it
Fantasiestück (German) a short piece not unlike a capriccio or intermezzo
Fantastico (Italian) capricious, fantastic, whimsical
Fantasque (French) capricious, fantastic, whimsical
Fantastisch (German) capricious, fantastic, whimsical
Fantasy a piece with an improvisatory feel to it
Farandole a lively dance in compound duple time
Farruca a Spanish gypsy dance for men, in 2/4 time
Farsa (Italian) farce
Fassung (German) version
Fast (German) almost
Fastoso (Italian) pompous
Fastosamente (Italian) pompously
Fausset (French) falsetto
Fauxbourdon (French) a part added to a melody that move at the same rate, a drone bass
F clef a clef sign that shows the position of F on the staff See clef in Staff, Barline, & Clef
Feierlich (German) solemn, rejoicing
Feis (Gaelic) festival
Felice (Italian) happy
Fermamente (Italian) firmly
Fermata (Italian) musical symbol placed over a note or rest to be extended beyond its normal duration See fermata in Note Symbols see fermata in Phrasing Symbols
Fermate (German) musical symbol placed over a note or rest to be extended beyond its normal duration See fermata in Note Symbols
Fermato (Italian) perform a certain passage firmly, steadily, or resolutely
Fermer (French) to close, to close off
Fernando Carulli (1770-1841) See Classical Guitarists and Composers
Fernando Sor (1778-1839) See Classical Guitarists and Composers
Ferne (German) distance
Feroce (Italian) ferocious
Ferocità (Italian) ferocity
Fertig (German) dexterous, fluent, ready
Fest (German) festival
Festa (Italian) festive
Festival a series of concerts at a single venue
Festivamente (Italian) festively
Festivo (Italian) festive
Festevole (Italian) merry
Festevolmente (Italian) merrily
Festlich (German) festive
Festoso (Italian) festive
Feuer (German) fire
Feurig (German) fiery
ff (Italian) abbreviation for fortissimo
fff (Italian) abbreviation for fortississimo
ffff (Italian) abbreviation for fortissississimo
fffff (Italian) abbreviation for fortississississimo
Fiacco (Italian) tired out, weak
Fiata (Italian) time
Fiate (Italian) times
Fiato (Italian) breath
Fier (French) proud
Fière (French) proud
Fierté (French) boldness of touch, pride
Fierezza (Italian) boldness of touch
Fiero (Italian) fierce, haughty
Fifth an interval of five diatonic degrees
Figure musical phrase that repeats in a musical composition
Figured A distinctive wood grain pattern. See Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Wood Choices for Back & Sides
Figured Afzelia 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
Figured Bubinga Also known as African Rosewood, is harder and heavier than either Brazilian or Indian Rosewood, It has a medium texture with interlocking grain. It’s pinkish-mauve cast oxidizes to a nice brownish-red over time. Figured is a distinctive wood grain pattern. See Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Figured Katalox 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
Figured Long Leaf Pine 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
Figured melody melody that is highly ornamented
Figured Narra 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
Figured Olivewood 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
Figured Ribbon Redwood 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
Fill cover bare beats during solo portions in the music; fillers
Fin (French) end
Fin (Italian) as far as
Final central pitch of a piece of music, often the note on which a musical work ends
Final Cadence A chord progression where the dominant chord is followed by the tonic chord- In the tonality of C major, an authentic cadence would be the dominant G major chord (G B D) moving to the tonic C major chord (C E G). In a perfect authentic cadence, the dominant chord in root position is followed by the tonic in root position, and according to some, the cadence is not perfect unless the uppermost voice is the tonic in the final chord. see Musical Cadences
Finale (Italian) the final section of an extended work with several movements or sections
Fine (Italian) end see in Repeats, D.S.,D.C....
Fingerboard A strip of wood holding frets on the neck of a guitar against which the strings are pressed in playing. See Dressing the Frets on a Classical Guitar See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Fingerboard Nut A grooved strip of bone, ivory or plastic that lifts the strings from the guitar’s neck. See The Classical Guitar Fingerboard Nut See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Fingerboard Nut Height The height of the string at the first fret measured from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string. See The Classical Guitar Fingerboard Nut See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Fingering the arrangement of fingers required to play a particular note or sequences of notes on a musical instrument See fingerings in Left & Right Hand Fingerings
Fingersatz (German) fingering
Fino (Italian) as far as
Fino al segno (Italian) as far as the sign
Firmo (Italian) firm
First ending where a section is repeated, the composer may wish to vary the sectional ending, whether first ending or second ending, as a way of creating symmetry between antecedent and consequent phrases or simply in order to extend the composition see in Repeats, D.S.,D.C....
Flag line(s) extending from the right side of a stem of a note. Indicating an eighth note or smaller See Flag in Elements of a Musical Score See Elements of Standard Notation for Classical Guitar see Elements of Tablature for Classical Guitar
Flamed A distinctive wood grain pattern. See Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides
Flamed Mahogany A wood that used to be exported mainly from Honduras, but now comes more often from Brazil. African 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. Flamed A distinctive wood grain pattern. See Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Flamed Maple Flamed A distinctive wood grain pattern. Maple is known for its figured grain, particularly “curly” or “flamed” wood exhibiting the tight even curls of “fiddleback” figure, as well as “birds-eye” and “quilted” or “blister” figure. European Maple is between Rock Maple and Bigleaf in hardness, and is fine and even-textured. Bigleaf Maple is a bit coarser and harder to work. It can range in color from ivory, to pink, to tan. Quilted Maple is the hardest to obtain. See Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Flamenco A style evolved over centuries, carried across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the European continent by nomad gypsies. At its purest it is a form of song accompanied with one or two guitars and rhythmic clapping.
Flat a sign which lowers the pitch of a note by one semitone See flat sign in Note Symbols
Flat to play under the general pitch
Flat Key Signatures see Table of Key Signatures
Flat Sign See flat sign in Note Symbols
Flatter (French) to caress
Flautando (Italian) to produce harmonics, on a stringed instrument
Flautato (Italian) to produce harmonics, on a stringed instrument
Fleadh (Gaelic) Celtic music festival
Flebile (Italian) mournful
Flebilmente (Italian) mournfully
Flehend (German) entreating
Flessibile (Italian) flexible
Flessibilità (Italian) flexibility
Fling a vigorous Scottish dance
Florid decorated or embellished with ornamentation
Flüchtig (German) agile, fleet
Fluidezza (Italian) fluidity
Fluidità (Italian) fluidity
Fluido (Italian) fluid
Focoso (Italian) fiery
Fois (French) time
Folge (German) continuation, series, succession,
Folgen (German) to follow
Folgt (German) follows
Folia a folk-song associated with the Canary Islands, slow and lyrical in character and usually accompanied by a guitar or the timple
Folk elements introduction of folk melodies, rhythms or characteristic harmonic progressions into orchestral or chamber music
Folk music songs and dances transmitted orally through several generations before being recorded or notated
Fonn mall (Gaelic) a slow air
Forefall an ascending appoggiatura
Forlana (Italian) old Italian dance in compound duple time
Forlane (French) old Italian dance in compound duple time
Forlano old Italian dance in compound duple time
Form the structure a pieces of music may have, for example, sonata form, rondo, …….
Formalism the tendency in music to elevate form above expression
Formant a resonant peak in a frequency spectrum
Format de poche (French) pocket-sized
Fort (German) continually, away
Forte (Italian) loud, abbreviated 'f', powerful, strong see dynamic symbols in Phrasing Symbols
Fortemente (Italian) strongly powerfully,
Fortepiano (Italian) early name for the pianoforte see dynamic symbols in Phrasing Symbols
Fortissimo (Italian) louder than forte see dynamic symbols in Phrasing Symbols
Fortississimo (Italian) louder than Fortissimo see dynamic symbols in Phrasing Symbols
Fortissississimo (Italian) louder than Fortississimo see dynamic symbols in Phrasing Symbols
Forza (Italian) force
Forgueuse (French) impetuous
Fougueux (French) impetuous
Four-beat in jazz, to play all beats of a four-beat bass rhythm with equal emphasis
Fours when jazz ensemble players exchange leads every four bars
Fourth interval of four diatonic scale notes, counting the first and last note, for example, the interval from 'C' to 'F'
Forzando (Italian) forcing
Forzato (Italian) forced
fp Fortepiano; loud, then immediately soft
Fracta modi ornamental notes that break into the steady pattern of rhythmic modes
Fractional time signature a meter time signature in which the top number includes or is a fraction
Fragmentation breaking up a subject into small segments, any one of which may form the basis for further development
Frais (French) fresh
Fraîche (French) fresh
Fraîcheur (French) freshness
Franc (French) frank, open-hearted
Français (French) French
Française (French) French
Française a round dance in compound duple or triple time
Franche (French) frank, open-hearted
Franchezza (Italian) boldness, freedom of spirit
Franchise (French) boldness, freedom of spirit
Franciso Tárrega (1852-1909) See Classical Guitarists and Composers
Frapper (French) to strike
Frappant (French) striking
Frappé (French) struck
Freddamente (Italian) coldly
Freddezza (Italian) coolness or indifference
Freddo (Italian) cold
Free rhythm a fluid line of music with an adjustable rhythm shaped by text
Frei (German) free
Freie (German) free
French Clef See clef in Staff, Barline, & Clef
French Polished Shellac French polishing is a method of applying finish to a guitar by hand with a cotton pad. Most of the fine classical guitars being hand made today are French Polished. It is a most highly-prized and desired finish for both its visual and tone enhancing characteristics. The texture, luster and color of the wood are enhanced with a French polish finish. It is thin, flexible and produces the clearest and most natural sound. Multiple polishing sessions are required over many weeks to achieve the best results. The finish dries to the touch almost immediately but can takes months to fully cure. Even though it is thin and flexible it is not very protective against even minor physical abuse. See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
French sixth chord an augmented sixth chord, which contains a second from the tonic
Frenetica (Italian) frenzied
Frenetico (Italian) frenzied
Frequency the number of vibrations per second of a musical pitch, usually measured in Hertz (Hz)
Frescamente (Italian) coolly or freshly
Fresco (Italian) fresh or cool
Fret Dressing File A file used for dressing frets to improve balance, tone, clarity, & sustain. See Dressing the Frets on a Classical Guitar
Fret Ends The sides of the frets that reach the sides of the fingerboard. See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Fret File A file used for dressing frets to improve balance, tone, clarity, & sustain. See Dressing the Frets on a Classical Guitar
Frets Horizontal strips fixed in or tied around the fingerboard of some stringed instruments to act as guides to where the fingers should be placed to stop for different notes. Strips of metal on the neck of a guitar against which the strings are pressed in playing. See Dressing the Frets on a Classical Guitar See Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Fretta (Italian) haste
Frettolosamente (Italian) hurried
Freude (German) joy
Freudig (German) joyful
Frisch (German) brisk, lively
Fröhlich (German) happy
Froid (German) cold
Froidement (French) coldly
Früher (German) earlier, previously
F-Schlussel (German) F or bass clef
Fuga (Latin)
Fugato a passage in a fugal style
Fugue (Italian) a fifteenth- or sixteenth-century canon
Fuge (German) fugue
Fughetta a short fugue
Fuging tune a tune upon which a fugue is built
Fugue form in which a subject theme is introduced and then extended and developed through some number of successive imitations
Fulía a call and response music style from eastern Venezuela with Spanish musical roots
Full Cadence