Ha…

Hahnebüchen (German) coarse, heavy

Hail Columbia music for the Vice President of the United States of America

Hail to the Chief music for the President of the United States of America

Hairpins the colloquial term for signs indicating graded dynamic change

Halam Senegalese plucked lute

Halay a square dance, originally from Turkey, in which the participants join hands, making a circle, and the music and the dance start slowly but gets faster and faster.

Halb (German) half

Halbe (German) half

Halbenote half note see Note Values

Halbe Taktnote half note see Note Values

Halbe-pause half rest

Half Cadence A chord progression where the dominant chord is the final chord of the cadence and is preceded by the tonic chord in second inversion. This pattern produces two chords with the same bass note. In the tonality of C major, a half cadence would be the tonic chord in second inversion C major chord (G C E) moving to the dominant G major chord (G B D). see Musical Cadences

Half Close Cadence A chord progression where the dominant chord is the final chord of the cadence and is preceded by the tonic chord in second inversion. This pattern produces two chords with the same bass note. In the tonality of C major, a half cadence would be the tonic chord in second inversion C major chord (G C E) moving to the dominant G major chord (G B D). see Musical Cadences

Half note a note half the value of a semibreve see Note Values

Half rest a rest half the value of a semibreve

Half step a semitone

Halk general term for Turkish folk music

Hallelujah (Hebrew) a song in praise of God

Hallen (German) to clang

Halling Norwegian dance generally in 2/4 time

Halt (German) the fermata sign, pause

Halten (German) to hold, to sustain

Hanacca (German) Moravian dance in simple triple time

Hanakisch (German) Moravian dance in simple triple time

Hanaise (French) Moravian dance in simple triple time

Hand (German) hand

Hände (German) hands

Hardi (French) bold

Hardiment (French) boldly

Harmonic relating to harmony

Harmonic Minor Scale see Musical Scales

Harmonic progression the movement from one chord to another

Harmonic rhythm the rate of harmonic change

Harmonic series elements of the aural spectrum

Harmonics elements of the aural spectrum

Harmonique (French) harmonic

Harmonische Töne (German) harmonics

Harmony the relationship between notes when heard together

Hart (German) hard, major

Harte (German) hard, major

Hasapi two-stringed mandolin from Indonesia

Hastig (German) hasty, impetuous

Haupango creating cross rhythms of great complexity

Haupt (German) head, principal

Hauptstimme (German) principal part

Hauptthema (German) principal theme

Haut (French) high

Haute (French) high

Haut instruments loud instruments, particular those designed to be played out of doors

Hay a type of round dance

Hawaiian guitar a slide guitar

Haye a type of round dance

He…

Head the main theme

Head arrangement an arrangement worked out from memory

Headstock The uppermost part of the neck, above the fingerboard nut, that holds the tuners on a guitar. see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar

Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) see Classical Guitarists & Composers

Heftig (German) violent, impetuous

Heiss (German) ardent, hot

Heiter (German) cheerful, clear

Hejjuj Arabic word for lute

Hell (German) bright,  clear

Hemidemisemiquaver sixty-fourth note see Note Values

Hemidemisemiquaver rest sixty-fourth rest

Hemiola rhythmic pattern where two notes are played in the time allotted to three or where three notes are played in the time allotted to two

Hemiolia rhythmic pattern where two notes are played in the time allotted to three or where three notes are played in the time allotted to two

Hemitonium half-step

Heptachord a scale of seven notes

Heptatonic scale a scale of seven notes

Herbstlied (German) autumn song

Hernach (German) hereafter

Héroïque (French) heroic

Heroisch (German) heroic

Hertz the unit in which the frequency of a note is measured

Herunterstimmen (German) to tune a string down to a specified note

Hervorgehoben (German) to emphasize a melody

Hervorragend (German) to emphasize a melody

Herzhaft (German) charming, hearty, tender

Heterophonic two or more lines performing the same melody but applying different embellishments

Heterophony two or more lines performing the same melody but applying different embellishments

Hexachord (Latin) a group of six consecutive notes separated by a whole-step or half-step

Hexentanz (German) witches’ dance

Hi…

Hide Glue A wood glue often used in guitar construction. see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar

Hidden fifths Approaching fifths or octaves by similar motion can produce the same effect as approaching fifths or octaves by parallel motion. Adding a passing tone to a hidden fifth produces a parallel fifth, for example. Since the parallel fifth is implied by a missing note, approaching fifths or octaves by similar motion is called hidden fifths or octaves

Hidden octaves Approaching fifths or octaves by similar motion can produce the same effect as approaching fifths or octaves by parallel motion. Adding a passing tone to a hidden fifth produces a parallel fifth, for example. Since the parallel fifth is implied by a missing note, approaching fifths or octaves by similar motion is called hidden fifths or octaves

Hier (German) here

High E The first string of the guitar. see How to Change Classical Guitar Strings

Hinsterbend (German) dying away

Hirt (German) herd, herdsman

Ho…

Höchst (German) highest

Hochzeitmarsch (German) wedding march

Hochzeitszug (German) wedding procession

Hocket a rhythmic device in two part music in which rests in one part alternately match notes in the other

Hoedown similar to a jig or reel, usually associated with square dancing

Hofkapelle (German) royal chapel

Hofkomponist (German) court composer

Hofmusicus (German) court musician

Hogaku Japanese classical music

Hold fermata; musical symbol placed over a note or rest to be extended beyond its normal duration

Homophone two strings tuned to produce the same note

Homophonic a musical composition for 2 or more parts with a single melody line, all other parts serving as accompaniments

Homophony a musical composition for 2 or more parts with a single melody line, all other parts serving as accompaniments

Homorhythmic polyphonic lines played together have the same rhythm but independent melodies

Hondo sad Andalusian song employing microtones

Honduran Mahogany A wood that used to be exported mainly from Honduras, but now comes more often from Brazil. African Mahogany is 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

Honduran Rosewood A wood becoming difficult to obtain. Denser than Indian rosewood, it compares well to Brazilian rosewood, and some claim it is superior, producing a well-balanced sounding guitar with great projection and strong lows and highs. A good substitute to Brazilian Rosewood. The color ranges from a rich mauve to a brownish brick red with tight growth rings and occasional dark brown to black ink lines. see Wood Choices for Back & Sides see Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar

Honduran Redheart 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

Honey songs campfire songs Central African Pygmies

Honeysuckle 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

Hopak a Russian and Ukrainian folk dance

Hornpipe a lively dance resembling a jig in triple time in the early sixteenth century, and in 4/4 time from the mid-eighteenth century, associated with sailors

Hortus Musicus (Latin) musical garden

Hot Hide Glue A heated wood glue often used in guitar construction. see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar

House a performance hall or theatre where  the audience sits

Hu…

Hübsch (German) dainty, pretty

Hu Chinese bowed lute

Hualaychos groups of Bolivian street musicians that play during Christmas and New Year

Huapanguera a 9 string Mexican guitar from the Jarocho region

Huit (French) eight

Huitième de soupir (French) thirty-second rest

Hula a sacred dance of Hawaii

Humoreske (German) piano music of a capricious character

Humoresque (French) piano music of a capricious character

Huon 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

Hurdy-gurdy stringed instrument in which the strings are set into vibration by the action of a hand-cranked rosined wheel

Hurtig (German) agile, nimble

Hy…

Hymn a song of praise