Dictionary: S

a colorful peasant dance from Ibiza, Spain that celebrates planting and harvesting

sharply accented

music designed to be played in church inspired by or as part of services including religious texts

an unaccompanied Spanish folk song

the string of a musical instrument

spiccato

spiccato

a dance and type of music from Brazil of African slave origin. in double time and highly syncopated

a Japanese 3 stringed instrument played with a plectrum

collection

a device used in electronic music enables the production of sounds digitally

technique of recording using a sampler for subsequent processing, editing and playback

complete, collected

zither

soft, gentle

gently

without

a hammered dulcimer struck with light wooden mallets, indigenous to Kashmir, but nowadays played throughout Northern India. The number of strings m…

Chinese long necked lute with 3 strings and a small snake covered head

a traditional lute of of Central Borneo. with a body carved from a single bole of wood originally strung with two strings and fitted with three fre…

a traditional lute of of Central Borneo. with a body carved from a single bole of wood originally strung with two strings and fitted with three fre…

a dignified, steady dance usually in triple time

a dignified, steady dance usually in triple time

a long necked bowed instrument, with one metal playing string and 10 sympathetic strings from Western China

movement, theme or subject, phrase, composition or piece, texture, style

sadness associated with a longing for times past

spiccato

family of long thin necked metallic sounding fretted lutes played throughout Turkey

play with a sense of impetuosity

play with a sense of impetuosity

See Table of Major & Melodic minor Scales See Musical Scales

unsophisticated music

nonsense words generally used only in the improvised chorus as part of a song that otherwise has ordinary words

diminishing the volume of tone

the outline of a work often prepared before either music and libretto has been written

roguish

emphatically, definitely, precisely, sharply

sharpness, definiteness, precision

ghastly, gruesome

ghastly, gruesome

roguish

fun, joke

jokingly, playfully

jokingly, playfully

to joke

a little scherzo

jokingly, playfully

jokingly, playfully

a little scherzo

a replacement for the 'minuet and trio' in the sonata cycle

Italian) playfully

playful

sincere, plain

battle

stroke, blow

to strike

serpent

an ornament used to fill in the interval between two notes

drag

dragging

slumber song

end, conclusion

clef

languishing

coaxingly

dying away

pain, sorrow

painful, sorrowful

painful, sorrowful

painful, sorrowful

defining

quick

quicker

speed

Scottish

Scottish

andante

andante

shy

to shake

weak or soft

to weaken or to soften

weaken or soften

swaying

the beating between two notes slightly out of tune with one another, difference tone

silence, rest

silence, rest

silence, rest

crescendo

heavy, difficult

heavy hearted

heavy hearted

diminuendo

swing

full of vigour

sparkling

freely, loosely

freely, loosely

glissando

to slide up to pitch from slightly below it

to tune a stringed instrument in a non standard manner

to tune a stringed instrument in a non standard manner

Scordatura changes string tuning to expand resonance, simplify fingerings, or support specific tonal colors. When used, scores may indicate: soundi…

a representation on the page of a whole musical work

orchestration

glissando, in a flowing manner

glissando, in a flowing manner

a rhythmic figure consisting of a short note on the beat followed by a long note which is then held until the next beat

Scottish

carving normally found on the violin and related stringed instruments, at the end of the neck just above the pegbox

disconnected

disdaining

disdain

disdainfully

disdainful

glissando

a Chinese zither

if, in case, as

unaccompanied song

dry, crisp; similar to staccato; to play in a plain unornamented way

staccato

accompanied by continuo instrument(s) rather than by an entire orchestra

dry, crisp; similar to staccato; to play in a plain unornamented way

dryness

six

a sixteenth note see Note Values

a sixteenth note

a sixteenth rest

the smallest non unison interval

second

second ending

the dominant of the dominant

second

second

second

compositions that have no connection with religion

chords built of seconds

feeling

sign see in Repeats, D.S.,D.C....

now follows, go on with what follows

following

following

old Spanish dance in simple triple time

longing

very, much

six

side

a sixty fourth rest

Furiant

a sixty fourth rest see Note Values

a whole note see Note Values

a whole rest see Note Values

a sixteenth note see Note Values

sixty fourth note

sixteenth note

quarter note see Note Values

a sixteenth note see Note Values

a sixteenth rest

half the interval of a tone

simple

simply

extremely simple

simplicity

always

sensitive

sensitiveness

a complete, independent musical idea, usually consisting of two or four phrases, ending with a cadence

with feeling

a Moroccan three stringed long necked lute with a body made from a single piece of wood, and covered with camel skin

felt

without

unmated

unmated

unmated

uncoupled

seven

a group of seven instrumentalists, a work written for a group such as this to perform

a group of seven instrumentalists, a work written for a group such as this to perform

a group of seven instrumentalists, a work written for a group such as this to perform

a group of seven instrumentalists, a work written for a group such as this to perform

seventh

a group of seven notes played in the time of four or in the time of six

a group of seven instrumentalists, a work written for a group such as this to perform

Sequences create momentum and structure. They appear frequently in etudes and larger forms, where patterns are transposed stepwise or by interval.…

device or program that records and plays back user determined sets of music performance commands, usually in the form of MIDI data

a light and/or intimate piece of no specific form to be played in an open air evening setting, music properly played in the evening under a lady's…

a dramatic cantata

serenity

serene

serious

A compositional method where various musical elements such as pitch, rhythm, dynamics and tone colour may be put in a fixed order

a musical passage or work in which the rhythmic aspects are controlled by some predetermined series of durations

seriously

a succession of musical elements to be used as fundamental material in a composition

serious

serious

serious

serious

seriously

serious

a flamenco style

getting faster

getting faster

getting faster

getting faster

a group of six instrumentalists, a piece of music written for such a group to play

a collection of pieces played sequentially during a performance

seven

a group of seven instrumentalists, a work written for a group such as this to perform

sighing

alone

alone

alone

alone

a major seventh is a semitone smaller than an octave; a minor seventh is a whole tone smaller than an octave

a chord consisting of a root note, the third above the root, the fifth above the root and the seventh above the root

severely

severity, strictness

severe

very popular colorful and festive Spanish folk dance from Seville

a group of six instrumentalists, a piece of music written for such a group to play

a group of six instrumentalists, a piece of music written for such a group to play

a group of six instrumentalists, a piece of music written for such a group to play

a group of six instrumentalists, a piece of music written for such a group to play

a compound meter with six beats to every bar

a compound meter with six beats to every bar

a group of six notes of equal value that have the equivalent time value normally of five or seven

abbreviation for sforzando

light and easy style

flauntingly, ostentatiously

strongly accented

strongly accented

in a weary style

a long necked Japanese 3 string fretless lute, plucked with a heavy ivory plectrum, that first became popular in the pleasure districts during the…

a sea song which has a chorus, which is sung by all, and verses that are usually sung by only one voice

Mongolian three stringed banjo played with a plectrum

the direction of a melody; the abstract quality of the motion and figure of a composition, achieved through dynamics, pitch direction and tempo

a term applied to a note slightly above its expected pitch, a sign to show that a note should be raised one semitone in pitch See sharp sign in Not…

See Table of Key Signatures

A sign to show that a note should be raised one semitone in pitch. See sharp sign in Note Symbols

the movement of the left hand from one position to another on the fingerboard when playing a stringed instrument

Mongolian three stringed banjo played with a plectrum

a slow tempo jazz rhythm

oneself, himself, herself, itself, themselves

seven

victory

to perform a piece of music never seen before

see in Repeats, D.S.,D.C....

signs placed on the clef to mark the number and position of the sharps or flats in the key in which the piece is being written, , i.e. key signatur…

symbols placed on or near a staff indicating performance specifications for pitch, dynamics, time duration, accidentals, phrasing, manner of attack…

silence

when parts move in the same direction but not necessarily by the same interval

similar

similar

an interval of an octave or less

simply, in a simple manner

until

prefix to another instruction, implying that whatever is required should be carried out to the end of the work

West African harp with five strings made out of hemp. The resonating body is a calabash stretched with goat skin. A tin rattle may be attached to t…

a concerto with several soloists

symphonic

symphonic

a small scale symphony

in a singing style

singing

sobbingly

pop music from the Solomon Islands

left hand

until

a long necked instrument with a varying number of strings), three to four playing strings, three to four drone strings, with the remainder, sympath…

a floor standing plucked zither

six

moon shaped Chinese mandolin with a short necked and three or four strings

sixth

a note one sixteenth the time value of a whole note see Note Values

a rest one sixteenth the time value of a whole note rest

example, the interval from C to A

a note one sixty fourth the time value of a whole note see Note Values

a rest one sixty fourth the time value of a whole note

any interval larger than a whole tone

sketch

sketches

impetuosity

broader

broader

broader and softer little by little

non legato

getting slower

bottleneck guitar

notes move smoothly one to the other with no perceptible break. See slur in Note Symbols

craze, frenzy

craze, frenzy

in jazz, a type of glissando or portamento in which the pitch of a note is shifted about a half step, often with a rather harsh tone

diminishing

diminished

device fitted over the strings of an English guitar so that they are struck by hammers rather than pluck with the fingers of the hand

mincing, affected

little by little gradually dying away

gradually dying away to a whisper

wire bound gut strings

nimbly

nimble

as, so

lightly played

suavely

lightly played

an ornament used in lute playing, where the left hand pressure on the string follows the plucking of the string, to create a sob like effect on the…

so soon as, should

a musical style from Trinidad and Tobago, The bands usually feature a drummer, bass player, guitar and horns

an area of study that examines the effects, now and in the past, that music has upon society and similarly the effect that society has upon music

just, barely, a moment ago

immediately

subject

immediately

solo

soldier's march

soldier's procession

a flamenco singing style in triple time

a flamenco soleá with three verses

solemn

solemn

solemn

solemn

solemnly

solemnly

solemn

solemnity

alone

usual

hastening forward

eager

a part for one player with or without accompanying instruments

a part for one player with or without accompanying instruments

the player who performs the solo part

solely

dark, melancholy

utmost

subdued

utmost

sound

with richer rhythm

resonant, full toned

to sound, to play, to resonate

an extended piece in several movements for a number of instrumental soloists, most commonly one, with instrumental accompaniment

the multi movement structure found in sonatas

usually a trio sonata with four movements, slow quick slow quick Sonata rondo a musical work that combines sonata and rondo forms

sonata

sonorous, resonant

a group of songs performed in an order establishing a musical continuity related to some underlying theme

a piece for solo piano

sounding

sound

sonorously

sonorous

sonority

sonority

sonorous

sounds

damped sound

on, above

See clef in Staff, Barline, & Clef

softly, gently

mute

mute Sor, Fernando (1778 1839) See Classical Guitarists and Composers Sorgfalt (German) care

exit, departure

sustaining

sustained

sharp sign

sustained

in lowered tones, softly

suddenly

a wooden board in a stringed instrument that enhances its resonance

hollow box shaped resonator, one face of which is the soundboard, that enhances its volume and tone of a stringed instrument

a thorough test of the sound system before a performance

a hole in the soundboard of a stringed instrument that enhances its volume and tone

Amplifying an instrument just enough so that it can be heard, without the audience being aware that it is being amplified

a strip along the side of a film that contains optical coding for sound

French) a quarter rest

sighing

flexible, supple

muffled

muffled

mute

under

a slow Bohemian peasant dance in simple triple time

sustained

interval between the lines on the staff where each line and each space indicate a different pitch

expanding, getting more powerful

score

score

score

score

joke

jocular

later

speeding, hurrying

fading away

level, smoothed, even

level, smoothed, even

separated, detached; a form of staccato bowing in which the bow is bounced on the string while the bow stroke is restricted to the tip to produce r…

becoming louder

play

to play

playing, playful

in jazz, a descending glissando that falls from the end of a note

spinning song

pushed, urged on

dying away

spirit, vigor

spriritedly

spirited

a folksong with religious overtones associated with the American negro, hence its alternative name, negro spiritual

pointed, cutting

a chord in which one or more chord members are 'split' by adding a note a minor second away

mocking

a free style of musical performance that ignored strict tempo and rhythm

Swedish and Norwegian dance for two people

Swedish and Norwegian dance in simple triple time

springing, bouncing

an ornament consisting of the main note followed by the note above it followed by the note above that, then returning to the original main note

a form of American dance, from folk genres and played on a fiddle, piano, guitar or banjo, usually performed by four couples facing each other, arr…

clear, ringing, sounding

clear, ringing, sounding

steady, firm

an extreme form of staccato, often taken to indicate that one should shorten the note thus marked to one quarter of its written length, the remaini…

a dot above the note indicating that the note thus marked should be shortened to half its written length, the second half replaced with silence See…

a framework of five lines on which musical notation is written. see Staff, Barline, & Clef See Elements of Standard Notation for Classical Guitar S…

stronger or louder

wearily, in a weary manner

serenade

firm

firmness

strong or loud

instead of

same

bridge

place

places

See stem in Elements of a Musical Score See Elements of Standard Notation for Classical Guitar see Elements of Tablature for Classical Guitar

rallentando

to play in a laborious manner, heavily and slightly slowing

to play in a laborious manner, heavily and slightly slowing

forced, loud, stentorian

an interval of a second

dying away

slow

same

same

same

steadily, always

Norwegian short songs

style

quiet, calm

to tune

tuning fork

tuning, mood

a symbol used to indicate which string to play. See Elements of Standard Notation for Classical Guitar

fading away

ritardando

ritardando

ritardando

ritardando

the standard score of the work in contrast to an arrangement that has been produced especially for one particular band or ensemble

slackening the time gradually

a lively, rhythmic jazz marked by a heavy beat

a Tuscan folk song

prattling

ritardando

strict

throwing off

thrown off

stricter

a series of contrasting sections found in rags and marches, often in duple meter with sixteen measure themes or sections

heavy slurring

heavy slurring

heavy slurring

a slow Scottish dance, often coupled with the quick reel

extravagant, fantastic

tearing

stroke

strict

noise

noisily, boisterously

noisy

in jazz, an extended and often highly inventive improvisation in place of an anticipated shorter set of phrases

a passage at the end of an aria, act or ensemble, in which the tempo is accelerated to effect a climax

accelerated, brought together

strumming, scraping

a strand of gut, wire, silk or nylon that, when bowed, plucked or struck, produces a sound determined by its tension, length and density

Music especially composed for string instruments

a moderately large ensemble form only of first and second violins, cellos and double basses

a quartet formed of one first violinist, one second violinist, one violist and one cellist

any musical instrument that produces sound by means of strings under appropriate tension that are set into vibration by being plucked strummed, str…

squeezing together, accelerando

the section of the orchestra formed by members of the violin family but excluding harp, guitar, harpsichord, piano, viols ……

smooth, slurred, glissando

smooth, slurred, glissando

in jazz, a direction indicating that a performer should be silent

played by instruments

instruments

instrument

See strong accent in Note Symbols

a metrical or musical unit that is repeated in a musical composition

a metrical or musical unit that is repeated in a musical composition

brushing over the strings of a stringed instrument

instruments

instrument

piece

study, etude

stormy, passionate

stormy, passionate

the way musical elements (melody, rhythm, harmony, dynamics, form, etc.) are presented; what distinguishes one performance from another

an arpeggiated style

on, near, up, above, upon

suave

suavity

the fourth degree of the scale

the chord which uses as its root the subdominant note of a key

triad built on the fourth degree of the scale

the sixth degree of the scale

the chord which uses as its root the submediant note of a key

triad built on the sixth degree of the scale

the seventh degree of the scale

breaking up a larger metrical pattern into smaller parts

suddenly

a theme

alternative fingering

Speaker dedicated to reproducing very low frequencies. often placed on the floor

devotional Muslim music

on the

Chinese plucked lute

on, near, up, above, upon

a set of unrelated and usually short instrumental pieces

a set of dances

follow

Korean twenty five string zither used in court music

These markings shape tone color: sul ponticello : pluck near the bridge for a brighter, glassier sound sul tasto : pluck over the fingerboard for a…

on, near, up, above, upon

on, near, up, above, upon

on, near, up, above, upon

humming

dance music for celebrating a victory

its own

sounds

sound

the second degree of the scale

the chord which uses as its root the supertonic note of a key

triad built on the second degree of the scale

proud

proud

the upper, or higher, voice or melody in a musical composition of two or more parts

supplicating

supplicating

supplicating

put stop out of action, suppress

on, over

on the fingerboard

on the bridge

a bass sitar, tuned anywhere from four steps to an octave lower than a regular sitar

above all, especially

very long static events, with nothing much else happening

a note that is held over, that is approached by itself, and resolved to the chord note by a tone or semitone after the chord is played

sweet

lightly

whispering, murmuring

brisk, alert

brisk, alert

smart, quick, freely, lightly

development

American style of jazz music characterized by big band instrumentation

a musical setting is syllabic when one and only one note is related to one syllable in the text

strings, that cannot be bowed or plucked, that resonate by means of their immediate proximity to other strings, that can be bowed or plucked, which…

the vibration of an object independently in response to tone sounded by a musical instrument of which the object is a part, or that of another inst…

symphony

symphony

featuring a few solo instruments and orchestra

symphonic

symphonic

an extended piece for full orchestra, usually serious in nature and in several movements

an ensemble of instruments which may have in excess of 100 members

Syncopation shifts expected accents, creating tension and forward motion. On guitar, this can appear as: tied notes across beats accents on off bea…

an instrument that uses electronics to generate a large range of sounds, some meant to mimic real instruments and others that are completely new

notation of a line of music including all the parts and voices involved, presented in a group of two or more staves which are joined together on th…

a popular dance from Jutland