Multilingual Music Glossary
B
- B
See flat.
- Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis
The numbering system identifying compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach.
- backbeat A style of rhythmic accentuation that puts accents on even beats. In common time this means having accents on beats 2 and 4.
- backfall A descending appoggiatura.
- bagatelle
A short piece of music, typically for the piano, and usually of a light, mellow character. The term literally means a “trifle”, as a reference to the innocent character of the piece.
- bajo
See bass.
- bajo cifrado
See thorough bass.
- ballad In jazz and popular music, a short song in a slow tempo, usually with a romantic or sentimental text.
- ballad opera See comic opera.
- ballade
A one-movement musical piece with lyrical and dramatic narrative qualities, usually having a text dealing with courtly love.
- ballata
A type of fourteenth-century italian secular song, similar to the French virelai.
- ballata
See ballad.
- ballet
A representation of a story by means of dances or pantomimic action accompanied by music.
- ballo
See dance.
- bar See measure.
- bar Each of the lines drawn perpendicularly across the staff to divide it into measures. In common usage the term may also mean measure.
- barcarola
See barcarolle.
- barcarolle
A folk song sung by Venetian gondoliers (oarsmen of the traditional Venetian rowing boat called gondola), or a piece of music composed in that style. It is characterized by a rhythm reminiscent of the gondolier's stroke, almost invariably a moderate tempo 6/8 meter.
- barcaruola
See barcarolle.
- barline See bar.
- baroque The music of the period circa 1600–1750, directly following the Renaissance and preceding the Classical era. Its style is characterized by rich ornamentation.
- bas
Low in pitch.
- basfløjte
See bass flute.
- basfluit
See bass flute.
- bass The lowest part in a musical composition.
- bass flute A flute that plays one octave below the concert flute.
- bassa
See bajo.
- basse
See bass.
- basse chiffrée
See thorough bass.
- basse dance
A graceful, stately court dance of the early Renaissance.
- bassfløyte
See bass flute.
- basso
See bass.
- basso continuo
Literally, “continuous bass”. A bass part that runs continuously throughout a work, characteristic of Baroque music.
- basso numerato
See thorough bass.
- bassus
See bass.
- batimiento
See beat.
- baton The stick used by the conductor to define the beat of the music. Also, a light metal rod used for keeping time, twirling and juggling in marching band performances.
- battement
See beat.
- battimento
See beat.
- battito
See beat.
- battuta
See measure.
- beat A throbbing that is heard when two tones are slightly out of tune.
- beat The basic time unit of a piece of music. For example, each tick sounded by a metronome would correspond to a beat.
- bécarre
See natural.
- becijferde bas
See thorough bass.
- Beckflöte
See recorder.
- becuadro
See natural.
- beförtecken
See flat.
- bel canto
Literally “beautiful singing”. Elegant Italian vocal style, characterized by florid melodic lines and delivered by voices of great agility, smoothness and purity of tone.
- belebend
Lively.
- bémol
See flat.
- bemolle
See flat.
- ben
See bene.
- bene
“Well” or “good”.
- bent pitch See blue note.
- bepop Complex jazz style developed in the 1940s.
- bequadro
See natural.
- berceuse
See lullaby.
- bergamasca
A kind of Renaissance clumsy rustic dance.
- bergamask See bergamasca.
- bergomask See bergamasca.
- beruhigend
Relaxing, melodious.
- bestimmt
With decision.
- bewegt
See animato.
- bezifferter Bass
See thorough bass.
- Bia
See Biamonti Catalog.
- Biamonti Catalog
A chronological catalog of Ludwig van Beethoven's compositions, compiled by Giovanni Biamonti.
- bianca
See half note.
- big band A type of musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late 1940s. A big band typically consists of approximately 12 to 25 musicians and contains saxophones, trumpets, trombones and a rhythm section.
- binary form Two-part structure of music; usually each part is repeated.
- binary measure A measure containing two beats.
- bind See tie.
- bindebåge
See tie.
- bindebogen
See slur.
- bindebue
See tie.
- bindingsboog
See tie.
- Bindung
See tie.
- Bindungszeichen
See slur.
- bird's eye See fermata.
- birdseye See fermata.
- bis
Literally, “twice”. A directive to repeat a passage.
- biscroma
See thirty-second note.
- bizzaro
See bizzarro.
- bizzarro
Odd, whimsical, irregular.
- blanca
See half note.
- blanche
See half note.
- Blockflöte
See recorder.
- blue note In blues or jazz, a note that for expressive purposes is sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than usual.
- bluegrass A form of American country music, inspired by the music of immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as jazz and blues. In bluegrass, as in jazz, each instrument takes its turn playing the melody and improvising around it, while the others perform accompaniment.
- blues African-American music genre, characterized by simple repetitive structures and by the use of the blues chord progressions and the blue notes.
- body The middle section of a flute, with the majority of the keys.
- Bogen
See slur.
- Bogen
See tie.
- bois
See woodwind.
- bolero
A moderately slow Spanish dance in 3/4 time.
- boogie-woogie A style of piano-based blues that became very popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s, but originated much earlier, and was extended from piano, to three pianos at once, guitar, big band, and country and western music, and even gospel. Whilst the blues traditionally depicts a variety of emotions, boogie-woogie is mainly associated with dancing.
- bop See bepop.
- bore The diameter of the tube of a woodwind or brass instrument. The shape of the bore in part dictates the timbre or tone color of the instrument.
- bossa nova
Brazilian dance related to the samba, popular in the 1950s and 1960s.
- bourrée
An old French dance in use during the Baroque period, very rapid and hearty, usually in 2/4 or 2/2 time.
- brace A symbol that looks like an archer's bow, used to connect two or more different staves that are to be played at the same time by the same instrument (e.g. a piano, a organ or a harp). This should not be confused with the bracket, that provides a visual connection between independent parts of a system.
- bracket In a score, a vertical bracket that groups together the staves relative to the instruments of a section, like the woodwinds or the strings.
- branle
Quick French group dance of the Renaissance.
- bransle
See branle.
- bravura
Literally, “skill”. Great dexterity and skill in execution.
- break In the flute or other wind instrument, the place between the lower register of the instrument and the higher. For example, the break on the flute is between C-sharp and D.
- breath mark Indication of where to breathe in vocal and wind instrument parts. It may look like a large comma or apostrophe or like a tick/checkmark (✓), and is always written above the staff.
- breit
See largo.
- brève
See double whole note.
- breve
See double whole note.
- brevis
See double whole note.
- bridge A passage connecting two sections of a composition.
- brillante
Bright, brilliant.
- brio
Vivacity, spirit, liveliness.
- brioso
Vivacious, spirited, lively.
- broderie
See ornament.
- broken chord See arpeggio.
- buffo
Comic, humorous.
- burden See drone.
- burden A phrase or theme that recurs at the end of each verse in a folk song or ballad.
- Burgundian chanson Fifteenth century French composition, usually for three voices, some or all of which may be played by instruments.
- burlesco
Jocular, in a playful style.
- burlesque
A humorous composition, usually involving parody or grotesque exaggeration.
- BWV
See Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis.