Multilingual Music Glossary
F
- f
See forte.
- faburden A 15th-century English technique of improvising two parts around the main melody of a cantus firmus. The first part would be sung a third below the melody, except for a few notes that would be a fifth below; the second part would be sung a fourth above the main melody.
- facile
“Easy”.
- fadinho
See fado.
- fado
A type of street song and dance of Portugal, usually accompanied by a guitar.
- false bass See fauxbourdon.
- false note A muted or dampened note that has rhythm but often no discernible pitch.
- falsetto
Vocal technique whereby men can sing above their normal range, producing a lighter sound.
- falso bordone
See fauxbourdon.
- family A grouping of instruments which produce sound in the same manner and are constructed in the same way but in different sizes, such as the flute family, the clarinet family, the violin family and so on.
- fandango
A lively folk and flamenco couple-dance, usually in triple meter, traditionally accompanied by guitars and castanets or hand-clapping.
- fanfare A short, lively, loud, militaristic composition, usually composed for brass instruments and percussions.
- fantaisie
See fantasia.
- fantasia
Free instrumental piece of fairly large dimensions, in an improvisational style.
- farce A comedy which aims to entertain the audience by means of extravagant and improbable situations.
- farsa
See farce.
- fauxbourdon
A technique of musical harmonization used in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. It consists of the cantus firmus and two other parts a sixth and a perfect fourth below.
- feierlich
Solemn.
- Feldmusik
Music performed outdoors on wind instruments.
- fermaatti
See fermata.
- fermat
See fermata.
- fermata An element of musical notation indicating that a note should be sustained for longer than its note value would indicate.
- Fermate
See fermata.
- fertig
Dexterous, nimble, quick.
- festivo
Merry, festive.
- ff
See fortissimo.
- fff
See fortississimo.
- ffp
See fortissimo-piano.
- ffz
See sforzando.
- fiddle A name for the violin, especially when used to perform folk music.
- fier
See fiero.
- fieramente
See fiero.
- fiero
Proud, haughty, noble.
- fife A small flute with a narrower bore, thus producing a higher, more piercing sound than a flute. Generally used in military bands.
- fifth An interval of five diatonic degrees, counting the first and last degree.
- figure A short musical phrase.
- figured bass A method of indicating an accompaniment part by the bass notes only, together with figures designating the chief chords to be played above the bass notes.
- fin
See fine.
- finale
The last movement in a composition of several movements.
- fine
Literally, “end”. An indication of where a composition ends when there is a repeat.
- fingering The methodical use of fingers in the playing of instruments.
- fingersättning
See fingering.
- Fingersatz
See fingering.
- fingersætning
See fingering.
- fioritura
See ornament.
- fipple The block, typically of wood, that forms the floor of the windway of an edge-blown aerophone.
- fipple flute See duct flute.
- fireogtredsindstyvendedelsnode
See sixty-fourth note.
- first chair See principal.
- fixed form A form in which the poetic structure determines musical repetitions.
- flageolet
A simple recorder with four finger holes, popular in the 17th century in England.
- flamenco
A genre of dance and music characterized by its use of modes, its unusual rhythm patterns and its use of guitar accompaniment.
- flat An accidental symbol that lowers the pitch of a note by a semitone.
- flatt.
See fluttertonguing.
- flatter.
See fluttertonguing.
- Flatterzunge
See fluttertonguing.
- flauta baixo
See bass flute.
- flauta baja
See bass flute.
- flauta de pico
See recorder.
- flauta travesera
See flute.
- flauto basso
See bass flute.
- flauto contralto
See alto flute.
- flauto diritto
See recorder.
- flauto dolce
See recorder.
- flauto traverso
See flute.
- flautone
See alto flute.
- flebile
“Plaintive”.
- flessibile
Flexible.
- florid Rich, embellished.
- Flöte
See flute.
- flt.
See fluttertonguing.
- flue See windway.
- flute A woodwind instrument that is held horizontally and sounded by blowing across the mouthpiece of the instrument.
- flûte à bec
See recorder.
- flûte alto
See alto flute.
- flûte douce
See recorder.
- flûte traversière
See flute.
- fluttertonguing Wind instrument technique in which the tongue is fluttered or trilled against the roof of the mouth.
- flz.
See fluttertonguing.
- fois
“Time”, as in “first time” (première fois) or “second time” (deuxieme fois).
- folk music See traditional music.
- foot joint The last section of a flute, played farthest towards the right.
- forefall An ascending appoggiatura.
- form The structure of a composition, the frame upon which it is constructed.
- formalism The tendency to elevate the formal aspects above the expressive value in music, as in Neoclassical music.
- forme fixe
See fixed form.
- forsiring
See ornament.
- forslag
See appoggiatura.
- förslag
See appoggiatura.
- forte
“Loud”.
- fortepiano
A dynamic marking (fp) directing the performer to attack the written note at the dynamic level of forte (loud) followed by an immediate decrease in volume to piano (soft).
- fortissimo
Very loud, louder than forte.
- fortissimo-piano
A dynamic marking (ffp) indicating that the marked note should be attacked very loudly, instantly diminishing to a much softer volume.
- fortississimo
Extremely loud, louder than fortissimo.
- forza
See con forza.
- forzando
See sforzando.
- forzato
See sforzando.
- fourth An interval of four diatonic scale tones, counting the first and last tone.
- foxtrot Ballroom dance popular in the 19th century.
- fp
See fortepiano.
- fragmentation The technique of developing a theme by dividing it into smaller units; most common in the music of the Viennese Classicists.
- frais
See fresco.
- frase
See phrase.
- fraseeraus
See phrasing.
- fraseggio
See phrasing.
- fraseo
See phrasing.
- frasering
See phrasing.
- French model A flute with pointed French-style arms and open-hole finger keys, as distinguished from the plateau style with closed holes.
- frequency Rate of vibration of a string or column of air, which determines pitch. Usually measured in Hertz (Hz).
- fresco
“Fresh”, vigorous, lively.
- frisch
See fresco.
- fröhlich
See allegro.
- frottola
A secular song that was popular in Italy in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, direct predecessor of the madrigal.
- frullato
See fluttertonguing.
- fuga
See fugue.
- fugato
In the style of a fugue.
- fugue
Polyphonic form popular in the Baroque era in which one or more themes are developed by imitative counterpoint.
- fundamental The base note upon which a chord is built.
- fundamental A base pitch from which a series of harmonics is produced.
- fundamental position See root position.
- funk American musical style that originated in the 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music.
- fuoco
See con fuoco.
- furioso
“Furious”.
- fusa
See thirty-second note.
- fusion Style that combines jazz improvisation with amplified instruments of rock.
- fz
See sforzando.