Free Music Glossary

T

• tablature Any form of musical notation using symbols or letters rather than notes on the staff to describe pitches.
• tacet Literally, “he is silent”. An indication that a performer is to be silent for some time.
• Tafelmusik Literally, “table music”. Music that is performed at feasts and banquets.
• taglio addizionale See ledger line.
• tahti See measure.
• tailgate A slang term for a trombone Glissando in Dixieland jazz.
• Takt See measure.
• Takt See beat.
• Taktangabe See time signature.
• Taktart See meter.
• Taktschlag See beat.
• taktslag See beat.
• tango A dance in 2/4 time from Argentina.
• tanto Much.
• Tanz See dance.
• tarantella A fast Italian dance in 6/8 time, characterized by alternations between major and minor tonalities and a quickening of tempo throughout the composition.
• tardamente Slowly.
• tardo Slow.
• Tartini tone See difference tone.
• tasavireinen See equal temperament.
• tasto solo Literally, “key only”. A directive indicating that a note is to be performed without harmony, especially used in compositions that use continuo.
• tauko See rest.
• technique The mechanical aspect of performing a composition.
• teema See motive.
• teksthaak See brace.
• tel See beat.
• tema Theme, subject.
• temperament The division of an octave into twelve equal parts.
• tempérament égal See equal temperament.
• tempérament mésotonique See meantone temperament.
• temperamento See Stimmung.
• temperamento equabile See equal temperament.
• temperamento igual See equal temperament.
• temperamento mesotonico See meantone temperament.
• Temperatur See Stimmung.
• tempestoso Stormy.
• tempo Literally, “time”. The speed of a piece of music, usually reckoned by the rate of its beats.
• tempo See beat.
• tempo binario See simple meter.
• tempo giusto A directive to perform in exact, strict time.
• tempo I° See a tempo.
• tempo primo See a tempo.
• tempo ternario See compound meter.
• temps See beat.
• temps binaire See simple meter.
• temps ternaire See compound meter.
• teneramente Tenderly.
• tenerezza Tenderness.
• tenuto A directive to perform a certain note or chord of a composition in a sustained manner for longer than its full duration.
• tercera See third.
• ternary form A three-part musical structure (ABA) based on statement (A), contrast (B) and repetition (A).
• terraced dynamics Expressive style typical of some early music in which volume levels shift abruptly from soft to loud and back without gradual crescendos and decrescendos.
• tertian harmony Term applied to harmony which is based upon the interval of the third.
• Terz See third.
• terza See third.
• terzetto A three-voice compositional form of the 18th century, usually short, which may or may not be accompanied.
• terzina See triplet.
• tessitura The most musically acceptable and comfortable range for a given singer or, less frequently, musical instrument.
• texture The interweaving of melodic (horizontal) and harmonic (vertical) elements in the musical fabric. Texture is generally described as monophonic (single line), heterophonic (elaboration on a single line), homophonic (single line with accompaniment), or polyphonic (many voiced).
• theme The musical basis upon which a composition is built. Usually a theme consists of a recognizable melody or a characteristic rhythmic pattern.
• theme and variations A style of composition that first presents a basic theme and then develops and alters that theme in successive statements.
• theme group Several themes in the same key that function as a unit within a section of a form, particularly in sonata-allegro form.
• thesis See downbeat.
• third An interval of three diatonic degrees, counting the first and last degree.
• thirty-second note A note having the time duration of one thirty-second of a whole note.
• thorough bass See figured bass.
• three-part form See ternary form.
• threnody A poem, a song, or an instrumental composition that expresses lament for the dead.
• through-composed Song form that is composed from beginning to end without repetitions of any major sections, each verse having its own, unique melody.
• tidig musik See early music.
• tie A curved line drawn over or under the heads of two notes of the same pitch indicating that they should be played as a single note.
• tief Deep, low.
• tiempo See beat.
• tiempo binario See simple meter.
• tiento A Spanish Renaissance composition resembling the ricercare or the fantasia.
• tierce See third.
• tierce de Picardie A practice from the baroque era of ending a composition with a major chord, when the rest of the composition is in a minor key, thus giving the composition a sense of finality.
• timbre The quality of a sound; that component of a tone that causes different instruments (for example a flute and a violin) to sound different from each other while they are both playing the same note.
• time signature A symbol placed at the left side of the staff indicating the meter of the composition.
• timoroso Timorous, fearful; with hesitation.
• tin whistle See penny whistle.
• toccata Virtuoso composition, generally for organ or harpsichord, in a free and rhapsodic style; in the Baroque, it often served as the introduction to a fugue.
• todelt takt See duple meter.
• Todesgesang See dirge.
• Todtenlied See dirge.
• tombeau Literally, “grave”. An instrumental funeral composition or a composition which commemorates the death of someone.
• ton See tone.
• ton See whole tone.
• tonada See melody.
• tonalidad See tonality.
• tonalità See tonality.
• tonalità relativa See relative key.
• tonalité See tonality.
• tonalité relative See relative key.
• tonaliteetti See tonality.
• tonality The organization of a composition around a tonic.
• Tonart See tonality.
• tonartssignatur See key signature.
• Tondichtung See symphonic poem.
• tone A sound of definite pitch and duration, as distinct from noise. Tone is a primary building material of music.
• tone color See timbre.
• tone poem See symphonic poem.
• toneart See tonality.
• tonehøjde See pitch.
• tonguing In the performance of wind instruments, the technique of using the tongue to produce certain sounds and effects, and especially the technique in which notes are attacked and articulated.
• Tonhöhe See pitch.
• tonhöjd See pitch.
• tonic The note upon which a scale or key is based.
• tonlängd See duration.
• Tonleiter See scale.
• Tonleiterstufe See degree.
• tono See whole tone.
• toonhoogte See pitch.
• toonladder See scale.
• toonsoort See tonality.
• tosto Swiftly, rapidly.
• total artwork See Gesamtkunstwerk.
• toujours Always.
• tourney A composition created for a tournament, popular in the 17th century especially in Italy and France. Tourneys were often used in weddings and other festive occasions.
• träblåsare See woodwind.
• traditional music Music that is learned by oral transmission and is easily sung or played by most people.
• tranquillo Calm, quiet.
• transcription Either notating an unnotated piece, or rewriting a piece, either simply recopying, as for clarity, or as an arrangement for another instrument.
• transporte See transposition.
• transposing instrument Those instruments which are notated in one key on paper, yet sound another key when they are performed.
• transposition Shifting a melody up or down in pitch, while keeping the same relative pitches.
• transverse flute The regular orchestral flute, as distinct from the recorder.
• trapsgewijze See conjunct.
• trascrizione See transcription.
• trasposizione See transposition.
• tratt. See trattenuto.
• trattenuto See ritenuto.
• traurig Sad.
• traversflöjt See flute.
• træblæsere See woodwind.
• treble The highest part of a polyphonic composition.
• tredelt takt See triple meter.
• tremblement See trill.
• tremolando See tremolo.
• tremolo A rapid alternation between two notes.
• Trennungszeichen See breath mark.
• trepak A Russian dance in quick duple meter.
• très “Very”, “much”.
• tresillo See triplet.
• tretakt See triple meter.
• triad A chord made up of three notes.
• trill Ornament consisting of the rapid alternation between one tone and the next above it.
• trille See trill.
• trille double See double trill.
• Triller See trill.
• trillo See trill.
• trino See trill.
• trino doble See double trill.
• trinvis See conjunct.
• trio A composition for three performers.
• trio sonata A baroque sonata for two treble instruments and continuo, generally requiring four performers.
• triol See triplet.
• Triole See triplet.
• triolet See triplet.
• triple croche See thirty-second note.
• triple meter A metrical pattern having three beats to a measure.
• triple tonguing See double tonguing.
• triplet Three notes of equal length that are to be performed in the duration of two notes of equal length.
• tristamente Sadly.
• triste Sad.
• tristezza Sadness.
• tritone A dissonant interval consisting of three whole steps.
• tritono See tritone.
• Tritonus See tritone.
• Trommelbass Literally, “drum-bass”. A bass line that contains steady, constant, repeated notes.
• tronco A directive to perform a certain passage short or “cut off”.
• troppo Too much.
• tune An air or melody, a succession of sounds that has definite character and shape and is pleasing to the ear.
• tuning The adjustment of the pitch of an instrument. Also, the set pitches to which an instrument is tuned.
• Turmmusik Literally, “tower music”. A term referring to the music, usually performed on wind instruments, which is played from a tower of a town hall or a church tower. Turmmusik was common in Germany from the 16th century to the 18th century.
• turn An ornament consisting of four notes, alternating the main note with the one above it and the one below.
• tutti “All”. A directive to perform with all instruments together.
• tvärflöjt See flute.
• tvåtakt See duple meter.
• tverrfløyten See flute.
• tweedelige maatsoort See duple meter.
• twelve-tone technique See dodecaphony.
• two-part form See binary form.
• tyrolienne A dance form in quick triple meter.
• Tzigane Term used for a composition having gypsy influences or flavor.