music

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Organized sound

Nouns

1. music; classical, semiclassical, or popular music, rock [& roll] music, country [and western] music, world music; acid, punk, hard metal, hard, or soft rock; soul [music], blues; swing, jive, boogie-woogie, progressive jazz, bop, bebop, third stream, stomp; hillbilly or country music, rockabilly; western music; concert, light, or dinner music, Tafelmusik, Muzak, Hausmusik; electronic music, musique concrète; serial music, minimalism. Informal, longhair or pop music, pops, canned music.

2. composition, opus, arrangement, movement; full score, [musical] score, [piano] vocal score, miniature score, piano-conductor score; book, fake book. Slang, maps.

3. instrumental music; chamber music, incidental music, suite; solo, duo, duet, trio [sonata], quartet, quintet, sextet, septet, octet, nonet, dectet; prelude, sonata, rondo, rondeau, pastorale, concerto, concertino, concerto grosso, concert, musicale, overture, symphony, divertissement, fantasy, fantasia, partita; cadenza, cadence; fugue, toccata, round, canon; serenade, nocturne, prelude, adagio, minuet; lullaby; dirge, pibroch; march.

4. vocal music; [Gregorian or Anglican] chant, psalm, psalmody, plainsong, response, evensong; hymn, anthem; melody, strain, tune, air; song, canticle, lay, ballad, ditty, carol, pastoral, recitative, aria; sea chantey, work song, folk song, popular song, ballad, jingle; yodeling, crooning; part song, descant, glee, madrigal, catch, round, canon, chorus, antiphony; cantata, oratorio; [light or comic] opera, operetta, music[al] theater, musical comedy.

5. dance music, syncopation, ragtime, jazz; bolero, fandango, tango, mazurka, gavotte, minuet, polka, waltz, two-step, fox trot, reel, jig, hornpipe, conga, rumba, samba, cha-cha; rock [& roll]. See dance.

6. (popular music)

a. rock, [deep or acid] house, acid rock, acoustic rock, techno, jungle, trip-hop, electronica, alternative rock, disco, doo-wop, folk rock, funk, groove, fusion, gangsta rap, glitter rock, hard rock, heavy metal, hip-hop, jungle, Motown, new wave, bluebeat, power pop, psychedelic music, punk rock, rhythm and blues, rap, rave, reggae, rock & roll, scratch, shockabilly, grunge, homocore, ska, soft rock, soul, stadium rock, surf music, thrash, zydeco. Slang, cock rock.

b. jazz, groove, hambone, barrelhouse, [be]bop, big band, blues, boogie-woogie, fusion, high life, naked or gutbucket jazz, honky-tonk, cool jazz, Dixieland, hot jazz, swing, ragtime, progressive jazz, New Orleans or Kansas City jazz, ragtime.

c. country [and western] music, rockabilly, western rock, down-home, bluegrass, folk music, gospel, jug band, protest music, skiffle.

d. popular music, easy listening. Slang, ear candy, elevator music.

7. world music, raga, klezmer, Cajun, Goa, gagaku, mbaqanga, salsa, soca, zouk, lambada, zydeco.

8. (musical instruments)

a. musical instrument; orchestra, [marching] band, chamber orchestra, palm court orchestra, combo, dance band; jug band, jazz band; mariachi, gagaku orchestra, gamelan. Slang, ax.

b. strings, winds, drums, percussion, woodwinds, reeds, brass, horns.

c. harp, lyre, lute, dulcimer, mandolin, guitar, gittern, cithern, cither, zither, theorbo, psaltery, ukulele, banjo, koto, sitar; violin, fiddle, Cremona, Stradivarius, Amati, Guarnerius; [violon]cello, viol, viola, viola da braccio or da gamba, bass viol. Slang, air guitar.

d. piano[forte], grand, baby grand, spinet, upright [piano]; harpsichord, clavichord, virginal; fortepiano; celeste, keyboard glockenspiel. Slang, eighty-eights.

e. [pipe or electronic] organ, harmonium, barrel organ; hurdy-gurdy, Aeolian harp, calliope; siren; pipe, pitchpipe, flute, fife, piccolo, flageolet, clarinet; oboe, hautboy, shawm, bassoon, bombarde; cornet, bugle, trumpet, [French] horn, serpent, saxhorn, trombone, sackbut, saxophone; accordion, concertina; bagpipes, whistle, ocarina; althorn, tuba; harmonica, Melodica; mouth organ, kazoo; jew's harp; gewgaw. Slang, squawk box; squeeze box; sax[e]; harp[oon]; licorice stick.

f. cymbal, bell, gong, tambour, tambourine, snare or trap drum, bass drum, bongo, tomtom; kettledrum, tympanum; timbal, timbrel; steel drums; castanets; musical glasses, sounding board, rattle, bones; triangle; xylophone, marimba, vibraphone or -harp; glockenspiel. Slang, skins, woodpile.

g. baton, wand, stick; drumsticks; music stand, podium; metronome; tuning bar, box, fork, or hammer.

9. (musical terms) staff, key, bar, space, [C, G, F, treble, soprano, mezzosoprano, alto, tenor, baritone, violin, or bass] clef, [key or time] signature, note, grace note, tone, rest; tie, slur; pitch; accent, accidental; barline; [pentatonic, whole tone, minor, or major] scale, mode, gamut, degree; [double] flat or sharp; microtone, quartertone, interval, unison, second, semitone, whole tone, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, octave, diabolusin musica; supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, superdominant, submediant, subtonic, leading tone; beat, downbeat, upbeat, tempo, rhythm, polyrhythm, rubato, syncopation; harmony, changes, counterpoint, homophony, dissonance, consonance; ornament, embellishment, mordent, trill, turn, roulade, coloratura, tremolo; touch, expression, solmization, fingering; [basso] continuo; theme, melody, tune, tone row; chord, triad, tone cluster, voicing; triplet, quintuplet, duplet; glissando, portamento; solo, duet, duo, trio, quartet, quintet; accompaniment, second. Slang, lick.

10. (the music business) performance, execution, set, set list; tour, roadie; jam session, hootenanny; eisteddfod, concert or recital hall; opera house; rock concert, mosh pit, crowd surging, head walking; airplay, playlist, disc jockey, deejay, DJ, video jockey, VJ, American Bandstand; recording, session, A- or B-side, cut, single, album, cassingle, LP, 45. long or extended play, compact disc, CD, cassette, DAT, eight-track tape, jukebox, karaoke, music video; cover, soundalike, original, standard, oldie, crossover hit, race record; Billboard, Downbeat, fanzine; MTV, Much Music, Tin Pan Alley; Grammy, hit parade, charts. Informal, payola; groupie, headbanger, metalhead, deadhead. Slang, def jam, gig, platter, beat box, ghetto blaster, rasta box.

11. (musicians)

a. musician, artist[e], performer, sideman, player; band, ensemble; [pickup or studio] band, garage band; pop group, rock band; talent. Slang, muso, solid sender, longhairs.

b. instrumentalist; organist, pianist; flutist, flautist, fifer, oboist, clarinetist, bassoonist, saxophonist; violinist, fiddler, violist, cellist, bassist; harper, harpist; bugler, trumpeter, horn player, trombonist; percussionist, tympanist, drummer; accordionist. Slang, hide-beater, mice.

c. vocalist, melodist, singer, warbler, backup singer, minnesinger, troubadour, minstrel, bard, chanter, cantor, chantress, songstress, caroler, chorister; crooner, blues singer, folk singer, yodeler, calypso singer, scat singer, patter singer; soprano, mezzo[-soprano], [contr]alto, countertenor, tenor, baritone, bass-baritone, bass, buffo, falsettist, castrato; songbird, nightingale, philomel, thrush, mockingbird; Orpheus, Apollo, the Muses, Euterpe, Terpsichore; siren, Lorelei. Slang, bird, canary, chorine.

d. dancer, coryphée, ballet dancer, ballerina. See amusement.

e. conductor, bandmaster, choirmaster; leader, concertmaster, first violin; composer, arranger, orchestra, scorer.

12. (study of music) musicology, ethno[musicology], world music, eurythmics, orchestration, instrumentation, music theory.

Verbs — compose, arrange, adapt, set to music, transpose, melodize, harmonize, orchestrate, score; accompany; execute, perform, play, sing, pipe, fiddle, beat the drum, blow or sound the horn, twang, plunk, pluck, pick, thrum, strum; strike up, tune up; keep time; sing, chant, hum, warble, carol, chirp, chirrup, trill, twitter, whistle, intone, lilt. Informal, belt. Slang, scratch, kick, rap, break, bust out, chat, cut, drop, freak, jam, throw out, bear down, blow down, count it off, busk.

Adjectives

1. musical, instrumental, vocal, choral, singing, lyric, operatic; harmonious, melodious, tuneful, melodic, symphonic, orchestral; classical, popular. Informal, longhair, pop.

2. in tune, on pitch; chromatic, atonal, diatonic, enharmonic, pentatonic; parlando; pianissimo, piano, mezzo-piano or -forte, forte, fortissimo; major, minor, augmented, diminished, perfect.

Adverbs — adagio, lento, andante, andantino, allegretto, allegro, vivace, presto, vivo; rallentando, ritardando, ritenuto, stringendo; diminuendo, crescendo; legato, sostenuto, marcato, staccato.

Quotations — If music be the food of love, play on (Shakespeare), Music has charms to soothe a savage breast (William Congreve), Jazz music is to be played sweet, soft, plenty rhythm (Jelly Roll Morton), The hills are alive with the sound of music (Oscar Hammerstein II), Playing "bop" is like Scrabble with all the vowels missing (Duke Ellington), A musician, if he's a messenger, is like a child who hasn't been handled too many times by man, hasn't had too many fingerprints across his brain (Jimi Hendrix), Today if something is not worth saying, people sing it (Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais), [Of Negro spirituals: ] Every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains (Frederick Douglass), The heart of the melody can never be put down on paper (Pablo Casals), Opera... could not have been foreseen by any logical process (Sir Kenneth Clark), Opera's no business, it's a disease (Oscar Hammerstein I).

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [A combination of tone and rhythm]

Syn. harmony, melody, tune, air, strain, harmonics, song, minstrelsy, euphony, measure, refrain, phrasing, modulation cadence, the Nine*.

Terms used in music include: scale, chromatic scale, tempered scale, clef, note, tone, pitch, sharp, flat, accidental, major, minor, key, mode, orchestral coloring, orchestration, instrumentation, transposition, variation, improvisation, rhythm, melody, harmony, tempo, accent, beat, down-beat, up-beat, off-beat, syncopation, chord, dominant chord, subdominant chord, tonic chord, counterpoint, interval, timbre, volume, resonance. Musical forms for the voice include: opera, oratorio, hymn, art song, folk song, aria; see song . Musical forms for instruments include: symphony (the conventional four movements of a symphony are sonata, andante, scherzo, finale), concerto, concerto grosso, suite, partita; trio, quartet, quintet, overture, prelude, sonata, sonatina, Mass, scherzo, rondo, nocturne, caprice, invention, concertino, toccata, chaconne, passacaglia, fugue, étude, exercise, tone poem, symphonic poem, symphonic fantasy, fantAsia, variations, rhapsody, ballet music, serenade, ballad, march, canzonetta, rondino, pastorale, dance. Musical dance forms include: ballet, waltz, tango, polka; see dance 1 . General styles of music include: classical, long-hair*, serious, medieval, modern, folk, primitive, popular, national, sacred, secular, impressionistic, neoteric, baroque, neoclassical, neo-Bachian, modernistic, formal, Romantic, a cappella, program, pure, jazz; rhythm and blues, R and B, blues, jive, ragtime, boogiewoogie, light rock, hard rock, folk rock, acid rock, heavy metal, New wave, punk rock, funk, technopop, rock-and-roll, bebop, bop, soul, New Age, rap, grunge, reggae, zydeco, fusion, ragtime, swing, barrelhouse, big band, bluegrass, country and western, country. Styles of music according to its technical form include: melodic, polyphonic, contrapuntal, homophonic, Gregorian, strict, free, harmonic, lyric, epic, dramatic, pastoral, figured, atonal, whole toned, diatonic, pentatonic, twelve-tone, aleatoric, modal, syncopated. Styles of music according to its method of performance include: vocal, instrumental, solo, choral, orchestral. Styles of music according to its use include: operatic, symphonic, chamber, dance, concert, motion picture, theatrical, ecclesiastical, church, military, concert, ballet.

2. [The study or writing of music]

Syn. musicology, ethnomusicology, musicography, hymnology, hymnography.

3. [Responsiveness to music]

Syn. musical appreciation, sensitivity, aesthetic sense; see appreciation 3 , feeling 4 .

• face the music*,

Syn. accept the consequences of one's actions, suffer, undergo; see endure 2 .

• set to music,

Syn. compose music for, write a song around, provide a musical setting; see compose 3 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

melodies, rhythms, vocals, instrumentals, harmonies, singing, orchestrations, arrangements, tunes, sounds, tones, compositions, *canned, Muzak, longhair, rock, funk, rhythm and blues (R&B), rap, hip hop, punk, acid rock, heavy metal, top forty, boogie woogie, jazz, bebop, Dixieland, ragtime, folk, country and western, bluegrass, zydeco, swing, soul, reggae, pop, easy listening, salsa, bossa nova, classical, opera, ethnic, polka, march, baroque, primitive, new age, gangsta rap. ''The speech of angels.''— Thomas Carlyle. ''A fluid architecture of sound.''—Roy Harris. ''The universal language of mankind.''—Longfellow. see musical instrument, opera, sing, song, rap

WORD FIND

general music terms

• above correct pitch: sharp

• arrangement: composition

• bar: measure

• beats per measure: meter

• below correct pitch: flat

• changing key of composition: transposing

• chord with notes played individually in quick succession: arpeggio, broken chord

• closing passage: coda

• connection between two musical passages: bridge

• dual melody: counterpoint

• emphasis on a particular note: accent

• highly skilled musician: virtuoso

• horizontal lines on which notes are written: staff

• informal rock or jazz session: jam

• in-tune, pleasant-sounding: consonance

• key and meter signs: signature

• lowest notes or voice: bass

• multiple notes played simultaneously: chord

• multiple rhythms played simultaneously: polyrhythmic

• out of tune, harsh-sounding: dissonance, discord

• pause or silence: rest

• performance of multiple song portions: medley

• performing music on sight: sight reading

• performing rights society: BMI

• performing without notes: by ear

• return to the original theme: reprise

• school of music: conservatory

• science of sound properties: acoustics

• second or third highest voice class: alto

• section or verse repeated: refrain

• short composition: bagatelle

• short melodic phrase on jazz or rock guitar: riff, lick

• study of music: musicology

• teaching of pitch and rhythm recognition: ear training

• trumpeting intro: fanfare

• words of song: lyrics

• written music for movie or play: score

symphonic terms

• composition of arias, duets, choruses in several movements: cantata

• final movement: finale

• instrumental composition preceding opera, oratorio or play: overture

• instrumental composition with movements in varied keys, tempos: sonata

• instrumental composition with several movements of dance music: suite

• one section of a composition: movement

• orchestra or musical society: philharmonic

polyphonic composition sung sequentially

• by two or more vocalists: fugue

• work or composition of a composer: opus

music directive

• boldly: fiero

• comically: burlesco

• decrease in volume: decrescendo

• delicately: delicato

• fast tempo: allegro, presto

• loudly, very: fortissimo

• moderate tempo: andante

• mournfully: funerale

• slow: adagio

• slow, extremely: adagissimo

• softly: sotto voce

• softly, sweetly: dolce

• softly, very: pianissimo

• spoken: parlato

• volume, half the singer’s normal: mezza voce

• volume, increase in: crescendo

• wildly: furioso