Instrumental Techniques Flashcards
Arpeggio
Harp like- a chord with the notes spread out in time
Altissimo
Very high
Acciaccatura
An extra, very fast grace note
Appoggiatura
A type of ornament
Basso continuo
Continuous bass accompaniment
A bocca chiusa
Wordless humming in a choral piece
Translates to mouth closed
Chiuso
Calls for a horn to be muted by hand
Translates to closed
Coll’arco
Cancels col legnk and pizzicato
Translates to with the bow
Colla voce
A note to accompanists to play with (in time with) the singer, especially when slowing for textual effect
Translates to with the voice
Col legno
Translates to with the wood
Calls for bowed instrument to be struck with the wood rather than the hair of the bow
Coloratura
Translates to coloration
Elaborate ornamentation of a vocal line
Glissando
Translates to glide
A sweeping glide from one pitch to another
Legato
Translates to tied together
A series of notes played with a smooth connection between them
Con sordino
With mute
Calls for mute to be applied, esp. To string instruments
Senza sordino
Without mute
Calls for mute to be removed
Pizzicato
Plucked
Calls for bowed instrument to be plucked with the fingers
Portamento
Carrying
A sliding pitch between 2 notes
Portato
Carried
A style of playing between staccato and legato
Coperti
Covered
Of a drum, muted with a cloth
Una corda
One string
With the soft pedal, on a piano
Due corde
Two strings
With the soft pedal, on a piano
Tre corde or tutte le corde
Three strings or all the strings
Cancels and Una corda
Spiccato
Separated
Playing a string instrument by bouncing the now lightly on the strings
Tutti
All
A direction for the entire ensemble to play or sing, rather than a soloist
Staccatissimo
Very detached
Forcefully exaggerated staccato
Staccato
Detached
A form of musical articulation in which notes are distinct and separated from each other by short gaps
Scordatura
Mistuning Alternate tuning (of strings)
Vibrato
Vibrating
A rapid repetitive variation in the pitch of a tone
Divisi
When a group of string instruments such as violin 1s are required to divide into two groups and play different notes
Arpa
Harp
