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MUSICIAN DICTIONARY

Dictionary C (Terms only)
c
(Abbreviation) “circa,” which means “about”,i.e.,. about 1970

C
(Abbreviation) Common Time, 4/4 time

C  (SCALE)  (INDEX)
The first note (tonic) of the C Major Scale

C-Clef
A type of clef that is moveable, and whichever staff line the "arrow" points to is the line denoting Middle C

C-Schlussel
(German) C-Clef

C.d.
(Abbreviation) (Italian) "colla destra." With the right hand

C.s.
(Abbreviation) (Italian) "colla sinistra." With the left hand

Cachucha
(Spanish) A popular dance in triple meter

Cadence (OUTLINE)  (ARTICLE)
Concluding a phrase, piece or section of music with a firm end point using 2 or more chords. A type of musical punctuation similar to using a period in a sentence. A cadence can be Harmonic or rhythmic

Cadence, Amen (OUTLINE)  (ARTICLE)
A chord progression/cadence of IV-I (subdominant to dominant), used at the end of hymns and other religious songs

Cadence, Deceptive (OUTLINE)  (ARTICLE)
A chord progression/cadence of V to any chord other than I (typically ii, vi or VI). This is considered a weak cadence. Also called interrupted or surprise

Cadence, Harmonic (OUTLINE)  (ARTICLE)
Concluding a phrase, piece or section of music with a firm end point using 2 or more chords, as opposed to a rhythmic cadence, which uses a rhythmic pattern

Cadence, Perfect (OUTLINE)  (ARTICLE)
The strongest type of cadence, usually ending a section within a composition or marking the end of the composition. Also called "full"

Cadence, Rhythmic (OUTLINE)  (ARTICLE)
Concluding a phrase, piece or section of music with a firm endpoint using a rhythm pattern, as opposed to a harmonic cadence, which uses chords

Cadencia
(Spanish) Cadence

Cadenza
A virtuosic solo passage usually near the end of a piece. It can either have been written by the composer or be an improvisation by the performer

Caesura
(Latin) To cut. In music, two slash-lines indicating a break in the music

Caisse chinoise
(French) Wood blocks

Caja china
(Spanish) Wood blocks

Cakewalk
Syncopated dance, developed in 1800 United States, used by slaves to make fun of their white plantation owners. In modern recording, a popular software program

Calando
(Italian) Drooping. To die away, as in volume

Calcando
(Italian) To increase in speed, move forward

Calderón
(Spanish) Fermata

Call to Quarters
In the military, a bugle call signaling the troops to return to their quarters

Calmando
(Italian) Calm, quiet

Calmato
(Italian) Calm, quiet

Caminando
(Italian) Flowing

Canarie
(French) A fast Baroque dance

Canon
A style of writing in which two or more voice parts have the same melody but start at different points within the piece

Cantabile
(Italian) Singing

Cantando
(Italian) Singing

Cantare
(Latin) To sing

Cantata
A collection of songs sung as a musical program, usually in a church, that lasts about 30-60 minutes

Canticle
A sacred song, sometimes without meter

Cantilena
(Latin) "Old song." A religious or secular song from the Middle Ages

Cantio
(Latin) A religious song from the Middle Ages

Cantor
(Italian) The musical leader of the congregation in a religious service, usually Jewish or Catholic

Cantus
(Latin) "Tune." The melody of a song, the soprano part

Cantus firmus
(Latin) Fixed Melody

Capo
(Italian) Head. The beginning of a song or piece of music

In guitar, a device used for transposing. Also "capo tasto"

Capocchia
(Italian) Notehead

Cappella
(Italian) Church. An esemble that plays or sings in the church

Capriccio
(Italian) Short piece usually for piano that is free in nature

Carillon
A musical instrument consisting of at least 23 cast bronze cup-shaped bells

Carmen
(Latin) Song

Carol
(English) Medieval type of hymn with a refrain repeat after each stanza. In modern times, a Christmas song

Carole
(French) A popular dance in the 12th and 13th centuries. Scholars know of no surviving examples of this type of dance

Cassettina
(Italian) Wood block

Castanet (MORE)
Percussion instrument traditionally used in Spanish flamenco dances zambra and siguiriyas

Castrato
(Italian) A male singer who had been castrated to preserve the high register of a young boy's voice

Catalog
The collection of master recordings owned by a record label

CBGB  (MORE)
A music venue in New York City from 1973-2006 that has been credited as being the birthplace of the American Punk Rock movement

Cecilia
Patron saint of music

Cédez
(French) Yield

Celesta (MORE)
A set of bells played by a keyboard and contained in a case much like that of a cabinet organ

Cello   (MORE)
A stringed instrument that is played with a bow, larger than a violin. Also violincello

Cembalo
(Italian, German) Harpsichord

Centoventottavo
(Italian) 128th note

Ces
(German) C-flat

Chalumeau
A woodwind instrument that looks much like a recorder but with a mouthpiece like a clarinet

Chaconne
(French) Variations on a repeated chord progression

Chamber Music
Music played by a small ensemble of about 3-4 instruments

Con moto
(Italian) With motion

Con passione
(Italian) With passion

Con spirito
(Italian) With spirit

Con tenerezza
(Italian) With tenderness

Concert
A public performance of usually one performer or band of musicians, usually greater than one hour in length

Concert Master
In the orchestra, the person who occupies the first chair in the violin section. This person usually plays any solo passages and also is responsible for tuning the orchestra prior to rehearsals and performances

Concert Pitch
The universal standard for tuning, especially in a band or orchestra, typically the note A, which is equal to 440hz

Concerto
A longer piece in several parts usually for solo instrument and orchestra

Concerto grosso
(Italian) In Baroque music, a small group of solo instruments playing in contrast with a larger group that serves as the accompaniment

Conch
A type of wind instrument made from large sea-shells

Concordant
When a sound or group of sounds is pleasant when heard

Conducting
A series of arm and hand gestures used by a Conductor to lead a group of musicians together through the piece of music they are performing

Conductor
The person who leads a group of musicians together through the piece of music they are performing, usually with a series of arm and hand gestures

Conjunct, Conjunct movement
Describes a melody that moves in a step-wise pattern rather than in leaps

Connecting note
In a chord progression, a common note between the two chords

Console
Another name for the keyboard. Also on the organ, the name for the keyboard, pedals and stops

Consonance
When a sound or group of sounds is pleasant when heard

Continuo
(Italian) Without stopping, continuous

Contra
(Italian) Under

Contrabass
(German) Double Bass

Contrabasso
(Italian) Double Bass

Contrary Motion
Two voices or parts that are played opposite of each other, i.e., one goes up and the other down

Contrebass
(French) Double Bass

Copla
(Spanish) Song, verse

Copyright  (MORE)
Ownership rights given to the creator of a work, for example, a painting or a song

Cor
(French) Horn

Cor Anglais (MORE)
(French) A double reed woodwind instrument of the oboe family, also called English Horn

Cor de Bassette (MORE)
(French) The tenor clarinet belonging to the family of woodwind single-reed instruments, also Basset Horn

Cor de Chasse
(French) French Horn

Corante, Coranto
(Italian) A dance usually in 3/2 time

Corchete
(Spanish) Flag

Corda, Corde
(Italian) String

Cornamusa
(Italian) Bagpipe

Cornemuse
(French) Bagpipe

Cornet  (MORE)
A brass instrument with a cup-shaped mouthpiece

Cornet-à-Piston
(French) Cornet

Cornett
(German) Cornet

Cornetto
(Italian) Cornet

Corno
(Italian) Horn

Corno inglés  (MORE)
(Spanish) English Horn

Corno inglese  (MORE)
(Italian) English Horn

Corono di bassetto (MORE)
(Italian) The tenor clarinet belonging to the family of woodwind single-reed instruments, also Basset Horn

Corona
(Spanish) Fermata

Corps
(French) The body of an instrument. Also, a group or company of musicians

Corpse paint, Corpsepaint
Make-up used by some metal bands, usually black and white

Counterfeit
Merchandise for sale that looks like the real product but is really a copied product made to look like the original

Counterpoint
In composition, the use of two or more independent melodies that are harmoninous when played

Courante
A lively French dance in triple meter

Cowbell
A hand percussion instrument names after the bell worn by cows, used to keep track of where they are.

Credo
In the Roman Catholic mass, the third acclamation ("I Believe in One God")

Cresc
(Abbreviation) Crescendo

Crescendo
(Italian) To play gradually louder

Croche
(French) Eighth note

Crochet
(French) Flag

Croma
(Italian) Eighth note

Cross-stringing
In a piano, arranging the strings vertically, overlapping and slanted. (Also called "overstringing")

Crotchet
(Latin) (British) Quarter note

Crwth
(Welsh) A anicent type of bowed stringed musical instrument

Crystallophone
A musical instrument classification. An instrument whose sound is produced by glass

Cuadrada
(Spanish) Double whole note, uncommon

Cuerda
(Spanish) String

Cup
A mute used with brass instruments

Cupo
(Italian) Dark

Cut time
2/2 time, symbolized by a C with a line through it

Cymbales  (MORE)
(French) Cymbals

Cymbals  (MORE)
Two thin round plates of copper and tin alloy with a handle strap in the middle of each for holding them.

Chanson
(French) Song. From the Middle Ages and Renaissance, a polyphonic song usually played in the court

Charleston
(United States) A popular dance of the 1920s that was lively and had syncopated rhythms

Chasse
(French) A hunting song

Chevalet
(French) Bridge

Chiave di basso
(Italian) Bass clef

Chiave di tenore
(Italian) C-clef

Chiave di violino
(Italian) Treble clef

Chinrest
On a violin or viola, a shaped piece made of wood or plastic that is attached to the instrument's body and upon which the player rests his or her chin

Choir
A group of singers who perform together, singing in parts. Also the part of the church set aside for the choir. Also a group of similar instruments who perform together

Choral
Belonging to a choir

Choral prelude
In Baroque music, a type of church song where the melody has many embellishments and ornaments

Chorale
A hymn originating from the German Lutheran Church usually written for 4 voice parts

Chord (MORE)
A group of usually 3-4 notes based on certain notes of the scale

Chord progression
The movement from one chord to another

Chordophone
an instrument that creates sound by vibration of a string or a string stretched between 2 points, the third category of the Hornbostel-Sachs system

Chorus
A group of singers who perform together. Also, the music written for this group. Also, the refrain of a song

Chromatic (MORE)
Ascending or descending by half-steps

Chromatic signs
Another term for "accidental," which is the sharps, flats and naturals in a piece of music that are not in the key signature

Cimbali  (MORE)
(Italian) Cymbals

Cimbalos  (MORE)
(Spanish) Cymbals

Cinelli  (MORE)
(Italian) Cymbals

Circle of Fifths (MORE)
(sometimes called the Circle of Fourths) is an chart or graph used to organize all the major and minor key signatures in Western music

Cis
(German) C-sharp

Cláirseach
(Gaelic) Irish folk harp

Clapper
The part of a bell that hangs down and strikes the bell, making the sound. In percussion, one of the many instruments that make the sound when struck together, such as the castanets or cymbals

Claque
People who are hired to applaud or boo at a performance, in order to ensure either a positive or negative response to the production

Clarinet (MORE)
Single reed woodwind instrument

Clarinete  (MORE)
(Spanish) Clarinet

Clarinette (MORE)
(French) Clarinet

Clarinette Basse (MORE)
(French) Bass Clarinet

Clarinetto (MORE)
(Italian) Clarinet

Clarinetto Basso (MORE)
(Italian) Bass Clarinet 

Clavecin, Claveçin
(French) Harpsichord

Clavecín
(Spanish) Harpsichord

Clavicembalo
(Italian) Harpsichord

Clavicémbalo
(Spanish) Harpsichord

Clavicimbel
(German) Harpsichord

Clavier
(French, German) Any musical instrument that has a keyboard

Clef
A symbol placed on the staff at the beginning of a line of music that tells the performer which line is to be which note. The most common are the “Treble Clef” (G-clef) and “Bass Clef” (F-clef)

Clef de fa
(French) Bass clef

Clef de sol
(French) Treble clef

Clef d'ut
(French) C-clef

Cocus Wood
A type of wood from West India, used for making flutes

Coda
(Italian) Tail—when used in a composition, it is the last section of a piece of music

Col
(Italian) with

Col destra
(Italian) with the right hand (C.d.)

Col sinistra
(Italian) with the left hand (C.s.)

Coll'
(Italian) with

Colla
(Italian) with

Colla destra
(Italian) with the right hand (C.d.)

Colla sinistra
(Italian) with the left hand (C.s.)

Colle
(Italian) with

Commodamente
(Italian) comfortable

Common Chord (MORE)
A chord that consists of 1-3-5, as in a triad

Common Time (MORE)
Another way to say “4/4 time”

Comp
In jazz, the accompaniment for the soloist

Composer
A person who writes music

Composition
A musical work. Also, the process of composing such a work

Compound Harmony
Adding an octave in the bass

Compound Interval (MORE)
Any interval greater than an octave

Compound Meter
Any time signature whose beat unit is divisible by 3

Compound Time
Any time signature whose beat unit is divisible by 3

Con
(Italian) With

Con amore
(Italian) With love

Con brio
(Italian) With spirit, brilliance

Con fuoco
(Italian) With fire

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