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MUSICIAN DICTIONARY

Dictionary I (Terms only)
Idée fixe
(French) Fixed idea. In music, a recurring theme throughout the movements of a larger composition

Idiophone  (MORE)
An instrument that produces sound by vibrating itself without use of strings or membranes, the first category of the Hornbostel-Sachs system. Also called autophone

Idyl
A short poem

Igil
A two-stringed Tuvan musical instrument, played by using a bow across the strings.  It is held between the legs. The strings are usually made from horsetail hair, but some modern instruments are made with nylon strings. The igil has no frets.

Immer
(German) Always, ever

Impressionism  (MORE)
A style of writing from 19th-century France that uses dissonance and are based on different scales than major or minor, i.e., whole-tone scale

Impromptu
(French) A casual, spontaneous type of piano piece in a single movement

Intermedio
(Italian) A short musical skit performed between the acts of a play

Interrupted Cadence(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 deceptive or surprise

Interval  (MORE)
The distance between two notes

Intonation
The playing of a note so that it is in tune. Also, the notes sung in Plainchant

Intro
The opening

Invention
A short composition generally from the Baroque Era

Inversion
The position of notes in a chord when a note other than the root is on the bottom

Islancio
(Italian) Impetuous

Ite, missa est
(Latin) "Go, the Mass is ended"

Improvisation  (MORE)
Making up a composition or variations on a theme as you are playing

In Nomine
(Latin) In the Name (of the Lord)

Incalzando
(Italian) Pressing onward

Inconsolato
(Italian) Mournful

Inconsonant
Dissonant

Indie
Independent, as in an independent record company

Inflection
Changes in the pitch or stress of the voice

Innocentemente
(Italian) Innocently

Inquieto
(Italian) Agitated

Instruments à percussion
(French) Percussion Instruments

Interlude
A piece of music that is performed in between something else, also a section within a larger work

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