Free Music Glossary

D

• D.C. See da capo.
• D.S. See dal segno.
• D♯ roller An optional feature added to the E♭ key of a flute, facilitating the movements of the little finger.
• da capo Literally, “from the beginning”. A directive to go back to the beginning of the composition.
• da capo aria A lyric song in A-B-A form, commonly found in operas, cantatas and oratorios.
• da niente See dal niente.
• dal niente Literally, “from nothing”. Out of silence.
• dal segno A directive to go back to a specific place of a composition, marked by a sign.
• dampen A directive to muffle, deaden or restrain the tone of an instrument.
• dämpfen See dampen.
• dance Any physical movements done to music.
• danse See dance.
• danza See dance.
• dasselbe Zeitmaß See l'istesso tempo.
• Dauer See duration.
• dB See decibel.
• dead note See false note.
• decani In Anglican church music, referring to the half of the choir sitting on the dean's side of the church.
• decay The time that it takes for a note to die away once the musician has stopped producing the sound.
• decibel A logarithmic unit for measuring the intensity of sound, corresponding to the listener's perception of loudness.
• decisivo See deciso.
• deciso Decided, bold.
• decr. See diminuendo.
• decrescendo See diminuendo.
• deel See movement.
• degré See degree.
• degree Any tone of the diatonic scale.
• demi “Half”.
• demi-ton See semitone.
• demisemiquaver See thirty-second note.
• descant See treble.
• dessus See treble.
• détaché Not slurred.
• determinato See deciso.
• deux “Two”.
• devil in music See diabolus in musica.
• di molto “By much”.
• di sopra See sopra.
• diabolus in musica Literally, “the devil in music”. A medieval name for the tritone.
• diatonic Melody or harmony built from the seven tones of a major or minor scale.
• diatonic scale A seven note musical scale, consisting of five whole steps and two half steps.
• diatonico See diatonic.
• diatoninen See diatonic.
• diatonique See diatonic.
• diatonische See diatonic.
• diatonisk See diatonic.
• dièse See sharp.
• diesis See sharp.
• difference tone A lower tone that is heard when two higher notes are played in such a way that the frequency of the difference tone is the difference of the frequencies of the other two notes.
• digitación See fingering.
• dim. See diminuendo.
• dimin. See diminuendo.
• diminuendo A directive to smoothly decrease the volume.
• diminution A Renaissance and Baroque ornamentation which consists of the restatement of a melody in which the note values are shortened, usually by half.
• direct See custos.
• direct motion Similar or parallel motion in which two or more parts rise or fall in the same direction simultaneously.
• dirge A generic term used for a composition designed specifically for a funeral or in commemoration of the dead.
• discant See treble.
• discantus See treble.
• disco Commercial dance music popular in the 1970s, characterized by strong percussion in a quadruple meter.
• discord See dissonance.
• discordant See dissonance.
• disgiunto See disjunct.
• disjoint See disjunct.
• disjunct A melodic line that moves by leaps and skips rather than in steps.
• disjunto See disjunct.
• disonancia See dissonance.
• dispersed harmony Harmony in which the notes which form the various chords are widely dispersed.
• dissonance Any interval or chord that sounds impure, harsh, or unstable.
• dissonant See dissonance.
• Dissonanz See dissonance.
• dissonanza See dissonance.
• distante See lointain.
• diteggiatura See fingering.
• divertimento Instrumental composition intended for entertainment, usually in a number of movements. The term is used particularly in the second half of the 18th century.
• divertissment A light, entertaining dance and music combination related to the divertimento.
• divisi Literally, “divided”. A directive in ensemble music that instructs one section to divide into two or more separate sections, each playing a separate part. Often these separate parts are written on the same staff.
• Dixie See Dixieland.
• Dixieland An early style of jazz originating in the early 20th century in New Orleans with a simple, cheerful character.
• do central See middle C.
• do centrale See middle C.
• dobbeltkryds See double sharp.
• dobbeltslag See turn.
• dobbelttrille See double trill.
• doble bemol See double flat.
• doble redonda See double whole note.
• doble sostenido See double sharp.
• dodecaphony Ensuring that all 12 notes of the chromatic scale are sounded as often as one another in a piece of music while preventing the emphasis of any.
• doigté See fingering.
• dol. See dolce.
• dolce Sweet, soft, with tender emotion.
• dolcissimo Very sweet, very soft.
• dolente Sorrowful.
• doloroso Sorrowful, painful.
• dominant The fifth degree of a diatonic scale.
• donna Literally, “woman”, or “lady”. In opera, each of the principal female singers.
• dopo “After”.
• doppel “Double”.
• Doppel-B See double flat.
• Doppelganze See double whole note.
• Doppelganzenote See double whole note.
• Doppelkreuz See double sharp.
• Doppelschlag See turn.
• Doppeltriller See double trill.
• doppio “Double”.
• doppio bemolle See double flat.
• doppio diesis See double sharp.
• doppio trillo See double trill.
• dorian A mode used in Gregorian chant based upon the second tone of the major scale. In the key of C, the Dorian mode would be based on D, and would include D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D.
• dosillo See duplet.
• dotted note A note that has a dot placed to the right of the notehead, indicating that the duration of the note should be increased by half again its original duration.
• double During the Baroque period, a repetition or variation of an air or a dance that adds extra notes and/or ornaments.
• double bémol See double flat.
• double croche See sixteenth note.
• double dièse See double sharp.
• double exposition In a concerto, a twofold statement of the theme, once by the orchestra and once by the soloist.
• double flat An accidental sign consisting of two flat symbols, that lowers a note by two semitones.
• double note See double whole note.
• double ronde See double whole note.
• double sharp An accidental sign (‛x’) that raises a note by two semitones.
• double tonguing A technique used in playing the flute and brass instruments which allows notes to be played in rapid succession. It is achieved by rapidly forming the consonants “T” and “K” in quick succession.
• double trill A simultaneous trill on two notes, usually in the distance of a third.
• double whole note A note twice as long as a whole note. Mainly used in pre-1650 music.
• douce See dolce.
• doucement Softly.
• downbeat The first beat of a measure, the strongest in any meter.
• dramatic soprano A soprano voice type with a heavier tone color and more power throughout her range.
• dramma giocoso A kind of comic opera originating around 1750, with sentimental or pathetic plots bordering on tragedy rather than the traditional lighthearted comic plots.
• Dreiklang See triad.
• driedelige maatsoort See triple meter.
• drone A harmonic or monophonic effect or accompaniment where a note or chord is continuously sounded throughout much or all of a piece, sustained or repeated.
• dry recitative See recitativo secco.
• dubbelbe See double flat.
• dubbeldrill See double trill.
• dubbele triller See double trill.
• dubbelkors See double sharp.
• dubbelkruis See double sharp.
• dubbelmol See double flat.
• dubbelslag See turn.
• dubbelslag See turn.
• duct flute A type of flute, whose pitch is produced by an air column moving through a channel, or duct, and directed to strike a sharp edge or lip causing the air column to split and vibrate. Several types of duct flutes include recorder, flageolet, penny whistle, whistle flute and slide whistle.
• duet A composition for two performers.
• duetto See duet.
• duina See duplet.
• dump A slow, melancholic old English dance, usually in 4/4 time.
• dumpe See dump.
• duo See duet.
• duol See duplet.
• Duole See duplet.
• duolet See duplet.
• duoli See duplet.
• duool See duplet.
• duple meter A rhythmic pattern with the the number of beats per measure being divisible by two.
• duplet A group of two notes played in the time usually taken to play three.
• Dur See major.
• dur Literally, “hard”. With a harsh or ungraceful tone.
• durata See duration.
• duration The length of time that a note is sounded or a rest (silence) is observed.
• Durchkomponiert See through-composed.
• durée See duration.
• duur See duration.
• duuri See major.
• dwarsfluit See flute.
• dynamics The softness or loudness of a sound or note.