Free Music Glossary

G

• G.P. See Generalpause.
• gai Gay, merry.
• galante Gallant, courtly, elegant.
• galanter Stil See gallant style.
• gallant style A clear, elegant, uncomplicated style that arose in contrast to the more complex style of Baroque counterpoint.
• galliard Lively triple-meter French court dance.
• galop A lively ballroom dance, generally in 2/4 time.
• gamme See scale.
• gamut See ambitus.
• ganz Whole, entire, all.
• Ganze See whole note.
• Ganzenote See whole note.
• Ganzton See whole tone.
• garbato Kind, amiable, graceful
• gaudioso Joyous, joyful.
• gavotte Duple meter baroque dance of a pastoral character.
• gebrochen “Broken”.
• gebrochener Akkord See arpeggio.
• gebroken akoord See arpeggio.
• gehalten See tenuto.
• gehend See andante.
• geistvoll Spirited, brilliant; with great sound.
• gelijkzwevende temperatuur See equal temperament.
• gemell See gymel.
• general pause See Generalpause.
• general rest See Generalpause.
• Generalbass See thorough bass.
• Generalpause Rest or pause for all performers.
• genre Term used to identify a general category of music that shares similar performance forces, formal structures and/or style.
• gentile Gentle, kind.
• gepuncteerde noot See dotted note.
• Gesamtkunstwerk The integration of all of the arts (music, poetry, dance and other visual elements) into a single medium of dramatic expression. This term was used by Richard Wagner to describe the vision of his later operas in the late Romantic era.
• gesangvoll See cantabile.
• geschwind Swift, swiftly.
• geteilt See divisi.
• getheilt See divisi.
• ghost note See false note.
• gig A term commonly applied to a musical engagement of one night's duration only.
• giga See gigue.
• gigue A lively baroque dance in compound meter originating from the British jig, imported into France in the mid-17th century. It usually appears at the end of a suite.
• gimel See gymel.
• giocoso Jolly, merry, playful.
• gioioso “Joyful”.
• giubilante See giubiloso.
• giubilo Rejoicing, jubilation.
• giubiloso Jubilant.
• giusto A directive to perform in an equal, steady, exact tempo.
• gizmo key On a flute, an optional key on the B foot joint which can enhance the responsiveness of C7 (the highest C playable on a flute).
• glee An English part song for three or more voices originating in the 17th century.
• glee club Originally, a club designed for the singing of glees, originating in 1787 and dissolved in 1857. In modern usage, a glee club is a club usually, but not necessarily, exclusive to males, organized for the singing of vocal compositions.
• gleichschwebende Stimmung See equal temperament.
• glide See portamento.
• gliss. See glissando.
• glissando Rapid slide through pitches of a scale. A glissando with the voice is known as portamento.
• glissement See glissando.
• goliard song Medieval Latin-texted secular song, often with corrupt or lewd lyrics; associated with wandering scholars.
• gopak See hopak.
• gospel music Twentieth century sacred music style associated with Protestant African-Americans.
• grace note Ornamental note, often printed in small type.
• gracieusement Gracefully.
• grado See degree.
• graffa See brace.
• grand opera A style of opera that was developed in France in the 19th century that involved no spoken dialogue. It contained huge choruses, serious plots, elaborate dance episodes, ornate costumes and spectacular scenery.
• grand staff A combination of two staves with a brace, usually used for piano music.
• grandioso Majestic, grand, noble.
• grave The slowest tempo in music, usually slower than 40 BPM.
• gravità Gravity, utmost seriousness or solemnity.
• Gregorian chant Monophonic melody with a freely flowing, unmeasured vocal line; liturgical chant of the Roman Catholic Church.
• Gregorian mode See church mode.
• groove Groove is the sense of propulsive rhythmic “feel” or sense of “swing” created by the interaction of the music played by a band's rhythm section (usually drums, electric bass or double bass, guitar, and keyboards).
• grosse Pause See Generalpause.
• grosso Large, great, grand.
• ground bass See basso continuo.
• grunge rock Contemporary Seattle-based rock style characterized by harsh guitar chords; hybrid of punk rock and heavy metal.
• grupeto See turn.
• gruppetto See turn.
• guerriero Martial, warlike.
• guidon See custos.
• gymel A Medieval technique of splitting one voice part into two parts, both with the same range. In most cases the voices would start and end together, but would diverge in the middle of the composition.
• gypsy scale A scale resembling the harmonic minor scale, but with an augmented fourth. It is called the Gypsy scale because of its exotic sound and its use in Hungarian music.