ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR

MUSIC AND MUSICOLOGY

Basic notes

José María Casas Raya

 INDEX

1. THE SOUND ........................................................................ 2

2. DURATION .......................................................................... 3

2.1. PART OF A NOTE ....................................................... 3

2.2. NOTE VALUES AND MUSIC RESTS ............................. 4

3. PITCH.................................................................................. 5

3.1. THE STAFF/STAVE ..................................................... 5

3.2. THE CLEFS ................................................................. 6

3.3. MUSICAL NOTES ....................................................... 7

3.4. ACCIDENTALS AND KEY SIGNATURE ......................... 7

4. LOUDNESS: ARTICULATION AND DYNAMICS....................... 8

5. TIMBRE............................................................................. 10

5.1. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS......................................... 10

5.2. VOICES .................................................................... 12

5.3. ENSEMBLES AND ORCHESTRA ................................ 12

6. MUSIC GENRE AND PERIODS ............................................ 13

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1. THE SOUND
PERCEPTION OF SOUND
DURATION Duración

PITCH Altura

LOUDNESS Intensidad

TIMBRE TImbre

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2. DURATION

WORD SPANISH TRANSLATION

Rhythm Ritmo
Pulse Pulso
Tempo Tempo (velocidad del pulso)
Metre Métrica (ordenación del
sistematizada del ritmo:
binario, ternario…)
Beat Unidad de pulso de un
compás.
Measure/bar Compás (pentagrama)
Note Nota
Rest Silencio
Time signature Compás musical

2.1. PART OF A NOTE

WORD SPANISH
TRANSLATION
1 Flag Corchete
2 Stem Plica
3 Notehead Cabeza

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 WORD SPANISH
TRANSLATION
Beam Corchete (entre
varias figuras)
Dot Puntillo
(Dotted + figure = dotted crotchet).

Tie Ligadura de
prolongación.

2.2. NOTE VALUES AND MUSIC RESTS

Note/figure Name (US,BR) Rest Name

Whole note Whole note rest

Semibreve Semibreve rest

Half note Half note rest

Minim Minim rest

Fourth note Fourth note rest

Crotchet Crotchet rest

Eighth note Eighth note rest

Quaver Quaver rest

Sixteenth note Sixteenth note

rest

Semiquaver Semiquaver rest

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3. PITCH
WORD SPANISH TRANSLATION
Staff/Stave Pentagrama
Notation/Nomenclature Notación
Clef Clave
Ledger Line (*ledgered note Línea adicional
= carácter adjetivo). Nota con línea adicional.
Interval Intervalo
Scale (Diatonic, chromatic) Escala (diatónica, cromática)
System/The grand Staff Sistema (pentagramas)
Accidental Alteración
Key Signature Armadura de la tonalidad
Tonality Tonalidad (sistema tonal)
Modality (major, minor) Modalidad (mayor, menor)
Chord Acorde

3.1. THE STAFF/STAVE

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LINES SPACES
Top line Top space
Fourth line Third Space
Third line Second space
Second lind Bottom space
Bottom line
In a WRITTING mode…
ON stave/staff lines
On stave/staff spaces

3.2. THE CLEFS

MOST USEFUL CLEFS

G C F

Treble clef Middle/Alto Tenor clef Bass clef

Clef

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3.3. MUSICAL NOTES

DEGREES OF THE MUSICAL SCALE

• 1st – Tonic (key note) • I Tónica

• 2nd – Supertonic • II Supertónica

• 3rd – Mediant • III Mediante

• 4th – Subdominant • IV Subdominante

• 5th – Dominant • V Dominante

• 6th – Submediant • VI Superdominante

• 7th – Leading tone • VII Sensible/Subtónica

3.4. ACCIDENTALS AND KEY SIGNATURE

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4. LOUDNESS: ARTICULATION AND DYNAMICS

ARTICULATION
SPANISH
SYMBOL WORD
TRANSLATION
Ligadura de
Slur
expresión

Stacatto Picado

Tenuto Tenuto

Accent Acento

Marcato Marcato

Calderón o
Silence
fermata

Trill Trino

Mordent Mordente

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 DYNAMIC

*Cresc./Dim.: abreviaturas de ambos.

*Hairpins = reguladores.

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5. TIMBRE
5.1. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
WORD SPANISH TRANSLATION
Guitar Guitarra
Recorder Flauta de pico
Timpani Timbal
Xylophone Xilófono
Tambourine Pandereta
Cymbals Platillo
Euphonium Bombardino
Claves Claves
Maracas Maracas
Violin Violín
Clarinet Clarinete
French horn Trompa
Trombone Trombón
Guirp Güiro
Drum Tambor
Harp Arpa
Oboe Oboe
Flute Flauta travesera
Saxophone Saxofón
Tuba Tuba

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Wood block Caja china
Double bass Contrabajo
Keyboard Teclado
Cello Violonchelo
Organ Órgano
Triangle Triángulo
Trumpet Trompeta
Snare drum Caja (tambor)
Piano Piano
Vibraslap Vibraslap o trafaplás
Viola viola
Bass drum Bombo
Jingle Sonaja
Basoon Fagot
English horn Corno inglés
Piccolo Piccolo

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5.2. VOICES

5.3. ENSEMBLES AND ORCHESTRA

WORD SPANISH TRANSLATION
Rock band Banda de rock
Brass Quartet Cuarteto de viento (metal)
Symphony orchestra Orquesta sinfónica
Voice ensemble /Choir Conjunto de voces/Coro
String quartet Cuarteto de cuerda
Chamber ensemble Conjunto de cámara
Woodwind quartet Quinteto de viento (madera)
String chamber orchestra Orquesta de cámara
Concert band Banda sinfónica

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 THE ORCHESTRA

PERCUSSION

BR-ASS
WOODWIND

STRING

CONDUCTOR

6. MUSIC GENRE AND PERIODS

I. CLASSICAL
1) Medieval Period 2) Renaissance Period
From about 500 to 1500 AD. From 1500 to 1600.
3) Baroque Period 4) Classical Period
From 1600 to 1750. From 1750 to 1820.
5) Romantic Period 6) Twentieth Century
From 1820 to WWI.
II. JAZZ
III. SINGER-SONGWRITER
IV. POP VOCALIST
V. COMEDY

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