music terminology

The proposals by Nick Nicholas, made in [1] (with corrections by [Veijo Vilva:http://wiw.org/~jkominek/lojban/9309/msg00138.html), are repeated here for comment and emendation. This is based in the first instance on the Classical Western musical tradition, and as such privileges Italian, the normative metalanguage for that tradition. Feel free to add terminology from other traditions, but please respect the current subdivisions.

(G = German; F = French; I = Italian; E = English)

General

musicology: zgiske

musical instrument: zgica'a

orchestra: balzgibe'e

band: zgigri

string quartet (group of musicians): mosyjgita vomei

Musical Genres

folk/ethnic music; naizgi

pop music; sopselneizgi

jazz: dja'aza

techno: te'ekno

anthem: gricniselsanga

classical music: nolzgi

classical music (European): ronri'izgi

Musical Forms

symphony: simfoni

symphony movement: simfoni zei pagbu

concerto: konceto

concerto movement: konceto zei pagbu

piano concerto: pipnrpiano zei konceto

violin concerto: jgitrviolino zei konceto

string quartet (composition): mosyjgita vomei selfi'i

composition: zgiselfi'i

opera: sagdraci

operetta/musical: sagjvetavdraci

note (sound): zgika'u

note (symbol): zgika'usni

Ranges

contrabass

snoraisli

bass

tcesnosli

baritone

mlisnosli

tenor

norsnosli

alto

norsutsli

mezzo-soprano

mlisutsli

soprano

tcesutsli

soprnanino

sutraisli

Diatonic Modes

Ionian (Major)

cistrxaioni,ane or cistrxioniano

Dorian

cistrdori,ane

Phrygian

cistrfrigi,ane

Lydian

cistrlidi,ane

Mixolydian

cistrmiksolidi,ane

Aeolian (Minor)

cistrxeioli,ane or cistrxaioliano

Locrian

cistrlokri,ane

Borrowing Graeco-Latin terms in their English pronunciation (which utterly mangles them) is something I will persist in combatting. -xi,oniano, -doriano, -frigiano, -lidiano, -miksolidiano, -xai,oli,ano, -lokriano -- nitcion

• I agree and plead ignorance (and I was in fact hoping someone would correct these---I needed a way to say Aeolian for a translation I'm doing). Anyway, feel free to change the above and delete this. --jrd
  • I think that the -ano should be dropped since its function is served by the prefix cistr-. -phma

• • No. I want to retain the Latin morphology for recognisability. What the morphology actually means in Latin is immaterial. -- n

Stringed Instruments

Orchestral Strings

bende sa'erjgita

tip/point of bow

tersa'e jipno

scroll

jgita ke sarlu fanmo; jgita sarlyja'i (this brings out the purely ornamental nature of the scroll)

peg

togytikpijne

peg box

togytikpijnyvau

nut

jgita galxe (G has saddle; I has head of the fingerboard)

neck

pecta'o garna

fingerboard

pecta'o

wooden part of the bow

tersa'e mudri; tersa'e krogarna (a descriptive alternative); tersa'e tratygarna (a more functional alternative)

f-hole

me'o fy. zei kevna that does not parse; try {me me'o fy. kevna}

bridge

skosra (G, E, I have bridge, but F has support)

tailpiece

jgita skora'e (G)

bow hair

tersa'e kerfa; tersa'e tratykre (a descriptive alternative)

frog/heel of bow

tersa'e skora'e (by analogy with tailpiece)

soundpost

snakamju

string instrument

jgita

bowed string instrument

sa'erjgita

bow

tersa'e

string

terto'asko

front/table

jgita crane

back

jgita trixe

pizzicato

degji se jgita; degycpu

down-bow

nu mo'ini'a tersa'ecpu

up-bow

nu mo'iga'u tersa'ecpu

detach�

nu sepli tersa'ecpu

legato

nu kansa tersa'ecpu

lour�

nu cmacatke tersa'ecpu

martel�

nu mruli tersa'ecpu; nu skovrede'a tersa'ecpu

spiccato

nu selminra tersa'ecpu (minra means also bounce)

ricochet, jet�

nu renro tersa'ecpu

tremolo

nu tersa'e desku

snap pizzicato

nu bikla degycpu; nu ta'ordarxi degycpu

left-hand pizzicato

nu zulxa'e degycpu

harmonic

nalcmu selsli tonga

mute

smaca'a; kadyto'a (muting doesn't produce a mere change of volume but changes the tonal quality by suppressing the overtones)

portamento

tonga sakli

glissando

togyci'e sakli

scale

togyci'e

vibrato

tonga desku

trill

togycnesli; togyci'e togysli (non-enharmonic oscillation, within the scale)

scordatura

nu nalfadni togystika

double stop

nu relskosa'e

triple stop

nu cibyskosa'e

quadruple stop

nu vonskosa'e

arpeggio

nalsimcabna srato'agri (non-simultaneous chord)

chord

srato'agri (vertical tone-group)

violin

jgitrviolino

viola

jgitrviola; mlisli jgitrviolino (alto violin: F)

violoncello

jgitrviolontcelo, jgitrtcelo

double bass

jgitrkontrabaso

guitar

jgitrgitara

fret

pecta'osle

plectrum

seljgita cfine

capotasto, barre

jgitrkapotasto

mandolin

jgitrmandolino

ukulele

jgitrxukulele; civjgita ("'uku" means flea)

banjo

jgitrbanjo; damryjgita

electric bass

dikca snoslijgita

Wind Instruments

Woodwinds

flanyjoixagri

embouchure, blow hole

vaxyke'a

head joint

sedyterjo'e

closed hole

ganlo pecke'a

open hole

kalri pecke'a

pad

pecke'agai

tone hole

togytikyke'a

double reed

relxagri

conical bore

konju tu'ucra

octave key

xavyto'a batke

bocal

selxagryvau

bell

ganra tu'ucra

reed

selxagri

mouthpiece

vaxytu'upau

ligature

selxagri velyla'a

upper joint

gapru terjo'e

lower joint

cnita terjo'e

cylindrical bore

slanu tu'ucra

register key

du'ervasxu batke (G)

key

batke

finger hole

degyke'a

key hole

batkyke'a

attack

to'acfa

steady-state

to'asto

release

to'asti

legato

nu kansa vasxu

staccato

nu sepli vasxu

double tonguing

nu reroi tacto'acfa

flutter tonguing

nu desku tacto'acfa

slap tonguing

nu darxi tacto'acfa

breath tone

tcevaxyvruto'a

whistle tone

siclyto'a

smack tone

sakcyto'a

subtone

nalfadysmato'a

transverse flute

pinflani

piccolo

cmapinflani

alto flute in G

mlisli pinflani

bass flute in C

snosli pinflani

Eb flute

pinflani pe .ebu ni'ubu

recorder (alto, soprano, tenor, soprnanino, bass)

rajyflani

ocarina

flanrxokarina

oboe in C

xagrnxobo'e

English horn in F

xagrnkorno'ingleze; mlisli xagrnobo'e (Esperanto)

oboe d'amore in A

xagrnxobo'edamore

baritone oboe

snosli xagrnxobo'e

heckelphone

xagrnxekelfone

clarinet in Bb

xagrnklarineto pe me'o by ni'ubu

clarinet in A

xagrnklarineto pe me'o .abu

Bb bass clarinet

mlisnosli xagrnklarineto pe me'o by ni'ubu

Eb (D) soprano clarinet

tcesutsli xagrnklarineto pe me'o .ebu ni'ubu to me'o dy toi

Eb alto clarinet

mlisutsli xagrnklarineto pe me'o .ebu ni'ubu

Bb contrabass clarinet

snoraisli xagrnklarineto pe me'o by ni'ubu

Eb contra alto clarinet

tcesnosli xagrnklarineto pe me'o .ebu ni'ubu

basset horn in F

xagrnkornodibaseto

bassoon

xagrnfagoto

contrabassoon

xagrnkontrafagoto, snoraisli xagrnfagoto

Eb alto saxophone

norsutsli xagrnsaksofono pe me'o .ebu ni'ubu

Bb tenor saxophone

norsutsli xagrnsaksofono pe me'o by ni'ubu

Eb baritone saxophone

mlisutsli xagrnsaksofono pe me'o .ebu ni'ubu

Bb soprano saxophone

tcesutsli xagrnsaksofono pe me'o by ni'ubu

Bb bass saxophone

tcesnosli xagrnsaksofono pe me'o by ni'ubu

Eb sopranino saxophone

sutraisli xagrnsaksofono pe me'o .ebu ni'ubu

Eb contrabass saxophone

snoraisli xagrnsaksofono pe me'o .ebu ni'ubu

harmonica

xagrnxarmonika

Brass Instruments

Brasses

tabra

leadpipe

moltu'u (G)

valves

ca'erslanu

slide

togypra saklytu'u

tuning slide

togystika saklytu'u

bell

ganro tu'ucra

brassy (Schmettern)

jimto'a

bells up

tu'ucra lafti

stopped (horn)

xanzunto'a

con sordino

kadyto'a; gafto'a (the second alternative takes into account the many kinds of sordini used e.g. with trumpets)

French horn in F

tabrnkorno

Alto horn in Eb/F

mlisli tanrnflikorno

mellophone

tabrnmelofono

mellophonium

tabrnmelofonio

Wagner tuba

vagner zei tabrntuba

trumpet in Bb, C, D, Eb

tabrntromba

piccolo trumpet in Bb, A

tcetsli tabrntromba

bass trumpet in Eb, Bb

snosli tabrntromba

cornet in Bb, Eb

tabrnkorneta

flugelhorn in Bb

tabrnflikorno

trombone

tabnrtrombone; trombone; saltabra

tenor trombone

norsnosli tabrntrombone

alto trombone

norsutsli tabrntrombone

bass trombone

mutsnosli tabrntrombone

contrabass trombone

snoraisli tabrntrombone

valve trombone

ca'erslanu tabrntrombone

(contrabass) tuba in Bb, C

(snoraisli) tabrntuba

(bass) tuba in F, Eb

(tcesnosli) tabrntuba

euphonium

tabrnxe'ufonio; tcesnosli tabrnflikorno

Percussion Instruments

Percussion

damri

single stroke

pamei nundarxi

flam

pavyprudarxi nundarxi (G)

drag

relprudarxi nundarxi

ruff

so'irprudarxi nundarxi

open roll

sluseltro nundarxi

closed roll

selminra nundarxi

deadsticking

terda'i vrede'a

rim shot

nu korbi joi damri darxi

on the rim

nu korbi darxi

choked

nu togdicra

let vibrate

nu to'arcurmi

paradiddle

pardadidli

ratamacue

tsaparatsa'i Is this meant to be onomatopaeic or something? yes and so is the English

sticks, mallets

terda'i

marimba

janbrmarimba

xylophone

janbrksilofono

xylomarimba

janbrksilomarimba

orchestral bells (glockenspiel)

jabrnkampaneli

vibraphone

janbrvibrafono

tubular chimes

jabytu'u

celesta

pipnrtcelesta

gong

janbrgonge (my book lists it as a tuned instrument)

crotales

janbrkrotali

steel drum

gatydamri

handbells

xanjanbe

almglocken (cowbells)

bakyjanbe

anvil

jimda'izbe

musical saw

zgike ka'arkomcu

flexatone

janbrflesatono

tubaphone

janbrtubafono

timpani

damrntimpano

roto-tom

damrnrototomtomo

slide whistle

saklysiclybra

musical glass

zgikabri

woodblock

jungo mudbliku (I)

temple block

kulnrkore'a mudbliku (I)

claves

damrnklave

castanets

damrnkastaniete

maracas

damrnmaraka

finger cymbals

degji paltydamri

crash cymbals

simdarxi paltydamri

suspended cymbal

dandu paltydamri

hi-hat

tagji paltydamri

triangle

cibjantradamri

sleighbells

janbrsonalii

snare drum

cmalu damrntamburo; slisko damrntamburo (the snare is more fundamental than the size)

military drum

jenmi damrntamburo

bongos

damrnbongo

bass drum

damrngrankasa

tambourine

damrntamburino

whip

biklydamri

police whistle

pulji siclybra

siren

pulji karce vrubra

drum kit

damri gunma

Keyboard Instruments

key

batke; terpe'u (from Finnish, makes possible to differentiate e.g. accordions with a piano keyboard from the variants with buttons batke terpe'u) I think keys are buttons, and these should only be differentiated by shape: cukla batke, tanbo batke

keyboard

terpe'ufoi (covers also various types of computer keyboards: buttons, pressure sensitive foils etc.); batkyfoi (by analogy)

keyboard instrument

terpe'ufoi zgica'a, pipno

piano

pipnrpiano

damper

smagai

hammer

mruli

damper pedal

smajmavra

sostenuto pedal

togra'ijmavra

una corda

pavyskojmavra

tre corda

nalpi'o le pavyskojmavra

electronic piano

dikca pipno

toy piano

selkei pipno

harpsichord

pipnrtcembalo

harp

jgitrxarpa

organ

pipnrxorgano

stop

to'arkaigri

stop knob

to'arkaigri batke

accordion

xagrnfisarmonika

Vocal

falsetto

voksrfalseto

Purely Electronic

Theremin

narpencu zgicabra

--> XORNbostel.zaxs.

---

originally:

clarinet in Bb

xagrnklarineto pe by ni'ubu

clarinet in A

xagrnklarineto pe .abu

Bb bass clarinet

mlisnosli xagrnklarineto pe by ni'ubu

Eb (D) soprano clarinet

tcesutsli xagrnklarineto pe .ebu ni'ubu to dy toi

Eb alto clarinet

mlisutsli xagrnklarineto pe .ebu ni'ubu

Bb contrabass clarinet

snoraisli xagrnklarineto pe by ni'ubu

Eb contra alto clarinet

tcesnosli xagrnklarineto pe .ebu ni'ubu

basset horn in F

xagrnkornodibaseto

Don't the above say things like "Clarinet relating to <last thing

mentioned which starts with A>"? I think either a {me'o} is needed

before the letterals or they should use cmene (after the acronymn

fashion: so perhaps la me .ebu ni'ubu for Eb, etc). --mi'e .djorden.

• Correct; so emended. -- nitcion