New Musical Terms

NEW MUSICAL TERMS (by Tom Hurd on piano-teachers@yahoo.com)

In order to keep you abreast of the ever-developing world of musical terminology, we provide herewith the latest additions to the esteemed Harvard Dictionary of Music:

ALLREGRETTO - When you're 16 measures into the piece and realize you took too fast a tempo
ANGUS DEI - To play with a divinely beefy tone
A PATELLA - Accompanied by knee-slapping
APPOLOGGIATURA - A composition that you regret playing
APPROXIMATURA - A series of notes not intended by the composer, yet played with an "I meant to do that" attitude
APPROXIMENTO - A musical entrance that is somewhere in the vicinity of the correct pitch
CACOPHANY - A composition incorporating many people with chest colds
CORAL SYMPHONY - A large, multi-movement work from Beethoven's Caribbean Period
DILL PICCOLINI - An exceedingly small wind instrument that plays only sour notes
FERMANTRA - A note held over and over and over and over and . . .
FERMOOTA - A note of dubious value held for indefinite length
FIDDLER CRABS - Grumpy string players
FLUTE FLIES - Those tiny mosquitos that bother musicians on outdoor gigs
FRUGALHORN - A sensible and inexpensive brass instrument
GAUL BLATTER - A French horn player
GREGORIAN CHAMP - The title bestowed upon the monk who can hold a note the longest
GROUND HOG - Someone who takes control of the repeated bass line and won't let anyone else play it
PLACEBO DOMINGO - A faux tenor
SCHMALZANDO - A sudden burst of music from the Guy Lombardo band
THE RIGHT OF STRINGS - Manifesto of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Violists
SPRITZICATO - An indication to string instruments to produce a bright and bubbly sound
TEMPO TANTRUM - What an elementary school orchestra is having when it's not following the conductor
TROUBLE CLEF - Any clef one can't read: e.g., alto clef for pianists
VESUVIOSO - An indication to build up to a fiery conclusion
VIBRATTO - Child prodigy son of the concertmaster