A FEW WORDS BEYOND THE BEAT

Music is a language of its own, but it has words: 12 terms explained

Image: Sarah Dao

As with any other complex art or science, music generates its own lexicon, full of technical terms that describe the speed, the color, the intention, and a million more things that make music what it is.

Delving into the origins and meanings of terms like legato, opus, baritone, and more, reveals a fascinating journey through time and across continents. These terms, often rooted in ancient languages or musical traditions, carry narratives that unveil the intricate layers of musical expression.

Image: Stefany Andrade

One of a handful of words in this list that is much heard within the classical music realm, allegro originates from the Italian language. It serves as a dynamic descriptor for a brisk and lively tempo.

Derived from the Latin word alacer, meaning lively or quick, allegro encapsulates the essence of energetic movement within musical compositions. Often indicated at the beginning of a piece or a specific section, it instructs performers to approach the music in a lively and swift manner.

Image: Iyinolouwa Onaeko

Another term rooted in Italian, a cappella embodies a musical style where vocal harmonies take center stage without instrumental accompaniment. Its origins trace back to the Italian phrase alla cappella translating to "in the style of the chapel".

This term emerged during the Renaissance era when vocal music, predominantly sacred, was performed in chapels without instrumental support. Nowadays, this style transcends genres, embracing everything from classical compositions to contemporary pop arrangements.

Image: Victor Serban

Italians have done a lot for music and it shows in the lexicon. The Italian term arpeggio comes from arpeggiare, meaning "to play on a harp." It describes a musical technique where notes within a chord are played sequentially rather than simultaneously.

Originating from the harp's characteristic practice of sounding individual strings in succession to create a chord, the term extends beyond harp music to serve various instruments and genres. It involves the fluid and distinct articulation of each note within a chord, producing a cascading effect that adds depth, resonance, and a sense of harmonic richness to musical passages.

Image: Dayne Topkin

Let us leave Italians aside—only for a moment—and focus here on a Greek word instead: canon originates from kanōn, meaning "rule" or "law." It defines a compositional technique where a melody or musical line is imitated and repeated by different voices or instruments with precise temporal offsets.

This technique, prevalent in Western classical music, establishes a strict structure wherein subsequent voices echo the initial theme in a contrapuntal manner, creating layers of interwoven melodies. The most famous example of this structure is Johann Pachelbel’s famous "Canon in D."

Image: Samuel Sianipar

The term coda, stemming from the Italian word for "tail," serves as a musical element used to express the conclusion of a piece. Originating in the Baroque period, the coda is a passage where themes culminate, offering a sense of resolution to a composition.

Working as a musical punctuation, the coda provides a conclusive endpoint, whether it's a delicate fade-out or a powerful, emphatic finale.

Image: Rob Simmons

The Italian term crescendo means "growing." It is used to represent a gradual increase in volume, intensity, or force within a musical passage. Also originating from the Baroque era, this dynamic marking instructs musicians to amplify the sound progressively.

The crescendo indicates performers to elevate the volume gradually from a softer to a louder dynamic level. It serves as a powerful tool for shaping musical phrases, building climactic moments, and infusing compositions with a sense of anticipation, leading to a peak before resolving into subsequent musical expressions.

Image: Arindam Mahanta

The word tempo is derived from the Latin word for "time" and it serves as a foundational element in music, defining the speed or pace at which a piece is performed. Marked at the beginning of a musical score with terms like the previously mentioned allegro (fast), adagio (slow), or using metronome markings, tempo guides performers in maintaining a consistent beat throughout a piece.

To put it more simply, tempo is the heartbeat of music, influencing mood, energy, and emotional depth, allowing for a diverse range of interpretations and enhancing the expressive nature of musical performances.

Image: Elvis Manuel Villanueva Vargas

Derived from the Italian word for "texture" or "weaving," tessitura refers to the predominant range or pitch zone within which a musical piece or a specific vocal part lies. Originating from the realm of opera, this term describes not only the average range but also the most frequently used or comfortable notes for a voice or instrument throughout a composition.

For singers, understanding the tessitura is crucial as it dictates the ease or difficulty of vocal execution within a piece. Composers and arrangers consider tessitura when crafting melodies or instrumental parts, ensuring a comfortable and expressive range while shaping the overall texture and emotional depth of the music.

Image: Alexander Wark Feeney

One thing Johnny Cash, David Bowie, and Elvis Presley have in common is their voice type. A baritone, stemming from the Italian word baritono, denotes a male voice type with a range lying between the bass and tenor voices.

Originating from the world of opera, the baritone voice possesses a rich and versatile quality, capable of delivering both lower, resonant notes and higher, more lyrical tones. With a tessitura typically situated between the bass's depth and the tenor's height, baritones often portray a wide array of characters on stage, embodying heroes, villains, or nuanced roles within operatic performances.

Image: Gwen King

A word that brings to mind big stages and imposing men with grandiose voices, tenor originated from the Latin word tenere meaning, "to hold." The word describes a male voice type characterized by its range, typically lying between the countertenor and baritone. Think of Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, or Enrico Caruso but also pop voices like Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, or Phil Collins.

Known for its versatility and lyrical qualities, the tenor voice often takes on leading roles in operas, choral works, and various other musical genres as well. With a range capable of reaching both high and moderately low notes, the tenor voice embodies a blend of strength, clarity, and emotive power.

Image: Bruno Croci

A German term combined from the words leit, meaning "leading," and motif, meaning "motive," leitmotif refers to a recurring musical theme or motif associated with a particular character, place, idea, or emotion in a musical composition.

Originating from the operas of Richard Wagner during the Romantic era, this technique involves the use of distinct musical phrases or themes to represent specific elements within a larger work. Each leitmotif carries symbolic significance, serving as a musical identifier that recurs throughout the composition, providing continuity and depth to the narrative.

Image: Lucia Macedo

We end this list with one more Italian contribution to the world of music: the word legato, meaning "tied together," represents a musical technique characterized by smooth and connected notes.

Originating from the Baroque and Classical periods, this technique instructs musicians to play or sing successive notes in a flowing and seamless manner, avoiding abrupt breaks or silences between them. Marked by a curved line connecting the notes, legato allows for a continuous and lyrical expression, creating a sense of fluidity and unity within a musical phrase.

IDIOM ADVENTURES

8 Idioms And Expressions That Will Leave You Speechless

Image: Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

While some idioms are as familiar as old friends, others lurk in the linguistic shadows, waiting for their moment in the spotlight. These idioms might be rare guests in our everyday repertoire. Still, their colorful histories and unique imagery serve as potent reminders that the challenges people encounter today often echo those faced centuries ago. In this exploration, we unveil eight rare gems that may raise eyebrows, tickle your fancy, and perhaps even inspire you enough to include them in your next conversation.

Image: Jon Toney

Meaning: To make something difficult.

This idiom takes us back to the days when wagon wheels had wooden spokes. Inserting a spoke would jam the wheel, causing chaos for the unsuspecting traveler. Unfortunately, you can still experience the same thing with a bicycle (don’t try it!).

Today, using this phrase signifies throwing a wrench into someone's plans, causing an unexpected obstacle.

Image: James Lee

Meaning: To do whatever it takes to achieve something.

Hailing from Scotland, this idiom refers to the ancient practice of fashioning spoons out of cattle or sheep horns. It means that you are so determined to accomplish your objectives that unwittingly ruining something in the process—or even failing completely—is part of the cost you are willing to pay. You might want to question, though, if you really need that spoon so badly.

Image: Aziz Acharki

Meaning: To be two-faced or deceiving.

This expression is actually one of the many represented in the famous painting Netherlandish Proverbs by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (pictured at the beginning of this article). Among the many curious characters that inhabit the oil painting, a keen eye can spot a lady carrying a bucket of water in one hand and a hot ember on the end of a metal tong in the other.

Image: Michal Bar Haim

Meaning: To be born out of wedlock.

In the olden days, a child born out of wedlock was deemed quite scandalous, as bearing children outside the institution of marriage was considered illegitimate. Many parents would have terrible headaches just thinking about the possibility of their children engaging in this kind of behavior. As a curiosity, the word wedlock is a thirteenth-century way to say "marriage," from the Old English root word wedlac or "marriage vow."

Image: Seriously Low Carb

Meaning: To know how to better benefit yourself.

This idiom has roots tracing back to the mid-1500s. Its essence lies in the wisdom of discerning one's best interests—recognizing where to channel efforts for personal gain, understanding advantageous choices, and identifying those who can be of help. The metaphor refers to the notion that the buttered side of the bread is undoubtedly the best part of it (even in an allegorical bread, apparently), and that identifying the most advantageous aspects of a situation is much like savoring the richness of the buttered side in the realm of life's choices.

Image: Mario Heller

Meaning: To submit passively to a reprimand or punishment.

An old English proverb, this one refers to the act of yielding without resistance, tamely surrendering to someone else, or a difficult situation, as if you were bowing your head to be washed. It sometimes appears in literature as "to put one’s beard to the washing," but the meaning is unchanged.

Image: Cody Wingfield

Meaning: To force yourself to do something unpleasant.

Biting the bullet is a metaphor used to depict a situation where an unavoidable impending hardship is acknowledged, and a decision is made to staunchly endure the associated pain. This metaphor draws its inspiration from the practice of providing soldiers with an object to clench in their teeth before a painful surgical procedure on the battlefield. This phrase was first recorded by Rudyard Kipling as "bite on the bullet," in his 1891 novel The Light that Failed.

Image: Markus Spiske

Meaning: To make peace.

To bury the hatchet means to end all hostilities. The expression originated in the symbolic—and sometimes literal—practice of burying or caching weapons in times of peace among Native Americans. The custom is notably associated with the formation of the Iroquois Confederacy and was prevalent in Iroquois traditions.