Books › A dictionary of musical terms, 1898 › scan 40
Scan 40
A dictionary of musical terms, 1898
48 lines. Read by computer on 16 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1Dactyl. A metrical foot, consisting of a long syllable followed by two short syllables, – u u
2Dactylion (Gk.) An instrument invented by Henri Herz, for strengthening the fingers for pianoforte-playing.
3Daina or Dainos. A term given to some little Lithuanian love-songs.
4Daire (T.) A tambourine.
5Dalecarlian melody. Dance-tunes of the Swedish Dalecarlians. Dalecarles, "inhabitants of the dale or valley."
6Dal segno (I.) From the sign 8. [Al segno.]
7Dalzimr. An Egyptian instrument of the oboe or reed kind.
8Damenisation. The syllables Da, Me, Ni, Po, Tu, La, Be, which Graun employed for the notes of the scale in his vocal exercises. [Solmisation.]
9Damp, to. (1) On instruments played by plucking the strings, as the harp, guitar, &c., to check the vibrations by placing the hand lightly on the strings. (2) To apply mechanical dampers.
10Damper. Certain pieces of mechanism in a pianoforte, which, after the finger has struck the key and left it, immediately check the vibrations of the strings. (2) The mute of a horn and other brass wind instruments.
11Dämpfer (G.) A damper. A violin-mute.
12Danklied (G.) Hymn of thanksgiving.
13Darabooka or Darabukkeh. An Egyptian and Arabian drum.
14Darm (G.) Catgut.
15Darmsaiten (G.) Strings of catgut.
16Dash. (1) A line drawn through a figure in thorough-bass, showing that the interval must be raised one semitone, e.g.:
17(2) A line drawn through the duple time-sign, e.g.: C, implying a division either of measurement or of pace. (3) A short stroke, placed above notes or chords, directing that they are to be played staccato. (4) In harpsichord music, a dash passing between two notes, called a slur, or coulé:
18was thus played:
19Das selbe tempo (G.) The same time. L'istesso tempo.
20Dauer (G.) Duration or continuance of notes or sound.
21Debile (I.) Languidly, feebly.
22Début (F.) A first appearance.
23Débutant (F.) A performer who appears for the first time.
24Débutante
25Decachordon (Gk.) An instrument with ten strings.
26Decani (L.) A term used in cathedral music to signify that the part so distinguished is to be sung by the singers on the dean's or south side of the choir, in contradistinction to "cantoris," the cantor's or præcentor's side.
27Deceptive cadence. [Cadence.]
28Décidé (F.) Firmly, with decision.
29Decima (L.) A 10th, an interval of a 10th; decima plena de tonis, a major 10th; decima non plena de tonis, a minor 10th; decima quarta, a 14th or octave of the 7th; decima quinta, a 15th or double octave; decima tertia, a 13th or octave of the 6th. On organs, the stop tierce.
30Decimole. [Decuplet.]
31Deciso (I.) Determined, decided, with firmness; con decisione, with firmness and decision.
32Decke (G.) (1) Cover, an upper or lower plate of a resonance-box. (2) The cover of stopped metal organ-pipes, e.g.: lieblich Gedackt, the sweet-toned stopped diapason.
33Declamando (I.) In a declamatory style.
34Declamato
35Declamation. The proper rhetorical rendering of words set to music.
36Décomposé (F.) Unconnected, incoherent.
37Décoration (F.) Signature of a piece of music.
38Decrescendo (I.) Decreasing gradually the volume of tone. Indicated in music by the abbreviations dec., decres., or the sign
39Decuplet. A group of ten notes played in the time of eight or four.
40Dedication. An address or inscription to a patron or friend, prefixed to a work.
41Deductio (L.) The succession of notes as they appear in their proper places in the hexachords, which are in consequence called prima deductio, secunda, &c., up to septima.
42Deficiendo (I.) Gradually dying away.
43Degré (F.) Degree of a scale.
44Degree in music. The rank or title conferred by an University on a candidate who has matriculated and passed through the necessary examinations. They are of two kinds, Bachelor in (or of) Music, and Doctor of Music.
45Degree of a scale. A step in the tone-ladder; it may consist of a semitone, a tone, or (in the minor scale) of an augmented tone.
46Dehnung (G.) Expansion, extension.
47Dehnungstriche (G.) A long stroke with the bow.
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