Axatse
A West African rattle-like percussion instrument, traditionally made of a dried gourd, wrapped in a beaded net.
Atumpan
A type of African talking drum. Played in pairs, these drums provide the bass part in Adowa dance ensembles. These drums are also found in Fontomfrom ensembles. The atumpan is […]
Atonal
Music that has no key. All the notes are treated as equal.
Arrangement
Changing a written piece of music so that it can be played by many different instruments.
Arpeggio
Playing the notes in a chord quickly one after the other.
Aria
A vocal solo, with instrumental accompaniment, from an opera or oratorio.
Arabesque
A short piano composition with extra musical decoration.
Andante
Italian for “going.” To play a piece at a moderate speed — not too fast, not too slow.
Alto
A vocal range that is usually the lowest female voice in choral music. In a four-part chorus it is below soprano and above tenor. Alto is also used to describe […]
Allegro
Italian for “happy.” To play a piece in a lively manner, at a fast (but not too fast) pace.
