B
Bag-pipe
An instrument consisting of a leather bag into which air is forced either from a bellows or by the mouth of the player; furnished with from…
Ballad
A simple song, originally a song to accompany dancing; derived from the low Latin word ballare, to dance; in its French form, ballade, it…
Ballerina (It.) (bal-leh-ree'-nah)
Bach, Johann Sebastian. Composer; Germany. B. 1685; d. 1750. Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel. Inventor of the sonata, Germany. B. 1714; d. 1788…
Band
(I) A company of instrumentalists. (2) The term is used to distinguish the various groups of instruments in the orchestra; as, string band…
Bandola (ban-do'-lah)
A variety of mandolin. -door-ree-ah). A Bandora (Fr.) (ban-do-rah), Bandore (Eng.), Pandoura (Gk.). An obsolete instrument of the guitar…
Barbiton (Gk.)
(1) A variety of lyre. (2) A string instrument resembling the violoncello (obsolete). Barcarole, Barcarolle (Fr.) (bar-ca-rol), Barcarola…
Barem (Ger.) (bah-rehm)
A soft organstop; closed pipes of eight- or sixteen-foot tone. Bargaret (Fr.) (bar-gah-reh), Barginet (Fr.) (bar-zhee-neh), Berginet (Fr.)…
Baritone
A brass instrument; a clarionet of low pitch; an obsolete variety of the viol family; the male voice ranging between bass and tenor (also…
Barré (Fr.) (bar-reh')
In guitar playing, pressing the first finger of the left hand across all the strings; the finger acts as a temporary "nut," raising the…
Base
Bass, Basso (It.), Basse (Fr.), Bass (Ger.). Low; deep. Basse chantante (Fr.) (shan-tont). Baritone voice.
Baborak or Baboracka – Bass-Pommer (Ger.)
A medley; a series of cadenzas. The F clef on the fourth line.
Basset Horn
A variety of the clarionet, ranging from F below bass staff to C above treble staff; rich quality of tone; a favorite of Mozart, who used…
Basso (It.)
The lowest part; a bass singer. Basso buffo (It.). A comic bass singer.
Bâton (Fr.)
(1) The stick used by a conductor; also, figuratively, his method of conducting. (2) A pause of several measures, signified thus 12 in…
Beat
(I) The motion of the hand or baton by which the time (rate of movement) of a piece is regulated. (2) The equal parts into which a measure…
Bebung (Ger.) (beh-boonk)
Trembling; an effect obtained on the obsolete clavichord by rapidly vibrating the finger up and down without raising it from the key; the…
Bass-Posaune (Ger.) (po-zow-neh) – Beklemmt (Ger.) (beh-klemt')
A brass instrument of low pitch. An 8-foot organ-stop of small scale.
Binary Form
A movement founded on two principal themes. Bennett, Sir Wm. Sterndale. Composer and pianist; England. B. 1816; d. 1875.
Bit
A small piece of tube used to lengthen the trumpet or other brass instrument to alter the pitch. Bizzarramente (It.) (bid-zarra-mente)…
Bémol (Fr.) (beh-mol) – Bob
A lively dance in triple time. A technical term in bell ringing.
Bocca (It.)
The mouth. Con bocca chiusa (kee - 00-sa), with closed mouth; humming. Bocca ridente (It.) (ree-den-teh). Smiling mouth; the proper…
Bombardon
Bird or Byrd, Wm. Composer; England. Bishop, Sir Henry Rowley, her husband.
Bourdon
(1) A closed organ-stop of 16 or 32-foot tone. (2) In France also 4 and 8foot stops, analogous to the stop diapason, are so called. (3) A…
Bow
(1) The implement of wood and horse-hair by means of which the strings of the violin family of instruments are set in vibration. (2) The…
Bratche (Ger.) (bratch-eh)
The viola. Corruption of the Italian Braccia (brats-chia), the arm-viol. Bravo (masc.) (It.), Brava (fem.) (bravah), Bravi (plu.)…
Bavaria
Bononcini or Buononcini, Giovanni Battista (bo-non-chee-nee or bu-o-non-cheenee). Opera, Händel's rival; Italy. B. 1662; d. 1750. Bordogni…
Break
(1) The point at which the register of the voice changes. (2) The point at which the lower octave is resumed in compound organ-stops. (3)…
Bridge
A piece of wood resting on the sound-board or resonance box, upon which the strings of piano, violin, guitar, etc., rest. Brillante (Fr.)…
Brioso (It.)
Bridge, John Frederick. Organist, composer; England. B. 1844. Brinkerhoff, Clara M. Soprano. B. 1830. Bristow, Frank L. Composer; U. S. A.
Brustwerk (Ger.) (broost-vehrk)
The pipes in the organ belonging to the swell or choir organ. Buca (It.), Schall-Loch (Ger.). The soundhole of a guitar, mandolin, etc…
Busain
Buck, Dudley. Composer, organist; U. S. Bull, "Ole" Bornemann. Violinist; Norway. B. 1810; d. 1880. Bülow, Hans von (behl-o). Pianist…
Bocktriller (Ger.) – Burletta (It.)
A bad trill. (Literally, goat's bleat). Wood. Les bois, the wood wind.