H
Harmonic Stops
Organ-stops with pipes of twice the standard length pierced with a small hole at the middle, causing them to sound the first overtone…
Harmonica
(I) An instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin, the sounds of which were produced from glass bowls. (2) An instrument consisting of plates…
Harmonicon
A toy instrument with free reeds, blown by the mouth. Harmonics, Overtones, Partial Tones. (I) The sounds produced by the division of a…
Harmonium
A keyboard instrument with free reeds. It differs from the reed organ in that the air is forced through instead of drawn through the reeds…
Harp
A string instrument of very ancient origin, probably first suggested by the bow. The earliest forms of Egyptian harps resemble that weapon…
Halbe Cadenz (Ger.) – Hauptmanuel
The smallest interval in modern music. A Norwegian dance in triple time.
Heiter (Ger.)
Heptachord [Gr., hepta, seven; korde, string]. A scale or lyre with seven diatonic sounds. Haydn, Michael. Composer; Austria. B. 1737; d…
Hidden Fifths or Octaves
Called also concealed. These occur when two parts or voices take a 5th or 8th in parallel motion. The rule forbidding hidden 5ths and 8ths…
Hohlflöte (Ger.) (hole-fla-teh)
Hollow flute; an organ-stop of 8-foot tone, soft, full quality; a stop of the same character a fifth above the diapason is called…
Holding Note
A sustained note; a pedal point. Homophony, Homophonic, Homo'phonous [Gr., homo, one or single; phonos, sound]. Music in which one part…
Hornpipe
An old English dance of a lively, rapid character. Horn-Sordin (Ger.). A contrivance placed in the mouth of the horn to deaden the tone.
Hymn Tune
A musical setting of a religious lyric poem, generally in four parts. Hofmann, Joseph. Composer, pianist; Germany. B. 1877. Hol, Richard…
Hauptnote – Hochzeitsmarsch (Ger.) (hoch-tseits)
Essential note in a turn, mordent, etc. Literally, high time. A wedding march.