keepcalmandkarajan

*APPOLOGGIATURA*: A composition that you regret playing

*APPROXIMENTO*: A musical entrance that is somewhere in the vicinity of the correct pitch

*DILL PICCOLINI*: An exceedingly small wind instrument that plays only sour notes

*ALLREGRETTO*: When you’re well into the piece and realize you took too fast a tempo

*ANGUS DEI*: To play with a divinely beefy tone

*APPROXIMATURA*: Notes not intended by the composer, yet played with an “I mean that”

attitude

*CACOPHANY*:A composition incorporating many people with chest colds

*CORAL SYMPHONY*: A large, multi-movement work from Beethoven’s Caribbean Period

*FERMANTRA*: A note held over and over and over and over and …

*FERMOOTA*: A note of dubious value held for indefinite length

*FIDDLER CRABS*: Grumpy string players

*FLUTE FLIES*: Those tiny mosquitoes that bother musicians on outdoor gigs

*FRUGALHORN*: A sensible and inexpensive brass instrument

*GAUL BLATIER*: A French horn player

*GREGORIAN CHAMP*: Title bestowed upon the monk who can hold a note the longest

*GROUND HOG*: One who takes control of the bass line and won’t let anyone else play it

*PLACEBO DOMINGO*: A faux tenor

*SCHMALZANDO*: Music from the Guy Lombardo band

*RIGHT OF STRINGS*: Manifesto for Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Violists

*SPRITZICATO*: An indication to string instruments to produce a bright and bubbly sound

*TEMPO TANTRUM*: What a school orchestra has when it’s not following the conductor