accent – acento
accidental – alteración
alto – la contralto
appoggiatura – apoyatura
ascending interval – Intervalo ascendente
augmented / perfect / diminished – aumentado, -a / justo, -a / disminuido, -a
augmented interval – intervalo aumentado
band – banda (or sometimes orquesta, as in the case of a dance band)
bar – compás
bar line – línea divisoria
baritone [singer] – el barítono
bass – el bajo
bass clef – clave de fa
bass drum – el bombo
bassoon / contrabassoon – el fagot / el contrafagot
beat – la parte or el tiempo (or pulso or golpe)
beat – tiempo
blues – blues
bow (up, down) – arco (arriba, abajo)
brass – los metales (los bronces in Latin America)
brass ensemble, etc. conjunto
bridge – puente
C clef – clave de do
castanets – las castañuelas
cello – el violonchelo
choir, chorus – el coro
Choral – coral
chord – el acorde
chromatic scale – escala cromática
clarinet / bass clarinet – el clarinete / el clarinete bajo
classical – música clásica
classical music – la música clásica
clef – clave
concert soloist – concertista
concerto – el concierto
conductor – director, director de orquesta
conductor’s score – la partitura, el score (pronounced escór)
conjunto de metales, etc.
counter tenor – contratenor
counterpoint – contrapunto
country and western – country
country music – la música country
cymbal – címbalo
cymbals – los platos
diatonic – diatónico
diatonic scale – escala diatónica
diminished interval – intervalo disminuido
dominant seventh chord – acorde de séptima dominante
Dorian Mode – modo dórico
dotted note – nota con puntillo
double bar – doble barra / doble barra de repetición
double bass – el contrabajo
double flat – doble bemol
double sharp – doble sostenido
downbeat – tiempo fuerte, primer tiempo
drumsticks (harder, softer) – las baquetas (más duras, más suaves)
duo/duet, trio, quartet, quintet – dúo, trío, cuarteto, quinteto
duration – duración
eighth rest – silencio de corchea
enharmonic – enarmónico
fingering – digitación
flat – bemol
flute / piccolo – la flauta / el flautín
Fourth – cuarto grado; (intervalo de) cuarta
G Clef – clave de sol
gong – gong
half note – blanca
Half-Step – semitono, medio tono
harmonic minor scale – escala menor armónica
harmonica – la armónica
harmony – armonía
harp – el arpa
harpsichord – clave, el clavicémbalo (pronounced clavichémbalo)
heavy metal – heavy
hip hop – hip hop
horn (French horn) – la trompa (el corno in Latin America)
horn (general term for a woodwind or brass instrument) – el instrumento (de viento)
In tune – afinado
instrument – el instrumento
instrumentalist – el/la instrumentista
interval – intervalo
Ionian mode – modo jónico
jazz – jazz
key – (1) tonalidad, tono; (2) tecla
key signature – armadura
keyboard – teclado
keyboard instruments – los instrumentos de tecla, los teclados
lead – dirigir
ledger lines – líneas adicionales
line – línea (melódica), voz.
Lydian mode – modo lidio
major – mayor
mandolin – la mandolina
mass – Misa
measure, bar – el compás
measure; bar – compás
melodic minor scale – escala menor melódica
meter – compás
metronome – metrónomo
middle C – do central
minor – menor
Mixolydian Mode – modo mixolidio
mode – modo
The following modes were supplied by Lennie B Tristano
Aeolian – eólico
Dorian – dórico
Ionian – jónico
Locrian – locrio
Lydian – lidio
Mixolydian – mixolidio
Phrygian – frigio
modern music – la música moderna
modulation – modulación
movement – el movimiento (or el tiempo)
multibar rest – compases de espera
music (the paper) – la música, la partitura
music (the subject) – la música
music score – partitura
musician – el músico
musicology – musicología
mute – la sordina
note – nota
oboe / english horn (cor anglais) – el oboe / el corno inglés
orchestra manager – el regidor
orchestral part – la partitura, la partichela
organ – el órgano
ornaments – adornos, notas de adorno
passing tones – notas de paso
pentatonic Scale – escala pentatónica
percussion – la percusión
perfect interval – intervalo justo
perfect pitch – oído absoluto
phrasing – fraseo
piano – el piano
piece, work – la obra
pipe organ – tubo de órgano
pop – música pop
premiere – estreno
principal player – solista
quadruplet – cuatrillo
quarter note – negra
quarter rest – silencio de negra
R & B – el R & B
rap – el rap
relative major and minor scales – escalas relativas mayor y menor
rest – silencio
rock – el rock
saxophone – el saxofón (alto, tenor)
scale – la escala
score – partitura (orquestal)
section player – tuttista
semitone – semitono
sharp – sostenido
sheet music – partitura
singer – el/la cantante
slur – ligadura
snare drum – la caja
soprano – la soprano
staff; pl. staves – pentagrama/s
string instruments – las cuerdas, la cuerda
strings – cuerdas
symphony – la sinfonía
syncopation – síncopa
tambourine – la pandereta
tempo – el tiempo (which can also mean “movement”, “beat”, “time” and “weather”!)
tenor – el tenor
theme – tema
timpani – los timbales
transposition – transposición
triad – tríada
triangle – el triángulo
triplet – tresillo
trombone – el trombón
trumpet – la trompeta
tuba – la tuba
tubular bells – el campanólogo
unison – unísono
upbeat – entrada anacrúsica
viola – la viola
violin (firsts, seconds) el violín [pl. los violines] (los primeros, los segundos)
voice – voz
whole tone – tono
winds (i.e. both woodwinds and brass) – los vientos
woodwind – maderas
woodwinds – las maderas
world music – la música mundial
Word Document at: 186 Spanish Music Vocabulary
Next: 187 Spanish Easter Vocabulary
WereVerse Universe Baby!
Could use some verbs here.. to peform, to play, to rehearse, to practice, to listen, to study, to compose, to recite, to memorize 🙂
Thanks for the suggestion!
Awesome list! How about the other modes, aeolian, locrian and phrygian? And are there any special Spanish expressions for “snake charming scales”?
Bud you know way more about this subject than I do! Can you look up the answer to your questions and I will add to the list and give you credit. These lists are kind of basic vocab and people then ask me very, very specialized questions. I know Spanish! I don’t know a lot about music from an academic point of view. I could not tell you what a snake charming scale is in English much less Spanish! I would say a prof of music at a Spanish university would be able to answer your questions!
Hola Hugh,
Here are the basic modes in order:
Ionian … jónico
Dorian …dórico
Phrygian … frigio
Lydian … lidio
Mixolydian … mixolidio
Aeolian … eólico
Locrian … locrio
“Snake charming scales” are just the various exotic scales that you would imagine a snake charmer playing. These would include modes of the harmonic minor (modos de la escala menor armónica), but there are many more. I was just wondering if there was a special Spanish expression, rather than a literal translation, like Escalas de serpientes encantadoras. I will ask around, and if I find an answer, I will get back to you.
Salud,Bud T.
Thanks. I added the words to the list and gave you credit as promised.
I’ve been a Spanish speaker for many years and have always wondered how to say all these terms but never bothered to find out till now. But what a find! Your webpage is a real treasure trove.!
Thanks so much for putting all this together.
(I’m in South America for a little while and will be doing volunteer work, perhaps using music so a lot of this may well come in handy. But it’s also great for my personal knowledge. Thanks again.)😀
My pleasure! Good luck in South America!
I am SO grateful for this extended list of musical terms in Spanish! I am a music teacher that will be starting a children’s choir completely in Spanish, as inspired by my Spanish teacher and dear friend, and she is learning to play the piano from me in exchange. After being a teacher for 38 years, I’ve never been so challenged to teach my subject in another language! If I come across any more words that I need, will you be able to help?
So far, I found these:
whole note = la redonda
dotted half note = la blanca punteada
half note = la blanca
dotted quarter note = la negra punteada
quarter note = la negra
eighth note = la corchea
sixteenth note = la semicorchea
beat = el latido
rhythm = el ritmo
Thanks for the extra words! I am retired and haven’t taught Spanish for three years now! I am working on fitness and two novels! Fitness is the tough goal. I enjoy writing. My Spanish teacher days are over! Good luck!
I am traveling to Chile to record my compositions with Chilean musicians, and this list is an absolute lifesaver. Thank you for putting this together!
Thank you so much for your kind words Ms, Alcorn,
There will always be regional differences as well as country to country.
Dotted Eighth Note = Nota Corchea Con Puntillo
Dotted Quarter Note = Nota Negra con Puntillo
Dotted Half Note = Nota Blanca Con Puntillo
The people I have consulted with doble corchea for 16th note.
Let me know if you would like the parts of the guitar, trumpet or violin translated.
Thanks for the info John this will help readers greatly