Music transcends language, but to play music written in French, one must sometimes learn a new language! These vocabulary cards will give you many of the tools needed to decipher French sheet music.
There are 149 flash cards in this set (25 pages to print.)
To use:
1. Print out the cards.
2. Cut along the dashed lines.
3. Fold along the solid lines.
Sample flash cards in this set:
| Questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| a, au | to [the], in the manner of |
| assez | quite, rather, fairly |
| alte | high, higher |
| encore | again, repeat |
| extremement | extremely |
| enchainez | ["attach"] proceed without stopping |
| basse | low, lower |
| cadence | extended improvisatory section |
| debut | beginning |
| coda | section added to the end |
| comme | as, as if, like |
| avec | with [the] |
| de, du | from [the], of [the] |
| divises | divided |
| et | and |
| fin | end |
| glissant | sliding from one pitch to the another |
| le, la, les | the |
| lie | ["tied"]smoothly, slurred |
| le meme, la meme | the same |
| mais | but |
| martele | ["hammered'} sharp, forceful, with quick releases |
| moins | less |
| demi-, mi- | half |
| mode ordinaire | return to normal manner of execution |
| tres | very |
| changez... en... | change... to... |
| non, pas | not |
| ou | or |
| autrement | alternate passage |
| octave | octave |
| plus | more |
| [un] peu | little |
| loure | ["carried"] semi-detached, between legato and staccato |
| premier, premiere | first, at first |
| signe | sign |
| toujours | always, still |
| sans | without |
| de meme | similarly |
| sourdine | mute |
| detache | ["separated"] detached |
| subitement | suddenly, immediately |
| sur | on, near, at |
| se tait | ["is silent"] does not play |
| tremolo | rapid repetition of a note or and alternation of notes |
| trop | too, too much |
| tous | all |
| unis | [in] unison |
| lent | slowly |
| large | broadly |
| un peu lent | somewhat faster than largo |
| a l'aise | ["at ease"] easily, unhurried |
| un peu a l'aise | somewhat faster than adagio |
| allant | ["walking"] flowing |
| un peu allant | somewhat close to andante |
| modere | moderately, neither fast nor slow |
| un peu anime | lively |
| vite | fast |
| tres vite | very fast |
| au mouvement | [return to] regular tempo |
| accelerez, serrez | becoming faster |
| elargissant | broadening |
| mouvemente | ["moved"] moving, agitated |
| mouvement | motion |
| ralentissez | becoming slower |
| cedez | ["delaying"] gradually slowing |
| retenu | ["kept back"] immediately slower |
| derobe | ["robbed"] flexible tempo |
| soutenu | sustained |
| presses | ["squeezing"] hastening, tightening |
| premier mouvement | original tempo |
| trainez | dragging |
| vif | briskly |
| tres vif | very briskly |
| tout doucement | as softly as possible PPP |
| tres doucement | very softly PP |
| doucement | softly P |
| mi-doux | medium softly MP |
| mi-fort | medium loudly MF |
| fort | loudly F |
| tres fort | very loudly FF |
| tout fort | as loudly as possible FFF |
| s'eteignant | fading away |
| augmentez | growing louder |
| s'affaiblissant | becoming softer |
| diminuant | diminishing in loudness |
| expirant | dying away |
| renforcant | (rfz) emphasized |
| accentue | (sfz) sharply accented |
| chantant | [singable] song like |
| commode | comfortably, without strain |
| chaleureusement | warmly, passionately |
| douce[ment] | sweetly |
| expressif | expressively |
| affectueusement | with affection, tenderly |
| agite | excitedly, restlessly |
| a volonte | at preformer's discretion |
| en style d'un air | in the manner of a [vocal' aria |
| verve | spirit |
| calme | calm, quieted |
| feu | ["fire"] intensity, ardor |
| jouant | playfully |
| juste | ["exactly"] strict[ly], precise[ly], appropriate[ly] |
| gracieux | gracefully |
| gout | taste |
| legerement | lightly |
| majestueux | majestically |
| marque | ["marked"], stressed |
| triste | sadly |
| lourde[ment] | heavily |
| decide, resolument | resolutely, decisively |
| badinant | jokingly |
| simplement | simply |
| bruyant | boisterously |
| tenu | held [possibly beyond its normal value] |
| ouvert | open |
| pavillon en l'air | bell raised |
| bouche | stopped, covered |
| lointain | distant |
| cuivre | brassy, blaring |
| tremolo avec la langue | flutter tongue |
| baguettes en bois | hard sticks |
| baguette d'eponge | soft sticks |
| timbre | with snares |
| couvert | covered [cloth on drum head] |
| laissez vibrer | let vibrate [ting] |
| sec | drily [without resonance] |
| au bord | at the edge [rim] |
| archet | bow, bowed, with the bow |
| bois, dos | wood, back of bow |
| pizzicato | plucked with out the bow |
| chevalet | bridge |
| pointe | point [tip of the bow] |
| jete, ricochet | ["jumping"] bouncing bow [several notes per stroke] |
| sautille | ["distinct"] bouncing bow [one note per stroke] |
| talon | frog [where the bow is held] |
| touche | fingerboard |
| ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si | C, D, E, F, G, A, B |
| flat | bemol |
| double flat | double bemol |
| sharp | diese |
| double sharp | double diese |
| natural | becarre |
| major | majeur |
| minor | mineur |
| dorian | dorien |
| phrygain | phrygien |
| lydian | lydien |
| mixolydian | mixlydien |
