Dictionary of Music - Birding America

dissonance 109dim.Also, dimin. An abbreviation for DIMINUENDO.diminished chord A chord that contains one ormore diminished intervals. The most important kindsof diminished chord are the diminished triad (forexample, B–D–F) and the diminished seventh chord(a diminished triad plus a minor third, such as B–D–F–A♭). See CHORD for an explanation of these terms.diminished interval An interval that is onehalf tone smaller than the corresponding perfector minor interval (see INTERVAL, def. 2, for anexplanation of these terms). In practice, the mostimportant diminished intervals are the diminishedfifth (one half tone smaller than the perfect fifth)and diminished seventh (one half tone smaller thanthe minor seventh.)diminuendo (dē mē′′noo — en′dô) Italian. Anotherword for DECRESCENDO. Often abbreviated dim. ordimin.diminution Decreasing the time values of all thenotes in a theme (short melody), so that, for example,all the quarter notes become eighth notes andthe half notes become quarter notes. (The oppositeprocess, in which, for example, all the quarter notesbecome half notes and the half notes become wholenotes, is called AUGMENTATION.) Both diminutionand augmentation are common means of varying atheme, and they are often used in fugues, as well asin sonatas and symphonies.D’Indy, VincentSee INDY, D’, VINCENT.dirge A song or instrumental piece expressingmourning; see LAMENT.disc Another spelling for disk; see DIGITALRECORDING.discant (dis′kant).fig. 80 p/u from p. 112Another spelling of DESCANT.discantus (dis kan′təs) Latin: “different song.”1 Originally, a melody that was added to an alreadyexisting melody. The main part was called CANTUSand usually lay in the tenor, while the addedpart was generally above it, in the treble (soprano).2 Music in which one or more such parts wereadded, and, since such music in the twelfth centurywas in note-against-note style, the term alsocame to mean music in strict rhythm. 3 In the fourteenthcentury, when most polyphonic music wascontrapuntal, the term was occasionally used as asynonym for COUNTERPOINT.disco A style of dance music of the late 1970s andearly 1980s, usually recorded. It is characterized bya relentless 4/4 beat, instrumental breaks, and eroticlyrics or rhythmic chants. An outgrowth of nonstopmusic played by disk jockeys who remixed recordsby boosting the bass and sequencing them into continuousmusic, it was gradually superseded by FUNK.discordAnother term for DISSONANCE.disinvolto (dēs′′ēn vôl′tô) Italian. A direction toperform in a free, easy, spontaneous manner.disjunct motion See under MOTION, def. 1.disk jockey Also, disc jockey, deejay, D.J. A personresponsible for selecting, sequencing, and presentingrecorded popular music in a discotheque orradio broadcast, as well as acting as master of ceremonies.Also see RAP; REGGAE.DisklavierSee under PLAYER PIANO.dissonance (dis′ə nəns). Also, discord. A musicalinterval or chord that sounds harsh or unpleasant(a chord or interval that sounds pleasant is called aCONSONANCE). A dissonant interval or chord seemsrestless and appears to call for RESOLUTION into asubsequent consonant interval or chord. From about1500 to about 1900, all intervals except the unison,the major and minor third, the perfect fifth, themajor and minor sixth, and the octave were classedas dissonances. Although these intervals and chordscontaining them could be employed, there were