Music glossary - Letter F
![]() PLEASE CHOOSE A LETTER: FFermata: A pause, stop, or interruption as that before the cadenza of a concerto. Fiddle: Colloquial term for violin; often used in traditional music. Figured bass: Another term for basso continuo; see above. Fine: The end of a musical piece Flat sign: Musical symbol (b) that indicates lowering a pitch by a semitone. Forte: A symbol indicating to play loud. French horn: The solo instrument featured here is the French horn, a mellow brass instrument that descended from the ancient hunting horn. Also horn. Fretboard: On the front side of the neck is the fretboard, or fingerboard. On it will be a number of metal frets, usually 20 to 24. Strings are held down behind a fret to change the note a string will produce. Fugato: A fugal passage in a nonfugal piece, such as in the development section of a sonata-allegro form. Fuging tone: Polyphonic, imitative setting of a hymn or psalm, popular in Great Britain and the USA from the 18th century. Fugue: A composition written for three to six voices. Beginning with the exposition, each voice enters at different times, creating counterpoint with one another. Fusion: Style that combines jazz improvisation with amplified instruments of rock. |