G…
G clef a clef sign that shows the position of G on the staff See clef in Staff, Barline, & Clef
G.P. General pause; complete silence, normally lasting at least one bar
G-Schlussel (German) G or treble clef
G String The third string of the guitar. see How to Change Classical Guitar Strings
Ga…
Gafieira Brazilian ballroom dance music popular in Rio de Janeiro
Gagliard (Italian) galliard
Gai (French) gay
Gaia (Italian) gaily
Gaiamente (Italian) cheerfully
Gaiment (French) gaily
Gaillard a simple triple time dance usually popular in the 16th and 17th centuries
Gaîté (French) gaity
Galan (German) gallant, gallantly
Galamment (French) boldly, gallantly
Galant (French) bold, gallant
Galante (Italian) bold, gallant
Galantemente (Italian) boldly, gallantly
Galliard (English) lively dance originating from the fifteenth-century, generally in triple time
Galliarde (French) lively dance originating from the fifteenth-century, generally in triple time
Galop a lively nineteenth-century round dance in simple duple time
Galopade a lively nineteenth-century round dance in simple duple time
Gamme (French) the musical scale
Gammaldans (Swedish) old dance
Gamut from the lowest to the highest
Ganz (German) quite, whole
Ganze (German) whole note see Note Values
Ganze Note (German) whole note see Note Values
Ganzetaknote (German) whole note see Note Values
Ganze Pause (German) whole rest
Gaohu a Chinese bowed lute developed for Cantonese music in the 1920s
Garbo (Italian) grace, manners
Garbatamente (Italian) elegantly
Garbatezza (Italian) gracefulness
Garbatissimo (Italian) very graceful
Garbato (Italian) gracefulness
Garder (French) to keep, to hold
Gauche (French) left
Gaudioso (Italian) in a joyful or merry manner
Gavotte a dance in simple quadruple time
Gayageum (Korean) a twelve-string zither
Gc…
G clef a clef sign that shows the position of G on the staff See clef in Staff, Barline, & Clef
Ge…
Gears Toothed machine part that meshes with another toothed part to change direction on a guitar tuner. see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Gebet (German) prayer
Gebrauch (German) use
Gebrochen (German) broken
Gebunden (German) slurred, tied
Gedämpft (German) damped, muffled, muted
Gedehnt (German) sustained
Gefallen (German) pleasure
Gefällig (German) agreeable, cheery, effortless, pleasant
Gefühl (German) feeling
Gegen (German) about, against, counter, near, towards
Gehalten (German) sustained
Gehaucht (German) whispered
Geheimnisvoll (German) mysterious
Gehend (German) walking pace
Gehörig (German) fitting, proper, suitable
Geist (German) soul, spirit
Geistlich (German) spiritual
Geistvoll (German) spiritedly and full sounding
Gekneipt (German) pizzicato
Geläufig (German) fluent, nimble
Geläufigkeit (German) fluency
Gemächlich (German) leisurely, unhurried
Gemässigt (German) moderate tempo
Gemenbondo (Italian) moaning
Gemendo (Italian) moaning
Gemessen (German) grave, measured, moderate tempo, precise, sustained tempo
Gemüt (German) feeling
Gemüth (German) feeling
Gemütlich (German) comfortable, easy-going
Gennant (German) called, known as
Genau (German) exact
Genauigkeit (German) exactitude
General MIDI set of requirements for MIDI devices aimed at ensuring consistent playback performance on all instruments bearing the GM logo
General pause complete silence, normally lasting at least one bar
Generoso (Italian) generous
Genre (French) manner, style
Gentil (French) gentle, pleasant, pretty
Gentile (Italian) delicate, elegant, gentle
Gentilemente (Italian) delicately, gently
Gentille (French) gentle, pleasant, pretty
German sixth chord an augmented sixth chord, which contains a flat third from the tonic
Gerührt (German) emotionally moved
Gesangvoll (German) song-like
Geschlagen (German) struck
Geschleift (German) legato
Geschlossen (German) closed
Geschmack (German) taste
Geschmackvoll (German) tastefully
Geschwind (German) quick
Gesprochen (German) spoken
Gesteigert (German) crescendo
Gestossen (German) staccato
Gesture musical content that indicates intention
Getchu vadyam hammered lute, in deep south of India, struck with two small bamboo mallets.
Geteilt (German) divided
Getheilt (German) divided
Getragen (German) sustained
Gettando (Italian) an extreme energetic staccato
Gettando l’arco (Italian) an extreme energetic staccato
Gewichtig (German) with dignity, weighty
Gewidmet (German) dedicated
Gewöhnlich (German) normal, usual, return to normal playing
Gezogen (German) drawn out
Gh…
Ghawazee female Egyptian gypsy dancer
Ghiribizzo (Italian) caprice
Ghiribizzoso (Italian) capricious
Ghost note a note is implied in a musical phrase, either not played or otherwise played only faintly for effect
Gi…
Giacoso (Italian) lighthearted manner, play in a merry
Gig jig, a quick dance with the beats grouped in 3’s
Giga jig, a quick dance with the beats grouped in 3’s
Gigg jig, a quick dance with the beats grouped in 3’s
Gigge jig, a quick dance with the beats grouped in 3’s
Gioco (Italian) game, play
Giocondo (Italian) cheerful, humourously, jokingly, merry
Giocoso (Italian) merry, playful
Giocondoso (Italian) merry, playful
Gioia (Italian) joy
Gioja (Italian) joy
Gioviale (Italian) jovial
Giovialità (Italian) joviality
Gitana (Italian) gipsy
Gitano (Italian) gipsy
Gittern an early form of guitar with four pairs of gut strings
Giú (Italian) down
Giubilazione (Italian) joy, jubilant
Giubilio (Italian) joy, jubilant
Giubilo (Italian) joy, jubilant
Giucante (Italian) playful
Giuchevole (Italian) playful
Giuliani, Mauro (1781- 1829) see Classical Guitarists and Composers
Giulivo (Italian) joyous
Giuoco (Italian) game, play
Giusta (Italian) exact, precision, strict, suitable
Giustamente (Italian) steady speed and rhythm
Giustezza (Italian) exact, precision, strict, suitable
Giusto (Italian) exact, precision, strict, suitable
Gl…
Glänzend (German) brilliant
Glatt (German) smooth
Glätte (German) smoothness
Gleich (German) like, equal
Gleichstark (German) of equal strength
Gleitend (German) glissando
Gli (Italian) the
Glide (Italian) carrying a line without gaps, very legato
Glie (Italian) the
Glissando (Italian) A rapid scale produced by sliding the finger from one note to another. see glissando in Phrasing Symbols
Glissant (French) A rapid scale produced by sliding the finger from one note to another
Glisser (French) A rapid scale produced by sliding the finger from one note to another
Gitarr (Swedish) guitar
Glue Joints Two separate parts of a guitar permanently attached with glue.
Glühend (German) glowing
Go…
Gogo late twentieth-century African American urban style developed in Washington D.C
Golpe tap on the guitar soundboard in flamenco music
Golpeador flamenco guitar tap plate
Gopak a lively 2-in-a-bar Russian dance
Gordon Romanian term for acoustic bass
Gospel an African-American sacred music style that developed in twentieth-century Protestant churches
Gothic period the late middle ages (1100-1450)
Gottuvadhyam instrument played in Southern India with six playing strings which pass over the top of the instrument, three drone strings at the side, and a series of sympathetic strings which pass under the main strings. played with a slide
Gp…
G.P. General pause; complete silence, normally lasting at least one bar
Gr…
Grace note ornamental note played quickly before the beat. see grace note in Note Symbols
Gracieuse (French) graceful
Gracieux (French) graceful
Graciozo (Italian) play gracefully
Gradatamente (Italian) gradually
Gradevole (Italian) gracefully, pleasing
Gradualmente (Italian) by degrees, gradually
Graduating the Top Before installing, a procedure of thinning a soundboard to improve its tone. see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Graduellement (French) gradually
Grain The arrangement, direction, or pattern of the fibrous tissue in wood. see Wood Choices for Back & Sides see Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Graining the Frets Direction used in dressing and polishing frets for maximum improvements in string to fret contact. See See Dressing the Frets on a Classical Guitar
Gran (Italian) big, large
Granadillo A wood common in South America. It is non-porous, straight grained and very dense. It has a medium to fine texture. The reddish brown color darkens to a brick color over time much like Honduran rosewood. see Wood Choices for Back & Sides see Alternative Wood Choices for Back & Sides see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Granadina a type of fandango from southern Spain
Grand (French) great, big
Grande (French) great, big
Grandezza (Italian) grandeur
Grandioso (Italian) grandeur
Grandisonante (Italian) sonorous
Grand orchestre (French) full orchestra
Grand pause a rest for the entire ensemble
Grand staff the combination of a staff line notated in treble clef with one notated in bass clef
Gran gusto (Italian) great taste
Graphical scores a score characterized by non-traditional musical symbols arranged in a visual design
Grave (French) very slow, solemn, low (pitch)
Gravement (French) gravely
Gravemente (Italian) gravely
Gravità (Italian) gravity, seriousness
Grazia (Italian) grace
Grazioso (Italian) graceful
Graziosamente (Italian) gracefully
Graziös (German) gracious, graceful
Great staff A combination of the bass clef and treble clef staves with the common line between them
Green room a room behind the stage where musicians prepare before their performances
Griffbrett (German) fingerboard
Grimmig (German) grim, furious
Grob (German) coarse, rough
Gros (French) great, big
Grosse (French) great, big
Gross (German) great, large
Grosse (German) great, large
Grosso (Italian) full, great
Grotesk (German) grotesque
Grottesco (Italian) grotesque
Growl emphasize pain or sensuality
Growth Rings (Annular Rings) can be seen in a horizontal cross section cut through the trunk of a tree. Visible rings result from the change in growth speed through the seasons of the year, thus one ring usually marks the passage of one year in the life of the tree.
Gruppetto (Italian) the ‘turn’
Gs…
G-Schlussel (German) G or treble clef
Gu…
Guaracha an old Spanish dance
Guerriero (Italian) warlike
Guerriera (Italian) warlike
Guhmoongo (Korean) six string zither with thick silk strings
Guidoin system five line staff system of musical notation
Guilds groups of professionals, the masters of their trade, who as well as promoting their businesses also regulated the training of apprentices
Guimbri stringed bass instrument from West Africa
Guitar Lining (Kerfing) is tapered strips of wood glued around the inside seams of a guitar to add strength and stability where the sides meet the top and back. The guitar lining has spaced slits that render the wood strip flexible. see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Guitar Polish Product designed specifically for shining a guitar. see How to Change Classical Guitar Strings
Guitar Top Resonator consisting of a thin board whose vibrations reinforce the sound of the instrument. The Soundboard. see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar
Guitarra de golpe a Mexican 3/4 sized guitar used as a rhythmic instrument in mariachi music
Guitarra de son a small 4-string Mexican guitar from the Jarocho region
Guitarra mariachera a Mexican 3/4 sized guitar used as a rhythmic instrument in mariachi music
Guitarrico very small Spanish guitar related to the timple
Guitarrillo a small guitar with 12 metal strings used in Spanish-speaking countries
Guitarro a small Spanish five string guitar
Guitarrón a large bass guitar from Chile and Mexico. with a short neck, six strings, no frets on the fingerboard and a belly in the back
Gumbé popular Guinean rhythm
Guslee traditional Russian zither with 16 metal strings
Gusto (Italian) taste, expression
Gustoso (Italian) tastefully, expressively
Gut (German) the intestines of animals used for strings of musical instruments
Gut (German) good, well
Guzheng an Asian zither dating over 4000 years. half-tubed wood zither with movable bridges
Gy…
Gypsy scale resembling the harmonic minor scale, but with an augmented fourth (C, D, E flat, F sharp, G, A flat, B, C’). see Musical Scales
Gyterne a short-necked lute