Do you have trouble remembering the entire musical dictionary? Here is a comprehensive guide to German music terms and symbols.
German music terms
Learning German can be challenging, but it can be possible. Learning a new language can be challenging, but it can be interesting and exciting as well.
Learning a new language opens up a whole new world for you. You’ll get to read more books in that language, listen to more music from that culture, and speak the language more fluently than ever.
The key is not to feel intimidated by the challenge of learning German language; rather, it is to see it as an opportunity. With a little bit of time and patience, you can learn German in no time at all!
Here are 50 useful German music terms that will come in handy while you’re learning the language:
Music
You’ve probably noticed that learning German is a great way to learn about music from other cultures. You’ll learn more about pop culture in Germany, and you’ll also be exposed to a lot of music that you may not hear too often in your own country.
When learning the German language, you can’t skip over music, either! There are a few important music terms that you need to understand when you’re learning German. Here are some of them:
Song
This specific type of music is created and recorded as an album. It can be a single song, or it could be an entire album.
A song is a short form of music that can be played in various ways. Many different types of songs can be classified in different ways.
Album
An album is a set of songs created as an album together. It’s usually a collection of songs recorded together on one disc.
Some albums are also called albums but aren’t necessarily collections of songs. There are a lot of different ways that albums can be classified.
Songwriter
A songwriter is a person who writes the music for a song. It’s also possible for a group of people to write music together as one group and hire someone to write the lyrics, who is also known as a lyricist.
There are different ways that people classify songwriters as well.
Notes
A note is a short sound representing a musical pitch or letter in music. The German word for note is Note, which is also often referred to as Fingernote or Tonart.
Many different notes can be used in music. In some cases, notes can even be used in more than one combination to represent a particular tone.
For example, C and D are both notes that can be combined differently to represent different pitches. The same is true for other combinations of notes, such as C and D-sharp or C-sharp and D.
Pedal
To play an instrument or use a keyboard. A pedal is a switch or button used to control an instrument’s volume or voice.
A pedal may be on a regular keyboard, an electronic organ, a guitar, drums, an acoustic instrument, or a saxophone. Pedals are an important part of music if you are learning the German language.
These pedals would be used to change the tone quality of a piece of music. In a piano, it would be used to change the quality of the sound produced.
In an organ, it would change the timbre of the tone. In a guitar, it would change the sound produced.
Peddles can also be used in electronic organs to change the timbre of the sound. This pedal may also be used to change the instrument’s volume or tone quality.
A pedal may be used to give the sound a different quality or to change the sound. There are several pedals used in music.
Pause to stop playing or recording
A pause or a silence is a period in a piece of music where no sounds are produced. The pause can be used to create a break in a piece of music or silence.
Pause is used in a lot of musical pieces. When you learn the German language, you will use this word a lot.
Schlagzeug
To hit the drum kit, especially with mallets. Or it can mean “drums” in general.
A drum kit is a collection of drums. There are usually many different drums on a drum kit, such as a set of snare drums, a set of bass drums, a set of cymbals (i.e., crash cymbals), and a set of tom-toms.
Each drum produces a different type of sound. Some of the drums may even be used to produce different pitches. On a drum kit, the drums are arranged from the bottom to the top of the kit.
Schreiben: to write sheet music
Sheet music is something that would be written out or printed for use on a musical instrument or voice. Sheet music is written out or printed on paper or a score.
Sheet music can be played on many instruments or, most commonly, on a keyboard.
Techno/Technobeat
Techno is one of the most popular forms of electronic dance music, and Techno means “electronic” and “music” combined. In other words, techno is just electronic music.
You can also say that a techno song has fast beats. But that doesn’t have to be the only beat used in techno; some songs may use trance or even rock beats!
It has a lot of energy and moves quickly, so you could also call it a ‘bouncy techno beat’.
Electronic Dance Music (EDM)
This is any popular electronic music usually performed by DJs using synthesizers and digital sound processing equipment such as samplers and sequencers.
Electronic Dance Music (EDM) is any popular music usually performed by DJs using synthesizers and digital sound processing equipment such as samplers and sequencers.
EDM is now synonymous with house, techno, rave, trance and many other subgenres of electronic dance music (e.g., Italo disco etc.).
Trance, House & Techno
All have similar characteristics but are usually distinguished by tempo (i.e., faster for Trance, slower for House & Techno). Techno is one of the most popular forms of electronic dance music, and Techno means “electronic” and “music” combined.
In other words, techno is just electronic music. You can also say that a techno song has fast beats.
But that doesn’t have to be the only beat used in techno; some songs may use trance or even rock beats! It has a lot of energy and moves quickly, so you could also call it a ‘bouncy techno beat’.
Trance, House & Techno all have similar characteristics but are usually distinguished by tempo (i.e., faster for Trance, slower for House & Techno).
