• Da Capo (dah KAH poh) return to beginning
• dal segno (dal SAY nyoh) return to the sign
• dampfer (DEMP fer) mute
• decide (day SEE day) decisively
• decrescendo (DEE kreh shendoh) an indication to decrease
  volume
• (dee ES er A)
• descant (des KAHNT) contrapunctal line above melody
• descending (dee SEN ding) going downward on the music
  scale
• development (dee VEL ohp ment) extending a theme by
  contrapuntal elaboration, modulation or rhythmical variation
• diatonic (dy ah TOHN ik) notes of dominant scale
• diluendo (deh loo en doh) fading out
• diminished interval (deh MIN isht) A pefect or minor
  interval reduced by a semitone
• diminuendo (dim in oo EHN doh) growing softer
• diminution (dim in NOO shun) compression of phrase by
  reducing note values
• discord (DIS kord) incomplete chord
• dissonance (dis OH nense) group of tones that are
  uncomfortably unresolved
• divertimento (dee ver tee MEN toh) lite suite for chamber
  ensemble or orchestra
• divertissement (deh VER tis ment) fantasy on popluar tunes
• divisi (dee VEE zee) sign for unison strings to play
  separate parts
• dolce (DOL chay) sweetly
• dolente (doh LEN tay) with saddness
• dominant (DOHM in ant) fifth tone of the major or minor
  diatonic scale
• dominant chord (DOH min ant kord) chord with the fifth
  pitch of a scale as its root
• Dorian mode (DOHR ee an mohd) Church mode represented on
  the white keys of a keyboard instrument with an ascending
  scale of D to D
• double (DOO bil) ornamental variation
• doxology (dox OL oh gee) Christian hymn of praise
• drangend = onward
• duet (doo ETT) piece for two performers
• dulcimer (DULL seh mer) stringed instrument struck by
  handheld mallets
• dumka (DOOM kah) Slavonic lament
• duple (DOO pil) see duplet
• duplet (DOO plet) two notes in normal time of three
• dur (doorr) German for Major
• dur (derh) French for severe or harsh
• duramente (door ah MEN te) harshly
• duration (door A shun) length of a note
• durchdringend = shrill or piercing
• dynamics (dy NAHM iks) degrees of volume of sound

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