Dutch Music Vocabulary

de / het / 't

(the)

een, 'n - 2

(a, an)

één

(one)

>>

(het) geluid ('sound') - (de) muziek 2 ('music') - (het) lawaai ('noise') - (het) kabaal ('noise') ‑>>

(het) muziekinstrument musical instrument (het) instrument 2 instrument (de) piano piano (de) toetsen 2 3 keys (not: lock keys) think of: 'touch' (het) pedaal 2 pedal (de) vleugel grand piano (also: wing) (de) elektrische piano electric piano (de) viool violin (de) strijkstok bow (de) altviool 2 viola (de) cello cello (de) bas bass (de) contrabas bass (de) akoestische bas acoustic bass (de) staande bas upright bass (de) mondharmonica mouth harp (de) blokfluit recorder (de) saxofoon 2 saxophone (de) klarinet clarinet (de) trompet trumpet (de) trombone trombone (de) schuiftrompet trombone (slightly derogatory) (de) tuba tuba (de) dwarsfluit 2 flute (de) hobo 2 3 oboe

(de) fagot 2 bassoon (de) waldhoorn 2 3 French horn (het) orgel organ (not: body part) (de) orgelpijp 2 organ pipe (de) doedelzak bagpipes (het) elektronisch orgel 2 3 electronic organ (de) xylofoon xylophone (de) harp harp (de) luit lute (de) gitaar guitar (de) akoestische gitaar 2 acoustic guitar (de) elektrische gitaar electric guitar (de) gitaarsolo guitar solo (de) slaggitaar rhythm guitar (het) ritme rhythm (het) akkoord chord (also: agreement) (de) mandoline mandolin (de) banjo 2 banjo (de) trommel drum (also: jar, cookie-) trommelen 2 to drum (de) pauken kettledrums (het) bekken cymbal (also: basin; pelvis) (de) triangel triangle (not in geometry) (de) drums drums (het) slagwerk drums (old-fashioned)

(de) stemvork 2 tuning fork (de) pianostemmer piano tuner absoluut gehoor perfect pitch zuiver on pitch vals off-pitch

(de) stemschroef peg (de) snaar string plural: snaren 2 strings (de) hals neck (de) fret fret

(de) klankkast 2 [sound box] (string instrument) body (de) kam bridge (also: comb) (het) plectrum guitar pick (de) aanslag touch (de) metronoom 2 metronome

(de) blokfluit

(de) mondharmonica

(de) gitaar

viool met strijkstok 2

(de) piano

Barok Baroque Klassiek Classical Romantisch Romantic Hedendaags 2 Contemporary

(de) kamermuziek 2 chamber music (de) opera opera (de) wals waltz (de) mars march

(het) concert

concert

(de) dirigent

conductor

(de) toegift 2

encore

(de) solist 2 3

soloist

(het) optreden

performance, appearance

(het) orkest 2 orchestra (het) koor choir

(de) stem voice (also: vote) (de) zang vocals

zangeres 2 lady singer zanger male singer

(de) sopraan soprano (de) alt 2 alto

tenor tenor (de) bas bass

blazers 2 players of wood instruments strijkers players of violins, cellos etc. (het) strijkkwartet string quartet

pianist 2 concert pianist violist 2 concert violinist organist 2 organ player

(de) componist composer

(het) concert concert (de) sonate sonata (de) symfonie symphony

(de) partituur music score arrangeren to write a score (de) bladmuziek sheet music

eerste 2 'first' - tweede 2 'second' - derde 2 'third' - vierde 2 'fourth' - vijfde 2 'fifth' - negende 2 3 'ninth' - ordinal numbers
een geweldig concert 2 3 a great, fantastic concert

muziek maken to make music zingen to sing spelen to play optreden to perform more about verbs below oefenen 2 to practice (de) vingeroefeningen warm-up exercises

melodie melody (het) thema theme, figure (de) begeleiding 2 accompaniment (het) refrein chorus (de) coupletten verses (de) tekst 2 lyrics

less serious music: (het) liedje 2 song (not rock) (het) wijsje tune (het) deuntje tune

hard loud zacht soft, quiet zachte muziek 2 3 soft music (not loud) lyrisch lyrical (de) toon 2 tone hoog high (treble) laag low (bass)

(de) microfoon microphone (de) opname 2 recording (de) sessie session (de) geluidstechnicus 2 3 sound engineer stereo stereo (sound) (de) echo 2 echo

(de) toonladder 2	scale
do re mi fa sol la ti do	do re mi fa so la ti do

(de) toonsoorten keys

C C

Cis C sharp

Des D flat

D D

Dis D sharp

Es E flat

E E

F F

Fis F sharp

Ges G flat

G G

As A flat

A A

Bes B flat

B B

mol flat

(de) noot note (also: nut - not: message) (de) halve noot 1/2 note (de) kwart noot 1/4 note (de) achtste noot 1/8 note (de) notenbalk 2 3 staff (de) G-sleutel 2 treble clef (de) F-sleutel 2 bass clef (de) voortekening key signature (de) voorslag 2 grace note (de) opmaat 2 upbeat (de) maat measure (de) driekwartsmaat three-four (3/4) time (het) tempo tempo (het) octaaf octave (de) rust rest

(de) dynamiek dynamics (de) harmonie harmony (het) akkoord chord (also: agreement) majeur 2 3 (4) major mineur minor (het) septiem akkoord 7th chord (de) kwintencirkel circle of fifths (het) interval interval verminderd diminished rein perfect overmatig augmented klein 2 minor (also: small) groot 2 major (also: big, large, tall) (de) terts third, tierce (de) drieklank triad

dominant dominant consonant consonant dissonant dissonant (de) tonica tonic (de) grondtoon tonic (de) grondligging 2 root position (de) omkering inversion

(de) toonsoort tonality (de) leidtoon 2 leading tone (de) modulatie 2 modulation diatonisch diatonic chromatisch chromatic meerstemmig polyphonic (het) vibrato 2 vibrato, tremolo

de toetsen zijn wit en zwart - de witte toetsen en de zwarte toetsen - 2

de ivoren bakjes en lepeltjes - de bakjes en lepeltjes zijn van ivoor

(de) koptelefoon

(de) luidspreker >>

stemmen - to tune / also: to vote more about verbs infinitive (I ) (you [singular]) (he ) (we ) (you [plural]) (they ) (you [polite]) stemmen ik stem jij stemt hij stemt wij stemmen jullie stemmen zij stemmen U stemt (to tune) (I tune) (you tune) (he tunes) (we tune) (you tune) (they tune) (you tune) stemmen ik stemde jij stemde hij stemde wij stemden jullie stemden zij stemden U stemde (to tune) (I tuned) (you tuned) (he tuned) (we tuned) (you tuned) (they tuned) (you tuned) ik heb gestemd 2 (I have tuned)

In the present tense, Dutch verbs have three forms: the 'stem' for ik ('I') the 'stem' +T for je/jij (singular 'you') and hij/zij/het ('he/she/it') the 'infinitive' ('stem' +EN) for plurals Dutch Verbs

In question mode and in some sentence structures the verb will precede the personal pronoun; in those cases, for second person singular (je, jij) the 't' will be dropped. (Only in the present tense.) stem jij? - are you tuning? stemde jij? - did you tune? heb je al gestemd? 2 'did you vote (or: tune up) already?'

English	Dutch infinitive	simple present singular	simple present plural	simple past singular	simple past plural	perfect tense
to walk	(example)	I walk	we walk	I walked	we walked	I have walked
to play	spelen	ik speel	wij spelen	ik speelde	wij speelden	ik heb gespeeld	2 - more below
to sing	zingen	ik zing	wij zingen	ik zong	wij zongen	ik heb gezongen	2 - more
to practice	oefenen	ik oefen	wij oefenen	ik oefende	wij oefenden	ik heb geoefend	2
to perform	optreden	ik treed op	wij treden op	ik trad op	wij traden op	ik heb opgetreden	also: to intervene, to act
to hear	horen	ik hoor	wij horen	ik hoorde	wij hoorden	ik heb gehoord	- more - 2
to listen	luisteren	ik luister	wij luisteren	ik luisterde	wij luisterden	ik heb geluisterd	2 - more

Hij speelt gitaar.	He plays the guitar.
Hij speelt een akkoord.	He plays a chord.
Zij speelt saxofoon.	She plays the saxophone.
Hij speelt heel goed gitaar.	He plays the guitar very well. (more 'spelen' below)
Zij zingt.	She sings.
Zij zingt een lied.	She is singing a song.
Zij is een zangeres.	She is a singer.
Willen jullie meezingen?	Would you (all) like to sing along?
Ik hoor een vliegtuig.	I hear a plane.
De muziek begint.	The music is starting.
De muziek begon.	The music started.
Als de muziek begint moet je stil zijn.	When the music starts you'll have to be quiet
Hij stemt de gitaar.	He is tuning the guitar
Hij zingt een lied. 2	He's singing a song.
Hij zingt vals. 2	His singing is off-pitch.
Hij kan geen wijs houden 2	He cannot carry a tune.
Zij brachten haar een serenade.	They serenaded her.
Zij brengen haar een aubade.	They are singing an aubade to her. (Aubade - (early) morning; serenade - evening or night)
"Houd jij van opera? - Ik niet."	"Do you like opera? - I don't."
naar muziek luisteren 2 3	listening to music
Ik heb een paar jaar pianoles gehad.	I have had piano lessons for a [couple of] few years.
Maar ik had beter gitaar kunnen leren spelen.	But learning to play the guitar would have [been better] made more sense.
Ik speel zelf geen piano 2	I don't play the piano myself (but most people around me do)
Nero speelde viool terwijl Rome in brand stond 2	Nero was fiddling, playing violin while Rome was burning
Hij speelt op een dure gitaar 2 3	He plays an expensive guitar

Spelen is also 'to play' like children and carefree spirits do etc.
(het) spel game, play

Kom je buiten spelen? 2	Will you come outside to play?
(het) speelgoed	toys
(de) speelgoedwinkel 2	toy store
(de) speeltuin 2	playground ‑>>
speels	playful
ludiek 2 3 4	playful (usually said about somewhat disruptive protests or actions)
een spelletje 2 3	a (little, friendly, pleasant) game - but also: 'runaround,' not dealing with someone straight and fair but in a crooked or manipulative way
spelenderwijs 2 3	'like play,' without much effort, with much ease
toneelspelen 2	to act (on a stage) ‑>>
(de) langspeelplaat	[long-playing disk] - 33rpm ~45-minutes vinyl music album
Spelen met vuur 2 3 4	'Playing with fire' - doing dangerous things, taking stupid risks
vrij spel 2 3 hebben	~ having no restraints, no limitations in action
Hij heeft vrij spel 2 3	~He can do as he pleases, no limitationss

English says 'to play  soccer,' 'to play  chess,' 'to play  cards' etc. - Dutch has one specific verb for most sports and games

voetballen 2 3 4 to play soccer tennissen 2 3 to play tennis volleyballen 2 3 to play volleyball honkballen 2 3 to play ~baseball		schaken to play chess hockeyen 2 3 to play field hockey sporten 2 3 to play sports, exercise kaarten to play cards
korfballen 2 3 to play  'korfbal,' a kind of basketball dammen 2 3 to play a kind of checkers on a 10x10 fields board

English 'play' can also be a dramatic work on a stage in a theatre, costumes, dialogue etc. The Dutch word for that is (het) toneelstuk and as already mentioned above, toneelspelen 2 is 'to act. more

Do note that zij and ze can mean both 'she' and 'they' - but you can tell the difference because the verb form is different for plural and singular:

Zij zingen een lied voor mij. 2	They are singing a song for me.
Zij zingt een lied.	She is singing a song.

See and hear also: Media - Days of Old - 'Dutch' Musicians

ca. 1930, in old spelling Mr Waelput was the first husband of my grandfather's second wife

(het) gehoorapparaat 2 fluiten ('to whistle') Marco's Song Oh it will take a while To make me smile 'fore I can find The peace of mind To relax, take things as they come Oh, it will take some time

Dutch singing (of variable quality and artistry)  children's song 1 - children's song 2 - the Dutch Anthem - Birthday Songs - Dutch 'Santa Claus' songs - A Rhythmical Poem - Dutch bad country music - 2A - 2B - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6A - 6B
The lyrics of the last four are at the bottom of this page

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See and Hear also: Pictures Dictionary

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Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2