fa

fa-en (definite singular)
fa-ar (indefinite plural)
fa-ane (definite plural)

From Latin famuli, from the first word of the fourth line of Ut queant laxis, the medieval hymn on which solfège was based because its lines started on each note of the scale successively. Through Italian.

(music) fa, a syllable used in solfège to represent the fourth diatonic (or sixth chromatic) note of a major scale.


mi

mi-en (definite singular)
mi-ar (indefinite plural)
mi-ane (definite plural)

From Latin mīra, from the first word of the fourth line of Ut queant laxis, the medieval hymn on which solfège was based because its lines started on each note of the scale successively. Through Italian.

(music) mi, a syllable used in solfège to represent the seventh note of a major scale.


sol

sol-en (definite singular)
sol-ar (indefinite plural)
sol-ane (definite plural)

From Latin solve, from the first word of the fifth line of Ut queant laxis, the medieval hymn on which solfège was based because its lines started on each note of the scale successively. Through Italian.

(music) sol (a syllable used in solfège to represent the fifth note of a major scale)


ass

assen (definite singular)
assar (indefinite plural)
assane (definite plural)


re

re-en (definite singular)
re-ar (indefinite plural)
re-ane (definite plural)

Through 17th century Italian. The first syllable of Latin resonāre (“to resound”), the first word of the second line of the medieval hymn Ut queant laxis, from which the solfège syllables were taken because its successive lines started each on the next note of the scale.

(music) re a syllable used in solfège to represent the second note of a major scale.


do

do-en (definite singular)
do-ar (indefinite plural)
do-ane (definite plural)

From the name of musicologist Giovanni Battista Doni, who suggested replacing the original ut with an open syllable for ease of singing. First found in Italian.

(music) do, a syllable used in solfège to represent the second note of a major scale.


piano

pianoet (definite singular)
piano (indefinite plural)
pianoa (definite plural)


nonen (definite singular)
nonar (indefinite plural)
nonane (definite plural)
nonen (definite masculine singular)
nonar (indefinite masculine plural)
nonane (definite masculine plural)

(music) An interval of 13 (liten none) or 14 (stor none) halftones.


b

head

b m (upper case B, definite singular b-en, indefinite plural b-ar, definite plural b-ane)

B (uppercase)
b-en (definite singular)
b-ar (indefinite plural)
b-ane (definite plural)

LL-Q9043 (nor)-Jon Harald Søby (WMNO)-b.wav


t

(music) Abbreviation of tonika (“tonic”).


bass

bassen (definite singular)
bassar (indefinite plural)
bassane (definite plural)

(music) bass (musical range, person, instrument or group performing in the base range)

(music) short for bassgitar (bass guitar) or kontrabass (double bass)


band

bandet (definite singular)
band (indefinite plural)
banda (definite plural)


note

noten (definite singular)
notar (indefinite plural)
notane (definite plural)


si

si-en (definite singular)
si-ar (indefinite plural)
si-ane (definite plural)

Acronym of Latin Sancte Ioannes, the phrase ending the hymn Ut queant laxis from earlier words of which the other notes of solfège were derived. A younger alteration, ti, allows for every note of the solfège to begin with a different letter.

(music) si, a syllable used in seventh note of a major scale


ti

ti-en (definite singular)
ti-ar (indefinite plural)
ti-ane (definite plural)

Alteration of si, so that every note of the solfège would begin with a different letter.

(music) ti, a syllable used in solfège to represent the seventh note of a major scale.


la

la-en (definite singular)
la-ar (indefinite plural)
la-ane (definite plural)

From Latin labii, from the first word of the sixth line of Ut queant laxis, the medieval hymn on which solfège was based because its lines started on each note of the scale successively. Through Italian.

(music) la, a syllable used in solfège to represent the second note of a major scale.


tangent

tangenten (definite singular)
tangentar (indefinite plural)
tangentane (definite plural)

From German Tangente, Tangens, ultimately from Latin tangēns.


banjo

banjoen (definite singular)
banjoar (indefinite plural)
banjoane (definite plural)


manual

manualen (definite singular)
manualar (indefinite plural)
manualane (definite plural)

Borrowed from Latin manualis, or English manual (“handbook”).


horn

hornet (definite singular)
horn (indefinite plural)
horna (definite plural)

From Old Norse horn, from Proto-Norse ᚺᛟᚱᚾᚨ (horna), from Proto-Germanic *hurną, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱer-.


lyre

lyra (definite singular)
lyrer (indefinite plural)
lyrene (definite plural)


demo

demoen (definite singular)
demoar (indefinite plural)
demoane (definite plural)


harpe

harpa (definite singular)
harper (indefinite plural)
harpene (definite plural)

From Old Norse harpa, from Proto-Germanic *harpǭ.


largo

largoen (definite singular)
largoar (indefinite plural)
largoane (definite plural)


allegro

allegroen (definite singular)
allegroar (indefinite plural)
allegroane (definite plural)


register

registeret (definite singular)
register (indefinite plural)
registera (definite plural)

(music) a register (voice range in singing; part of an organ)


single

singlen (definite singular)
singlar (indefinite plural)
singlane (definite plural)

Borrowed from English single and singles.


prestissimo

From Italian prestissimo, superlative of presto.


fortissimo

Borrowed rom Italian fortissimo (“strongest, very strong”).


fortissimo

fortissimoen (definite singular)
fortissimoar (indefinite plural)
fortissimoane (definite plural)


allegretto

allegrettoen (definite singular)
allegrettoar (indefinite plural)
allegrettoane (definite plural)


adagio

Borrowed from Italian adagio (“slowly”).


adagio

adagioen (definite singular)
adagioar (indefinite plural)
adagioane (definite plural)


gong

gongen (definite singular)
gongar (indefinite plural)
gongane (definite plural)


ess

essen (definite singular)
essar (indefinite plural)
essane (definite plural)


vend

venda (definite singular)
vender (indefinite plural)
vendene (definite plural)

(poetry, music) a stanza, or the tune of one


A-dur

A-duren (definite singular)
A-durar (indefinite plural)
A-durane (definite plural)


B-dur

B-duren (definite singular)
B-durar (indefinite plural)
B-durane (definite plural)


skive

skiva (definite singular)
skiver (indefinite plural)
skivene (definite plural)

(music) a disc (UK) or disk (US), a record


larghetto

larghettoen (definite singular)
larghettoar (indefinite plural)
larghettoane (definite plural)


solo

soloen (definite singular)
soloar (indefinite plural)
soloane (definite plural)

Borrowed from Italian solo, from Latin solus (“alone”).


hiss

hissen (definite singular)
hissar (indefinite plural)
hissane (definite plural)


alt

alten (definite singular)
altar (indefinite plural)
altane (definite plural)

From Latin altus, via Italian alto; compare with German Alt.


trombone

trombonen (definite singular)
trombonar (indefinite plural)
trombonane (definite plural)


libretto

librettoen (definite singular)
librettoar (indefinite plural)
librettoane (definite plural)


singel

singelen (definite singular)
singelar (indefinite plural)
singelane (definite plural)


fess

fessen (definite singular)
fessar (indefinite plural)
fessane (definite plural)


akkord

akkorden (definite singular)
akkordar (indefinite plural)
akkordane (definite plural)

From French accord, derived from accorder, from Late Latin accordare (“to make agree”).

Ho slo an ein akkord på pianoet.

(music) a chord; combination of and harmony between three or more pitches.


hitt

hitten (definite singular)
hittar (indefinite plural)
hittane (definite plural)


mandolin

mandolinen (definite singular)
mandolinar (indefinite plural)
mandolinane (definite plural)

From French mandoline, from Italian mandolino, diminutive of mandola.

Mandolinen er eit vellydande instrument med en lang historie.

The mandolin is a euphonic instrument with a long history.

[...] så var spetakkelet laus. Trekkspel og gitar, tamburinar og mandolin.

2012, Atle Hansen, Syng meg heim!, Wigestrand:

… and then the racket started. Accordion and guitar, tambourines and mandolin.

(music) mandolin; eight stringed instrument in the lute family


librettist

librettisten (definite singular)
librettistar (indefinite plural)
librettistane (definite plural)

From French librettiste or Italian librettista.


sekund

sekunden (definite singular)
sekundar (indefinite plural)
sekundane (definite plural)

From Latin (pars minuta) secunda (time), and secunda, secundus (music).


binders

bindersen (definite singular)
bindersar (indefinite plural)
bindersane (definite plural)

From the plural of English binder. The second sense is a semantic loan from French, where trombone may refer to either the paperclip or to the musical instrument.


streng

strengen (definite singular)
strenger (indefinite plural)
strengar (indefinite plural)
strengene (definite plural)
strengane (definite plural)

From Old Norse strengr, from Proto-Germanic *strangiz. The computing sense is a semantic loan from English string.


orge

orga (definite singular)
orger (indefinite plural)
orgene (definite plural)

From Old Norse organ (“an organ”). Doublet of organ.

(rare, music) synonym of orgel (“church organ”)


harmonium

harmoniet (definite singular)
harmonium (indefinite plural)
harmonia (definite plural)


dess

dessen (definite singular)
dessar (indefinite plural)
dessane (definite plural)


orgel

head

orgel n (definite singular orgelet, indefinite plural orgel, definite plural orgla)

orgelet (definite singular)
orgel (indefinite plural)
orgla (definite plural)


konsert

konserten (definite singular)
konsertar (indefinite plural)
konsertane (definite plural)


tromme

tromme f (definite singular tromma, indefinite plural trommer, definite plural trommene)

tromma (definite singular)
trommer (indefinite plural)
trommene (definite plural)


ouverture

ouverturen (definite singular)
ouverturar (indefinite plural)
ouverturane (definite plural)


kanon

kanonen (definite singular)
kanonar (indefinite plural)
kanonane (definite plural)

From Old French canon, from Latin canōn, from Ancient Greek κανών (kanṓn, “measuring rod, standard”), akin to κάννα (kánna, “reed”), perhaps from Semitic (compare Hebrew קָנֶה (qane, “reed”)).


saksofon

saksofonen (definite singular)
saksofonar (indefinite plural)
saksofonane (definite plural)

From the name of the inventor Adolphe Sax, + -fon.


cess

cessen (definite singular)
cessar (indefinite plural)
cessane (definite plural)


slagverk

slagverket (definite singular)
slagverk (indefinite plural)
slagverka (definite plural)


kastanjett

kastanjetten (definite singular)
kastanjettar (indefinite plural)
kastanjettane (definite plural)

Borrowed from French castagnette, from Spanish castañeta


bekken

bekkenet (definite singular)
bekken (indefinite plural)
bekkena (definite plural)

From Medieval Latin baccinum, via Middle Low German.


sonate

sonaten (definite singular)
sonatar (indefinite plural)
sonatane (definite plural)


takt

takten (definite singular)
takta (definite singular)
takter (indefinite plural)
taktar (indefinite plural)
taktene (definite plural)
taktane (definite plural)

From Latin tactus. In the sense of "tact" it is a semantic loan from English.

(especially music) time, rhythm, tempo, beat


ciss

cissen (definite singular)
cissar (indefinite plural)
cissane (definite plural)


dirigent

dirigenten (definite singular)
dirigentar (indefinite plural)
dirigentane (definite plural)


klarinett

klarinetten (definite singular)
klarinettar (indefinite plural)
klarinettane (definite plural)


sats

satsen (definite singular)
satsar (indefinite plural)
satsane (definite plural)

(music) a movement (in a musical work such as a symphony)


giss

gissen (definite singular)
gissar (indefinite plural)
gissane (definite plural)


orkester

orkesteret (definite singular)
orkester (indefinite plural)
orkestera (definite plural)

From Ancient Greek ὀρχήστρα (orkhḗstra).


fantasi

fantasien (definite singular)
fantasiar (indefinite plural)
fantasiane (definite plural)

Ultimately from Ancient Greek φαντασία (phantasía)


gitar

head

gitar m (definite singular gitaren, indefinite plural gitarar, definite plural gitarane)

gitaren (definite singular)
gitarar (indefinite plural)
gitarane (definite plural)


ters

tersen (definite singular)
tersar (indefinite plural)
tersane (definite plural)

From German Terz, from Latin tertia, tertius.


symfoni

symfonien (definite singular)
symfoniar (indefinite plural)
symfoniane (definite plural)

From Ancient Greek συμφωνία (sumphōnía).


korps

korpset (definite singular)
korps (indefinite plural)
korpsa (definite plural)


fløyte

fløyta (definite singular)
fløyter (indefinite plural)
fløytene (definite plural)

From Middle Low German vloite, velute, from Middle Dutch vloite, flöute, from Old French flahute, flaüte. Ultimately derived off the Latin noun flātus (“blowing, breath”). The verb is derived from the noun.


oratorium

oratoriet (definite singular)
oratorium (indefinite plural)
oratoria (definite plural)


postludium

postludiet (definite singular)
postludium (indefinite plural)
postludia (definite plural)


gauk

gauken (definite singular)
gaukar (indefinite plural)
gaukane (definite plural)

From Old Norse gaukr, from Proto-Germanic *gaukaz.


klaver

klaveret (definite singular)
klaver (indefinite plural)
klavera (definite plural)


menuett

menuetten (definite singular)
menuettar (indefinite plural)
menuettane (definite plural)


pauke

pauken (definite singular)
paukar (indefinite plural)
paukane (definite plural)


kombo

komboen (definite singular)
komboar (indefinite plural)
komboane (definite plural)


anslag

anslaget (definite singular)
anslag (indefinite plural)
anslaga (definite plural)

an- + slag, from Middle Low German anslach via Norwegian Bokmål.

(music) touch (the way a piano key or guitar string is struck)


anslå

anslår (present)
anslo (past)
anslege (participle past)
anslått (participle past)
anslåast (infinitive passive)
anslåande (participle present)
anslå (imperative)

From Low German anslan, via Norwegian Bokmål.


flygel

flygel n (definite singular flygelet, indefinite plural flygel, definite plural flygla)

flygelet (definite singular)
flygel (indefinite plural)
flygla (definite plural)


saks

saksen (definite singular)
saksar (indefinite plural)
saksane (definite plural)

(music) clipping of saksofon (“saxophone”)


tamburin

tamburinen (definite singular)
tamburinar (indefinite plural)
tamburinane (definite plural)


symbal

symbalen (definite singular)
symbalar (indefinite plural)
symbalane (definite plural)

Via Latin cymbalum, from Ancient Greek κύμβαλον (kúmbalon).


preludium

preludiet (definite singular)
preludium (indefinite plural)
preludia (definite plural)


komponist

komponist m (definite singular komponisten, indefinite plural komponistar, definite plural komponistane)

komponisten (definite singular)
komponistar (indefinite plural)
komponistane (definite plural)


singelplate

singelplate f (definite singular singelplata, indefinite plural singelplater, definite plural singelplatene)

singelplata (definite singular)
singelplater (indefinite plural)
singelplatene (definite plural)


platespelar

platespelar m (definite singular platespelaren, indefinite plural platespelarar, definite plural platespelarane)

platespelaren (definite singular)
platespelarar (indefinite plural)
platespelarane (definite plural)


konservatorium

konservatoriet (definite singular)
konservatorium (indefinite plural)
konservatoria (definite plural)


solist

solisten (definite singular)
solistar (indefinite plural)
solistane (definite plural)


vokalist

vokalisten (definite singular)
vokalistar (indefinite plural)
vokalistane (definite plural)


akkompagnatør

akkompagnatøren (definite singular)
akkompagnatørar (indefinite plural)
akkompagnatørane (definite plural)


hardingfele

hardingfela (definite singular)
hardingfeler (indefinite plural)
hardingfelene (definite plural)

From harding (“person from Hardanger”) + fele.


bladlus

head

bladlus f (definite singular bladlusa, indefinite plural bladlus or bladlyser, definite plural bladlusene or bladlysene)

bladlusa (definite singular)
bladlus (indefinite plural)
bladlyser (indefinite plural)
bladlusene (definite plural)
bladlysene (definite plural)

(music, humorous) a page-turner; a person sitting next to a pianist during a performance, turning the pages of the sheet music


sjanger

sjangeren (definite singular)
sjangrar (indefinite plural)
sjangrane (definite plural)

From French genre, from Latin genus, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁os (“race”), of the root *ǵenh₁-. Doublet of genus and kjønn.


sekkepipe

sekkepipa (definite singular)
sekkepiper (indefinite plural)
sekkepipene (definite plural)

From sekk + -e- + pipe. Calque of English bagpipe.

(music) bagpipes (plural noun), or bagpipe


treblåseinstrument

treblåseinstrumentet (definite singular)
treblåseinstrument (indefinite plural)
treblåseinstrumenta (definite plural)

From tre (“wood”) + blåseinstrument (“wind instrument”).

compound

(music) a woodwind or woodwind instrument


blåseinstrument

blåseinstrumentet (definite singular)
blåseinstrument (indefinite plural)
blåseinstrumenta (definite plural)


strengeinstrument

strengeinstrumentet (definite singular)
strengeinstrument (indefinite plural)
strengeinstrumenta (definite plural)


plekter

plekteret (definite singular)
plekter (indefinite plural)
plektera (definite plural)


kontrabass

kontrabassen (definite singular)
kontrabassar (indefinite plural)
kontrabassane (definite plural)


strykekvartett

strykekvartetten (definite singular)
strykekvartettar (indefinite plural)
strykekvartettane (definite plural)


strykeinstrument

strykeinstrumentet (definite singular)
strykeinstrument (indefinite plural)
strykeinstrumenta (definite plural)

(music) a string instrument (one played with a bow)


oktav

oktaven (definite singular)
oktavar (indefinite plural)
oktavane (definite plural)


lutt

lutten (definite singular)
luttar (indefinite plural)
luttane (definite plural)

From Arabic اَلْعُود (al-ʕūd, “wood”), via French and Middle Low German.


rockeband

rockebandet (definite singular)
rockeband (indefinite plural)
rockebanda (definite plural)

From rock (“rock music, rock and roll”) + -e- + band.


friluftskonsert

friluftskonserten (definite singular)
friluftskonsertar (indefinite plural)
friluftskonsertane (definite plural)


pasjon

pasjonen (definite singular)
pasjonar (indefinite plural)
pasjonane (definite plural)

(music) passion (musical setting of the Passion of Christ)


siter

siteren (definite singular)
siterar (indefinite plural)
siterane (definite plural)

From German Zither, from Ancient Greek κιθάρα (kithára).


harpeleik

harpeleiken (definite singular)
harpeleikar (indefinite plural)
harpeleikane (definite plural)


kvint

kvinten (definite singular)
kvintar (indefinite plural)
kvintane (definite plural)

(music) a fifth (interval on diatonic scale)


halvtone

halvtonen (definite singular)
halvtonar (indefinite plural)
halvtonane (definite plural)


diatonisk

diatonisk (indefinite singular)
diatoniske (definite plural singular)

From Ancient Greek [Term?] (“diatonikos”).


kromatisk

kromatisk (indefinite singular)
kromatiske (definite plural singular)

From Ancient Greek χρωματικός (khrōmatikós), from χρῶμα (khrôma).


septim

septimen (definite singular)
septimar (indefinite plural)
septimane (definite plural)


stemmegaffel

stemmegaffelen (definite singular)
stemmegaflar (indefinite plural)
stemmegaflane (definite plural)


perkusjonist

perkusjonisten (definite singular)
perkusjonistar (indefinite plural)
perkusjonistane (definite plural)


perkusjon

perkusjonen (definite singular)
perkusjonar (indefinite plural)
perkusjonane (definite plural)


symfoniorkester

symfoniorkesteret (definite singular)
symfoniorkester (indefinite plural)
symfoniorkestera (definite plural)


trekkbasun

trekkbasunen (definite singular)
trekkbasunar (indefinite plural)
trekkbasunane (definite plural)


munnharpe

munnharpa (definite singular)
munnharper (indefinite plural)
munnharpene (definite plural)

From munn (“mouth”) + harpe (“harp”). False friend of Icelandic munnharpa.


transkripsjon

transkripsjonen (definite singular)
transkripsjonar (indefinite plural)
transkripsjonane (definite plural)

(linguistics, music) the act of transcribing

(linguistics, music) something transcribed


kubjølle

kubjølla (definite singular)
kubjøller (indefinite plural)
kubjøllene (definite plural)


blokkfløyte

blokkfløyta (definite singular)
blokkfløyter (indefinite plural)
blokkfløytene (definite plural)

Calque of German Blockflöte, from blokk + fløyte. Cognate with Danish blokfløjte (whence also Greenlandic blokfløjte), Dutch blokfluit, Swedish blockflöjt and Icelandic blokkflauta.


svartmetall

(music) the black metal, the metal music with Satanic or Pagan message.


langeleik

langeleiken (definite singular)
langeleikar (indefinite plural)
langeleikane (definite plural)

(music) a Norwegian musical instrument, a kind of droned zither


taglharpe

taglharpa (definite singular)
taglharper (indefinite plural)
taglharpene (definite plural)

From tagl (“hair of mane or tail of a horse”) + harpe.

af

(music) a Scandinavian musical instrument, a kind of bowed lyre


dreielire

dreielira (definite singular)
dreielirer (indefinite plural)
dreielirene (definite plural)


kraviklyre

kraviklyra (definite singular)
kraviklyrer (indefinite plural)
kraviklyrene (definite plural)

(music) a lyre, in its design inspired or copied from Kraviklyra (the oldest lyre ever found in Norway)


seljefløyte

seljefløyta (definite singular)
seljefløyter (indefinite plural)
seljefløytene (definite plural)

(music) a Norwegian kind of a willow flute, similar to Finnish pitkähuilu


altsaksofon

altsaksofonen (definite singular)
altsaksofonar (indefinite plural)
altsaksofonane (definite plural)

From alt (“alto”) + saksofon (“saxophone”).

(music) alto saxophone (saxophone smaller than tenor)