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This page sets out how to decide what the tag for a particular work should be. Although this page of explanation is very long, the process is normally very short, and you will often find it takes less than a minute to tag a page (sometimes much less, sometimes more).
The tags begin with |Tags= and consist of two main elements: the "work type" and the "instrumentation", separated by spaces and a semi-colon " ; ". Here are some examples:
You may have noticed that in the last two examples there is a third tag, indicating the language used in vocal works.
Note that semi-colons are used rather than slashes, and no capital letters should be used in the tags.
So let's start by looking at these in detail.
The first element of the tag is the "work type", always given in the plural (so we use "symphonies" rather than "symphony"). Very often the type is contained in the work title, e.g. names of musical forms (sonata, symphony, concerto), tempo designations (adagio, allegro), and standard combinations of instruments (trio, quartet), and these can be identified very quickly.
On the other hand there are works like Messiah or Le nozze di Figaro where the form of work is not obvious from the main title, but the composer has helpfully provided descriptions or subtitles so that we know these are oratorios and operas respectively. Sometimes there's no clarification in the score itself, and we might have to consult printed or online reference sources such as Grove for a definitive answer.
It's also important to make sure that the types are always given in the same language, with the same capitalisation, according to the same rules (because "Part Song" and "partsong", for example, would be considered as different tags by IMSLP's software). So we need a standard glossary of terms that we can use. It so happens that music librarians have been grappling with these problems for years, and the list below owes much to the Music Library Association's list of Types of Compositions for Use in Music Uniform Titles [1], supplemented by other sources.
The first column lists a variety of musical forms, both singular and plural, in various languages (indicated by standard two-letter codes [2]). The second column (highlighted in green) indicates the standardised type that we should use, which are usually in the plural. You may then need to scroll further up or down the list to see any important notes accompanying its usage in the main entry (in bold type), e.g. that the term Anthems should only be used for choral works rather than for national anthems (which have their own distinct tag).
| Type of Work (singular/plural/language) |
See under | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abanera (it) | habaneras | ||
| Abertura (es) | overtures | ||
| Adagietto/Adagiettos (it) | adagiettos | use only when it is the composer's title for an independent piece | |
| Adagio/Adagios (it) | adagios | use only when it is the composer's title for an independent piece | |
| Agitato/Agitatos (it) | agitatos | use only when it is the composer's title for an independent piece | |
| Agnus Dei (la) | agnus dei | part of the traditional Latin mass; use only for independent pieces (note the singular form) | |
| Aire/Aires (en) | airs | ||
| Air/Airs (en) | airs | ||
| Allegretto/Allegrettos (it) | allegrettos | use only when it is the composer's title for an independent piece | |
| Allegro/Allegros (it) | allegros | use only when it is the composer's title for an independent piece | |
| Allemande/Allemandes (fr, de) | allemandes | a Baroque German dance | |
| Almain/Almains (en) | allemandes | ||
| Almaine/Almaines (en) | allemandes | ||
| Alman/Almans (en) | allemandes | ||
| Andante/Andantes (it) | andantes | use only when it is the composer's title for an independent piece | |
| Andantino/Andantinos (it) | andantinos | use only when it is the composer's title for an independent piece | |
| Anglaise/Anglaises (en, fr, de) | anglaises | a Baroque English dance | |
| Anglez (ru) | anglaises | ||
| Anthem/Anthems (en) | anthems | use only for choral settings of religious or moral texts (do not confuse with national anthems) | |
| Antiphons (en) | antiphons | part of the traditional Latin mass; use only for independent pieces | |
| Arabesca (it, es) | arabesques | ||
| Arabesco (es) | arabesques | ||
| Arabeska/ (ru) | arabesques | ||
| Arabeske (de) | arabesques | ||
| Arabesque/Arabesques (en, fr) | arabesques | ||
| Aria/Arias (en, fr, hu, it, es) | arias | use only when it is the composer's title for an independent vocal work; use Airs for purely instrumental works of 17th/18th centuries | |
| Arie (de) | arias | ||
| Arieta (es) | ariettas | ||
| Arietta/Ariettas (en, de, it, ru) | ariettas | use only when it is the composer's title for an independent vocal work | |
| Ariette (fr, de) | ariettas | ||
| Ariia (ru) | arias | ||
| Arioso/Ariosos (en) | ariosos | use only when it is the composer's title for an independent vocal work | |
| Arpeggio/Arpeggios (en, it) | scales | use for works designated as scale or pattern (e.g. arpeggio) studies by their composers; displays as "Scales and patterns" | |
| Aubade/Aubades (en, fr, de, it, es) | aubades | a piece of morning music (counterparts of serenades or nocturnes) | |
| Aube (hu) | aubades | ||
| Ave Maria (la) | ave maria | use only for independent works so titled by the composer | |
| Ayre/Ayres (en) | airs | ||
| Bagatela (es) | bagatelles | ||
| Bagatell (hu) | bagatelles | ||
| Bagatella (it) | bagatelles | ||
| Bagatelle/Bagatelles (en, fr, de) | bagatelles | ||
| Balada/Baladas (ru, es) | ballads | ||
| Ballad/Ballads (en) | ballads | applies to vocal works only; use Ballade for instrumental works | |
| Ballada (hu) | ballads | ||
| Ballade/Ballades (en, fr, de) | ballades | use for instrumental works only; use Ballad for vocal works | |
| Ballata/Ballatas (it) | ballatas | use only for Renaissance Italian songs so titled (do not confuse with Ballada) | |
| Ballet/Ballets (en, fr) | ballets | use only for dance forms (do not confuse with Balletts) | |
| Ballet d'action (fr) | pantomimes | ||
| Ballet en action (fr) | pantomimes | ||
| Ballet héroïque/Ballets héroïques (fr) | ballets heroiques | genre of 18th-century French opéra-ballet featuring the heroic and exotic; use only when designated as such by the composer | |
| Ballet pantomime (fr) | pantomimes | ||
| Ballett/Balletts (en) | balletts | use only for 16th/17th-century vocal works styled as such (do not confuse with Ballets) | |
| Ballett/Balletts (de) | ballets | ||
| Balletto/Balletti (it) | balletti | use for the 15th/16th-century Italian dances, or late 16th-/early 17th-century Italian partsongs only (do not confuse with Ballatas, Ballets) | |
| Barcarola (es) | barcarolles | ||
| Barcarole (en, de) | barcarolles | ||
| Barcarolle/Barcarolles (fr) | barcarolles | ||
| Barcaruola (it) | barcarolles | ||
| Barkarola (hu) | barcarolles | ||
| Barkarola (ru) | barcarolles | ||
| Basdans (ru) | basse danses | ||
| Bassa danza/Bassadanza (it) | basse danses | ||
| Bassadanza (it) | basse danses | ||
| Basse danse/Basse danses (en, fr, es) | basse danses | the principal court dance during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance | |
| Beguine/Beguines (en, de, it, es) | beguines | a social dance popular in Europe and American from the 1930s, with a rhythm similar to that of the bolero | |
| Béguine (fr) | beguines | ||
| Benedictus (la) | benedictus | use only for pieces independent from the ordinary mass | |
| Berceuse/Berceuses (fr) | berceuses | for instrumental works only; use lullabies for vocal works | |
| Bicinium/Bicinia (la) | bicinia | A two-voice work for voices, instruments, or keyboard; use only when it is the composer's title | |
| Bigin (es) | beguines | ||
| Biguine (es) | beguines | ||
| Biography/Biographies (en) | biographies | use for studies of individual musicians | |
| Blues (en) | blues | ||
| Boceto (es) | studies | ||
| Bolero/Boleros (en, de, hu, it, ru, es) | boleros | a Spanish dance in triple time | |
| Boléro (fr) | boleros | ||
| Boree (en) | bourrees | ||
| Bossa nova/Bosa novas (en, fr, de, pt) | bossa novas | Brazilian dance from the mid-20th century | |
| Bourrée/Bourrées (fr) | bourrees | French dance of the 17th/18th centuries | |
| Boutade/Boutades (fr) | boutades | 18th-century dance in a fanciful and playful style | |
| Burlesca (it, es) | burlesques | ||
| Burleska (ru) | burlesques | ||
| Burleske (de) | burlesques | ||
| Burlesque/Burlesques (fr, en) | burlesques | use for late 18th/early 19th century humorous stage works styled as such by the composer | |
| Burleszk (hu) | burlesques | ||
| Burre (ru) | bourrees | ||
| Butada (it) | boutades | ||
| Caccia (it) | catches | ||
| Cadence (fr) | cadenzas | ||
| Cadencia (es) | cadenzas | ||
| Cadenza/Cadenzas (it, en) | cadenzas | ||
| Cakewalk/Cakewalks (en) | cakewalks | African American dance of the late 19th/early 20th centuries | |
| Canarie (fr) | canaries | ||
| Canario (it, es) | canaries | ||
| Canary/Canaries | canaries | a form of dance and music popular in Europe from the mid-16th to mid-18th centuries | |
| Canción/Canciónes (es) | canciones | use only when it is the composer's title for a vocal piece | |
| Cançoneta (pt) | canzonettas | ||
| Canon/Canons (en, fr, es) | canons | see also Double canons | |
| Canon doble (es) | double canons | ||
| Canon double (fr) | double canons | ||
| Canone (it) | canons | ||
| Canone doppio (it) | double canons | ||
| Cantabile/Cantabiles (en, fr, de, it, es) | cantabiles | use only when it is the composer's title for a short vocal piece | |
| Cantata/Cantatas (en, it) | cantatas | divide into sacred cantatas and secular cantatas where possible; otherwise use cantatas | |
| Cantate (fr) | cantatas | ||
| Cantatille/Cantatilles (fr) | cantatas | divide into sacred cantatas and secular cantatas where possible; otherwise use cantatas | |
| Canticle/Canticles (en) | canticles | Since this is a type of hymn (one that is not based on Psalms), it cannot be used for instrumental music. | |
| Cantico (it) | canticles | ||
| Cántico (es) | canticles | ||
| Canticum (de) | canticles | ||
| Cantiga/Cantigas (es) | cantigas | medieval Iberian monophonic songs | |
| Cantilena/Cantilenas (it or la/en) | cantilenas | ||
| Cantilène (fr) | cantilenas | ||
| Cantique (fr) | canticles | ||
| Canto/Canti/Cantos (it, en) | songs | ||
| Canzon (it) | canzonas | ||
| Canzona/Canzonas (en, it, es) | canzonas | originally Provençal troubadour songs; later, pieces of 16th-century Italian secular music, 16th- to 17th-century instrumental works (do not confuse with Canzoni) | |
| Canzone/Canzoni (it) | canzoni | an 18th- and 19th-century song-like work for voice or instruments; use only where this is the composer's title (do not confuse with Canzonas) | |
| Canzonet/Canzonets (en) | canzonets | late 16th-century English part-song (do not confuse with Canzonettas) | |
| Canzoneta (es) | canzonettas | ||
| Canzonetta/Canzonettas | canzonettas | late 16th-century Italian part-song; also used for solo songs and instrumental pieces of a songlike nature (do not confuse with Canzonas, Canzonets) | |
| Canzonette (fr, de) | canzonettas | ||
| Capriccio/Capriccios (it) | capriccios | use 'only when it is the composer's original title (do not confuse with Caprices) | |
| Caprice/Caprices (en, fr) | caprices | use 'only when it is the composer's original title (do not confuse with Capriccios) | |
| Capricho/Caprichos (es) | capriccios | ||
| Carmina/Carminas (la) | carminas | ||
| Carol/Carols (en) | carols | ||
| Casación (es) | cassations | ||
| Cassation/Cassations (en) | cassations | 18th-century instrumental composition (similar to Divertimentos and Serenades) often performed outdoors. | |
| Cassazione (it) | cassations | ||
| Catalogs/Catalogues (en) | catalogs | See also publishers catalogs | |
| Catch/Catches (en) | catches | an English round for 3 voices | |
| Cavatina/Cavatinas (en, it, es) | cavatinas | use for aria-like vocal pieces or a song-like instrumental works so titled by the composeer, but not for individual cavatinas within operas | |
| Cavatine (fr) | cavatinas | ||
| Chacona (es) | chaconnes | ||
| Chacarera/Chacareras (es) | chacareras | an Argentinian dance form | |
| Chaconne/Chaconnes (en, fr, de) | chaconnes | a form of variations popular during the Baroque era | |
| Chakona (ru) | chaconnes | ||
| Chanson/Chansons (fr) | chansons | use only when it, or chansonette, is the composer's original title | |
| Chansonette/Chansonettes (fr) | chansons | use only when it is the composer's original title | |
| Chant/Chants (en) | chants | use only when it is the composer's original title; do not confuse with French Chants; for Gregorian chant, use Plainchant | |
| Chant/Chants (fr) | songs | do not confuse with English Chants | |
| Character piece/Character pieces (en) | character pieces | use only where this (or a foreign equivalent) is the composer's title | |
| Characteristic piece/Characteristic pieces (en) | character pieces | [variants: character piece, Charakterstück; currently grouped with pieces] | |
| Charakterstück/Charakterstücke (de) | character pieces | ||
| Chast/Chasti (ru) | movements | ||
| Chœur (fr) | choruses | ||
| Chor (de) | chorus | ||
| Choral (fr, de) | chorales | ||
| Choralbearbeitung/Choralbearbeitungen (de) | choralbearbeitungen | a German vocal or instrumental composition based on a pre-existing sacred melody; use only where styled as such by the composer | |
| Chorale/Chorales (en) | chorales | see also Chorale preludes | |
| Chorale prelude/Chorale preludes (en) | chorale preludes | setting of a chorale melody, usually for organ | |
| Choralvorspiel/Choralvorspiele; Choral-Vorspiel/Choral-Vorspiele (de) | chorale preludes | ||
| Chorinho/Chorinhos (es, pt) | chorinhos | Brazilian dance of European origin | |
| Choro/Choros (es, pt) | chorinhos | do not confuse with coros | |
| Chorus/Choruses (en) | choruses | divide into Sacred choruses and Secular choruses where possible; otherwise use Cantatas | |
| Chotis (es) | ecossaises | ||
| Ciaccona (it) | chaconnes | ||
| Ciciliano (it) | sicilianas | ||
| Comic operas (en) | comic operas | ||
| Communions (en) | communions | part of the traditional Latin mass; use only for independent pieces | |
| Concert piece/Concert pieces (en) | pieces | ||
| Concertant (fr) | concertantes | ||
| Concertante/Concertantes (en, it, es) | concertantes | use only where it is the composer's original title, but use different heading for Sinfonie concertanti | |
| Concertino/Concertinos (it) | concertinos | use only where it is the composer's original title | |
| Concerto/Concertos (en, fr, it) | concertos | a work for soloist(s) and orchestra; do not use "Piano Concerto", "Violin Concerto", "Cello Concerto", etc., but see also Concerti grossi, Double Concertos, Triple Concertos | |
| Concerto grosso/Concerti grossi (it) | concerti grossi | a type of Baroque concerto in which a large group alternates with a smaller group | |
| Concertone/Concertoni (en) | concertoni | a rarely-used term meaning "large concerto" | |
| Concertpiece (en) | concertinos | ||
| Concertstück (de) | concertinos | ||
| Concierto (es) | concertos | ||
| Conductus (la) | conductus | a Latin medieval song | |
| Conga/Congas (en) | congas | Latin-American dance in 2/4 meter with a repeated two-measure rhythmic pattern | |
| Contradanza (it, es) | country dances | ||
| Contredanse (fr) | country dances | ||
| Coral (ed) | chorales | ||
| Corale (it) | chorales | ||
| Corant/Corants (en) | courantes | ||
| Coro (it, es) | choruses | ||
| Corrente/Correnti (it) | courantes | ||
| Correspondence (en) | correspondence | use for collections of musicians' letters | |
| Cortège/Cortèges (en, fr) | corteges | a piece of music written to accompany a procession | |
| Country dance/Country dances (en) | country dances | ||
| Courante/Courantes (fr) | courantes | a Baroque dance form | |
| Cracoviak/Cracoviak (fr) | krakowiaks | ||
| Cracoviana/Cracoviana(it, es) | krakowiaks | ||
| Cracovienne/Cracoviennes (en, fr) | krakowiaks | ||
| Cradle song/Cradle songs (en) | lullabies | for vocal works only, otherwise use berceuses | |
| Credo (en, fr, de, it, la) | credo | part of the traditional Latin mass; use only for independent pieces (note singular form) | |
| Csárdás (fr) | czardas | ||
| Cuadrilla (es) | quadrilles | ||
| Cuarteto (es) | quartets | ||
| Cujawiak/Cujawiak (es) | kujawiaks | ||
| Czardas/Czardas (hu) | czardas | a lively Hungarian dance | |
| Dal/Dalok (hu) | dalok | Hungarian vocal work; use only when it is the composer's original title | |
| Dance/Dances (en) | dances | ||
| Danse (fr) | dances | ||
| Danza/Danzas (es, it) | danzas | a particular genre of salon music for piano developed in Puerto Rico in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (do not confuse with Dance) | |
| Danzón (es) | danzon | a Cuban ballroom dance developed during the 19th century (do not confuse with Dance) | |
| Darab/Darabok (hu) | pieces | ||
| Decet/Decets (en) | decets | ||
| Decimino (it) | decets | ||
| Dectet (en) | decets | ||
| Descants (en) | descants | ||
| Detsimet (ru) | decets | ||
| Dezett (de) | decets | ||
| Dictionary/Dictionaries (en) | dictionaries | use for reference books containing alphabetical articles concerning music and/or musicians | |
| Dies irae (la) | dies irae | a sequence from the traditional Latin mass; use only for independent pieces | |
| Dirge/Dirges (en) | dirges | a mournful song or instrumental piece for burial or memorial rites | |
| Divertimento/Divertimenti (en, de, hu, it, es) | divertimentos | ||
| Divertisment (ru) | divertimentos | use only for instrumental works; for the type of 17th/18th-century French musical-dramatic entertainment, use Divertissement | |
| Divertissement/Divertisements (fr) | divertissements | use only for the 17th/18th century form of French musical-dramatic entertainment; in all other cases use Divertimentos | |
| Division/Divisions (en) | divisions | a mainly 17th-century English technique of improvised variation over a ground bass, written out for didactic or performance purposes | |
| Divisions on a ground (en) | divisions | ||
| Dixtuor (en, fr) | decets | a work for ten players | |
| Doble canon (es) | double canons | ||
| Doble fuga (es) | double fugues | ||
| Doppelfuge (de) | double fugues | ||
| Doppelkanon (de) | double canons | ||
| Double concerto/Double concertos (en) | double concertos | a concerto for two solo instruments with orchestral accompaniment | |
| Double canon/Double canons (en, fr) | double canons | a variant of the canon with two independent solo lines | |
| Double fugue/Double fugues (en, fr) | double fugues | a variant of the fugue with two independent solo lines | |
| Dramma giocoso (it) | dramma giocoso | a subset of opera-->comic opera-->opera buffa | |
| Duet/Duets (en) | duets | ||
| Dueto (es) | duets | ||
| Duett (de, ju) | duets | ||
| Duettino/Duettinos (it) | duettinos | a short vocal or instrumental duet; use only where this is the composer's title | |
| Duetto (it) | duets | ||
| Dumka/Dumkas (en, fr, de, it, es, ru) | dumkas | a Slavonic folk ballad; can be vocal or instrumental | |
| Dumky (en) | dumkas | ||
| Duo (it) | duets | ||
| Dupla fúga (hu) | double fugues | ||
| Dvoinaia fuga (ru) | double fugues | ||
| Dvoinaia kanon (ru) | double canons | ||
| Eclogue/Eclogues (en) | eclogues | a short instrumental piece of a pastoral nature | |
| Ecossaise/Ecossaises (en, hu) | ecossaises | a Scottish folk dance | |
| Écossaise (fr) | ecossaises | ||
| Ejercicio/Ejercicios (es) | exercises | ||
| Eklog (de) | eclogues | ||
| Eksprompt (ru) | impromptus | ||
| Elegia (it) | elegies | ||
| Élégie (fr) | elegies | ||
| Elegie (de) | elegies | ||
| Elegiia (ru) | elegies | ||
| Elegy/Elegies (en) | elegies | use for instrumental works only | |
| Entr'acte/Entr'actes (fr) | interludes | ||
| Entreè (fr) | intrada | ||
| Entrada (es) | intrada | ||
| Epithalamium/Epithalamia (la) | epithalamia | wedding song or instrumental piece | |
| Equale/Equali (it) | equali | ||
| Escocesa (es) | ecossaises | ||
| Esercizio/Esercizi (it) | exercises | ||
| Esquisse/Esquisses (fr) | sketches | ||
| Estampida/Estampidas (fr) | estampies | ||
| 'Estampie/Estampies (en, fr, de) | estampies | instrumental dance form originating in the 13th and 14th centuries | |
| Estampita/Estampitas (es) | estampies | ||
| Estudio/Estudios (es) | studies | ||
| Ethnomusicology (en) | ethnomusicology | ||
| Etiud/Etiudy (ru) | studies | ||
| Etude/Etudes (en) | studies | ||
| Étude/Études (fr) | studies | ||
| Etüde/Etüden (de) | studies | ||
| Exercise/Exercises (en) | exercises | see also Studies | |
| Fairy operas (en) | fairy operas | ||
| Fancie (en) | fancies | ||
| Fancy/Fancies (en) | fancies | ||
| Fandango/Fandangos (en, fr, de, it, es, ru) | fandangos | a traditional Spanish dance | |
| Fanfara (it, ru) | fanfares | ||
| Fanfare/Fanfares (en, fr, de) | fanfares | a flourish of trumpets or other brass instruments, often with percussion, for ceremonial purposes | |
| Fanfarra (es) | fanfares | ||
| Fanfarria (es) | fanfares | ||
| Fantaisie/Fantaisies (fr) | fantasias | ||
| Fantasia/Fantasias (en) | fantasias | ||
| Fantasia/Fantasie (it) | fantasias | ||
| Fantasie/Fantasien (de) | fantasias | ||
| Fantasy/Fantasies (en) | fantasias | ||
| Farce/Farces (en) | farces | a sub-category of operas | |
| Film Score/Film Scores (de) | film scores | music specifically written to accompany cinematic works | |
| Finale/Finales (it) | finales | use only when it is the composer's title for an independent piece | |
| Florish/Florishes (en) | flourishes | ||
| Flourish/Flourishes (en) | flourishes | ||
| Fokstrot (ru) | foxtrots | ||
| Folk song/Folksong/Folk songs/Folksongs (en) | folksongs | use for works specifically identified as such, or general songs of a national or regional character that are not otherwise designated | |
| Forlana (de, it, es, ru) | forlanes | ||
| Forlane/Forlanes (en, fr) | forlanes | an Italian folkdance popular in the early 18th century | |
| Fox trot (en) | foxtrots | ||
| Fox-trot (en, fr, es) | foxtrots | ||
| Fox-trott (it) | foxtrots | ||
| Foxtrot/Foxtrots (en) | foxtrots | 20th-century American social dance in 4/4 time | |
| Foxtrott (de) | foxtrots | ||
| Frottola/Frottolas (it) | frottolas | Italian secular song of the 15th/16th centuries; forerunner of the madrigal; use only when it is the composer's title | |
| Fuga (it, es, ru) | fugues | ||
| Fuga doble (es) | double fugues | ||
| Fuga doppia (it) | double fugues | ||
| Fugado (es) | fugatos | ||
| Fugato/Fugatos (en, fr, de, hu, it, ru) | fugatos | a fugue-like piece which falls short of a proper fugue; use only when it is the composer's original title | |
| Fuge (de) | fugues | ||
| Fugetta (hu, ru) | fughettas | ||
| Fughetta/Fughettas (en, fr, de, it, es) | fughettas | a short or light fugue; use only when it is the composer's original title | |
| Fugue/Fugues (en, fr) | fugues | treat "Prelude and Fugue" separately, i.e. first as a Prelude and then also as a Fugue (etc.) | |
| Funeral march/Funeral marches (en) | funeral marches | use only when styled as such by the composer; otherwise use Marches | |
| Furiant/Furiants(en, fr, de, it, es) | furiants | an exuberant Bohemian folkdance | |
| Furianty (ru) | furiants | ||
| Furlana (es, it) | forlanes | ||
| Gagliarda (it) | galliards | ||
| Gaillarde (fr, de) | galliards | ||
| Gal'iarda (ru) | galliards | ||
| Gallarda (es) | galliards | ||
| Galliard/Galliards (en) | galliards | a lively, triple-metre courtly dance of the 16th and early 17th centuries | |
| Galop/Galops (en) | galops | a fast and lively ballroom dance in 2/4 time | |
| Galopp (de) | galops | ||
| Gavot (ru) | gavottes | ||
| Gavota (es) | gavottes | ||
| Gavotta (it) | gavottes | ||
| Gavotte/Gavottes (en, fr, de) | gavottes | an old French dance in common time beginning on the 3rd beat of the bar | |
| Geistliche konzert (de) | sacred concertos | ||
| Gesang/Gesänge (de) | songs | ||
| Giga (it, es) | gigues | ||
| Gigue/Gigues (en, fr, de) | gigues | a French dance of English origin | |
| Gimn (ru) | hymns | ||
| Glee/Glees (en) | glees | an English part-song for three or more voices | |
| Gloria (la) | gloria | part of the traditional Latin mass; use only for independent pieces (note singular form) | |
| Gradual/Graduals (nl, en, de, es) | graduals | use only for independent pieces so titled by the composer | |
| Graduale (it, la) | graduals | ||
| Graduále (cz, hu) | graduals | ||
| Graduel (fr) | graduals | ||
| Grand opera/s (en) | grand operas | generally used for 19th-century operas in 4 or 5 acts with large-scale casts and orchestras | |
| Ground/Grounds (en) | grounds | piece with a short melody, usually in the bass, repeated continually with changing upper parts, popular in the 16th and early 17th centuries | |
| Guajira/Guajiras (es) | guajiras | a Cuban narrative song form, usually in 6/8 alternating with 3/4; use only when it is the composer's original title | |
| Habanera/Habaneras (es, fr, de, es) | habaneras | a Cuban dance in slow 2/4 time, possibly of African origin, that became popular in Spain | |
| Harmonia (en, it) | harmonies | ||
| Harmonie (fr, de) | harmonies | ||
| Harmony/Harmonies (en) | harmonies | use only for works for wind instruments or a small wind band (oboes, horns, bassoons, etc.) when this is the composer's title | |
| Havanaise (fr) | habaneras | ||
| Himno (es) | hymns | ||
| Hornpipe/Hornpipes (en) | hornpipes | a dance in triple or duple time popular with British sailors in the 18th century | |
| Humoresca (es) | humoresques | ||
| Humoreske (de) | humoresques | ||
| Humoresque/Humoresques (en, fr) | humoresques | ||
| Humoreszk (hu) | humoresques | ||
| Hymn/Hymns (en) | hymns | a song of praise to a deity or saint | |
| Hymne (de) | hymns | use for religious works only; otherwise see "secular hymns" | |
| Impromptu/Impromptus (en, fr, de, hu, es) | impromptus | ||
| Improperia (la) | improperia | use only for independent works so styled by the composer | |
| Improvisation/Improvisations (en) | improvisations | ||
| In nomine/In nomines (la) | in nomines | use only for instrumental works | |
| Incidental music (en) | incidental music | see also film scores | |
| Induló (hu) | marches | ||
| Inglesa (es) | anglaises | ||
| Inglese (it) | anglaises | ||
| Inno (it) | hymns | ||
| Instrumentation (en) | orchestration | ||
| Interlude/Interludes (en, fr) | interludes | ||
| Interludio (it, es) | interludes | ||
| Interludium (de) | interludes | ||
| Intermède/Intermèdes (fr) | intermedes | use only when this is the composer's title of a character piece | |
| Intermedio (it, es) | intermedes | ||
| Intermedium (it) | intermedes | ||
| Intermetstso (ru) | intermezzos | ||
| Intermezzo/Intermezzi (en, fr, de, it, es) | intermezzos | ||
| Intonation/Intonations (en, fr, de) | intonations | originally an introductory toccata-like piece for keyboard that sets the pitch for a following sacred vocal composition; may also exist independently; use for intonazione/intonazioni. | |
| Intonazione/Intonazioni (it) | intonations | see definition of intonations | |
| Intrada/Intradas (it) | intradas | ||
| Introducción (es) | introductions | ||
| Introduction/Introductions (en, fr) | introductions | use only when this is the composer's original title | |
| Introduktion (de) | introductions | ||
| Introduktsiia (ru) | introductions | ||
| Introduzione (it) | introductions | ||
| Introit/Introits (en) | introits | use only for organ pieces when this is the composer's original title; for the extract from the Latin mass, use Hymns | |
| Introitus (la) | introits | ||
| Invención (es) | inventions | ||
| Invention/Inventions (en, fr, de) | inventions | use only where this is the composer's original title | |
| Invento (es) | inventions | ||
| Inventsiia (ru) | inventions | ||
| Invenzione (it) | inventions | ||
| Istampita (it) | estampies | ||
| Istanpitta (it) | estampies | ||
| Iumoreska (ru) | inventions | ||
| Jácara/Jácaras (pt, es) | jacaras | a 17th/18th-century Spanish dance form | |
| Jazz (en) | jazz | use for improvisational pieces without prescribed instrumentation | |
| Jig (en) | gigues | ||
| Jiga (es) | gigues | ||
| Jigge (en) | gigues | ||
| Jota/Jotas (es) | jotas | a lively Spanish dance in triple time | |
| Kadenz (de) | cadenzas | ||
| Kadril' (ru) | quadrilles | ||
| Kanon (de) | canons | ||
| Kánon (hu) | canons | ||
| Kantabile (ru) | cantabiles | ||
| Kantate (de) | cantatas | ||
| Kantiga (ru) | cantigas | ||
| Kantikum (ru) | canticles | ||
| Kantsonetta (ru) | canzonettas | ||
| Kanzonette (de) | canzonettas | ||
| Kaprice (de) | caprices | ||
| Kaprichch (ru) | caprices | ||
| Kaprichchio (ru) | capriccios | ||
| Kaprisa (ru) | caprices | ||
| Kaprize (de) | caprices | ||
| Kassation (de) | cassations | ||
| Kassatsiia (ru) | cassations | ||
| Kavatina (ru) | cavatinas | ||
| Kavatine (de) | cavatinas | ||
| Kettõs (hu) | duets | ||
| Kettõs fúga (hu) | double fugues | ||
| Khabanera (ru) | habaneras | ||
| Khavanez (ru) | habaneras | ||
| Khor (ru) | choruses | ||
| Khoral (ru) | chorales | ||
| Konchertone (de) | concertones | ||
| Kontrans (ru) | country dances | ||
| Kontratánc (hu) | country dances | ||
| Kontretänze (de) | country dances | ||
| Kontsert (ru) | concertos | ||
| Kontsertshtiuk (ru) | concertinos | ||
| Konzert (de) | concertos | ||
| Konzertant (de) | concertantes | ||
| Konzertone (de) | concertones | ||
| Konzertstück/Konzertstücke (de) | concertinos | ||
| Krakoviák/Krakoviák (hu, ru) | krakowiaks | ||
| Krakowiak/Krakowiaks (en, de, pl) | krakowiaks | Polish folk dance characterized by syncopated rhythms in fast duple time | |
| Kujaviak/Kujaviaks (en) | kujawiaks | ||
| Kujawiak/Kujawiaks (en, pl) | kujawiaks | Polish folk dance, similar to but slower than the mazurka | |
| Kvadril' (ru) | quadrilles | ||
| Kvartet (ru) | quartets | ||
| Kvintet (ru) | quintets | ||
| Kvodlibet (ru) | quodlibets | ||
| Kyrie (el, la) | kyrie | part of the traditional Latin mass; use only for independent pieces (note singular form) | |
| Ladainha (pt) | litanies | ||
| Laendler (fr) | landler | ||
| Lamentation (de) | lamentations | Should specifically contain text from the Lamentations of Jeremiah in the Bible | |
| Lancers (en) | quadrilles | A "Lancers" is a type of quadrille dance | |
| Ländler (de) | landler | an Alpine folkdance in 3/4 time | |
| Largetto (ru) | larghettos | ||
| Larghetto/Larghettos (en, fr, de, it, es) | larghettos | use only when it is the composer's title | |
| Largo/Largos (it) | largos | use only when it is the composer's title | |
| Lavolta (en, fr) | volta | ||
| Lendler (it) | landler | ||
| Lendler/Лэндлер (ru) | landler | ||
| Lento (en, fr, de, it, es) | lentos | use only when it is the composer's title | |
| Lesson/Lessons (en) | lessons | use only for short instrumental or vocal exercises, where this is the composer's title; a "lectio", which technically means lesson, is usually not an exercise, but a sacred song on a text from a Biblical lesson, in which case it is tagged as a sacred song or motet | |
| Lesung/Lesungen (de) | lessons | ||
| Letter/Letters (en) | correspondence | ||
| Lezion/Lezioni (it) | lessons | ||
| Libretto/Librettos (en) | librettos | use for publications of the text of operatic and vocal works that omit the music | |
| Lied/Lieder (de) | lieder | use only when styled as such by the composer | |
| Litanei (de) | litanies | ||
| Litania (it) | litanies | ||
| Litanie (fr) | litanies | ||
| Litany/Litanies (en) | litanies | ||
| Liturgia (es, it, pl) | liturgies | ||
| Liturgie (de, fr) | liturgies | ||
| Liturgy/Liturgies (en) | liturgies | use only when styled as such by the composer | |
| Lullaby/Lullabies (en) | lullabies | for vocal works only; otherwise use berceuses | |
| Lullabye/Lullabyes (en) | lullabies | ||
| Lyric drama/Lyric dramas (en) | lyric dramas | ||
| Lyric opera/Lyric operas (en) | lyric operas | a subcategory of opera | |
| Lyric tragedy/Lyric tragedies (en) | lyric tragedies | a subcategory of opera | |
| Madrigaal (nl) | madrigals | ||
| Madrigal/Madrigals (en, fr, de, hu, es) | madrigals | Use for "madrigali spirituali" as well | |
| Madrigale (it) | madrigals | ||
| Madrygal (pl) | madrigals | ||
| Magnificat/Magnificats (la) | magnificats | use only for independent works so title by the composer | |
| Magníficat (es) | magnificats | ||
| Magnifikat (ru) | magnificats | ||
| Malagueña/Malagueñas (es) | malaguenas | a type of instrumental piece, song, or dance in the flamenco style | |
| Mambo/Mambos (en, fr, de, it ,es) | mambos | a 20th-century Cuban ballroom dance | |
| March/Marches (en) | marches | see also Funeral marches, Wedding marches | |
| Marcha (pt, es) | marches | ||
| Marche (fr) | marches | ||
| Marche funèbre/Marches funèbres (fr) | funeral marches | ||
| Märchenoper (de) | fairy operas | ||
| Marcia (it) | marches | ||
| Marcietta/Marciettas (en/it) | marches | ||
| Mars (nl) | marches | ||
| Marsch (de) | marches | ||
| Marsh (ru) | marches | ||
| Marsz (pl) | marches | ||
| Masque/Masques (en, fr) | masques | ||
| Mass/Masses (en) | masses | ||
| Mazur (pl) | mazurkas | ||
| Mazurca (it, es) | mazurkas | ||
| Mazurek (it, pl) | mazurkas | ||
| Mazurka/Mazurkas (cz, en, fr, de, hu, ru) | mazurkas | a Polish folk dance in triple time | |
| Meditation/Meditations (en) | meditations | use only when this is the composer's title | |
| Méditation/Méditations (fr) | meditations | ||
| Medley/Medleys (en) | medleys | ||
| Mélange/Mélanges (fr) | medleys | ||
| Mélodie/Mélodies (fr) | melodies | use only for French vocal works when this is the composer's title | |
| Melodrama/Melodramas (en, ru) | melodramas | usually music accompanying spoken text; use only for independent works described as such by the composer | |
| Mélodrame (fr) | melodramas | ||
| Melologo (it) | melodramas | ||
| Menuet (ru) | minuets | ||
| Menuett (de, hu) | minuets | ||
| Menuetto (it) | minuets | ||
| Messa (it) | masses | ||
| Messe (fr, de) | masses | ||
| Method/Methods (en) | methods | ||
| Méthode/Méthodes (fr) | methods | ||
| Metodo (it) | methods | ||
| Milonga/Milongas (es) | milongas | a traditional song or dance genre from Argentina and Uruguay | |
| Minué (es) | minuets | ||
| Minuet/Minuets (en) | minuets | a stately dance in triple time | |
| Minuete (pt, es) | minuets | ||
| Minuetto (it) | minuets | ||
| Misa (es) | masses | ||
| Mise (hu) | masses | ||
| Miserere (la) | miserere | ||
| Missa (la) | masses | ||
| Miuzet (ru) | musettes | ||
| Moderato/Moderatos (it) | moderatos | use only when it is the composer's title | |
| Modinha/Modinhas (en, pt) | modinhas | a song usually for solo voice and guitar popular in 19th-century Brazil and Portugal; also a Brazilian dance form derived from the vocal form | |
| Monodrama/Monodramas (en) | monodramas | form of melodrama featuring one character using speech in alternation with short passages of music | |
| Morceau/Morceaux (fr) | pieces | ||
| Morceaux caractéristiques (fr) | character pieces | ||
| Motet/Motets (cz, nl, en, fr, pl, ru) | motets | use only when styled as such by the composer | |
| Motete (es) | motets | ||
| Motetta (hu) | motets | ||
| Motette (de) | motets | ||
| Motetto (it) | motets | ||
| Motteto (it) | motets | ||
| Mottetto (it) | motets | ||
| Mouvement/Mouvements (fr) | movements | ||
| Movement/Movements (en) | movements | use for an independent work titled as such, not for individual movements of a larger work | |
| Movimento/Movimenti (it) | movements | ||
| Movimiento/Movimienti (it) | movements | ||
| Mša (cz) | masses | ||
| Msza (pl) | masses | ||
| Muséte (fr) | musettes | ||
| Musette/Musettes (fr, en, de, it, es) | musettes | a dance-like piece of pastoral character whose style is suggestive of the sound of the musette or bagpipe | |
| Music aesthetics (en) | music aesthetics | writings only | |
| Music criticism (en) | music criticism | use for reviews and analysis of specific works by one or more composers | |
| Music, economic aspects (en) | music economic aspects | use for writings about music business practices | |
| Music education (en) | music education | use for writings about general music education that are not tied to a specific instrument | |
| Music history (en) | music history | use for writings about historical music practices | |
| Music notation (en) | music notation | use for writings about music notation, e.g. sol-fa or mensural notation | |
| Music theory (en) | music theory | use for writings about the general composition, harmony, rhythm and structure of music | |
| Music therapy (en) | music therapy | use for writings about music therapy | |
| Musicals (en) | musicals | 20th-century genre of dramatic works interspersed with musical numbers | |
| Nachspiel/Nachspiele (de) | postludes | ||
| National Anthem/National Anthems (en) | national anthems | use only for pieces of music that are national anthems of countries (past or present), or works based on their themes (do not confuse with anthems) | |
| Nocturne/Nocturnes (en, fr, de) | nocturnes | ||
| Nocturno (es) | nocturnes | ||
| Noël/Noëls (fr) | carols | ||
| Noktiurn (ru) | nocturnes | ||
| Nonet/Nonets (en, fr, de) | nonets | ||
| Noneto (es) | nonets | a composition for nine performers | |
| Nonett (de) | nonets | ||
| Nonetto (it, es) | nonets | ||
| Notturno (de, it) | nocturnes | ||
| Obertura (es) | overtures | ||
| Octet/Octets (en) | octets | a composition for eight performers | |
| Octeto (es) | octets | ||
| Octuor (fr) | octets | ||
| Oda (pl, es, ru) | odes | ||
| Óda (cz, hu) | odes | ||
| Ode/Odes (en, fr, de, it) | odes | a ancient poem intended to be sung, usually in honour of some special occasion or as part of a play; also a cantata-like form of the 17th and 18th centuries | |
| Ofertorio (es) | offertories | ||
| Offertoire (fr) | offertories | ||
| Offertorii (ru) | offertories | ||
| Offertorio (it) | offertories | ||
| Offertorium/Offertoria (en, de, la) | offertorium | chant, item of the Proper of the Mass; from the 17th century frequently performed independently of the liturgy | |
| Offertory/Offertories (en) | offertories | use only for independent settings that do not form part of larger works | |
| Oktet (ru) | octets | ||
| Oktett (de) | octets | ||
| Oper/Opern (de) | operas | ||
| Opera/Operas (en, fr, it) | operas | the "genres" allocated in Wikipedia, such as "opera buffa" and "singspiele", may also be used instead, and will be treated here as sub-categories of "opera" | |
| Opera-ballet/Opera-ballets (en) | opera-ballets | a popular genre of French Baroque opera | |
| Opéra-ballet/Opéras-ballets (fr) | opera-ballets | ||
| Opéra bouffe/Opéras bouffes (fr) | operas bouffes | a sub-category of opera, this was a type of late 19th-century French operetta | |
| Opéra comique/Opéras comiques (fr) | operas comiques | a sub-category of opera, this is not to be confused with comic opera; opéra comique combines spoken dialogue (instead of recitative) with singing | |
| Opéra féerie (fr) | fairy operas | ||
| Opera seria (it) | opera seria | a sub-category of opera | |
| Operetta/Operettas (en) | operettas | a form of light opera, popular from the late 19th century | |
| Oratorio/Oratorios (en/fr/it) | oratorios | divide into "sacred oratorios" and "secular oratorios" if possible | |
| Oratorium (de) | oratorios | ||
| Orchestration (en) | orchestration | ||
| Organology (en) | organology | use for writings about musical instruments | |
| Ostinato/Ostinatos (it) | ostinatos | use only where this is the composer's original title | |
| Ottetto (it) | octets | ||
| Ouvertüre (de) | overtures | ||
| Ouverture (fr, it) | overtures | ||
| Overtura (hu) | overtures | ||
| Overture/Overtures (en) | overtures | use only for independent works styled as such by the composer | |
| Padovana (it) | pavans | ||
| Paduana (de) | pavans | ||
| Pantomime/Pantomimes (en, fr) | pantomimes | late 18th/early 19th century form of ballet popular in France | |
| Paráfrasi (it) | paraphrases | ||
| Paráfrasis (es) | paraphrases | ||
| Paraphrase/Paraphrases (en, fr, de) | paraphrases | use for 19th century virtuoso works based on well-known tunes, usually taken from popular operas | |
| Parte (it) | partitas | ||
| Parthia (de) | partitas | ||
| Parthie (de) | partitas | ||
| Partia (de) | partitas | ||
| Partie (de) | partitas | ||
| Partita/Partitas (en, fr, de, it, ru, es) | partitas | ||
| Pas de/Pas de (fr) | dances | This will always be followed by a number (in French), i.e. Pas de deux, Pas de trois, etc. | |
| Pasacalle (es) | passacaglias | ||
| Paseo/Paseos (es) | paseos | a type of ripresa or ritornello similar to the Spanish passacaglia, or for compositions similar to a chaconne | |
| Paso/Pasos (es) | pasos | usually a 17th or 18th-century organ piece derived from a Spanish dance | |
| Paso doble (es, ru) | pasodobles | ||
| Pasodoble/Pasodobles (en, fr, de, it, ru, es) | pasodobles | a 20th-century Spanish dance in quick duple time | |
| Pasp'e (ru) | passepieds | ||
| Paspié (fr) | passepieds | ||
| Passacaglia/Passacaglias (en, de, hu, it, es) | passacaglias | a Baroque form of variations, derived from a Spanish dance | |
| Passacaille (fr) | passacaglias | ||
| Passacalle (fr) | passacaglias | ||
| Passakal'ia/ (ru) | passacaglias | ||
| Passakaliia (ru) | passacaglias | ||
| Passamezzo/Passamezzos (en) | passamezzos | an Italian dance of the 16th and early 17th centuries | |
| Pass'e mezo (it) | passamezzos | ||
| Pass'e mezzo (it) | passamezzos | ||
| Passecaille (fr) | passacaglias | ||
| Passepied/Passepieds (fr) | passepieds | a French courtly dance of the 17th/18th centuries, in triple time | |
| Passe-pied (fr) | passepieds | ||
| Passing measures (en) | passamezzos | ||
| Passion/Passions (en) | passions | use only where this is the composer's designation | |
| Passo e mezo (it) | passamezzos | ||
| Passomezo (it) | passamezzos | ||
| Pass-pié (fr) | passepieds | ||
| Passymeasures (en) | passamezzos | ||
| Pastiche/Pastiches (en) | pasticcios | use only for operas made up of pieces from different composers or sources; for instrumental works with this title, use "piece" | |
| Pasticcio/Pasticcios (it) | pasticcios | use only for operas made up of pieces from different composers or sources; for instrumental works with this title, use "piece" | |
| Pastoral/Pastorals (en/fr/de/it/es) | pastorales | ||
| Pastorale/Pastorales (en/fr/de/it/es) | pastorales | can be vocal or instrumental composition suggestive of a rustic subject, or an early French form of opera-ballet | |
| Pastoral' (ru) | pastorales | ||
| Pasztorál (hu) | pastorales | ||
| Pavan/Pavans (en, de) | pavans | a stately Italian dance in duple time | |
| Pavana (cz, it, pl, ru, es) | pavans | ||
| Pavanne/Pavannes (fr) | pavans | ||
| Pavin (en) | pavans | ||
| Performance practice | performance practice | use for writings about musical techniques of performance, such as ornamentation, interpretation, etc. | |
| P'es/P'esa/P'esy (ru) | pieces | ||
| Pesn'/Pesen/Pesnia (ru) | songs | ||
| Pezzo/Pezzi (it) | pieces | ||
| Phancy (en) | fancies | ||
| Phansie (en) | fancies | ||
| Phantasie/Phantasien (de) | fantasias | ||
| Phantasy/Phantasies (en) | fantasias | ||
| Piece/Pieces (en) | pieces | ||
| Pièce/Pièces (en) | pieces | ||
| Pieza/Piezas (es) | pieces | ||
| Pisen/Pisne (cz) | songs | ||
| Piva/Pive (it) | pive | a 15th/16th-century Italian dance | |
| Plainsong (en) | plainchant | ||
| Plainchant (en) | plainchant | use for medieval unaccompanied monophonic church music (including Gregorian chant) | |
| Poème symphonique/Poèmes symphoniques (en) | symphonic poems | ||
| Polacca/Polaccas (it) | polonaises | ||
| Polca (it, pt, es) | polkas | ||
| Polka/Polkas (nl, en, fr, de, hu, pl) | polkas | a lively Bohemian dance in 2/4 time | |
| Pol'ka (ru) | polkas | ||
| Polonaise/Polonaises (en, fr) | polonaises | a stately Polish dance in triple time | |
| Polonäse (de) | polonaises | ||
| Polonesa (es) | polonaises | ||
| Polonese (it) | polonaises | ||
| Polonez (ru) | polonaises | ||
| Popurri (ru) | potpourris | ||
| Popurrí (es) | potpourris | ||
| Posludio (it) | postludes | ||
| Postliudiia (ru) | postludes | ||
| Postlude/Postludes (en, fr) | postludes | use only for independent works titled as such by the composer | |
| Postludio (it, es) | postludes | ||
| Postludium (de, hu) | postludes | ||
| Potpourri/Potpourris (en, de, hu, es) | potpourris | a piece consisting of pre-existing tunes, often from operas | |
| Pot-pourri/Pot-pourris (fr, it) | potpourris | ||
| Praeambulum/Praeambula (la) | praeambula | ||
| Praeludium (de) | preludes | ||
| Präludium (de) | preludes | ||
| Preliud/Preliudiia (ru) | preludes | ||
| Prelude/Preludes (en) | preludes | use only for independent works titled as such by the composer; but see also Chorale preludes | |
| Prélude (fr) | preludes | ||
| Prélude de choral/Préludes de chorals (fr) | chorale preludes | ||
| Preludio (it, es) | preludes | ||
| Preludium (cz, hu) | preludes | ||
| Preludjum (pl) | preludes | ||
| Presto/Prestos (it) | prestos | use only when it is the composer's title for an independent piece | |
| Processional/Processionals (en) | processionals | use only for pieces for organ styled as such by the composer | |
| Psalm/Psalms (en/de/ru) | psalms | use only for settings of Biblical psalms, and then only if the entire text comes from the psalms; if it is mixed with other texts, use something else | |
| Psalmo (es) | psalms | ||
| Psalmus (la) | psalms | ||
| Psaume (fr) | psalms | ||
| Publishers' catalog/Publishers' catalogues (en) | publishers catalogs | ||
| Quadriglia (it) | quadrilles | ||
| Quadrille/Quadrilles (en, fr, de) | quadrilles | popular 19th-century ballroom dance | |
| Quartet/Quartets (en) | quartets | a work for four performers | |
| Quartett (de) | quartets | ||
| Quartettino/Quartettinos (it) | quartettinos | ||
| Quartetto (it) | quartets | ||
| Quatuor (fr) | quartets | ||
| Quickstep/Quicksteps (en) | quicksteps | ||
| Quintet/Quintets (en) | quintets | a work for five performers | |
| Quinteto (es) | quintets | ||
| Quintett (de) | quintets | ||
| Quintette (fr) | quintets | ||
| Quintettino/Quintettinos (it) | quintettinos | ||
| Quintetto (it) | quintets | ||
| Quodlibet/Quodlibets (en, fr, de, hu, it, es) | quodlibets | a composition in which well-known melodies and texts appear in successive or simultaneous combinations | |
| Rag/Rags (en) | rags | a syncopated piece, often for keyboard, from the early 20th-century | |
| Rapsodia (it, es) | rhapsodies | ||
| Rapsodie (fr) | rhapsodies | ||
| Rapsodiia (ru) | rhapsodies | ||
| Recercada (es) | ricercars | ||
| Recessional/Recessionals (en) | recessionals | ||
| Rechitativ (ru) | recitatives | ||
| Récit/Récits (fr) | recits | generic term used in France during the 17th and 18th centuries for fragments or entire compositions for solo voices or instruments | |
| Récitatif (fr) | recitatives | ||
| Recitative/Recitatives (en, fr) | recitatives | use only for works titled as such by the composer | |
| Recitativo (it) | recitatives | ||
| Rekviem (ru) | requiems | ||
| Répons/Répons | responsories | ||
| Reproaches (en) | improperia | ||
| Requiem/Requiems (la) | requiems | ||
| Respond/Responds (en) | responsories | ||
| Response/Responses (en) | responsories | ||
| Responsory/Responsories (en) | responsories | use only for independent works so titled by the composer | |
| Responsorium (de, la) | responsories | but note also Responsorium graduale | |
| Responsorium graduale (la) | graduals | ||
| Responsorio (es) | responsories | ||
| Rezitativ (de) | recitatives | ||
| Rhapsodie (fr, de) | rhapsodies | ||
| Rhapsody/Rhapsodies (en) | rhapsodies | ||
| Ricercar (fr, de) | ricercars | ||
| Ricercare/Ricercars/Ricercari (en, it) | ricercars | use only where this is the composer's title | |
| Richerkar (ru) | ricercars | ||
| Rigadoon (en) | rigaudons | ||
| Rigaudon/Rigaudons (en, de, hu) | rigaudons | a French folk dance popular during the 17th/18th centuries | |
| Rigodon (it, ru) | rigaudons | ||
| Rigodón (es) | rigaudons | ||
| Ritournelle/Ritournelles (fr) | ritournelles | a 17th-century dance in quick triple time (do not confuse with ritornello) | |
| Romance/Romances (en, fr, es) | romances | a vocal or instrumental ballad; use only where this is the composer's own title | |
| Romans/Romansov/Romansy (ru) | romances | ||
| Romanza/Romanze (it) | romances | ||
| Romanza/Romanzas (es) | romances | ||
| Romanze/Romanzen (de) | romances | ||
| Rondeau/Rondeaux (fr) | rondeaux | use only for the vocal work of the 13th to 15th centuries; for the repeat form of the late 18th and 19th centuries, use Rondos | |
| Rondino/Rondinos (en) | rondinos | use only where this is the composer's title | |
| Rondo/Rondos (en, fr, de) | rondos | use only where this is the composer's title for an independent piece | |
| Rondó (es) | rondos | ||
| Rondò (it) | rondos | ||
| Rondoletto/Rondolettos (it) | rondolettos | use only where this is the composer's title | |
| Rumba/Rumbas (en, fr, de, it, ru, es) | rumbas | a popular recreational dance of Afro-Cuban origin. | |
| Rundgesang (de) | rondos | ||
| Sacred cantata/Sacred cantatas (en) | sacred cantatas | for cantatas based on a religious subject; see also Secular cantatas and Cantatas | |
| Sacred chorus/Sacred choruses (en) | sacred choruses | for choral compositions based on a religious subject; see also Secular choruses and Choruses | |
| Sacred concerto/Sacred concertos (en) | sacred concertos | ||
| Sacred oratorio/Sacred oratorios (en) | sacred oratorios | for oratorios based on religious subjects; see also Secular oratorios and Oratorios | |
| Sacred song/Sacred songs (en) | sacred songs | for songs based on a religious subject; see also Songs | |
| Salmo (it) | psalms | ||
| Saltarelle (fr) | saltarellos | ||
| Saltarello/Saltarellos (en, fr, de, it, es) | saltarellos | a rapid Italian dance in triple metre | |
| Sal'tarello (ru) | saltarellos | ||
| Saltarelo (es) | saltarellos | ||
| Salve Regina (la) | salve regina | use only for an independent work, so styled by the composer | |
| Samba/Sambas (en, fr, de, it, ru, es) | sambas | an Afro-Brazilian couple-dance and popular musical form | |
| Sanctus (la) | sanctus | part of the traditional Latin mass; use only for independent pieces (note singular form) | |
| Saraband/Sarabands (en) | sarabandes | ||
| Sarabanda (it, ru) | sarabandes | ||
| Sarabande/Sarabandes (fr, de) | sarabandes | a popular Baroque dance | |
| Sardana/Sardanas/Sardanes (ca, es) | sardana | a Catalonian dance | |
| Satz/Sätze (de) | movements | ||
| Scale/Scales (en) | scales | use for works designated as scale or pattern (e.g. arpeggio) studies by their composers; displays as "Scales and patterns" | |
| Scherzetto/Scherzetti (en) | scherzos | ||
| Scherzino/Scherzinos (en, it) | scherzos | ||
| Scherzo/Scherzos (en, fr, de, it, es) | scherzos | use only for independent compositons styled as such by the composer | |
| School/Schools (en) | methods | ||
| Schottische (de) | ecossaises | ||
| Schule/Schulen (de) | methods | ||
| Scozzese (it) | ecossaises | ||
| Secular cantata/Secular cantatas (en) | secular cantatas | for cantatas not based on religious subjects; see also Sacred cantatas and Cantatas | |
| Secular chorus/Secular choruses (en) | secular choruses | for choral compositions not based on religious subjects; see also Sacred choruses and Choruses | |
| Secular hymn/Secular hymnss (en) | secular hymns | for works styled as hymns by the composer, but which don't have a religious subject | |
| Secular oratorio/Secular oratorios (en) | secular oratorios | for oratorios not based on religious subjects; see also Sacred oratorios and Oratorios | |
| Seguidilla/Seguidillas (es) | seguidillas | Spanish dance and song | |
| Sekstet (ru) | sextets | ||
| Septet/Septets (en, ru) | septets | a composition for seven performers | |
| Septett (de) | septets | ||
| Septimino (es) | septets | ||
| Septuor (fr) | septets | ||
| Sequences (en) | sequences | part of the traditional Latin mass; use only for independent pieces | |
| Serenada (ru) | serenades | ||
| Serenade/Serenades (en, fr) | serenades | ||
| Serenata/Serenatas (it) | serenatas | use only for 17th/18th-century dramatic vocal works for two or more singers and orchestra; for instrumental works entitled serenata, use "serenades". | |
| Service/Services (en) | services | music to accompany religious services not covered by any other category | |
| Sestetto (it) | sexets | ||
| Settimino (it) | septets | ||
| Sevillana/Sevillanas (es) | sevillanas | a flamenco-style song and dance of Andalusian origin | |
| Sextet/Sextets (en) | sextets | a composition for six performers | |
| Sexteto (es) | sextets | ||
| Sextett (de) | sextets | ||
| Sextuor (fr) | sextets | ||
| Siciliana/Sicilianas (en) | sicilianas | a 17th- and 18th-century dance and aria form, probably of Sicilian origin | |
| Siciliano (it) | sicilianas | ||
| Sicilien (fr) | sicilianas | ||
| Siciliene (fr) | sicilianas | ||
| Sicilienne (fr) | sicilianas | ||
| Simfoniia (ru) | symphonies | ||
| Simfonietta (ru) | sinfoniettas | ||
| Simphonie (fr) | symhonies | ||
| Simphonie concertante/Simphonies concertantes (fr) | symphonies concertantes | ||
| Simphonietta (fr) | sinfoniettas | ||
| Simphony (en) | symhonies | ||
| Sinfonia/Sinfonie/Sinfonias (it, en) | sinfonias | use only for Baroque works titled as such by the composer; otherwise use Symphonies | |
| Sinfonia concertante/Sinfonie concertanti (it) | symphonies concertantes | ||
| Sinfonie (de) | symphonies | do not confuse with Italian plural of Sinfonias | |
| Sinfonie concertante/Sinfonies concertantes (fr) | symphonies concertantes | ||
| Sinfonietta/Sinfoniettas (en, de, it) | sinfoniettas | ||
| Singspiel/Singspiele (de) | singspiele | a form of German opera characterized by spoken dialogue | |
| Sitsiliana (ru) | sicilianas | ||
| Siuita/Siuity (ru) | suites | ||
| Siziliano (de) | sicilianas | ||
| Skertso (ru) | scherzos | ||
| Sketch/Sketches (en) | sketches | use only when designated as such by the composer | |
| Skizzen (de) | sketches | ||
| Skladba/Skladby (cz) | pieces | ||
| Solfeggio/Solfeggios (it) | solfeggios | use only for vocal exercises styled as such by the composer | |
| Son/Sones (es) | sones | generic term for Latin American rural or peasant music, both vocal and instrumental | |
| Sonata/Sonatas (en, it, ru, es) | sonatas | usually a work in several movements for solo instruments or small ensemble | |
| Sonate (fr, de) | sonatas | ||
| Sonatina/Sonatinas (en) | sonatinas | use only when it is the composer's original title | |
| Sonatine (fr, de) | sonatinas | ||
| Sonatinetta/Sonatinettas (?) | sonatinettas | Very rare, use only when it is the composer's original title | |
| Song/Songs (en) | songs | use only for works styled as such by the composer, or for any piece for solo voice (with or without accompaniment) whose form is not designated; note also Folksongs, Sacred songs | |
| Sortie/Sorties (fr) | postludes | Usually used in a church setting, frequently for organ, and used during the exit of the congregation | |
| Sortsiko/Sortsiky (ru) | zortzicos | ||
| Sousedská/Sousedsky (cz) | sousedsky | a slow Czech couple-dance in triple time | |
| Spiritual/Spirituals (en) | spirituals | religious American folksong [variant: spirichuėl] | |
| Stabat Mater (la) | stabat mater | a sequence from the traditional Latin mass; use only for independent works titled as such by the composer | |
| Stampita (it) | estampies | ||
| Ständchen (de) | serenades | ||
| Stück/Stücke (de) | pieces | ||
| Studie/Studien (de) | studies | ||
| Studio/Studi (it) | studies | ||
| Study/Studies (en) | studies | ||
| Stuk/Stukken (nl) | pieces | ||
| Suite/Suites (en, fr, de, it, es) | suites | ||
| Symphonic poem/Symphonic poem (en) | symphonic poems | use for compositions styled as such by the composer, or for otherwise undesignated orchestral works based on historical or fictional events | |
| Symphonie (fr, de) | |||
| Symphonie concertante/Symphonies concertantes (fr) | symphonies concertantes | a work for multiple solo instruments and orchestra; use only when it is the composer's title | |
| Symphonietta (fr) | sinfoniettas | ||
| Symphoniette (en, fr) | sinfoniettas | ||
| Symphonische Dichtung (de) | symphonic poems | ||
| Symphony/Symphonies (en) | symphonies | use for the multi-movement work of the 18th to 20th centuries; but for the Italian Baroque sinfonia use Sinfonias | |
| Tambourin/Tambourins (en, fr) | tambourins | an 18th-century French dance with a lively melody and regular, static bass simulating a drum, usually in duple meter | |
| Tánc (hu) | dances | ||
| Taniec (pl) | dances | ||
| Tanets/Tantsy (ru) | dances | ||
| Tango/Tangos (en, fr, de, it, ru, es) | tangos | a Latin-American song and dance | |
| Tanz (de) | dances | ||
| Tarantela (es) | tarantellas | ||
| Tarantella/Tarantellas (de, it, en, ru) | tarantellas | a folkdance of southern Italy in triple time | |
| Tarentelle (fr) | tarantellas | ||
| Te Deum (en/fr/de/it/la/es) | te deum | use only for independent works styled as such by the composer | |
| Terzett (de) | trios | ||
| Terzettino/Terzettinos (it) | terzettinos | ||
| Terzetto (it) | trios | ||
| Tétel/Tételek (hu) | movements | ||
| Thematic catalog/Thematic catalogues (en) | thematic catalogs | use for catalogues of works by a composer that include musical incipits | |
| Theme and Variations/Theme with Variations (en) | variations | ||
| Threnody/Threnodies (en, fr) | threnodies | ||
| Tiento/Tientos (es) | tientos | a form of Spanish/Latin American instrumental music | |
| Tocata (es) | toccatas | ||
| Toccata/Toccatas (en, fr, de, it) | toccatas | ||
| Toccatina/Toccatinas (it) | toccatas | ||
| Tombeau/Tombeaux (fr) | tombeaux | ||
| Tokkata (ru) | toccatas | ||
| Tonadilla/Tonadillas (es) | tonadillas | a Spanish form of cantata | |
| Tondichtung (de) | symphonic poems | ||
| Tone poem/Tone poems (en) | symphonic poems | ||
| Tragédie en musique | tragedies en musique | Use only for the late 17th-18th C. French form of opera so named | |
| Trio/Trios (en, fr, de, it, ru, es) | trios | a composition for three performers | |
| Tsapateado/Tsapateady (ru) | zapateados | ||
| Tyrolean/Tyroleans (en) | tyroliennes | ||
| Tyrolien (de) | tyroliennes | ||
| Tyrolienne/Tyroliennes (fr) | tyroliennes | a Tyrolean folk dance | |
| Übung/Übungen (de) | studies | ||
| Umoresca (it) | humoresques | ||
| Utwór/Utwóry (pl) | pieces | ||
| Uvertiura/Uvertiury (ru) | overtures | ||
| Uwertura | overtures | ||
| Val's (ru) | waltzes | ||
| Vals (es) | waltzes | ||
| Valse (fr) | waltzes | ||
| Valzer (it) | waltzes | ||
| Variación (es) | variations | ||
| Variation/Variations (en, fr, de) | variations | use for "Theme and Variations", etc., and all works consisting of a sequence of variations on one or more themes whose form is not otherwise designated | |
| Variatsiia/(ru) | variations | ||
| Variazione (it) | variations | ||
| Vaudevilles (en, fr) | vaudevilles | ||
| Verismo operas (en) | verismo operas | a late 19th-century (lingering into c.1920) subset of operas | |
| Vers (hu) | versets | ||
| Verset/Versets (en, fr) | versets | use only for independent keyboard works styled as such by the composer | |
| Versett (de) | versets | ||
| Versetto (it) | versets | ||
| Versettus (hu) | versets | ||
| Versiculo (es) | versets | ||
| Verso (es) | versets | ||
| Vesper/Vespers (en) | vespers | ||
| Vil'iansiko (ru) | villancicos | ||
| Villancico/Villancicos (es) | villancicos | a Spanish vocal work for one or more voices with refrain | |
| Villanella/Villanelle (en, it, ru, es) | villanelle | a form of light vocal music popular in Italy and elsewhere from the 1530s to the early 17th century (do not confuse with Vilannelles) | |
| Villanelle/Villanelles (fr) | villanelles | a 16th- to 17th-century French country dance or song, and an 18th- to 20th-century instrumental piece (do not confuse with Villanelle) | |
| Vivace/Vivaces (en, fr, de, it, es, ru) | vivaces | use only when this is the composer's title | |
| Vocalise/Vocalises (en, fr) | vocalises | a textless vocal exercise or concert piece to be sung to one or more vowels; use only for vocal works | |
| Vocalización (es) | vocalises | ||
| Vocalizzo (it) | vocalises | ||
| Vokalise (de) | vocalises | ||
| Vokaliz (ru) | vocalises | ||
| Volkslied/Volkslieder (de) | folksongs | ||
| Volta/Volte (en, de, it, es) | volte | an early 17th-century dance | |
| Volte (fr) | volte | ||
| Voluntary/Voluntaries (en) | voluntaries | a piece for solo organ used at the beginning and end of church services, or an extemporised musical compositon | |
| Vorspiel/Vorspiele (de) | preludes | ||
| Waltz/Waltzes (en) | waltzes | ||
| Walzer (de) | waltzes | ||
| Wedding march/Wedding marches (en) | wedding marches | use only when styled as such by the composer; otherwise use Marches | |
| Wedding procession/Wedding processions (en) | wedding marches | ||
| Wiegenlied/Wiegenlieder (de) | lullabies | for vocal works only; otherwise use berceuses | |
| Writings (en) | writings | use only for writings that are so generic they do not fit into a more specific category, e.g. music theory | |
| Xácara/Xácaras (es) | jacaras | ||
| Zalm (cz) | psalms | ||
| Zapateado/Zapateados (es) | zapateados | Spanish dance in triple time in which rhythm is marked by stamping of the heels | |
| Zapateao/Zapateaos (es) | zapateados | ||
| Zarabanda (es) | sarabandes | ||
| Zarzuela/Zarzuelas (es) | zarzuelas | a distinct Spanish form of musical theatre | |
| Zhiga/Жига (ru) | gigues | ||
| Zorcico/Zorcicos (es) | zortzicos | ||
| Zortzico/Zortzicos (es) | zortzicos | ||
| Zortzico/Zortzicos (es) | zortzicos | Basque folksong or dance in 5/4 time with dotted rhythms | |
| Zwiefacher/Zwiefache (de) | zwiefache | German folk dance with regular alternation between duple and triple meter | |
| Zwischenakt (de) | intermezzos | ||
| Zwischenspiel/Zwischenspiele (de) | interludes |
If a work's title includes more than one of the above terms (e.g. "Prelude and Fugue", "Romances and Songs" or "Valse-Scherzo") then a separate tag should be given for each term ("preludes ; fugues", "romances ; songs", "waltzes ; scherzos". The only exceptions are those in the form of "Theme and Variations" or "Air and Variations", etc. which are all tagged just as variations).
The tag should always describe the whole composition, and not the individual movements or sections within a work.
With the exception of the double canons and double fugues, numbers or adjectives should be ignored when deciding on the work type, so that "Psalm XLIX" just comes under psalms, and a "Große Fugue" comes under fugues.
Always use the work type designated by the composer, even if you think it must be wrong. Watch out for inaccurate translations or work page titles though!
When deciding on the "work type" of any composition, consider the following questions, in this order:
If the answer to all these is "no", then you're very unlucky. But in these rare cases you should use "pieces" as the work type for the time being, and post a note in the forums or project discussion page to see if anyone can provide a more definitive answer. The same applies if you think you have the correct term but it doesn't appear in the table above, which doesn't claim to be completely comprehensive.
Once you've found your standard work type, you can move on to the instrumentation ...
Apart from the "work type", the other element of the work tag is the instrumentation. It's important to be clear that the work tag is not intended to duplicate the detailed data that is (or should be) already displayed in the general information box of the work page. Instead, the tag should summarise this information as concisely as possible, using a system of abbreviations for instrument names and families. These have to be standardized and used in a particular way so that they can be understood by IMSLP's software. But they have been designed to be straightforward to use, with a little practice.
Again, do not give separate tags to individual movements or sections within a work. The tag should always describe the instrumentation of the whole work, in its original form, without considering any arrangements or transcriptions (but see also "special cases", below).
Larger works will have multiple performers playing the same instruments and sometimes performing identical parts. The largest of these ensembles is of course the orchestra, which includes instruments from the four main families of: woodwinds, brass, percussion and strings. So:
| Family | Abbreviation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Orchestra | orch | a work scored for standard complements of woodwinds, brass, percussion and strings |
| Woodwinds | ww | a work using woodwind instruments only |
| Brass | br | a work using brass instruments only |
| Percussion | perc | a work using percussion instruments only (unusual, but possible) |
| Strings | str | a work using stringed instruments only |
Where two or three families of instruments come together to make a larger ensemble we can also combine some of these abbreviations using only a space (but note the reduced terms that are used for display):
The families are always named in the same order (woodwinds; brass; percussion; strings), and do not have any capital letters in their codes. The reduced terms like "wind band", "military band", "brass band" and "chamber orchestra" are only display terms. What we code as the tag is the constituent families or instruments, e.g. a piece for wind ensemble could also be:
Medieval and Renaissance ensembles: these are most often not written with specific instruments in mind, and different performers use different instruments when playing the same pieces. Sometimes we know that they were "probably" for a particular set of instruments, for example, where a composer was himself a viol player, a 4-part ensemble was probably meant for 4 viols. If it is more or less known what the instrumentation is, use specific instruments otherwise use:
The names of individual instruments should be given if they are not playing as part of an ensemble. This can be in a chamber piece, playing with other soloists, or as a soloist in a concerto. Where a solo part involves "doubling" (e.g. a flute player who also has to play piccolo), then only the abbreviation for the main instrument is used, because adding both tags increases the number of players, which would then be inaccurate. For example, in an ensemble that uses flute (doubling piccolo), violin, viola, cello, the "fl vn va vc" tag will accurately give "4 players", whereas "fl picc vn va vc" will give 5 players, which will be inaccurate.
For the purpose of tagging we need the instruments to be listed consistently in the same order, and with the same spellings (regardless of how they might appear in a particular score). The list below shows the most frequently-used solo instruments in the order they should be named in the tags, and the standard singular and plural forms of their names.
This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of orchestral instruments — just the ones most likely to be used in the work tags. If you need to use any instruments that are not on the list, then if possible tag them with the appropriate instrument family name (woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings or keyboard) and bring this to the attention of the project co-ordinator.
| Instrument or family | Abbreviation | Notes | Wikipedia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodwinds (modern) | ww | for large ensembles only (do not use for chamber or instrumental works) | Woodwind instrument |
| Piccolo/Piccolos | picc | Piccolo | |
| Flute/Flutes | fl | Flute | |
| Alto flute/Alto flutes | afl | use for the instrument pitched in G (sometimes confused with the bass flute) | Alto flute |
| Flute d'amore/Flutes d'amore | fda | will display as "Flute damore" (due to apostrophes not being valid characters in category names) | Flûte d'amour |
| Bass flute/Bass flutes | bfl | use for the instrument pitched in C, an octave below the standard flute, as well as the contrabass flute | Bass flute |
| Recorder/Recorders | rec | Recorder | |
| Oboe/Oboes | ob | see also oboe d'amore, oboe da caccia | Oboe |
| Oboe d'amore/Oboes d'amore | oda | will display as "oboe damore" (due to apostrophes not being valid characters in category names) | Oboe d'amore |
| English horn/English horns | eh | also known as 'cor anglais' | Cor anglais |
| Bass oboe/Bass oboes | bob | Bass oboe | |
| Heckelphone/Heckelphones | heck | Heckelphone | |
| Piccolo Clarinet/Piccolo Clarinets | pcl | use for E♭, D, or A♭ sopranino clarinets, or any clarinet higher than (but not including) C clarinet. | Clarinet |
| Clarinet/Clarinets | cl | use for B♭, A, or C soprano clarinets | Clarinet |
| Alto Clarinet/Alto Clarinets | acl | usually in E♭ a sixth below concert pitch, but there are other obsolete keys in the vicinity that might also be called an alto clarinet. | Clarinet |
| Basset clarinet/Basset clarinets | bstcl | An A clarinet with a low C extension, not to be confused with bass clarinet or basset horn | Basset clarinet |
| Basset horn/Basset horns | bsthn | not to be confused with the bass clarinet or bass horn | Basset horn |
| Bass clarinet/Bass clarinets | bcl | use for B♭ or A bass clarinet | Bass clarinet |
| Contrabass clarinet/Contrabass clarinets | cbcl | use for any clarinet lower than A bass clarinet, including contralto clarinet | Contrabass clarinet |
| Saxophone/Saxophones | sax | Use where multiple saxophones are played, otherwise use the specific saxophone (see below). | Saxophone |
| Soprano Saxophone/Soprano Saxophones | ssax | Saxophone | |
| Alto Saxophone/Alto Saxophones | asax | Saxophone | |
| Tenor Saxophone/Tenor Saxophones | tsax | Saxophone | |
| Baritone Saxophone/Baritone Saxophones | brsax | Saxophone | |
| Bass Saxophone/Bass Saxophones | bssax | Saxophone | |
| Sarrusophone/Sarrusophones | sar | Sarrusophone | |
| Bassoon/Bassoons | bn | see also contrabassoon | Bassoon |
| Contrabassoon/Contrabassoons | cbn | Contrabassoon | |
| Harmonica/Harmonicas | hca | Mouth organ (not to be confused with harmonium, or glass harmonica) | Harmonica |
| Woodwinds (traditional) | ww | Woodwind instrument | |
| Fife/Fifes | fife | Fife | |
| Ocarina/Ocarinas | oca | Ocarina | |
| Xiao/Xiaos | xiao | ancient Chinese flute | Xiao |
| Shakuhachi/Shakuhachi | shak | a Japanese and ancient Chinese longitudinal, end-blown bamboo-flute, descended from the xiao | Shakuhachi |
| Flageolet/Flageolet | flag | use also for tin whistle | Flageolet |
| Pan flute | pan | use for pan pipes, quenas and similar Andean flutes | Pan flute |
| Mirliton/Mirlitons | mir | A type of flute where the player vocalizes into it, and the vibration is produced by a thin skin (e.g. onion skin or paper). Use also for kazoo | Mirliton |
| Duduk/Duduks | dud | Duduk | |
| Oboe da caccia/Oboes da caccia | odc | use for oboe di silva; Fr. hautbois de chasse, hautbois de forêt; Ger. Jagd[h]oboe, Jagdhautbois, Wald[h]oboe,Waldhautbois | Oboe da caccia |
| Shawm/Shawms | shw | Shawm | |
| Chalumeau/Chalumeaux | cm | Chalumeau | |
| Cornett/Cornetts | crtt | also known as a Zink; not to be confused with the brass cornet. A "cornettino" is the descant instrument of this family. | Cornett |
| Serpent/Serpents | srp | Serpent | |
| Dulcian/Dulcians | dlcn | use also for Dulciaan, Dulzian, Dulciana, Douçaine, Curtal, and Bajón | Dulcian |
| Crumhorn/Crumhorns | crh | Crumhorn | |
| Bagpipe/Bagpipes | bag | Bagpipes | |
| Musette/Musettes | mus | Musette de cour | |
| Vuvuzela/Vuvuzelas | vuv | Vuvuzela | |
| Accordion/Accordions | acc | Use also for concertinas and bandoneóns | Accordion |
| Concertina/Concertinas | conc | Concertina | |
| Brass (modern) | br | for large ensembles only (do not use for chamber or instrumental works) | Brass instrument |
| Horn/Horns | hn | use for most types of horn, except basset horn (see above) | Horn |
| Wagner tuba/Wagner tubas | wag | Wagner tuba | |
| Ophicleide/Ophicleides | oph | Ophicleide | |
| Bugle/Bugles | bug | Bugle | |
| Flugelhorn/Flugelhorns | fgh | Flugelhorn | |
| Saxhorn/Saxhorns | sxh | Saxhorn | |
| Trumpet/Trumpets | tpt | Trumpet | |
| Piccolo trumpet/Piccolo trumpets | ptpt | Piccolo trumpet | |
| Cornet/Cornets | crt | do not confuse with the woodwind cornett | Cornet |
| Alto Trombone/Alto Trombones | atbn | Trombone | |
| Trombone/Trombones | tbn | use for tenor trombones, or for a generic | Trombone |
| Bass Trombone/Bass Trombones | btbn | Trombone | |
| Euphonium/Euphoniums | euph | use also for the baritone horn | Euphonium |
| Sousaphone/Sousaphones | sou | Sousaphone | |
| Tuba/Tubas | tba | Tuba | |
| Contrabass tuba/Contrabass tubas | ctba | Contrabass tuba | |
| Brass (traditional) | br | for large ensembles only (do not use for chamber or instrumental works) | Brass instrument |
| Horn/Horns | hn | use for natural horn, posthorn, hunting horn, alphorn, cow horn | Horn |
| Slide trumpet/Slide trumpets | stpt | Also known as Tromba di tirarsi or Zugtrompete | Slide trumpet |
| Sackbut/Sackbuts | skbt | Sackbut | |
| Percussion (unpitched) | perc | use this tag for all unpitched percussion instruments | Unpitched percussion instrument |
| Percussion (pitched) | perc | use this tag for any percussion instrument not appearing in the list below | Pitched percussion instrument |
| Timpano/Timpani | timp | use only when not playing as part of a standard orchestra | Timpani |
| Toy Instruments | toys | e.g. as used in Reinecke's Kinder-sinfonie (do not use for toy piano, which has its own tag (see below)) | |
| Glass harmonica/Glass harmonicas | ghca | Not to be confused with the ordinary harmonica | Glass harmonica |
| Sheng/Shengs | sheng | Tibetan crystal singing bowls (including sheng, lusheng) | Sheng |
| Bell/Bells | bell | use for tubular bells and carillon | Bell |
| Celesta/Celestas | cel | also known as "Celeste" | Celesta |
| Glockenspiel/Glockenspiels | gl | use only when playing as solo instrument | Glockenspiel |
| Xylophone/Xylophones | xyl | Xylophone | |
| Marimba/Marimbas | mar | Marimba | |
| Vibraphone/Vibraphones | vib | Vibraphone | |
| Zither/Zithers | zith | Zither | |
| Kantele/Kanteles | kan | Kantele | |
| Dulcimer/Dulcimers | dulc | use for hammered dulcimer | Hammered dulcimer |
| Cimbalom/Cimbaloms | cimb | Cimbalom | |
| Kalimba/Kalimbas | kal | Use also for thumb piano or mbira | Kalimba |
| Plucked strings (modern) | str | for large ensembles only (do not use for chamber or instrumental works) | Plucked string instrument |
| Guitar/Guitars | gtr | Guitar | |
| Electric guitar/Electric guitars | egtr | Electric guitar | |
| Bass guitar/Bass guitars | bgtr | Bass guitar | |
| Guitalele/Guitaleles | gtl | Guitalele | |
| Ukulele/Ukuleles | uke | Ukulele | |
| Cavaquinho/Cavaquinhos | cav | primarily used in Portuguese and Brazilian folk music | Cavaquinho |
| Banjo/Banjos | bjo | Banjo | |
| Mandolin/Mandolins | mand | Mandolin | |
| Mandola/Mandolas | mdla | Mandola | |
| Mandocello/Mandocellos | mdcl | Mandocello | |
| Harp/Harps | hp | Harp | |
| Plucked strings (traditional) | str | for large ensembles only (do not use for chamber or instrumental works) | Plucked string instrument |
| Shamisen/Shamisens | smn | 3-stringed Japanese instrument, also known as Samisen/Samisens | Shamisen |
| Lyre/Lyres | lyre | Lyre | |
| Lautenwerck/Lautenwerk | laut | also known as lute-harpsichord, lautenclavicymbel or theorbenflugel | Lautenwerk baroquemusic.org |
| Lute/Lutes | lute | Use for theorbo as well | Lute |
| Tamburica/Tamburicas | tbc | east European string instrument, not to be confused with the Tanpura | Tamburica |
| Tanpura/Tanpuras | tanp | Indian string instrument, use also for the similar Asian plucked string instruments Tanbur, Tanbūr, Tanbura, Tambur, Tambura or Tanboor. Not to be confused with the Tamburica. | Tanpura |
| Oud/Ouds | oud | early Arabic form of lute | Oud |
| Pipa/Pipas | pipa | 4-stringed Chinese lute | Pipa |
| Domra/Domras | dom | 3 or 4-stringed Russian lute | Domra |
| Cittern/Citterns | cit | also known as the "Cithern"; 18th century "English Guittar" | Cittern |
| Vihuela/Vihuelas | vih | 6-stringed guitar-like instrument | Vihuela |
| Bandurria/Bandurrias | bdr | primarily used in Spanish folk music | Bandurria |
| Sitar/Sitars | sit | use also for the Azerbaijani tar | Sitar |
| Koto | koto | Japanese musical instrument | Koto |
| Zheng/Zhengs | zhng | also known as "Chinese zither"; use also for the Guzheng, which literally means "ancient Zheng" | Guzheng |
| Bowed strings (modern) | str | for large ensembles only (do not use for chamber or instrumental works) | Bowed string instrument |
| Violin/Violins | vn | Violin | |
| Electric violin | evn | Electric violin | |
| Viola/Violas | va | Viola | |
| Viola alta/Violas alta | vaa | a 5-stringed viola; not to be confused with the earlier viola pomposa | |
| Violotta/Violottas | tva | also known as the tenor viola | Violotta |
| Viola pomposa/Violas pomposi | vap | a 5-stringed viola; not to be confused with the later viola alta | Viola pomposa |
| Viola profonda/Violas profonda | vpr | a larger viola with extended range | Viola profonda |
| Viola d'amore/Violas d'amore | vda | will display as "Viola damore" (due to apostrophes not being valid characters in category names) | Viola d'amore |
| Arpeggione | arpg | do not confuse with Italian arpa (for harp), also this tag used to be "arp" but had to be changed due to "arp" being an official language tag. | Arpeggione |
| Cello/Cellos | vc | also known as Violoncello(s) | Cello |
| Violoncello piccolo/Violoncelli piccoli | vcp | also known as 5-stringed cello | Violoncello piccolo |
| Cellone/Cellones | clne | Alfred Stelzner | |
| Double Bass/Double Basses | db | also known as Basses | Double bass |
| Bowed strings (traditional) | str | for large ensembles only (do not use for chamber or instrumental works) | Bowed string instrument |
| Vielle/Vielles | vie | use also for hurdy-gurdy and lire organizzate | Vielle |
| Viol/Viols | viol | also known as viola da gamba | Viol |
| Baryton/Barytons | bryt | a hybrid stringed instrument between a lute and viol, often used by Haydn | Baryton |
| Violone/Violones | vlne | do not confuse with Violine (which is Italian for "violins") | Violone |
| Rebec/Rebecs | reb | Rebec | |
| Tromba marina/Trombe marina | trm | a 1-stringed instrument used in medieval and Renaissance Europe, and as late as Vivaldi | Tromba marina |
| Erhu/Erhus | erhu | 2-stringed Chinese instrument | Erhu |
| Kemenche/Kemenches | kem | 3-stringed Middle Eastern instrument; also known as Kemençe, Kamancheh, Pontic lyra | Kemenche |
| Keyboard | kbd | use where no particular keyboard instrument is specified, or the generic term "Klavier" is used | Keyboard instrument |
| Clavichord/Clavichords | clvd | Clavichord | |
| Harpsichord/Harpsichord | hpd | Harpsichord | |
| Harpsichord 4 hands | hpd4h | ||
| Piano/Pianos | pf | but see also below | Piano |
| Piano left hand | pflh | ||
| Piano right hand | pfrh | ||
| Piano 3 hands | pf3h | use for 2 players at one piano | |
| Piano 4 hands | pf4h | use for 2 players at one piano | |
| Piano 5 hands | pf5h | use for 3 players at one or two pianos | |
| Piano 6 hands | pf6h | use for 3 players at one or two pianos | |
| 2 Pianos 5 hands | 2pf5h | use for 3 players at two pianos | |
| 2 Pianos 8 hands | 2pf8h | use for 4 players at two pianos | |
| Pedal piano/Pedal pianos | pfped | Pedal piano | |
| Toy piano/Toy pianos | pftoy | ||
| Organ/Organs | org | Organ | |
| Mechanical instrument/Mechanical instruments | mech | use for mechanical organs, mechanical keyboards, music boxes, musical clocks, etc. | Mechanical organ |
| Harmonium/Harmoniums | harm | Harmonium | |
| Physharmonica/Physharmonicas | phys | Physharmonica | |
| Melodica/Melodicas | mel | use also for eolina | Melodica |
| Mélodion/Mélodions | mld | Melodion | |
| Harmonichord/Harmonichords | hmcd | Harmonichord | |
| Electric piano | epf | Electric piano | |
| Electronic Instruments | Electronic musical instrument | ||
| Synthesizer/Synthesizers | syn | use for any other electronic keyboard or organ | Synthesizer |
| Ondes Martenot | om | Ondes Martenot | |
| Theremin/Theremins | thrm | Theremin | |
| Electronic Sounds | elec | use for 'live' computer-generated sounds (use "Tape" for all pre-recorded sounds) | |
| Tape | tape | use for performances requiring pre-recorded sounds of any kind | |
| Continuo | bc | also known as "Basso Continuo" (do not confuse with cont for "contralto"). | Figured bass |
Spaces should only be used to separate instrument names, and the tag should not contain any additional spaces, semi-colons, dashes or any other punctuation. For example:
Different forms of the same instrument should be grouped together, e.g. "2hn" (not "bass hn and alto hn"), except where the is an existing tag for both instruments (e.g. "picc fl", not "2fl"). Any instruments that are marked ad lib. or 'optional' should be omitted, and a second tag created with the optional instruments included.
The sequence of instruments within each tag must follow the sequence in the table above.
Use "orch" for a mixed ensemble of winds and strings (with more than one string player per part), with or without percussion; only include individual instruments in the tag if they are designated as soloists throughout (see Concertos below). So a small classical orchestra with one oboe, 2 horns and strings would still be "orch".
The term "band" has a different meaning in different countries, so we avoid it here, and instead use these tags:
For an orchestra made up entirely of traditional Chinese instruments, use "cho".
Normally the name of the solo instrument(s) comes before the ensemble. For example
Note that for a concerto grosso, where individual instruments in an orchestra take their turns as soloists, the tag would still be "orch".
For small-scale works, where solo instruments are performing together as individuals instead of part of a group, all the instruments should be listed individually:
Many baroque pieces include a part for "basso continuo" or "continuo" which can be played by unspecified combinations of instruments. This should be treated as a single instrument abbreviated to "bc" and placed at the end of the tag (e.g. "2vn va bc").
If it is unclear whether a work is intended for solo string instruments or for string ensemble, then both possibilities should be tagged.
Use the abbreviation "ch" for any chorus consisting of both male and female performers. Otherwise you should choose the appropriate term from the list below:
| Instrument or family | Abbreviation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Male chorus (men only) | mch | |
| Female chorus (women only) | fch | |
| Children's chorus (boys and/or girls only) | cch | |
| Unison chorus | uch | |
| Mixed chorus (male and female) | ch |
The chorus should always be listed before any accompaniment, like this:
However, if a piano accompaniment is intended for rehearsal only, the piano part should not be included in the tag. Instead, mention in the "Misc. note" for that specific edition that there is a piano part for rehearsal only.
If it is unclear whether a work is intended for solo voices or for a chorus, then both possibilities should be tagged.
Choose from the following terms for works involving solo voices (singular / plural):
| Instrument or family | Abbreviation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Voice | v | use when the range of a single voice is not known or not specified |
| Voices | vv (double v) | use when the ranges of multiple solo voices are not known or not specified |
| Equal voices | eq | (e.g. "2eq") use when the range of two or more solo voices are equal but unspecified |
| Child's Voice/Children's Voices | cv | |
| Soprano/Sopranos | sop | |
| Mezzo-Soprano/Mezzo-Sopranos | mez | |
| Alto/Altos | alt | |
| Haute-contre | alt | |
| Countertenor | alt | |
| Tenor/Tenors | ten | |
| Baritone/Baritones | bar | |
| Bass Baritone/Bass Baritones | bbar | |
| Bass/Basses | bass | do not confuse with the instrumental double bass (db) |
| Narrator | nar | for spoken dialogue parts only (e.g. Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf) |
If the range of a solo voice part is not specified then use either v (singular voice) or vv (2 or more voices) as required. Examples include:
List the solo voices before any choruses or accompaniment
In the case of operas and operettas with many characters and solo parts it is not necessary to count the number of solo vocal parts. Just use "vv" for voices
Although most operas and operettas are written for the above combination, there are significant exceptions, so make no assumptions!
Language tags are usually required for vocal works (see below)
Some works include alternative parts for solo instruments approved by the composer, like the Viola or Violin Concerto No.2 by Anton Stamitz, where the solo instrument can be a violin, viola, or viola d'amore. In such cases more than one tag should be used, e.g.:
Occasionally a work can exist in two different forms, particularly where a piece for piano was later orchestrated by the composer, like Holst's suite The Planets (originally written for piano duet, but better known in the composer's orchestral version). This would be tagged as both:
In Renaissance (and some later) works, each individual voice of a polyphonic composition may be assigned a separate staff, which may only be labelled "soprano" or "canto" (if labelled at all), even though they are intended to be played on instruments rather than sung. This is known as "open scoring", and we have special tags to deal with this situation. For example:
... which would respectively appear in the categories:
For ease of use we retain the "sop alt ten bass" ranges in the tags, but the tag for "sop" would be converted to "treble" in the category description.
Where we only have clefs, without any indications of ranges, the following guide should be used:
| Clef | Usual part name, or applicable voice range | Preferred voice |
|---|---|---|
| G2 | Treble, also Triplum: these days usually sung by female Sopranos | sop |
| C1 | Canto/Cantus, or Discantus, Superius: Soprano | sop |
| C2 | Medius/Mean (also Cantus, Altus occasionally): might be more of a Mezzo-Soprano (Mez) | sop (or alt) |
| C3 | Alto/Altus/Contratenor [altus] (also Tenor occasionally): usually sung by female Contraltos | alt |
| C4 | Tenor/Tenore: usually sung by male Tenors | ten |
| C5 = F3 | "low" Tenor or "high" Bassus: would be more of a Baritone (bar) | ten (or bass) |
| F4 | Basso/Bassus [= Contratenor bassus]: Bass | bass |
| F5 | Bassus, usually a basso profundo: Bass | bass |
If some instruments are specified, but not others, then everything in the tag preceding the "open" would be treated as a normal instrument
If all else fails, and if it's not possible to identify the instrumentation at all, then use:
Finally, we have some contemporary works, perhaps more "performance art" than music, but the "players" are not using musical instruments. The normal tags cannot be used because they are displayed as, for example, "For 3 instruments". In a case where no musical instruments are used, the tag is "open non-music". The number of players is not tagged. This will display as "For performers not using musical instruments".
If the instrumentation of the original work cannot be determined (because IMSLP has only arrangements, and not the original score), then the tag und may be used. This will place the work into the special category Works with undetermined instrumentation, from which they can be removed when the original instrumentation is ascertained.
An extra tag is used to indicate the language of a vocal or literary work. This should consist of the standard 2-letter codes, some of the most common of which are shown below:
| Language | Abbreviation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Afrikaans | af | |
| Albanian | sq | |
| Anglo-Saxon | ang | |
| Apache | apa | |
| Arabic | ar | |
| Arabic (South Levantine) | sjp | Use for Palestinian Arabic and Jordanian Arabic |
| Aragonese | an | |
| Aramaic | arc | |
| Arapaho | arp | |
| Armenian | hy | |
| Australian (aboriginal) | aus | |
| Azerbaijani | az | |
| Basque | eu | |
| Bengali | ben | Also known as "Bangla", but not to be confused with "Bangala"; see Wikipedia article |
| Bulgarian | bg | |
| Cantonese | yue | Also known as yue language. Used in Guangdong, Guangxi provinces, Hong Kong, Macau, and many Cantonese people around the world. |
| Catalan | ca | |
| Cherokee | chr | |
| Cheyenne | chy | |
| Chinese | zh | |
| Chippewa | ciw | Also known as Southwestern Ojibwa, Ojibwe, Ojibway, or Ojibwemowin. See Wikipedia; not to be confused with the "Chipewyan" language; Chippewa language is part of the Algonquin group of Native American languages. |
| Church Slavonic | cu | |
| Croatian | hr | |
| Czech | cz | |
| Dakota | dak | |
| Danish | da | |
| Dutch | nl | Use also for Flemish, which is considered a dialect, and not a separate language. |
| Efik | efi | |
| English | en | |
| Esan | ish | |
| Esperanto | eo | |
| Estonian | et | |
| Farsi (Persian) | fa | |
| Finnish | fi | |
| French | fr | |
| Friulian | fur | A Romance language spoken in the Friuli region of Italy |
| Frysian | fry | A group of Germanic languages spoken by the Frisian people on the southern fringes of the North Sea |
| Gaelic (Irish) | ge | |
| Gaelic (Scottish) | gd | |
| Galician | glg | |
| Georgian | ka | |
| German | de | |
| Greek (Ancient) | grc | |
| Greek (Modern) | el | |
| Haitian Creole | ht | |
| Hawaiian | haw | |
| Hebrew | he | |
| Hindi | hi | |
| Hungarian | hu | |
| Icelandic | is | |
| Indonesian | id | |
| Irish (Gaelic) | ge | |
| Italian | it | |
| Korean | ko | |
| Japanese | ja | |
| Ladino | lad | Also known as "Judaeo-Spanish", see Wikipedia |
| Latin | la | |
| Latvian | lv | |
| Lithuanian | lt | |
| Luxembourgish (Lëtzeburgesch) | lb | Wikipedia page for Luxembourgish |
| Macedonian | mk | |
| Malayalam | ml | Different from "Malay" (the Austronesian language of the Malays, closely related to Indonesian), Malayalam is a Dravidian language spoken mainly in the southern Indian state of Kerala, closely related to Tamil. |
| Maltese | mt | |
| Maori | mi | |
| Navajo / Navaho | nv | |
| Neapolitan | nap | |
| Norwegian | no | |
| Occitan | oc | |
| Persian (Farsi) | fa | |
| Polish | pl | |
| Portuguese | pt | |
| Quechua | qu | |
| Romanian | ro | |
| Russian | ru | |
| Samoan | sm | |
| Sanskrit | sa | |
| Scots | sc | use for the Germanic language spoken in the lowlands of Scotland |
| Scottish (Gaelic) | gd | use for the Celtic language spoken in the Scottish highlands and islands |
| Serbian | sr | |
| Sicilian | scn | use for the Romance language of Sicily and its satellite islands; see Sicilian language |
| Siouan | sio | use for any of the languages in the Siouan group; see Siouan languages, including Western Siouan languages and Catawban, or Eastern Siouan, languages. |
| Slovak | sk | |
| Slovene | sl | |
| Spanish | es | |
| Swahili | sw | |
| Swedish | sv | |
| Syriac | syc | Also known as Syriac Aramaic (N.B. the language of Syria is Arabic). See Wikipedia article |
| Tagalog | tl | |
| Telugu | te | |
| Tsonga | ts | An African language native to Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Eswatini |
| Turkish | tr | |
| Turkmen | tk | Do not confuse with Turkish (from Turkey); Turkmen is the language of Turkmenistan. See Wikipedia. |
| Ukrainian | uk | |
| Venetian | vec | Includes the Trieste dialect |
| Vietnamese | vi | |
| Welsh | cy | |
| Yiddish | yi | |
| Yoruba | yo | Wikipedia; a language used in West Africa (mostly Southwestern Nigeria) as well as in a few areas of South America (e.g. Brazil) and the Caribbean. |
| Zulu | zu | |
| Zuni / Zuñi | zun |
