Music glossary

R&B
Abbreviation of rhythm & blues.

Raddoppiamento
Means the bass part is doubled one octave down.

Ragtime
A piano style that evolved in the USA during the early 20th Century. Ragtime is a mixture of Afro-American and European influence, and was one of the most important precursors for jazz.

Recercare
Instrumental music form from the 16th century.

Recorder
A woodwind instrument like a flute but blown through the end and having a more hallow tone.

Reggae
Jamaican style of music with a strongly accented subsidiary beat.

Renaissance
In music the term is used for the period in Europe between c. 1430 and c. 1600.

Rhythm
The aspect of musical composition concerned with periodical accent and the duration of notes.

Rhythm & blues
Popular music with a blues theme and a strong rhythm.

Riff
Term used in pop, rock and jazz for short phrases used as background or as building blocks for solos.

Ritardando
It.: "gradually slower".

Ritenuto
It.: "held back".

Ritornello
Music inserted between other pieces of music.

Rock
Type of popular dance music originating in the 1950s, characterized by a heavy beat and simple melodies, often with a blues element. Based on the pentatonic scales in progressions.

Romantic music
A term used for music written between c. 1825 and c. 1900.