A Cappella
Singing without instrumental accompaniment.
Category
performance
Pronunciation
ah kah-PEL-lah
Origin
Italian
Length
137 words · 1 min read
About A Cappella
Literally "in the chapel style," a cappella refers to vocal music performed without instrumental backing. The term originates from Renaissance church music, where choirs sang unaccompanied in the Sistine Chapel and other sacred spaces.
More performance terms
Mute
View all performanceterms →A device attached to an instrument to soften its volume and alter its tone colour.
Una cordaDepress the left pedal on a piano to soften the tone
UnisonoIn unison — all performers playing or singing the same notes together as one voice
PhrasingThe way a performer shapes a musical sentence by controlling dynamics, timing, and articulation to convey its structure.
A dueFor two — two instruments or sections playing the same part together in unison
Synonyms
Antonyms
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