Embouchure - Exposition
E - (Italian, French) "Mi, Me"; tone with a pitch frequency around 329.628 Hz
Early Music - music of or before the early 17th century; music of the Ancient, Biblical, Medieval, and Renaissance periods
Easy Listening Music - a modern musical genre of soothing and relaxing music; popular 20th century instrumentals of a musical style characterized by slow to moderate tempos and soft harmonic rhythms
Echappée - (French) "l'échappée, escape "; an ornamented note within a progression of notes, which goes against or opposite of the other notes in the group
Eco - (Italian) "echo"; an effect of tones repeatedly sounded after the initial tone, normally softer and softer as in an echo effect
Eclogue - (Latin) "selection"; pastoral poems applied to piano music from the Renaissance first done by Czech composer Václav Tomášeklater in the 18th century
Ecossaise - (French) "Scottish"; a lively piano based country dance written in cut-time from Scotland of the 18th to 19th centuries
Eight-note - a note which takes up 1/8 of a whole note; quaver
Eingang - (German) "entrance"; a short introductory passage to a musical piece
Eisteddfod - (Welsh) "session"; a Welsh festival meeting of artists from the 12th century later revived by British composer Iolo Morganwg in the 18th century
Electronic - instruments which either utilize electric amplification or are constructed of electronic components
Electrophone - generic term referring to instruments that rely on electronic amplification in order to be heard
Elegante - (Italian, French) "elegant"; instruction to play elegantly or gracefully
Ellegy - (Greek) "funeral lament"; a vocal or instrumental piece, typically mournful, for lamenting a death
Elevation - an organ piece play during at mass during the consecration
Embellishment - adding to the written part; improvisation; ornamentation
Embouchure - (French) "mouthpiece"; the proper placement and use of a player's mouth, lips, and cheeks necessary to produce sound from a wind instrument; the application and use of a player's mouth to the mouthpiece
Empfindsamkeit - (German) "expression"; a melancholy or sentimental musical style from mid 18th century Germany
Empfindung - (German) "feeling"; instruction to play with feeling; with emotion
Encore - (French) "bis, again"; the audience demand for a repeat at the end of a performance; the repeated performance of a composition requested by the audience
En dehors - (French) "outside, outward"; play with emphasis; direction to make a musical part or section stand out
Energico - (French) "energetic, strong"; play vigorously and energetic
Enharmonic - (Greek) "in harmony"; tones of different keys which sound the same; tones of identical pitch within different keys
En pressant - (French) "hurrying"; hurrying forward; moving fast or quickly
En retenant - (French) "slowing"; gradually slower; holding back
Ensemble - a group of musical performers somewhat smaller than an orchestra, usually of four or more singers and/or instruments or various combinations
Entr'acte - (French) "between the acts"; music performed between the acts of a theater production, play, or opera; intermission; intermezzo
Enfático - (Greek, Spanish) "emphatic"; play emphatically o with emphasis
Episode - a musical passage which temporarily leaves the main theme; digression
Epithalamium - (Greek) "bridal chamber"; a song or poem celebrating a marriage
Equal temperament - the tuning system used primarily in music of Western civilization; see temperament
Equal voices - the practice of applying multiple similar voices to the same piece of music; voices of the same pitch such as tenor
Espansivo - (Italian) "expansive"; excessive emotional expression; gushy
Esperando - (Italian, Spanish) "dying away"; expiring; gradually fade away the music
Espression - (French) "expressive"; play in an expressive manner or with feeling
Espressivo - (Italian) "expressive"; play in an expressive manner or with feeling
Esprit - (Latin, French) "spirit"; a personal regard for the best interests of an accomplishment; a performer's personal dedication to the music and its presentation; the personal will and desire of a performer to do their best for the good of the orchestra and the composition
Estinto - (Latin, French) "extinct"; instruction to play very softly; almost inaudible
Esultazione - (French) "exalt"; instruction to play a part with exaltation; to exalt or elevate above others
Etude - (French) "study"; a musical piece written to demonstrate or develop a performer's technique or skills
Euphonio - the Italian word for 'Euphonium'
Evangelist - a modern day singer or vocalist of gospel and religious music
Exercise - a musical piece or project used to improve a performer's specific technique and/or skills; a study assignment for a vocalist or instrumentalist
Expressionism - an early 20th century abstract musical style
Exposition - the opening statement of the theme by imitating voices in a fugue; the first statement of the musical theme to a composition
Extemporise - to play or sing spontaneously or alone; improvise
Extravaganza - music known for freedom of expression; a stage performance with lots of activity and music; freestyle music
Eye Music - music which is appealing or confusing to the eye; music that makes no sense but carries a hidden intention to the performer; music with special marks, symbols, or notation
