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
Articulation
View all performanceterms →The manner in which individual notes are attacked, sustained, and released.
SoloA passage for a single performer, with or without accompaniment.
OssiaAn alternative passage offered as an easier or different version
TuttiAll together; the entire ensemble plays.
FlautandoProduce a flute-like tone by bowing lightly near the fingerboard
Synonyms
Antonyms
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