le solfège
If you’re a musician and are interacting with the French on your work then it would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with some French music theory terms. The following vocabulary list includes the names of all the notes and should get you started. At the bottom of the page there’s a link to a French site with French-to-French explanations.
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| NAMES OF NOTES | |
| sharp | dièse |
| flat | bémol |
| A | la |
| B | si |
| C | ut/do |
| D | ré |
| E | mi |
| F | fa |
| G | sol |
| MUSIC THEORY TERMS | |
| accidental | un altération |
| accidental | une altération |
| arpeggio | un arpège |
| bass clef | la clé de fa, clef de fa |
| bass note | la note fondamentale |
| cadence | la cadence |
| chord | un accord |
| circle of fifths | le cycle des quintes |
| clef, key | la clé, clef |
| diminished fifth | une quinte diminuée |
| dominant chord | une dominante |
| dynamique | une nuance |
| extended chord | un accord étendu |
| falling scale | gamme descendante |
| fifth | une quinte |
| flat | un bémol |
| G clef, treble clef | la clé de sol |
| half step | un demi-ton |
| harmonic interval | une intervalle harmonique |
| harmony | la harmonie |
| high pitch | un ton aigu |
| instrument tuning | le diapason |
| key signature | l’armature, armure (f) |
| low pitch | le registre grave |
| major scale | une gamme majeure |
| melodic interval | une intervalle mélodique |
| melody | une mélodie |
| minor scale | une gamme mineure |
| mode | le mode |
| music theory | le solfège, théorie musicale |
| octave | une octave |
| rest, interval | un intervalle |
| rising scale | une gamme ascendante |
| scale | une gamme |
| seventh | une septième |
| sharp | un dièse |
| third | une tierce |
| to transpose | transposer |
| tonic, key note | la tonique |
| unison | l’unisson (m) |
| whole step | un ton |
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David Issokson is a lifelong language enthusiast. His head is swimming with words and sounds as he speaks over six languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private online lessons. When procrastinating working on his site, FrenchLearner.com, David enjoys his time skiing and hiking in Teton Valley, Idaho.
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Bonjour! My name is David Issokson. I'm based in Victor, Idaho (near Jackson, Wyoming) and have helped hundreds of students to learn French online since 2013.
