French Music Theory Vocabulary

lexique du 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.

Names of notes

Interestingly, the French use “do, rei, mi” etc. to refer to individual lettered musical notes.

dièse sharp
bémol flat
la A
si B
ut/do C
ré D
mi E
fa F
sol G

Music theory terms

Many of the following musical terms are almost the same in English.

une altération accidental
un arpège arpeggio
la clé de fa, clef de fa bass clef
la note fondamentale bass note
la cadence cadence
un accord chord
le cycle des quintes circle of fifths
la clé, clef clef, key
une quinte diminuée diminished fifth
une dominante dominant chord
un accord étendu extended chord
gamme descendante falling scale
une quinte fifth
un bémol flat
la clé de sol G clef, treble clef
un demi-ton half step
une intervalle harmonique harmonic interval
la harmonie harmony
un ton aigu high pitch
le diapason instrument tuning
l’armature, armure (f) key signature
le registre grave low pitch
une gamme majeure major scale
une intervalle mélodique melodic interval
une mélodie melody
une gamme mineure minor scale
le mode mode
le solfège, théorie musicale music theory
une octave octave
un intervalle rest, interval
une gamme ascendante rising scale
une gamme scale
une septième seventh
un dièse sharp
une tierce third
transposer to transpose
la tonique tonic, key note
l’unisson (m) unison
un ton whole step

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David Issokson

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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