Scoring abbreviations
Abbreviations for Scoring
Enter abbreviations as given below. For a complete list, with examples, see the Help page.
Overview: Voices - strings - woodwinds - brass - plucked instruments - percussion and other - keyboard instruments - basso continuo - general
Vocal (voice) terms
Solo voices
Abbreviation | English |
S | soprano, cantus, discant, discantus, tiple (vocal) |
Mezzo-S | mezzo-soprano (vocal) |
A | alto (vocal) |
Contra-A | contralto (vocal) |
T | tenor (vocal) |
Bariton | baritone (vocal) |
B | bass (vocal) |
V | voice (vocal), solo vocal part |
Dessus | dessus, soprano (vocal) |
Sprechstimme | spoken voice |
Treble | highest voice (vocal) |
V 5 | quinta vox, 5th voice (vocal) |
V 6 | sexta vox, 6th voice (vocal) |
Vag | vagans (additional vocal voice) |
Chorus/Choir
Abbreviation | English |
Coro | choir, chorus |
Coro S | the soprano part in a chorus |
Coro A | the alto part in a chorus |
Coro T | the tenor part in a chorus |
Coro B | the bass part in a chorus |
Coro V | an unspecified or unknown chorus part |
Coro di fanciulli | children's choir, boys' choir, girls' choir |
Coro femminile | womens' choir |
Coro maschile | mens' choir |
Strings
Abbreviation | English | |
vl | violin | |
| vl conc | violin concertino |
| vl princ | violin principale |
| vl rip | violin ripieno |
| vl solo | solo violin part (but not for concertos) |
vla | viola | |
| a-vla | alto viola |
vlc | violoncello, cello | |
cb | contrabass, double bass | |
|
| |
baryton | baryton | |
fiddle | fiddle | |
violetta | violetta | |
violetta marina | violetta marina | |
vla basso | viola basso | |
vla bastarda | viola bastarda | |
vla d'amore | viola d'amore | |
vla da braccio | viola da braccio | |
vla da gamba | viola da gamba | |
| s-vla da gamba | treble viola da gamba |
| t-vla da gamba | tenor viola da gamba |
| b-vla da gamba | bass viola da gamba |
vla pomposa | viola pomposa | |
vlne | violone | |
strings | strings |
Woodwinds
Abbreviation | English | ||
fl | flute, transverse flute | ||
| fl.picc | piccolo, ottavino | |
| fl d'amore | flûte d'amour | |
| fl dolce | flauto dolce | |
| fl quarto | flauto quarto | |
| fl terzino | Flute in E|b | |
| flautino | flautino | |
ob | oboe | ||
ob.picc | piccolo oboe | ||
ob grande | oboe grande | ||
ob d'amore | oboe d'amore | ||
a-ob | Altoboe, alto oboe | ||
| cor inglese | cor anglais, English horn | |
ob da caccia | oboe da caccia, oboe di silva | ||
| taille de hautbois | ||
voce umana | vox humana | ||
| t-ob | tenor oboe | |
heckelphon | heckelphone | ||
b-ob | bass oboe | ||
cl | clarinet | ||
| b-cl | bass clarinet | |
| cl in A | clarinet in A | |
| cl in E|b | E|b clarinet | |
| cor di bassetto | basset horn | |
| chalumeau | chalumeau | |
saxofono | saxophone | ||
| s-saxofono | soprano saxophone | |
| a-saxofono | alto saxophone | |
| t-saxofono | tenor saxophone | |
| bariton-saxofono | baritone saxophone | |
fag | bassoon | ||
| contra-fag | contrabassoon, double bassoon | |
| t-fag | tenor bassoon, tenoron | |
bombarde | bombardon, bombarde, pommer; alto, tenor, and bass shawm | ||
chirimía | chirimía | ||
ciaramella | shawm | ||
fiffaro | fife | ||
ocarina | ocarina | ||
piffero | shawm, fife | ||
recorder | recorder | ||
| sopranino | sopranino recorder | |
woodwinds | woodwinds | ||
zufoletto | zufoletto |
Brass
Abbreviation | English | |
banda | wind band, usually brass | |
althorn | althorn | |
b | bass, also for unspecified bass instrument | |
bariton | baritone, baritone horn | |
bombardino | flicorno, bombardino | |
bombardone | bass tuba, bombardon | |
brasses | brass instruments | |
bugle | bugle | |
cimbasso | cimbasso | |
clno | clarino, clairon, clarion | |
cnto | cornetto, cornett, zink | |
cor | horn, French horn | |
cor a chiavi | keyed bugle | |
cor basso | bass horn | |
cor crom | valve horn | |
cor da caccia | corno da caccia | |
dugetto | dugetto | |
euphonium | euphonium | |
fanfare | fanfare trumpet | |
flügelhorn | flugelhorn | |
harmonie-b | basse d'harmonie | |
helikon | helicon | |
kornettino | cornettino | |
kornetto | cornet | |
lituus | lituus | |
ophicleide | ophicleide | |
piston | piston, rotary valve cornet | |
posthorn | post horn | |
principale | principale | |
saxhorn | saxhorn | |
serpentone | serpent | |
t-cor | mellophone | |
tb | tuba | |
tenor horn | tenor horn, E|b horn | |
tr | trumpet | |
| tr a chiavi | keyed trumpet |
| tr crom | valve trumpet |
trb | trombone | |
| a-trb | alto trombone |
| bariton-trb | baritone trombone |
| t-trb | tenor trombone |
| b-trb | bass trombone |
| trb a pistoni | valve trombone |
trombetta | a small trumpet or tenor trombone | |
trombino | a high trumpet |
Plucked instruments
Abbreviation | English |
arciliuto | archlute |
arp | harp |
guit | guitar |
electric-guit | electric guitar |
b-electric-guit | bass electric guitar |
lira | lyre |
lute | lute |
mandoline | mandolin |
plck | plucked instrument(s) |
requinto | requinto |
salterio | psaltery |
theorbe | theorbo |
zither | zither |
Percussion and other
Abbreviation | English |
batt | drums |
birds singing | birds singing |
campana | bell, handbell |
campane tub | chimes |
campanella | small bell |
campanelli | glock, bells |
carillon | carillon |
cassa rulante | tenor drum, parade drum |
castagnette | castanets |
cimb | finger cymbals |
cimbalom | dulcimer, cimbalom |
claves | claves |
conga | congas, conga drums |
cymb antiques | antique cymbals |
glass harmonica | glass harmonica |
gong | gong |
grancassa | bass drum |
kuckuck | cuckoo |
lyra | bell lyre |
maracas | maracas |
marimba | marimba |
musical clock | musical clock |
musical glasses | musical glasses |
nacchere | rattle |
nachtigall | nightingale |
piatti | cymbal(s) |
piatti cinesi | Chinese cymbal(s) |
piatti sospesi | suspended cymbal(s) |
ratsche | ratchet |
sonagli | sleigh bells |
spoons | spoons |
stck | percussion |
tam-tam | gong, tam-tam |
tamb | drum |
tamb a corda | string drum |
tamb di provenza | tabor |
tamb senza corda | drum with snares off |
tamb turco | Turkish drum |
tamburello | tambourine |
tamburino | snare drum |
timbales | timbales |
timp | timpani |
tom-tom | tom-tom |
triangolo | triangle |
vibrafono | vibraphone |
xilofono | xylophone |
Keyboard instruments
Abbreviation | English |
celesta | celesta |
cemb | cembalo, clavicembalo, spinet, virginal |
cemb 4hands | cembalo, etc. four-hands |
clav | clavecin |
clavicordo | clavichord |
harmonium | harmonium |
hpcd | harpsichord |
keyb | (unspecified) keyboard instrument |
org | organ |
org 4hands | organ four-hands |
organetto | barrel organ, organo a rullo |
pf | piano |
pf 4hands | piano four-hands |
physharmonica | physharmonica |
spinetta | spinet |
Basso continuo
Abbreviation | English |
b.fig | bass, figured |
bc | thoroughbass, basso continuo
|
General
Abbreviation | English |
iSol | continuous solo instrument in a work |
brasses | brass instruments |
strings | strings |
winds | winds (brass and woodwind) |
woodwinds | woodwinds |
orch | orchestra |
Additions to any wind instrument to indicate a tuning other than standard tuning | |
Abbreviation | Examples |
in A in E|b etc. | cl in A |
The following standard abbreviations are used:
vl (2), vla, vlc - String quartet
vl (2), vla (2), vlc - String quintet (2 violas)
vl (2), vla, vlc (2) - String quintet (2 cellos)
vl (2), vla, vlc, cb - String quintet (with double bass)
vl, vlc, pf - Piano trio
fl, ob, cl, cor, fag - Wind quintet
fl (4) - Flute quartet (all flutes)
fl, vl, vla, vlc - Flute quartet (flute with strings)