L

Lament: A mournful composition, either meant to be played at a funeral, or to commemorate a death.

Landini Cadence: The melodic cadence that moves in the sequence 7-6-8, used primarily by Francesco Landini, and later by other composers.

Leading Tone: The seventh degree of the diatonic scale, when it is only a half-step below the tonic. It is called "leading" because it gives the feeling of wanting to move up a half-step toward the tonic.

Leap: a movement of a musical line by more than a second at a time.

Ledger Lines: Lines written above or below the staff to help indicate the correct pitches for notes written outside of it.


Legato: (It.) Bound together or connected. Performance of music so that there is no break in tone. Often indicated by a slur. Opposite of stacatto.

Leitmotif: "Leading Motive". Use of a musical phrase to identify with a certain person, place or thing in a dramatic work, especially an opera, usually repeated every time its referrant appeared in the work.

Lent: The season of the church year from Ash Wednesday to Easter (40 days, not counting Sundays).

Libretto: The text (lyrics and any spoken parts) of an opera or oratorio.

Lied/Lieder: A German art song, usually those of the Romantic or Classical eras.

Litany: A collections of prayers recited by a leader alternating with responses by the congregation, often set in plainsong form.

Liturgy: A perscribed daily order of worship in a church, usually used in referrence to the Mass.

Locrian Mode: A mode, built upon the 7th degree of the major scale, whose scale pattern is half-step, whole-step, whole-step, half-step, whole-step, whole-step, and whole-step. This can also be experienced by playing B to B on the white keys of a piano. While this mode theoretically existed in medieval times, it was never used.

Lullaby: A cradle song.

Lydian Mode: A mode built upon the fourth scale degree of the major scale, whose scale pattern is whole-step, whole-step, whole-step, half-step, whole-step, whole-step, half-step. (Same as if you -played from F to F using only the white keys on a piano). Originated in medieval times.

Lyric: 1. The words to a song. 2. In a singing and melodious manner.

Lyric Soprano: A female singer with a slightly higher range than a Dramatic Soprano.

Lyric Tenor: A male singer with a slightly higher range than a Dramatic Tenor.