Wikipedia:Manual of Style (music)
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This page is part of the Manual of Style, and is considered a guideline for Wikipedia. The consensus of many editors formed the conventions described here. Wikipedia articles should heed these guidelines. Feel free to update this page as needed, but please use the discussion page to propose major changes. |
Music articles vary in their intended audience; some articles are for a wide audience, others for readers with specialized knowledge (for example Metric modulation). Whenever possible, aim for a broader audience.
See Wikipedia:WikiProject Music terminology for details of terminology.
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[edit] British versus American terms
Either may be used consistently, as suggested in the Manual of Style. Consider placing the alternate term in parentheses the first time it is used; for example:
- "The first crotchet (quarter note) in the bar is loudest."
[edit] Flats and sharps
Use either Unicode flat (♭, ♭) and sharp (♯, ♯) symbols or the words flat and sharp. Do not use b (the lowercase letter b) for flat or # (the number sign) for sharp, these are semantically incorrect. Two correct pairs of examples below:
- Key signature:
- "E-flat major"
- "E♭ major"
- D major triad:
- "D, F♯, A"
- "D, F sharp, A"
Note that that Unicode flat and sharp signs may render incorrectly (as square boxes or question marks) for many users.
[edit] Italian music terms
Most Italian music terms are well-known enough to be considered part of the English language. Commonly used terms should not be italicized.
- attacca
- aria
- divisi
Plurals of Italian terms should be anglicized:
- cellos
- concertos
- tempos
An exception is 'timpani'.
[edit] Major and minor
Treat "major" and "minor" as regular words; i.e., the first letter should be lower-case unless it starts a sentence. Abbreviated key signatures and chord spellings, such as "Cm" and "B♭M", or "c" and "B♭" should be avoided in prose.
[edit] Classical music titles
Generic titles are those that are not specific to one musical work, e.g., the names of musical forms such as concerto, overture, quartet, sonata, suite, symphony. Titles of liturgical works, such as agnus dei, kyrie, mass, requiem, etc. – are considered generic titles, as well. Generic titles are in roman face.
- Piano Concerto No. 5
- Sixth Symphony
- Requiem
True titles are titles specific to a single work. These are titles given by the composer much as an author would title a novel. True titles are italicized, irrespective of which language they are in.
- From me flows what you call time
- Pelléas et Mélisande
When true titles are mixed with generic titles, as is often the case in overtures and suites, only the true title is italicized. The generic portion of the title remains in roman type, and should always be in English even if the true portion of the title is in a foreign language.
- Overture to The Bartered Bride
- L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1
There are a few rare instances where a work has what seems like a generic title, but it is actually a true title. Generally, if a symphony is referred to by name and not also numbered, the title is actually a true title given by the composer. These should be in italics as well.
- Symphonie fantastique
- Copland's Dance Symphony
- Beethoven's Battle Symphony
Often, works whose official title is generic are also known by a nickname or common title. There are five acceptable methods for specifying the nickname after the generic title:
- In parentheses and quotation marks. For example: Symphony No. 9 ("From the New World")
- In parentheses and italics. For example: Symphony No. 9 (From the New World)
- In parentheses. For example: Symphony No. 9 (From the New World)
- In quotation marks set off by a comma. For example: Symphony No. 9, "From the New World"
- In italics set off by a comma. For example: Symphony No. 9, From the New World
There are three acceptable methods for referring to a work by nickname alone:
- In quotation marks. For example: "New World" Symphony
- In italics. For example: New World Symphony (note that Symphony remains in roman type)
- In roman type. For example: New World Symphony
Any of these methods may be used, however, usage should be consistent within an article.
Song titles are enclosed in quotes. True titles of song cycles are italicized. Foreign language song titles remain in roman type.
- "Wenn ich in deine Augen seh'" from Dichterliebe
Generic movement titles (such as tempo markings or terms like minuet and trio) are capitalized with a single initial capital – that is, only the first word is capitalized – and in roman type. Often, movements are described by multiple tempo markings. In this case, the tempo markings should be separated by en dashes set off by spaces, and the first letter of each tempo marking should be capitalized. True movement titles are enclosed in quotation marks. Once again, foreign language titles remain in roman type.
- Un poco sostenuto – Allegro from Brahms's First Symphony
- "Von der Wissenschaft" from Also sprach Zarathustra
- Kyrie from Mozart's Requiem
The formal title of a work from the classical repertoire includes its genre or performing force, key, and index number. For modern works, the key and/or index number may not exist, but the genre or performing force should always be specified. There is no requirement to use formal titles on Wikipedia. However, in an article about a single composition of classical music, all the information one would get from a formal title should be included in the lead. Often, using the formal title to introduce the work is the most elegant way to convey this information.
[edit] Popular music
In popular music, album titles should be in italics, and song titles should be in quotes (i.e. The Beatles's song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" comes from their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band).
