tremolo

American  

[trem-uh-loh] / ˈtrɛm əˌloʊ /

noun

Music.

plural

tremolos

1. a tremulous or vibrating effect produced on certain instruments and in the human voice, as to express emotion.

2. a mechanical device in an organ by which such an effect is produced.

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tremolo British  

/ ˈtrɛməˌləʊ /

noun

1. 1. (in playing the violin, cello, etc) the rapid repetition of a single note produced by a quick back-and-forth movement of the bow

   2. the rapid reiteration of two notes usually a third or greater interval apart ( fingered tremolo ) Compare trill 1

2. (in singing) a fluctuation in pitch Compare vibrato

3. a vocal ornament of late renaissance music consisting of the increasingly rapid reiteration of a single note

4. another word for tremulant

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Etymology

Origin of tremolo

1715–25; < Italian: trembling < Latin tremulus tremulous

Compare meaning

How does tremolo compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• vibrato vs. tremolo

Explanation

In music, tremolo is the quick repetition of one or two tones, usually for emotional effect. You might use a quavering tremolo when playing sad tunes on your violin. A tremor is an unsteady, involuntary movement, like a shaky hand or a twitch. Similarly, tremolo is an unsteady, continuous repetition in music. Tremolo can involve one tone being quickly repeated or two tones being rapidly alternated. Tremolo often refers to a form of vibrato — when a singer holds and vibrates a tone — that is not controlled very well, and is considered showy and melodramatic. The root word is the Latin tremulus, or "trembling."

Example Sentences

You can almost hear the tremolo of injured innocence in his voice.

From Salon • Jun. 30, 2023

“She has a remarkable voice that stretches from a high soprano and a gospel tremolo to a rich contralto that can turn into a blood‐curdling growl.”

From Washington Post • Nov. 29, 2022

After 3.5 billion years came the tremolo of cilia on the earliest cells.

From Scientific American • Mar. 24, 2022

He compared the mood created by fluttering flames to the tremolo of a voice singing in a church choir.

From New York Times • Sep. 2, 2021

They listened, but beyond the rustle of the leaves there came from the open down outside no sound except the monotonous tremolo of a grasshopper warbler, far off in the grass.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams