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

Currie revealed his diagnosis in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Tremolo programme, which is being broadcast on Sunday.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2024

Justin Currie, from Glasgow, spoke of his illness during an interview with BBC Radio 4 Tremolo programme, which is to be broadcast next month.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2024

He’s based on the bad guys, on one bad guy more than any of the others: Fender Tremolo, the archvillain of 1989’s Cyborg.

From The Verge • Mar. 12, 2020

By now he had published two novels under his own name, Tremolo and Face the Music, a murder mystery set in the jazz world which was filmed in the UK in 1954.

From The Guardian • Sep. 2, 2016

The next time Lizzie will play you Rosellen's "Tremolo;" and Miss Emma must play us a piece too.

From Piano and Song How to Teach, How to Learn, and How to Form a Judgment of Musical Performances by Nichols, Mary P.