German Music/Musician Verbs

komponieren

to compose

dirigieren

to conduct

improvisieren

to improvise

proben

to rehearse

üben

to practice

stimmen

to tune

verstimmen

to go out of tune

intonieren

to intonate

arrangieren

to arrange

orchestrieren

to orchestrate

harmonisieren

to harmonize

transponieren

to transpose

notieren

to note down / to notate

aufnehmen

to record

abmischen

to mix (audio)

mastern

to master (audio)

auftreten

to perform / to gig

begleiten

to accompany

vorspielen

to audition / to play for someone

vorsingen

to audition (singing)

nachspielen

to play by ear / to cover a song

vom Blatt spielen

to sight-read

auswendig lernen

to memorize (a piece)

anschlagen

to strum / to strike a note

zupfen

to fingerpick / to pluck

dämpfen

to mute / to damp

greifen

to fret a note / to hold a chord

einschwingen

to resonate / to vibrate

phrasieren

to phrase

betonen

to accent / to emphasize

dehnen

to elongate / to stretch a note

klingen

to sound / to ring

erklingen

to ring out / to resound

verhallen

to fade away / to die out (reverb)

verstummen

to become silent

modulieren

to modulate

rhythmisieren

to rhythmize

synkopieren

to syncopate

takten

to measure / to time

vorgeben

to cue / to set the tempo

einsingen

to warm up the voice

einspielen

to warm up on an instrument

mitorgeln

to play along on the organ

pfeifen

to whistle

summen

to hum

trillern

to trill / to warble

schmettern

to belt out / to blare

hervorbringen

to produce (a sound)

erzeugen

to generate (a tone)

überblasen

to overblow (wind instruments)

anblasen

to blow into / to initiate a note

streichen

to bow (a string instrument)

anreißen

to pluck roughly

slappen

to slap (bass technique)

poppen

to pop (bass technique)

tappen

to finger-tap

hämmern

to hammer-on / to pound the keys

abziehen

to pull-off (guitar technique)

benden

to bend (guitar string)

rutschen

to slide (on the fretboard)

schrammeln

to strum amateurishly / to thrum

klimpern

to strum carelessly / to jangle keys

trommeln

to drum

wirbeln

to roll (drums) / to swirl

becken

to clash cymbals (colloquial)

pedalieren

to pedal (piano/organ)

registrieren

to pull stops / to register (organ)

solieren

to solo

duettieren

to perform a duet

jammen

to jam (improvise together)

grooven

to groove

schwingen

to swing / to vibrate

synchronisieren

to synchronize

verstärken

to amplify

übersteuern

to overdrive / to clip

verzerren

to distort

filtern

to filter

loopen

to loop

sampeln

to sample

sequenzieren

to sequence