sesquialtera: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Low (Specialized Terminology)Formal, Technical (Organ building, Historical Musicology)
Quick answer
What does “sesquialtera” mean?
A musical term for a stop on a pipe organ which sounds a note at the interval of a fifth and/or a third above the fundamental pitch.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A musical term for a stop on a pipe organ which sounds a note at the interval of a fifth and/or a third above the fundamental pitch.
In a broader, historical music theory context, it can refer to the ratio 3:2, representing the perfect fifth interval.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The term is international in organ-building circles.
Connotations
Technical precision, historical continuity in instrument design.
Frequency
Equally rare in both varieties, confined to specialist texts and conversations.
Grammar
How to Use “sesquialtera” in a Sentence
The [Organ] has a sesquialtera [on the Great division].The organist [drew/added] the sesquialtera for the [chorale prelude].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sesquialtera” in a Sentence
noun
British English
- The 18th-century organ's sesquialtera is particularly reedy and effective in the choruses.
- Do you prefer a narrow- or wide-scaled sesquialtera for this repertoire?
American English
- The new organ specification includes a Sesquialtera II on the Great manual.
- The sesquialtera adds a brilliant edge to the principal chorus.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not applicable.
Academic
Used in musicology papers discussing Baroque organ registration or stop nomenclature.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Primary context: organ specification sheets, voicing reports, organist's console instructions.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “sesquialtera”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “sesquialtera”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sesquialtera”
- Pronouncing it as 'ses-qui-ALTER-a' (stress on 'alter') instead of the correct 'ses-qui-AL-ter-a'.
- Using it to refer to any loud organ stop.
- Spelling as 'sesquialtera' (missing the 'l').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Extremely rarely. Its core and almost exclusive use is in the context of pipe organs. The historical ratio meaning (3:2) is obsolete outside of specialized academic discussion.
It is primarily a chorus stop. It is used to reinforce and colour the harmonic series of the foundation pitches (principals), adding definition and brilliance, rather than for playing solo lines.
The name comes from Latin 'sesquialterus', meaning 'one and a half' (sesqui- = one and a half; alter = other). This refers to the 3:2 ratio of the perfect fifth (the 'other' note being one-and-a-half times the frequency of the fundamental).
Traditionally, a two-rank sesquialtera contains pipes sounding the Twelfth (2 2/3') and the Seventeenth (1 3/5'), which are the 3rd and 5th harmonics of the fundamental. The exact composition can vary by national tradition and historical period.
A musical term for a stop on a pipe organ which sounds a note at the interval of a fifth and/or a third above the fundamental pitch.
Sesquialtera is usually formal, technical (organ building, historical musicology) in register.
Sesquialtera: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsɛskwɪˈaltərə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌsɛskwiˈæltərə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To add the sesquialtera (to brighten the plenum)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'SESqui' (one and a half) relates to the 3:2 ratio; 'ALTERA' suggests it alters the harmonic series.
Conceptual Metaphor
A SPICE or ACCENT in the harmonic recipe of the organ's sound.
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'sesquialtera' primarily?