There are many terms used in connection with fado, most of which are in Portuguese. In this section I have endeavoured to list the main phrases, along with key places, in order to avoid confusion. In some cases, a term does not translate directly into English, in which case I provide a general description to aid understanding, and many of these terms will eventually have an article devoted to exploring the concepts.
- Alfama: A neighbourhood in Lisbon; one of three neighbourhoods traditionally associated with fado.
- Bairro Alto: A neighbourhood in Lisbon; one of three neighbourhoods traditionally associated with fado.
- Caracol: Literally translates as snail. The name given to the decorative scroll on the head of Lisbon-style guitarras.
- Casa de Fado: A café or restaurant which hosts fado performances.
- Coimbra: A northern city in Portugal, the second largest in the country, and home to one of Europe’s oldest universities. Home to a variation on fado, one more closely associated with students and academics.
- Contracantos: The improvisatory counter melody played by the guitarra in response to each vocal line.
- Fadista: most commonly, a term used to describe someone (male or female) who sings fado, although some extend this term to include the instrumentalists.
- Guitarra: Also known as a guitarra portuguesa, the Portugese guitar, a member of the cittern family with six double courses, traditionally the principal instrument in fado and guitarradas. Two varieties of guitarra exist, the Lisbon style and the Coimbra style; while the differences between the two are mainly aesthetic, the Coimbra style guitarra is generally tuned one whole tone lower than the Lisbon style instrument.
- Guitarrada: An instrumental genre, usually based on musical themes from sung fado, in which the guitarrista is given freedom to display his or her virtuosity.
- Guitarrista: An individual who plays the guitarra.
- Lisboa: The Portuguese name for Lisbon. Traditionally, it is the city most closely associated with fado.
- Lisboetta: A native or inhabitant of Lisbon.
- Mouraria: A neighbourhood in Lisbon; one of three neighbourhoods traditionally associated with fado.
- Revista: A theatrical revue which utilised a range of Portuguese music, including fado.
- Saudade: An emotion with no direct translation into English, but one which contains elements of melancholy, yearning and uncertainty.
- Tasca: A small tavern or bar, many of which play host to fado performances, typically of the more amateur variety.
- Unhas: False nails, usually made of a synthetic material, used by guitarristas to brighten the tone quality of the instrument and to aid in playing fast or tremolo passages.
- Viola: The Portuguese name for the classical guitar, usually strung with nylon strings but occasionally strung with steel strings when used in fado.
- Viola Baixa: An acoustic bass guitar, either tuned in fourths or fifths.
- Violista: An individual who plays the viola (see above).
- Voltinhas: Vocal ornaments during passages of extreme emotion, including mordents, trills, turns, and occasionally improvised rubato melodic lines.
James Félix 