Multilingual Music Glossary

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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Found a word you don't know? No problem. Look it up in the Music Glossary!

We are currently providing explanations for 2484 terms from 12 languages, including English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Latin…

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Please note: a music glossary is just like a dictionary. It contains explanations to musical terms. If you are looking for a piece, please go here instead: search tunes.

Some random terms

  • treble The highest part of a polyphonic composition.
  • 15mb [Italian] A directive to perform two octaves lower than written.
  • prima donna [Italian] Literally, “first lady”. Term used in opera for the principal female singer of the opera or of the opera company.
  • amorevole [Italian] Loving, affectionate.
  • larghetto [Italian] A tempo not quite as slow as largo, usually around 60–66 BPM.
  • style Characteristic manner of presentation of musical elements: melody, rhythm, harmony, dynamics, form, etc.
  • legatissimo [Italian] Very legato, extremely smooth and connected.
  • da capo [Italian] Literally, “from the beginning”. A directive to go back to the beginning of the composition.
  • ganz [German] Whole, entire, all.
  • flebile [Italian] “Plaintive”.
  • opera seria [Italian] Italian opera of the 18th and 19th centuries that was either heroic or tragic.
  • Leitmotiv [German] A term adopted by Wagner's disciples to designate the “leading motives” in his operas.
  • étude [French] Study piece that focuses on a particular technical problem.
  • militare [Italian] Military.
  • polyrhythm The simultaneous use of several rhythmic patterns or meters, common in twentieth-century music and in certain African musics.