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

  • ganz [German] Whole, entire, all.
  • monody Term applied to Italian songs written to be performed by one voice with instrumental accompaniment dating from the first half of the 17th century.
  • laisser vibrer [French] A directive to the performer of a harp, piano, cymbal, or other struck or plucked instrument that the sound should not be damped or stopped after the initial attack, but should be allowed to die away naturally.
  • stabile [Italian] Firm.
  • coda [Italian] Literally, “tail”. The last part of a piece, usually added to a standard form to bring it to a close.
  • rondeau [French] A Medieval and early Renaissance musical form, based on a popular contemporary poetic form. The rondeau form calls for a rigid pattern of repetition of verse and refrain, following the evolving rhyme-scheme of the poetic form.
  • Zimmerman numbers The numbering system identifying compositions by Henry Purcell.
  • affettuoso [Italian] Tender, loving, affectionate.
  • brillante [Italian] Bright, brilliant.
  • slur A curved line drawn over or under a series of notes, indicating that those notes should be played legato.
  • flebile [Italian] “Plaintive”.
  • licenza [Italian] A directive to perform a certain passage with some freedom of manner.
  • chanson [French] French polyphonic song of the Middle Ages and Renaissance set to either courtly or popular poetry.
  • Gregorian chant Monophonic melody with a freely flowing, unmeasured vocal line; liturgical chant of the Roman Catholic Church.
  • divertissment [French] A light, entertaining dance and music combination related to the divertimento.