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

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…

You may browse the glossary alphabetically, or directly search for a term by using the search box above.

If you are looking for a symbol, check out our Guide to Musical Symbols.

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

  • soprano [Italian] The highest female voice.
  • elegante [Italian] Elegant, graceful.
  • gai [French] Gay, merry.
  • con calore [Italian] With warmth.
  • episode Interlude or intermediate section in the baroque fugue, which serves as an area of relaxation between statements of the subject.
  • replica [Italian] Repetition.
  • fantasia [Italian] Free instrumental piece of fairly large dimensions, in an improvisational style.
  • eilen [German] To hasten, to accelerate.
  • mutig [German] Courageous, spirited.
  • beat A throbbing that is heard when two tones are slightly out of tune.
  • concerto [Italian] A three-part musical work in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.
  • Übung [German] Exercise.
  • dramatic soprano A soprano voice type with a heavier tone color and more power throughout her range.
  • Konzertstück [German] An informal “concert piece”, usually in one movement, for solo instruments and orchestra.
  • second The interval between two neighbouring tones of a scale. Since a diatonic scale consists of alternating semitones and whole tones, the size of a second depends on the scale degrees in question.