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

  • fortississimo [Italian] Extremely loud, louder than fortissimo.
  • basse dance [French] A graceful, stately court dance of the early Renaissance.
  • relative key The major and minor keys that share the same key signature.
  • augmentation Statement of a melody in longer note values, often twice as slow as the original.
  • brioso [Italian] Vivacious, spirited, lively.
  • white noise Sounds containing every audible frequency at approximately the same intensity.
  • toujours [French] Always.
  • concertino [Italian] The small group of solo instruments used in a concerto grosso in contrast to the whole body of the orchestra.
  • overture An introductory movement, as in an opera or oratorio, often presenting melodies from arias to come. Also an orchestral work for concert performance.
  • ridicolo [Italian] Absurd, ludicrous, ridiculous.
  • principal A section leader in a large ensemble (band or orchestra) also called first chair, except for the first violins, where the leader is termed the concertmaster.
  • polka A lively ballroom dance of Bohemian origin in duple meter greatly, popular in the 19th century. Also a short, lyric piano composition.
  • cantoris [Latin] Literally, “of the cantor”. In Anglican church music, referring to the half of the choir sitting on the cantor's side of the church.
  • gebrochen [German] “Broken”.
  • teneramente [Italian] Tenderly.