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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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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Some random terms

  • Biamonti Catalog [Italian] A chronological catalog of Ludwig van Beethoven's compositions, compiled by Giovanni Biamonti.
  • brace A symbol that looks like an archer's bow, used to connect two or more different staves that are to be played at the same time by the same instrument (e.g. a piano, a organ or a harp). This should not be confused with the bracket, that provides a visual connection between independent parts of a system.
  • turn An ornament consisting of four notes, alternating the main note with the one above it and the one below.
  • corps [French] Literally, “body”. May indicate the body of an instrument or a company of performers.
  • boogie-woogie A style of piano-based blues that became very popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s, but originated much earlier, and was extended from piano, to three pianos at once, guitar, big band, and country and western music, and even gospel. Whilst the blues traditionally depicts a variety of emotions, boogie-woogie is mainly associated with dancing.
  • lentissimo [Italian] Very slow.
  • ad libitum [Latin] Literally, “at will”. At the discretion of the performer. At pleasure, changing the tempo of a particular passage. Sometimes, a part that may be omitted if desired.
  • refrain [French] A verse which repeats throughout a song or poem at given intervals.
  • morbidezza [Italian] Softness, tenderness.
  • bis [Latin] Literally, “twice”. A directive to repeat a passage.
  • radical bass An bass line produced by linking the fundamentals of the chords in a progression.
  • vivace [Italian] A fast tempo marking, usually around 140 BPM.
  • reprise [French] Repetition.
  • singhiozzando [Italian] Sobbing. May suggest the use of a strong portamento.
  • frottola [Italian] A secular song that was popular in Italy in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, direct predecessor of the madrigal.