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

  • vivacissimamente [Italian] A directive to perform in a very lively or brisk manner.
  • elegante [Italian] Elegant, graceful.
  • über [German] “Above”, “over”.
  • opera A drama set to music, usually sung throughout, originating in 17th-century Italy.
  • disjunct A melodic line that moves by leaps and skips rather than in steps.
  • finale [Italian] The last movement in a composition of several movements.
  • double trill A simultaneous trill on two notes, usually in the distance of a third.
  • acoustical instrument Any musical instrument not relying on external power for operation.
  • movement Complete, self-contained part within a larger musical work.
  • sordamente [Italian] Softly, gently, or in a muffled or damped style.
  • giubiloso [Italian] Jubilant.
  • fusion Style that combines jazz improvisation with amplified instruments of rock.
  • rustico [Italian] Rustic, rural.
  • outer voices The highest and the lowest voices in a polyphonic composition.
  • pibroch Scottish traditional theme and variation form music to be performed on the bagpipe. This term refers to the more serious, courtly music rather than to dance music and military music.