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

  • movement Complete, self-contained part within a larger musical work.
  • vocal cords The vocal organs in the human being which produce sound.
  • lamentevole [Italian] Plaintive, mournful.
  • pasticcio [Italian] A composition assembled from passages taken from numerous other sources by various composers.
  • incipit [Latin] The beginning of a musical composition.
  • audition The term used for the try-outs that a musician must go through before his or her acceptance into an ensemble.
  • Requiem [Latin] A composition to honor the deceased.
  • fusion Style that combines jazz improvisation with amplified instruments of rock.
  • mute A mechanical device used with string and brass instruments to muffle the tone.
  • treble The highest part of a polyphonic composition.
  • texture The interweaving of melodic (horizontal) and harmonic (vertical) elements in the musical fabric. Texture is generally described as monophonic (single line), heterophonic (elaboration on a single line), homophonic (single line with accompaniment), or polyphonic (many voiced).
  • violento [Italian] Violent, vehement.
  • gospel music Twentieth century sacred music style associated with Protestant African-Americans.
  • MIDI Acronym for “Musical Instrument Digital Interface”; technology standard that allows networking of computers with electronic musical instruments.
  • cantando [Italian] Singing.