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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Some random terms

  • riser A metal section on the head joint of a flute, shaped like a ‛top hat with the top cut off’, which raises the lip plate from the head joint tube.
  • lauda [Latin] Laud, hymn of praise.
  • al niente [Italian] Literally, “to nothing”. Fade to silence.
  • reprise [French] Repetition.
  • attack The method of beginning a phrase.
  • double trill A simultaneous trill on two notes, usually in the distance of a third.
  • operetta [Italian] A less serious form of opera made up of spoken dialog, songs and dances.
  • gizmo key On a flute, an optional key on the B foot joint which can enhance the responsiveness of C7 (the highest C playable on a flute).
  • dump A slow, melancholic old English dance, usually in 4/4 time.
  • segno [Italian] A sign in a composition that indicates where a repetition starts.
  • melisma (Plural: melismata.) A group of notes sung melodically to a single syllable.
  • pomposo [Italian] Pompous, stately, or ceremonious.
  • ode A composition written in commemoration and celebration of a particular event, object, or person. Especially popular in England.
  • countertenor A male voice of unusually high range, generally achieved through falsetto. The countertenor has the range of either the female alto or soprano.
  • quarter tone Half a semitone.