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

Hint: Don't worry about accents over letters, just skip them.

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…

You may browse the glossary alphabetically, or directly search for a term by using the search box above.

If you are looking for a symbol, check out our Guide to Musical Symbols.

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

  • fertig [German] Dexterous, nimble, quick.
  • religioso [Italian] Religious, devout.
  • neoclassical Term applied to 20th century composers who use the forms and thematic processes of the classical era.
  • pas [French] “Not”.
  • allegrissimo [Italian] A fast tempo marking, faster than allegro.
  • mais [French] “But”.
  • raddolcendo [Italian] Growing sweeter and calmer.
  • romantic The era of music following the classical period, going from about 1815 to 1910.
  • score The complete musical notation of a composition, especially for an ensemble, where the individual parts are lined up vertically.
  • étude [French] Study piece that focuses on a particular technical problem.
  • double flat An accidental sign consisting of two flat symbols, that lowers a note by two semitones.
  • moderato [Italian] A moderate tempo, faster than andante but slower than allegretto, usually around 100–120 BPM.
  • parallel keys Two keys, one major and one minor, having the same tonic.
  • bergamasca [Italian] A kind of Renaissance clumsy rustic dance.
  • microtone Musical interval smaller than a semitone, prevalent in some non-Western musics and in some twentieth century art music.