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

  • largamente [Italian] With a broad, full sound.
  • microtone Musical interval smaller than a semitone, prevalent in some non-Western musics and in some twentieth century art music.
  • bridge A passage connecting two sections of a composition.
  • diatonic Melody or harmony built from the seven tones of a major or minor scale.
  • sonata-rondò [Italian] A form of a composition that displays characteristics of both the rondò and the sonata forms.
  • singhiozzando [Italian] Sobbing. May suggest the use of a strong portamento.
  • mosso [Italian] Moved, agitated.
  • bis [Latin] Literally, “twice”. A directive to repeat a passage.
  • homophony Music in which one voice leads melodically followed by the other voices more or less in the same rhythm. In contrast with polyphony.
  • mezzo piano [Italian] Moderately soft. Not quite so soft as piano.
  • staccatissimo [Italian] A style of playing notes in a detached, separated, distinct manner that shortens the notated duration of the note in a more exaggerated way than normal staccato.
  • dance Any physical movements done to music.
  • transverse flute The regular orchestral flute, as distinct from the recorder.
  • stromentato [Italian] Accompanied.
  • rigore [Italian] Rigour.