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

  • vif [French] A tempo directive meaning “lively”.
  • con passione [Italian] “With passion”.
  • pas trop [French] “Not too much”.
  • liturgy In those churches that use standard written forms of services, the ritual or service of public worship.
  • lento [Italian] Slow.
  • galante [Italian] Gallant, courtly, elegant.
  • tessitura [Italian] The most musically acceptable and comfortable range for a given singer or, less frequently, musical instrument.
  • comodo [Italian] Comfortable.
  • bluegrass A form of American country music, inspired by the music of immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as jazz and blues. In bluegrass, as in jazz, each instrument takes its turn playing the melody and improvising around it, while the others perform accompaniment.
  • acoustical instrument Any musical instrument not relying on external power for operation.
  • Longo numbers A numbering system identifying keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti.
  • Gesamtkunstwerk [German] The integration of all of the arts (music, poetry, dance and other visual elements) into a single medium of dramatic expression. This term was used by Richard Wagner to describe the vision of his later operas in the late Romantic era.
  • decani [Latin] In Anglican church music, referring to the half of the choir sitting on the dean's side of the church.
  • amorevole [Italian] Loving, affectionate.
  • canticle A sacred hymn or song.