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

  • 8va [Italian] A directive to perform an octave higher than written.
  • duple meter A rhythmic pattern with the the number of beats per measure being divisible by two.
  • tristamente [Italian] Sadly.
  • double flat An accidental sign consisting of two flat symbols, that lowers a note by two semitones.
  • closed-hole A flute finger key which is fully covered.
  • tritone A dissonant interval consisting of three whole steps.
  • lamentoso [Italian] Like a lament, plaintive.
  • tanto [Italian] Much.
  • homophony Music in which one voice leads melodically followed by the other voices more or less in the same rhythm. In contrast with polyphony.
  • virelai [French] A Medieval and Renaissance form of French poetry and song, written in an ABBA form with a courtly text.
  • boogie-woogie A style of piano-based blues that became very popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s, but originated much earlier, and was extended from piano, to three pianos at once, guitar, big band, and country and western music, and even gospel. Whilst the blues traditionally depicts a variety of emotions, boogie-woogie is mainly associated with dancing.
  • capriccio [Italian] A piece of music, usually fairly free in form and of a lively character. The typical capriccio is fast, intense, and often virtuosic in nature.
  • burden A phrase or theme that recurs at the end of each verse in a folk song or ballad.
  • raddolcendo [Italian] Growing sweeter and calmer.
  • geistvoll [German] Spirited, brilliant; with great sound.