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

  • bepop Complex jazz style developed in the 1940s.
  • samba [Portuguese] Afro-Brazilian dance, characterized by duple meter, responsorial singing and polyrhythmic accompaniments.
  • rest A symbol standing for a measured break in the sound with a defined duration.
  • acoustical instrument Any musical instrument not relying on external power for operation.
  • remote keys Those keys that have few notes in common. The key of C and the key of F sharp would be considered remote.
  • Turmmusik [German] Literally, “tower music”. A term referring to the music, usually performed on wind instruments, which is played from a tower of a town hall or a church tower. Turmmusik was common in Germany from the 16th century to the 18th century.
  • comp Jazz term used to describe the accompaniment backing up a soloist.
  • opera seria [Italian] Italian opera of the 18th and 19th centuries that was either heroic or tragic.
  • sacred music Religious or spiritual music, for church or devotional use.
  • 15mb [Italian] A directive to perform two octaves lower than written.
  • heftig [German] Vehement, boisterous.
  • reel Moderately quick dance in duple meter danced throughout the British Isles; the most popular Irish traditional dance type.
  • compound harmony Regular harmony with an added octave in the bass.
  • Opp. [Latin] Plural of Op.
  • larigot [French] A shepherd's flute or pipe.