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

  • precisamente [Italian] Precisely, exactly.
  • tango [Spanish] A dance in 2/4 time from Argentina.
  • wind ensemble An instrumental ensemble consisting of woodwind, brass and percussion instruments.
  • quartal harmony Harmony based on the interval of the fourth as opposed to a third; used in twentieth century music.
  • villancico [Spanish] A 15th and 16th century form of Spanish poetry that was often set to music.
  • zu [German] “Too” (excessively).
  • scale A series of notes in ascending or descending order that presents the pitches of a key or mode, beginning and ending on the tonic of that key or mode.
  • cakewalk Traditional, syncopated African-American form of music and dance which originated among slaves in the Southern United States.
  • eilig [German] Hurried, hasty, speedy.
  • burlesque [French] A humorous composition, usually involving parody or grotesque exaggeration.
  • serenade [French] Night music; a classical instrumental genre that combines elements of chamber music and symphonic music.
  • diminution A Renaissance and Baroque ornamentation which consists of the restatement of a melody in which the note values are shortened, usually by half.
  • rinforzare [Italian] To reinforce.
  • adagio [Italian] A slow tempo marking, usually around 66–76 BPM.
  • ravvivando [Italian] Animating, brightening up; quickening.