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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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

  • response Short choral answer to a solo verse; an element of liturgical dialogue.
  • virtuoso [Italian] Performer of extraordinary technical ability.
  • seconda volta [Italian] “Second time”; may refer to the second ending of a repetition.
  • comma [Italian] Difference in pitch between a note derived from pure tuning and the same note derived from some other tuning method.
  • demi [French] “Half”.
  • tuning The adjustment of the pitch of an instrument. Also, the set pitches to which an instrument is tuned.
  • Italian overture The baroque precursor of the classical symphony, evolved during the 17th and 18th centuries; it is characterized by its three movement form, consisting of a fast, a slow, and a fast movement.
  • verse anthem Anglican devotional composition for solo voices with a choral refrain.
  • incidental music Music written to accompany dramatic works.
  • transposition Shifting a melody up or down in pitch, while keeping the same relative pitches.
  • volta subito [Italian] A directive to turn the page quickly.
  • relative pitch The ability to identify any pitch in reference to a given pitch.
  • Zwischenspiel [German] An interlude played between the verses of a hymn.
  • calypso A style of Afro-Caribbean music which originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the beginning of the 20th century.
  • key On a woodwind instrument, the keys are the metal disks that close or open soundholes by means of levers operated by the performer's fingers.