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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 on the Music Glossary!

We are currently providing explanations for 2409 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

  • transposing instrument Those instruments which are notated in one key on paper, yet sound another key when they are performed.
  • time signature A symbol placed at the left side of the staff indicating the meter of the composition.
  • meno [Italian] “Less”.
  • dur [French] Literally, “hard”. With a harsh or ungraceful tone.
  • key signature The sharps or flats appearing at the beginning of each staff indicating the key of the music.
  • common time 4/4 time.
  • sereno [Italian] Serene, calm.
  • amabile [Italian] Lovable, charming, amiable.
  • lebhaft [German] Lively.
  • mordent An ornament indicating that a note is to be played in a single rapid alternation with the note above or below.
  • fluttertonguing Wind instrument technique in which the tongue is fluttered or trilled against the roof of the mouth.
  • harmonic minor scale A minor scale where the seventh tone is raised by a semitone, both ascending and descending.
  • traditional music Music that is learned by oral transmission and is easily sung or played by most people.
  • bar Each of the lines drawn perpendicularly across the staff to divide it into measures. In common usage the term may also mean measure.
  • samba [Portuguese] Afro-Brazilian dance, characterized by duple meter, responsorial singing and polyrhythmic accompaniments.