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

  • instrument Any device used to create music.
  • Kirkpatrick numbers The numbering system identifying compositions by Domenico Scarlatti.
  • troppo [Italian] Too much.
  • espressione [Italian] “Expression”.
  • rhythm The subdivision of time into a defined pattern.
  • largamente [Italian] With a broad, full sound.
  • pavane [French] Stately Renaissance court dance in duple meter.
  • un poco [Italian] A little.
  • Hertz [German] The basic unit of measurement of frequency, definable as one cycle per second. Usually abbreviated “Hz”.
  • second The interval between two neighbouring tones of a scale. Since a diatonic scale consists of alternating semitones and whole tones, the size of a second depends on the scale degrees in question.
  • virelai [French] A Medieval and Renaissance form of French poetry and song, written in an ABBA form with a courtly text.
  • R. Either Raabe or Rinaldi.
  • agilità [Italian] A directive to perform with lightness or agility.
  • ritardando [Italian] Gradually delaying the tempo.
  • ictus [Latin] The instant when a beat occurs.