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

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

  • comma [Italian] Difference in pitch between a note derived from pure tuning and the same note derived from some other tuning method.
  • pochissimo [Italian] “Very little”.
  • Klavier [German] A keyboard instrument; usually, a piano.
  • ragtime Late nineteenth century piano style created by African-Americans, characterized by highly syncopated melodies.
  • 15mb [Italian] A directive to perform two octaves lower than written.
  • quadrille [French] An early 19th century ballroom dance for four or more couples.
  • terzetto [Italian] A three-voice compositional form of the 18th century, usually short, which may or may not be accompanied.
  • moto perpetuo [Italian] Literally, “perpetual motion”. A term used to describe rapidly executed and persistently maintained figuration.
  • lent [French] Slow.
  • toccata [Italian] Virtuoso composition, generally for organ or harpsichord, in a free and rhapsodic style; in the Baroque, it often served as the introduction to a fugue.
  • phrase A natural division of the melodic line, comparable to a sentence of speech.
  • leggiero [Italian] Light, delicate.
  • orchestra An instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large, with string, brass, woodwind sections, and possibly a percussion section as well.
  • festivo [Italian] Merry, festive.
  • forte [Italian] “Loud”.