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

  • compound meter Meter in which each beat is divisible by three rather than two.
  • falsetto [Italian] Vocal technique whereby men can sing above their normal range, producing a lighter sound.
  • close harmony Harmony written so that the parts are as close together as possible, usually with the upper voices very tight together, and the bass somewhat more distantly spaced.
  • répertoire [French] A list of compositions that an individual or ensemble is prepared to perform or that are available for performance.
  • spigliato [Italian] Self-confident, bold, smooth.
  • postlude A composition that concludes a larger composition. Also, a composition performed at the end of a church service as the congregation leaves.
  • dodecaphony Ensuring that all 12 notes of the chromatic scale are sounded as often as one another in a piece of music while preventing the emphasis of any.
  • improvisation Creation of a musical composition while it is being performed.
  • program music Music intended to evoke extra-musical ideas, images in the mind of the listener by musically representing a scene, image or mood. By contrast, absolute music stands for itself and is intended to be appreciated without any particular reference to the outside world.
  • legatissimo [Italian] Very legato, extremely smooth and connected.
  • presque [French] “Almost”.
  • comp Jazz term used to describe the accompaniment backing up a soloist.
  • unter [German] “Below”, “under”.
  • art song A vocal music composition, usually written for one singer with piano or orchestral accompaniment.
  • stentato [Italian] Labored, heavy, in a dragging manner, sluggish. Alternatively, strong and forced.