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

  • dance Any physical movements done to music.
  • gravità [Italian] Gravity, utmost seriousness or solemnity.
  • choir A group of singers who perform together, usually in parts, with several on each part.
  • afflitto [Italian] Sad, melancholy.
  • expression The blend of feeling and intellect brought to a performance by the performer.
  • Zungenstoss [German] Tongue thrust.
  • tailgate A slang term for a trombone Glissando in Dixieland jazz.
  • innocentemente Innocently.
  • blue note In blues or jazz, a note that for expressive purposes is sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than usual.
  • sixth An interval of six diatonic degrees, counting the first and last degree.
  • major Term referring to a sequence of notes that define the tonality of the major scale. This series consists of seven notes: the tonic, followed by the next note a whole step up from the tonic, the third is a whole step from the second, the fourth is a half step from the third, the fifth is a whole step from the fourth, the sixth is a whole step from the fifth, the seventh is another whole step, followed by the tonic, a half step above the seventh.
  • come prima [Italian] “As before”. A directive to return to a previous tempo or to play a particular passage in the manner of a previous passage.
  • serein [French] Serene, calm.
  • Minnesinger [German] A poet or musician of the Minnesang tradition in Germany, active during the 12th through the 15th centuries.
  • concert pitch The tuning pitch of an ensemble, typically A440.