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

  • bergamasca [Italian] A kind of Renaissance clumsy rustic dance.
  • easy listening A genre of popular music that is meant to be soothing and relaxing to the listener.
  • pomposo [Italian] Pompous, stately, or ceremonious.
  • Longo numbers A numbering system identifying keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti.
  • texture The interweaving of melodic (horizontal) and harmonic (vertical) elements in the musical fabric. Texture is generally described as monophonic (single line), heterophonic (elaboration on a single line), homophonic (single line with accompaniment), or polyphonic (many voiced).
  • bravura [Italian] Literally, “skill”. Great dexterity and skill in execution.
  • ruhig [German] Calm, peaceful.
  • planctus [Latin] Medieval style of song and poetry of a lamenting character.
  • sottovoce [Italian] Almost whispering.
  • Requiem [Latin] A composition to honor the deceased.
  • solo [Italian] A passage that is to be performed by a single performer.
  • guerriero [Italian] Martial, warlike.
  • false note A muted or dampened note that has rhythm but often no discernible pitch.
  • pavane [French] Stately Renaissance court dance in duple meter.
  • larynx The upper part of the trachea in the human throat. It is the mechanism that varies the tone of the voice.