Multilingual Music Glossary

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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

  • measure The smallest metrical divisions of a composition, containing a fixed number of beats, the first of which bears an accent.
  • spiritoso [Italian] Spirited, lively.
  • aubade [French] A song or instrumental composition concerning, accompanying, or evoking daybreak.
  • diminuendo [Italian] A directive to smoothly decrease the volume.
  • inversion The position of a chord when the fundamental is not the lowest note. Also, the inversion of the order of the notes of an interval, obtained by raising or lowering either of the notes the necessary number of octaves.
  • double exposition In a concerto, a twofold statement of the theme, once by the orchestra and once by the soloist.
  • mezzo-soprano [Italian] The female voice between soprano and contralto.
  • rallentando [Italian] Slowing down.
  • opera A drama set to music, usually sung throughout, originating in 17th-century Italy.
  • hopak A folk Ukrainian dance, introduced to the orchestra by such composers as Mussorgsky and Tchaikovsky.
  • instrument Any device used to create music.
  • coda [Italian] Literally, “tail”. The last part of a piece, usually added to a standard form to bring it to a close.
  • estinto [Italian] Literally, “extinguished”. A directive to perform as soft as possible.
  • lyric opera Hybrid form combining elements of grand opera and opéra comique and featuring appealing melodies and romantic drama.
  • larynx The upper part of the trachea in the human throat. It is the mechanism that varies the tone of the voice.