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

  • parlando [Italian] “Speaking”.
  • con fuoco [Italian] Literally, “with fire”. A directive to play with vehement energy or fervid emotion.
  • prima volta [Italian] “First time”; may refer to the first ending of a repetition.
  • fresco [Italian] “Fresh”, vigorous, lively.
  • ruggiero [Italian] A musical scheme which is at times harmonic and at times melodic. It is seen in 16th and 17th century music, for both vocal and instrumental pieces and improvisations.
  • open fifth A chord comprised of the tonic and the fifth, with no third present.
  • tombeau [French] Literally, “grave”. An instrumental funeral composition or a composition which commemorates the death of someone.
  • scena [Italian] A term used to describe the stage, scene or act of an opera. Also, a term for a set of vocal movements in a theatrical production, usually including a recitative, arioso, and aria.
  • tenerezza [Italian] Tenderness.
  • Trommelbass [German] Literally, “drum-bass”. A bass line that contains steady, constant, repeated notes.
  • con tenerezza [Italian] “With tenderness”.
  • strophic form Song structure in which every stanza of the text is sung to the same musical tune.
  • relative pitch The ability to identify any pitch in reference to a given pitch.
  • accompagnato [Italian] Accompanied.
  • quadruple counterpoint Counterpoint in four parts.