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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Some random terms

  • double flat An accidental sign consisting of two flat symbols, that lowers a note by two semitones.
  • canon Strict imitation, in which one voice imitates another at a staggered time interval.
  • mormorando [Italian] Murmuring.
  • punk rock Subgenre of rock popular since the mid 1970s, characterized by loud volume levels, driving rhythms and simple forms typical of earlier rock and roll; often contains shocking lyrics and offensive behavior.
  • canzona [Italian] A 16th-century multipart vocal setting of a literary canzone, or a 16th- and 17th-century instrumental composition.
  • diabolus in musica [Latin] Literally, “the devil in music”. A medieval name for the tritone.
  • quarter note A note having the time duration of one fourth of a whole note.
  • medley A piece of music that is composed of melodies of other compositons strung together.
  • breath mark Indication of where to breathe in vocal and wind instrument parts. It may look like a large comma or apostrophe or like a tick/checkmark (✓), and is always written above the staff.
  • grunge rock Contemporary Seattle-based rock style characterized by harsh guitar chords; hybrid of punk rock and heavy metal.
  • fluttertonguing Wind instrument technique in which the tongue is fluttered or trilled against the roof of the mouth.
  • score The complete musical notation of a composition, especially for an ensemble, where the individual parts are lined up vertically.
  • nicht [German] “Not“.
  • episode Interlude or intermediate section in the baroque fugue, which serves as an area of relaxation between statements of the subject.
  • additive meter A pattern of beats that subdivide into smaller, irregular groups. It is common in Eastern European musics, and contemporary compositions attempting to emulate such a sound. For example, a time signature like 9/8, which is normally subdivided as 3+3+3, may be subdivided by the composer as 2+3+2+2 for musical effect.