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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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

  • minuet A 17th-century court dance in moderate triple meter, originating in France.
  • augmentation Statement of a melody in longer note values, often twice as slow as the original.
  • passamezzo [Italian] A 16th and 17th century Italian dance similar to or identical to the pavane.
  • mixolydian The Gregorian mode based upon the fifth tone of the scale. This mode, based on G, includes all the tones of the C major scale.
  • refrain [French] A verse which repeats throughout a song or poem at given intervals.
  • grand staff A combination of two staves with a brace, usually used for piano music.
  • canto [Italian] Literally, “singing”. The highest vocal part in choral music.
  • religioso [Italian] Religious, devout.
  • alt [German] Term used to indicate the tones of the first octave above the treble staff (G5 to F6), which are said to be “in alt”.
  • carol A festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with church worship, and often with a dance-like or popular character.
  • root The fundamental note of a chord.
  • open fifth A chord comprised of the tonic and the fifth, with no third present.
  • cantus firmus [Latin] “Fixed melody”, usually of very long notes, often based on a fragment of Gregorian chant that served as the structural basis for a polyphonic composition, particularly in the Renaissance.
  • fipple The block, typically of wood, that forms the floor of the windway of an edge-blown aerophone.
  • bagatelle [French] A short piece of music, typically for the piano, and usually of a light, mellow character. The term literally means a “trifle”, as a reference to the innocent character of the piece.