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

Hint: Don't worry about accents over letters, just skip them.

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…

You may browse the glossary alphabetically, or directly search for a term by using the search box above.

If you are looking for a symbol, check out our Guide to Musical Symbols.

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

  • dump A slow, melancholic old English dance, usually in 4/4 time.
  • ritmico [Italian] Literally, “rhythmic”. A directive to strictly conform to the written rhythm, emphasizing it.
  • tonic The note upon which a scale or key is based.
  • virtuoso [Italian] Performer of extraordinary technical ability.
  • martellato [Italian] Literally, “hammered”. Strongly marked.
  • leise [German] Quiet.
  • scat singing A vocal jazz style that consists of improvised nonsense syllables sung to an an improvised melody, usually over an instrumental accompaniment.
  • serein [French] Serene, calm.
  • larghetto [Italian] A tempo not quite as slow as largo, usually around 60–66 BPM.
  • secular Nonreligious.
  • response Short choral answer to a solo verse; an element of liturgical dialogue.
  • Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis [German] The numbering system identifying compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach.
  • alla breve [Italian] A time marking indicating a quick duple meter, with the half note rather than the quarter note getting the beat (2/2 rather than 4/4).
  • quadrille [French] An early 19th century ballroom dance for four or more couples.
  • arioso [Italian] A short, melodious composition in the style of an aria.