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…

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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

  • con forza [Italian] “With force”, vigorously.
  • serein [French] Serene, calm.
  • Manualiter [German] Organ compositions that are to be performed on the manual alone, i.e. without the pedals.
  • pitch Highness or lowness of a tone, depending on the frequency (rate of vibration).
  • soli [Italian] “Alone” (plural form). A directive to perform with an entire section of an ensemble.
  • metronome Device used to indicate the tempo by sounding regular beats at adjustable speeds.
  • fanfare A short, lively, loud, militaristic composition, usually composed for brass instruments and percussions.
  • tango [Spanish] A dance in 2/4 time from Argentina.
  • modulation Moving from one key to another.
  • gai [French] Gay, merry.
  • gig A term commonly applied to a musical engagement of one night's duration only.
  • recitativo accompagnato [Italian] Recitative accompanied by the entire orchestra.
  • mediant The third note of a diatonic scale.
  • facile [Italian] “Easy”.
  • locrian A mode based upon the seventh tone of the major scale.