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

  • tombeau [French] Literally, “grave”. An instrumental funeral composition or a composition which commemorates the death of someone.
  • opera A drama set to music, usually sung throughout, originating in 17th-century Italy.
  • countertenor A male voice of unusually high range, generally achieved through falsetto. The countertenor has the range of either the female alto or soprano.
  • envoi [French] A short final stanza of a ballade which serves as a summary or dedication.
  • pensoso [Italian] Thoughtful, pensive.
  • canzona [Italian] A 16th-century multipart vocal setting of a literary canzone, or a 16th- and 17th-century instrumental composition.
  • segno [Italian] A sign in a composition that indicates where a repetition starts.
  • accompagnato [Italian] Accompanied.
  • bene [Italian] “Well” or “good”.
  • dolce [Italian] Sweet, soft, with tender emotion.
  • trill Ornament consisting of the rapid alternation between one tone and the next above it.
  • feierlich [German] Solemn.
  • lentissimo [Italian] Very slow.
  • inconsolato [Italian] Disconsolate, mournful.
  • festivo [Italian] Merry, festive.