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

  • estampie [French] A type of early instrumental music of the 13th and 14th centuries, consisting of independent sections strung together.
  • canzone [Italian] Literally, “song”. An Italian or Provençal song or ballad. It is also used to describe a type of lyric which resembles a madrigal. Sometimes a composition which is simple and songlike is designated as a canzone, especially if it is by a non-Italian.
  • tierce de Picardie [French] A practice from the baroque era of ending a composition with a major chord, when the rest of the composition is in a minor key, thus giving the composition a sense of finality.
  • wind ensemble An instrumental ensemble consisting of woodwind, brass and percussion instruments.
  • martial music Music with a military feeling.
  • stanchezza [Italian] Weariness.
  • tardamente [Italian] Slowly.
  • bolero [Spanish] A moderately slow Spanish dance in 3/4 time.
  • mainstream Music which is currently popular and in demand.
  • al niente [Italian] Literally, “to nothing”. Fade to silence.
  • quadruple meter Metrical pattern with four beats to a measure.
  • passamezzo [Italian] A 16th and 17th century Italian dance similar to or identical to the pavane.
  • ritardando [Italian] Gradually delaying the tempo.
  • ma [Italian] “But”.
  • reel Moderately quick dance in duple meter danced throughout the British Isles; the most popular Irish traditional dance type.