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

  • bass The lowest part in a musical composition.
  • andante [Italian] Literally, “going”. A moderate tempo marking, usually around 76–108 BPM.
  • flamenco [Spanish] A genre of dance and music characterized by its use of modes, its unusual rhythm patterns and its use of guitar accompaniment.
  • strain A division of a composition between two double bars. It can also be referred to as a section. A strain will typically contain a primary or secondary melody of the larger composition that is often repeated.
  • religioso [Italian] Religious, devout.
  • fourth An interval of four diatonic scale tones, counting the first and last tone.
  • thirty-second note A note having the time duration of one thirty-second of a whole note.
  • march A military piece characterized by strongly accented duple meter and clear sectional structures.
  • reggae Jamaican popular music style characterized by offbeat rhythms and chanted vocals over a strong bass part.
  • phrasing The clear rendering in musical performance of the phrases of a melody.
  • 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”.
  • Tafelmusik [German] Literally, “table music”. Music that is performed at feasts and banquets.
  • duple meter A rhythmic pattern with the the number of beats per measure being divisible by two.
  • pas de deux [French] An established item in ballet consisting of a dance performed by two dancers.
  • incalzando [Italian] In a pressing or chasing manner.