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

  • sospirando [Italian] Sighing.
  • embouchure [French] The placement of the lips, lower facial muscles and jaws in playing a wind instrument.
  • dramatic soprano A soprano voice type with a heavier tone color and more power throughout her range.
  • tourney A composition created for a tournament, popular in the 17th century especially in Italy and France. Tourneys were often used in weddings and other festive occasions.
  • flebile [Italian] “Plaintive”.
  • metrical modulation The shifting from one meter to another in the middle of a composition.
  • sin' al fine [Italian] Literally, “to the end”. Usually attached to another directive, implying that whatever the other directive stated should be carried out to the end of the composition.
  • piangendo [Italian] Literally, “crying”. In a tearful, mournful or plaintive manner.
  • uguale [Italian] Equal, the same.
  • etwas [German] “Somewhat”.
  • strascinando [Italian] Dragging.
  • bergamasca [Italian] A kind of Renaissance clumsy rustic dance.
  • concertmaster The term used to address the principal first violinist of an orchestra.
  • calma [Italian] Calm.
  • variation An altered version of a rhythm, motive, or theme.