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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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We are currently providing explanations for 2404 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

  • timoroso [Italian] Timorous, fearful; with hesitation.
  • part In instrumental or choral music, the music for a single instrument or voice.
  • à la [French] In the manner of.
  • break In the flute or other wind instrument, the place between the lower register of the instrument and the higher. For example, the break on the flute is between C-sharp and D.
  • beat A throbbing that is heard when two tones are slightly out of tune.
  • negligente [Italian] “Negligent”, unrestrained.
  • smaniato [Italian] Furious, vehement.
  • diatonic scale A seven note musical scale, consisting of five whole steps and two half steps.
  • operetta [Italian] A less serious form of opera made up of spoken dialog, songs and dances.
  • spinto [Italian] A term describing a lyric voice, usually that of a soprano or tenor, that can also achieve powerful, dramatic effects. Also, a part written for a voice of such character.
  • allant [French] Going on, lively.
  • Ryom Verzeichnis [German] A numbering system identifying compositions by Antonio Vivaldi.
  • family A grouping of instruments which produce sound in the same manner and are constructed in the same way but in different sizes, such as the flute family, the clarinet family, the violin family and so on.
  • pas trop [French] “Not too much”.
  • scat singing A vocal jazz style that consists of improvised nonsense syllables sung to an an improvised melody, usually over an instrumental accompaniment.