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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Some random terms

  • pitch Highness or lowness of a tone, depending on the frequency (rate of vibration).
  • voce piena [Italian] “Full voice”.
  • diabolus in musica [Latin] Literally, “the devil in music”. A medieval name for the tritone.
  • ictus [Latin] The instant when a beat occurs.
  • tertian harmony Term applied to harmony which is based upon the interval of the third.
  • mosso [Italian] Moved, agitated.
  • closed-hole A flute finger key which is fully covered.
  • march A military piece characterized by strongly accented duple meter and clear sectional structures.
  • non-imitative counterpoint A musical texture in which independent voices of different character compete for attention.
  • dodecaphony Ensuring that all 12 notes of the chromatic scale are sounded as often as one another in a piece of music while preventing the emphasis of any.
  • cassation Classical instrumental genre related to the serenade or divertimento, often performed outdoors.
  • accablement [French] Despondency, oppression.
  • Hertz [German] The basic unit of measurement of frequency, definable as one cycle per second. Usually abbreviated “Hz”.
  • spiritual A style of music invented by Afro-American slaves. Spirituals are generally religious songs with elements of African rhythms, Biblical texts, and American accents. Usually the text is concerned with earthly tribulations and heavenly justice and reward.
  • bagatelle [French] A short piece of music, typically for the piano, and usually of a light, mellow character. The term literally means a “trifle”, as a reference to the innocent character of the piece.