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…

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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

  • Eingang [German] An introduction, preface or prelude.
  • pitch Highness or lowness of a tone, depending on the frequency (rate of vibration).
  • solo [Italian] A passage that is to be performed by a single performer.
  • laisser vibrer [French] A directive to the performer of a harp, piano, cymbal, or other struck or plucked instrument that the sound should not be damped or stopped after the initial attack, but should be allowed to die away naturally.
  • backfall A descending appoggiatura.
  • schwungvoll [German] Rousing, spirited, energetic.
  • flat An accidental symbol that lowers the pitch of a note by a semitone.
  • larghissimo [Italian] An extremely slow tempo, slower than largo.
  • 15ma [Italian] A directive to perform two octaves higher than written.
  • meter The basic scheme of note values and accents which remains unaltered throughout a composition or a section of it.
  • andantino [Italian] A moderate tempo marking, which can be faster or slower than andante.
  • tie A curved line drawn over or under the heads of two notes of the same pitch indicating that they should be played as a single note.
  • Leben [German] Life, vivacity.
  • 8va [Italian] A directive to perform an octave higher than written.
  • bore The diameter of the tube of a woodwind or brass instrument. The shape of the bore in part dictates the timbre or tone color of the instrument.