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

  • subject The melody upon which a fugue is based; a melody, motive, or theme. The theme or melody upon which any composition is based.
  • walking bass In baroque music, a bass line that moves steadily in a rhythm contrasting to that of the upper parts.
  • prima volta [Italian] “First time”; may refer to the first ending of a repetition.
  • heptatonic scale Any scale of seven tones.
  • più [Italian] “More”.
  • common chord A chord that appears in more than one key. Frequently used in modulation.
  • flebile [Italian] “Plaintive”.
  • binary form Two-part structure of music; usually each part is repeated.
  • tasto solo [Italian] Literally, “key only”. A directive indicating that a note is to be performed without harmony, especially used in compositions that use continuo.
  • sanft [German] Soft, mild, smooth.
  • backfall A descending appoggiatura.
  • tone A sound of definite pitch and duration, as distinct from noise. Tone is a primary building material of music.
  • chest voice The lowest register of the voice.
  • dolcissimo [Italian] Very sweet, very soft.
  • sospirando [Italian] Sighing.