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

  • villanella [Italian] A Renaissance polyphonic vocal form, usually with a simple tune in the top voice, and somewhat homophonic, regular rhythms in the lower voices.
  • di molto [Italian] “By much”.
  • andante [Italian] Literally, “going”. A moderate tempo marking, usually around 76–108 BPM.
  • affabilità [Italian] Literally, “affability”. A directive to perform with ease and elegance, in a pleasing and agreeable manner.
  • minimalist music Contemporary musical style featuring the repetition of short melodic, rhythmic and harmonic patterns with little variation.
  • quadruple meter Metrical pattern with four beats to a measure.
  • ancora [Italian] “Again”.
  • downbeat The first beat of a measure, the strongest in any meter.
  • attacca [Italian] A musical directive for the performer to begin the next section of a composition immediately and without pause.
  • allegro [Italian] Literally, “cheerful”. A quick tempo marking, usually around 120–168 BPM.
  • fipple The block, typically of wood, that forms the floor of the windway of an edge-blown aerophone.
  • trio [Italian] A composition for three performers.
  • grandioso [Italian] Majestic, grand, noble.
  • anacrusis One or more unstressed notes preceding the first downbeat in a bar.
  • gai [French] Gay, merry.