Multilingual Music Glossary

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We are currently providing explanations for 2464 terms from 12 languages, including English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Latin…

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Some random terms

  • 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.
  • pointed arms On a flute, arms connecting the keys to the rods which are pointed and extend to the keys' centers; found on more expensive flutes.
  • beat A throbbing that is heard when two tones are slightly out of tune.
  • treble The highest part of a polyphonic composition.
  • tritone A dissonant interval consisting of three whole steps.
  • divisi [Italian] Literally, “divided”. A directive in ensemble music that instructs one section to divide into two or more separate sections, each playing a separate part. Often these separate parts are written on the same staff.
  • melodic minor scale A minor scale where the sixth and seventh tones are raised by a semitone when the scale is ascending. When the scale is descending, the melodic minor scale is the same as the natural minor scale.
  • just intonation Tuning system in which the notes are obtained by adding and subtracting natural fifths and thirds.
  • comodamente [Italian] Comfortably.
  • lentamente [Italian] Slowly.
  • comic opera A sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.
  • triste [Italian] Sad.
  • instrumentation The particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition.
  • bel canto [Italian] Literally “beautiful singing”. Elegant Italian vocal style, characterized by florid melodic lines and delivered by voices of great agility, smoothness and purity of tone.
  • lip plate The part of a flute which contacts the player's lower lip, allowing precise positioning and direction of the air stream.