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

  • motet Polyphonic vocal genre, secular in the Middle Ages but sacred or devotional thereafter.
  • pavane [French] Stately Renaissance court dance in duple meter.
  • triplet Three notes of equal length that are to be performed in the duration of two notes of equal length.
  • eclogue A rustic poem usually having to do with shepherds, springtime and love. In Romantic piano music, a light, lyrical, uncomplicated composition.
  • plus [French] “More”.
  • caesura [Latin] Break or interruption in music, with complete cessation of musical time. It is notated by two diagonal lines across the top line of a staff.
  • opera seria [Italian] Italian opera of the 18th and 19th centuries that was either heroic or tragic.
  • lusingando [Italian] Caressing, flattering.
  • Noël [French] Christmas.
  • chamber music Ensemble music for two to about ten players, with one player to a part and usually without a conductor, intended for performance in a room or chamber as opposed to a church or larger building.
  • Longo numbers A numbering system identifying keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti.
  • quadruple counterpoint Counterpoint in four parts.
  • art song A vocal music composition, usually written for one singer with piano or orchestral accompaniment.
  • ballad In jazz and popular music, a short song in a slow tempo, usually with a romantic or sentimental text.
  • espressivo [Italian] “Expressive”.