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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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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Some random terms

  • sin' al fine [Italian] Literally, “to the end”. Usually attached to another directive, implying that whatever the other directive stated should be carried out to the end of the composition.
  • religioso [Italian] Religious, devout.
  • rapidamente [Italian] Rapidly.
  • mestizia [Italian] Sadness.
  • leading note The major seventh of a scale, so called because it lies a semitone below the tonic and “leads” towards it.
  • simple meter A meter in which the main beats are subdivided into twos, such as 2/4 or 3/4.
  • krakoviak A syncopated Polish dance in 2/4 time.
  • divertissment [French] A light, entertaining dance and music combination related to the divertimento.
  • bar Each of the lines drawn perpendicularly across the staff to divide it into measures. In common usage the term may also mean measure.
  • ut [Latin] The syllable first associated with the tonic of the key, now replaced by the syllable "Do" but still used in France. In the fixed Do system, this is always C.
  • simple interval An interval covering a single octave or less.
  • Motown A style of music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the late 1960s.
  • stinger A chord at the end of a march that is used to punctuate the ending of the composition. The stinger is typically played by the entire ensemble on the last beat of the last measure of the composition and contains an accent.
  • florid Rich, embellished.
  • moto [Italian] Motion, movement.