Multilingual Music Glossary
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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
- prima volta
![[Italian]](https://www.flutetunes.com/img/languages/it.png "Italian")
“First time”; may refer to the first ending of a repetition. - fragmentation The technique of developing a theme by dividing it into smaller units; most common in the music of the Viennese Classicists.
- variation An altered version of a rhythm, motive, or theme.
- a cappella Choral or vocal music performed without instrumental accompaniment.
- diminuendo A directive to smoothly decrease the volume.
- Leben
![[German]](https://www.flutetunes.com/img/languages/de.png "German")
Life, vivacity. - lieblich Charming, lovely.
- ancora “Still”, as in “still more slowly”.
- decay The time that it takes for a note to die away once the musician has stopped producing the sound.
- reduction A simplified arrangement of a composition.
- invention Mostly in reference to baroque music, a short, contrapuntal composition, usually implying an originality of idea.
- melisma (Plural: melismata.) A group of notes sung melodically to a single syllable.
- non-harmonic note In part writing, a note that is dissonant with other notes in the same chord.
- paraphrase In the Renaissance, a melody borrowed from another source (usually chant) and then elaborated freely. In the 19th century, a virtuoso composition using popular melodies, usually from operas, in an elaborated manner.
- piano Softly, quietly.