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

  • immer [German] Ever, always.
  • scat singing A vocal jazz style that consists of improvised nonsense syllables sung to an an improvised melody, usually over an instrumental accompaniment.
  • sono [Italian] Sound.
  • duple meter A rhythmic pattern with the the number of beats per measure being divisible by two.
  • mezza voce [Italian] Literally, “half voice”. A directive to perform in a quiet or restrained manner.
  • un pochettino [Italian] A little bit.
  • buffo [Italian] Comic, humorous.
  • blue note In blues or jazz, a note that for expressive purposes is sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than usual.
  • sheet music A generic term to mean any piece of paper with the notation of a composition printed on on it.
  • tyrolienne [French] A dance form in quick triple meter.
  • bis [Latin] Literally, “twice”. A directive to repeat a passage.
  • geistvoll [German] Spirited, brilliant; with great sound.
  • drone A harmonic or monophonic effect or accompaniment where a note or chord is continuously sounded throughout much or all of a piece, sustained or repeated.
  • irato [Italian] Irate, angry.
  • 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.