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

  • severità [Italian] Strictness, severity.
  • sequence Restatement of an idea or motive at a different pitch level.
  • Klavier [German] A keyboard instrument; usually, a piano.
  • dodecaphony Ensuring that all 12 notes of the chromatic scale are sounded as often as one another in a piece of music while preventing the emphasis of any.
  • cantabile [Italian] Songful, in a singing style.
  • Longo numbers A numbering system identifying keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti.
  • serialism A method of composition in which various musical elements such as pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and tone color may be put in order according to a fixed series.
  • sentimento [Italian] Feeling, emotion.
  • largo [Italian] A slow and solemn tempo marking, usually around 40–60 BPM.
  • ravvivando [Italian] Animating, brightening up; quickening.
  • Raabe numbers A numbering system identifying compositions by Franz Liszt.
  • vocal cords The vocal organs in the human being which produce sound.
  • amorevole [Italian] Loving, affectionate.
  • eight note A note having the time duration of one eighth of a whole note.
  • leggiero [Italian] Light, delicate.