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

  • walking bass In baroque music, a bass line that moves steadily in a rhythm contrasting to that of the upper parts.
  • 15mb [Italian] A directive to perform two octaves lower than written.
  • prestissimo [Italian] Extremely fast tempo marking, usually around 200 BPM.
  • farce A comedy which aims to entertain the audience by means of extravagant and improbable situations.
  • innocentemente Innocently.
  • beruhigend [German] Relaxing, melodious.
  • recitativo secco [Italian] Recitative accompanied only by continuo.
  • fourth An interval of four diatonic scale tones, counting the first and last tone.
  • rastrum [Latin] A pen that has five points (nibs), for use in notating staff lines.
  • embouchure [French] The placement of the lips, lower facial muscles and jaws in playing a wind instrument.
  • krakoviak A syncopated Polish dance in 2/4 time.
  • popular music Music of the common people.
  • villanella [Italian] A Renaissance polyphonic vocal form, usually with a simple tune in the top voice, and somewhat homophonic, regular rhythms in the lower voices.
  • donna [Italian] Literally, “woman”, or “lady”. In opera, each of the principal female singers.
  • allegretto [Italian] A rather fast tempo marking between allegro and moderato, usually around 100–120 BPM.