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

  • operetta [Italian] A less serious form of opera made up of spoken dialog, songs and dances.
  • recapitulation In sonata-allegro form, the final presentation of the original theme group, first presented in the exposition.
  • Zungenstoss [German] Tongue thrust.
  • tardamente [Italian] Slowly.
  • radical bass An bass line produced by linking the fundamentals of the chords in a progression.
  • virtuoso [Italian] Performer of extraordinary technical ability.
  • faburden A 15th-century English technique of improvising two parts around the main melody of a cantus firmus. The first part would be sung a third below the melody, except for a few notes that would be a fifth below; the second part would be sung a fourth above the main melody.
  • ripresa [Italian] A refrain or repeat.
  • deux [French] “Two”.
  • sextet A piece for six singers or instrumentalists. Also, a group of such musicians.
  • con passione [Italian] “With passion”.
  • espressione [Italian] “Expression”.
  • sono [Italian] Sound.
  • gig A term commonly applied to a musical engagement of one night's duration only.
  • off-beat A rhythm that emphasizes the weak beats of a bar.