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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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

  • mit [German] “With”.
  • string quintet Standard chamber ensemble made up of either two violins, two violas and cello, or two violins, viola and two cellos.
  • répertoire [French] A list of compositions that an individual or ensemble is prepared to perform or that are available for performance.
  • Noël [French] Christmas.
  • ronde [French] Lively Renaissance round dance or country dance associated with the outdoors, in which the participants danced in a circle or a line.
  • modo [Italian] Way, manner.
  • treble The highest part of a polyphonic composition.
  • villanelle [French] A French term used in the 16th century for pastoral poems or songs. The term was later revived, and applied to compositions by later composers.
  • savamment [French] Skilfully, expertly; with knowledge and experience.
  • passacaglia [Italian] Baroque form in moderately slow triple meter, based on a short, repeated base-line melody that serves as the basis for continuous variation in the other voices.
  • motive The briefest intelligible and self-contained fragment of a musical theme or subject.
  • unison Interval between two notes of the same pitch; the simultaneous playing of the same note.
  • 15ma [Italian] A directive to perform two octaves higher than written.
  • national anthem A song, usually an anthem, a fanfare, a march, or a hymn, that is used as a national symbol.
  • sin' al fine [Italian] Literally, “to the end”. Usually attached to another directive, implying that whatever the other directive stated should be carried out to the end of the composition.