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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If you are looking for a symbol, check out our Guide to Musical Symbols.

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

  • Minnelied [German] A love song composed in the Minnesang tradition.
  • dopo [Italian] “After”.
  • bagatelle [French] A short piece of music, typically for the piano, and usually of a light, mellow character. The term literally means a “trifle”, as a reference to the innocent character of the piece.
  • phrygian The mode based upon the third note of the major scale. In the key of C major, phrygian mode would start on the key of E, and include all the notes of the C major scale.
  • transposing instrument Those instruments which are notated in one key on paper, yet sound another key when they are performed.
  • con amore [Italian] “With love”, lovingly.
  • Minnesinger [German] A poet or musician of the Minnesang tradition in Germany, active during the 12th through the 15th centuries.
  • time signature A symbol placed at the left side of the staff indicating the meter of the composition.
  • inquieto [Italian] Restless, uneasy, agitated.
  • brace A symbol that looks like an archer's bow, used to connect two or more different staves that are to be played at the same time by the same instrument (e.g. a piano, a organ or a harp). This should not be confused with the bracket, that provides a visual connection between independent parts of a system.
  • bis [Latin] Literally, “twice”. A directive to repeat a passage.
  • moto [Italian] Motion, movement.
  • sheet music A generic term to mean any piece of paper with the notation of a composition printed on on it.
  • 15mb [Italian] A directive to perform two octaves lower than written.
  • double tonguing A technique used in playing the flute and brass instruments which allows notes to be played in rapid succession. It is achieved by rapidly forming the consonants “T” and “K” in quick succession.