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

  • partita [Italian] In the 18th and 19th century, a multi-movement composition consisting of dances and non-dance movements or entirely of non-dance movements.
  • adirato [Italian] Angry, wrathful.
  • interpretation The manner in which a performer carries out a composer's performance directions.
  • cover Recording that remakes an earlier, often successful, recording.
  • bepop Complex jazz style developed in the 1940s.
  • da capo [Italian] Literally, “from the beginning”. A directive to go back to the beginning of the composition.
  • program music Music intended to evoke extra-musical ideas, images in the mind of the listener by musically representing a scene, image or mood. By contrast, absolute music stands for itself and is intended to be appreciated without any particular reference to the outside world.
  • scat singing A vocal jazz style that consists of improvised nonsense syllables sung to an an improvised melody, usually over an instrumental accompaniment.
  • Gregorian chant Monophonic melody with a freely flowing, unmeasured vocal line; liturgical chant of the Roman Catholic Church.
  • con semplicità [Italian] “With simplicity”.
  • Cecilia [Italian] Saint honored as the patroness of music.
  • grandioso [Italian] Majestic, grand, noble.
  • ancora [Italian] “Again”.
  • leap Any movement from one note to another through means of an interval that is greater than a second.
  • movement Complete, self-contained part within a larger musical work.