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

Hint: Don't worry about accents over letters, just skip them.

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

  • white noise Sounds containing every audible frequency at approximately the same intensity.
  • vivacissimo [Italian] A fast tempo, faster than vivace.
  • orchestra An instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large, with string, brass, woodwind sections, and possibly a percussion section as well.
  • compound meter Meter in which each beat is divisible by three rather than two.
  • spinto [Italian] A term describing a lyric voice, usually that of a soprano or tenor, that can also achieve powerful, dramatic effects. Also, a part written for a voice of such character.
  • Stimmung [German] Mood. Also, tuning.
  • accelerando [Italian] Gradually accelerating or getting faster.
  • brio [Italian] Vivacity, spirit, liveliness.
  • col [Italian] “With the”
  • Opp. [Latin] Plural of Op.
  • segno [Italian] A sign in a composition that indicates where a repetition starts.
  • cantoris [Latin] Literally, “of the cantor”. In Anglican church music, referring to the half of the choir sitting on the cantor's side of the church.
  • signature Key signature or time signature.
  • close The ending of a composition or passage.
  • Leben [German] Life, vivacity.