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 2481 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

  • sforzando [Italian] Literally, “forcing”. Dynamic marking indicating a strong, sudden accent.
  • seconda volta [Italian] “Second time”; may refer to the second ending of a repetition.
  • perfect Term applied to the intervals of a unison, octave, fourth, and fifth when they are exactly in tune and not augmented nor diminished.
  • disco Commercial dance music popular in the 1970s, characterized by strong percussion in a quadruple meter.
  • doppel [German] “Double”.
  • close The ending of a composition or passage.
  • ternary form A three-part musical structure (ABA) based on statement (A), contrast (B) and repetition (A).
  • coda [Italian] Literally, “tail”. The last part of a piece, usually added to a standard form to bring it to a close.
  • 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.
  • pensoso [Italian] Thoughtful, pensive.
  • buffo [Italian] Comic, humorous.
  • rapidamente [Italian] Rapidly.
  • opéra comique [French] French comic opera that is not necessarily sung throughout.
  • inflection Small alteration of the pitch by a microtonal interval.
  • double flat An accidental sign consisting of two flat symbols, that lowers a note by two semitones.