Multilingual Music Glossary

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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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Some random terms

  • instrumentation The particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition.
  • meantone temperament Temperament yielding acoustically pure thirds by decreasing the natural fifth by 16 cents. Due to the non-circular character of this temperament, only a limited set of keys are playable. Used for tuning keyboard instruments for performance of pre-1650 music.
  • mariachi [Spanish] Traditional Mexican ensemble popular throughout the country, consisting of trumpets, violins, guitar and bass guitar.
  • canción [Spanish] A popular genre of Latin American music, particularly in Cuba, where many of the compositions originate.
  • system The collection of staves, two or more, as used for writing down of keyboard, chamber, choral, or orchestral music.
  • form The structure of a composition, the frame upon which it is constructed.
  • intonation A term referring to the proper production of a tone so that it is exactly in tune.
  • assai [Italian] Much, very much.
  • closed-hole A flute finger key which is fully covered.
  • stabile [Italian] Firm.
  • clef In musical notation, a symbol at the beginning of a staff that determines the pitches of the lines and spaces. The most common clefs are treble, for indicating pitches mostly above middle C, and bass, for indicating pitches mostly below middle C.
  • stanza [Italian] The division of a poem that consists of a series of lines arranged together. This is usually in the form of a recurring pattern of meter and rhyme.
  • contralto [Italian] The lowest female voice.
  • dolcissimo [Italian] Very sweet, very soft.
  • morbidezza [Italian] Softness, tenderness.