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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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

  • villancico [Spanish] A 15th and 16th century form of Spanish poetry that was often set to music.
  • Requiem [Latin] A composition to honor the deceased.
  • Stück [German] A piece of music.
  • fugato [Italian] In the style of a fugue.
  • eilig [German] Hurried, hasty, speedy.
  • weniger [German] “Less”.
  • Tzigane [French] Term used for a composition having gypsy influences or flavor.
  • parallel keys Two keys, one major and one minor, having the same tonic.
  • con mala grazia [Italian] Ungracefully, awkwardly.
  • ledger line Short, horizontal line added to the top or the bottom of a staff for the reception of a note too high or too low to be represented on the staff.
  • murky A style of keyboard playing in which the bass consists of quick alternating octaves rather than slower, longer notes.
  • morendo [Italian] Literally, “dying away”. Gradually diminishing in volume and tempo, fading away.
  • downbeat The first beat of a measure, the strongest in any meter.
  • parallel motion In part writing, parallel motion occurs when two voices move keeping exactly the same interval between them.
  • fragmentation The technique of developing a theme by dividing it into smaller units; most common in the music of the Viennese Classicists.