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 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

  • mambo [Spanish] Dance of Afro-Cuban origin with a characteristic quadruple-meter rhythmic pattern.
  • phrasing The clear rendering in musical performance of the phrases of a melody.
  • con forza [Italian] “With force”, vigorously.
  • pianississimo [Italian] Extremely soft, softer than pianissimo.
  • heavy metal Rock style that gained popularity in the 1970s, characterized by simple, repetitive ideas and loud, distorted instrumental solos.
  • grosso [Italian] Large, great, grand.
  • Anlaufen [German] To open, to increase in volume.
  • mediant The third note of a diatonic scale.
  • soli [Italian] “Alone” (plural form). A directive to perform with an entire section of an ensemble.
  • sgarbato [Italian] Rude, unkind, impolite.
  • nicht [German] “Not“.
  • scherzando [Italian] Literally, “joking”. A directive to perform in a lively, playful, animated manner.
  • buffo [Italian] Comic, humorous.
  • allegrezza [Italian] Cheerfulness, happiness, joyfulness.
  • MIDI Acronym for “Musical Instrument Digital Interface”; technology standard that allows networking of computers with electronic musical instruments.