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

  • swing A style of jazz playing whose flexible, improvised rhythms resist notation.
  • al segno [Italian] A directive to return to the sign.
  • tombeau [French] Literally, “grave”. An instrumental funeral composition or a composition which commemorates the death of someone.
  • moderato [Italian] A moderate tempo, faster than andante but slower than allegretto, usually around 100–120 BPM.
  • duplet A group of two notes played in the time usually taken to play three.
  • bas [French] Low in pitch.
  • tronco [Italian] A directive to perform a certain passage short or “cut off”.
  • gallant style A clear, elegant, uncomplicated style that arose in contrast to the more complex style of Baroque counterpoint.
  • amabile [Italian] Lovable, charming, amiable.
  • branle [French] Quick French group dance of the Renaissance.
  • upbeat The last beat of any measure, usually a weak beat.
  • tie A curved line drawn over or under the heads of two notes of the same pitch indicating that they should be played as a single note.
  • volta [Italian] “Time”, as in “first time” (prima volta) or “second time” (seconda volta).
  • col [Italian] “With the”
  • stretto [Italian] A directive to quicken the tempo.