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

  • scat singing A vocal jazz style that consists of improvised nonsense syllables sung to an an improvised melody, usually over an instrumental accompaniment.
  • operetta [Italian] A less serious form of opera made up of spoken dialog, songs and dances.
  • recitative A flexible style of vocal delivery employed in opera, oratorio, and cantata and tailored to the accents and rhythms of the text.
  • sonata da chiesa [Italian] A baroque instrumental work intended for performance in a church, generally in four movements, arranged slow, fast, slow, fast.
  • negligente [Italian] “Negligent”, unrestrained.
  • comme ci-dessus [French] “As above”.
  • diatonic scale A seven note musical scale, consisting of five whole steps and two half steps.
  • temperament The division of an octave into twelve equal parts.
  • duet A composition for two performers.
  • lentezza [Italian] “Slowness”.
  • fresco [Italian] “Fresh”, vigorous, lively.
  • giubilo [Italian] Rejoicing, jubilation.
  • Minnesinger [German] A poet or musician of the Minnesang tradition in Germany, active during the 12th through the 15th centuries.
  • xylophone A percussion instrument consisting of a row of chromatically tuned wooden bars, arranged in the manner of a piano keyboard.
  • détaché [French] Not slurred.