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

  • dampen A directive to muffle, deaden or restrain the tone of an instrument.
  • triste [Italian] Sad.
  • planctus [Latin] Medieval style of song and poetry of a lamenting character.
  • expression The blend of feeling and intellect brought to a performance by the performer.
  • deux [French] “Two”.
  • martial music Music with a military feeling.
  • hymn Song in praise of God; often involves congregational participation.
  • trio [Italian] A composition for three performers.
  • pensoso [Italian] Thoughtful, pensive.
  • rasch [German] Rapid, swift.
  • Motown A style of music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the late 1960s.
  • doppel [German] “Double”.
  • precisamente [Italian] Precisely, exactly.
  • disco Commercial dance music popular in the 1970s, characterized by strong percussion in a quadruple meter.
  • calma [Italian] Calm.