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

  • dur [French] Literally, “hard”. With a harsh or ungraceful tone.
  • patetico [Italian] “Pathetic”, with great emotion.
  • whole tone scale A scale built entirely of whole tone intervals. Used commonly by the French impressionists.
  • technique The mechanical aspect of performing a composition.
  • brioso [Italian] Vivacious, spirited, lively.
  • Kirkpatrick numbers The numbering system identifying compositions by Domenico Scarlatti.
  • 8vb [Italian] A directive to perform an octave lower than written.
  • allegrissimo [Italian] A fast tempo marking, faster than allegro.
  • string quartet An ensemble consisting of two violins, viola, and cello, or a work composed for such an ensemble.
  • mambo [Spanish] Dance of Afro-Cuban origin with a characteristic quadruple-meter rhythmic pattern.
  • canzone [Italian] Literally, “song”. An Italian or Provençal song or ballad. It is also used to describe a type of lyric which resembles a madrigal. Sometimes a composition which is simple and songlike is designated as a canzone, especially if it is by a non-Italian.
  • custos [Latin] (Plural: custodes.) A symbol that appears at the end of a staff line with a single voice). It anticipates the first note of the following line and thus helps the player or singer to manage line breaks during performance. Custodes were frequently used until the 16th century.
  • tempestoso [Italian] Stormy.
  • gallant style A clear, elegant, uncomplicated style that arose in contrast to the more complex style of Baroque counterpoint.
  • perdendo [Italian] Losing volume.