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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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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Some random terms

  • tarantella [Italian] A fast Italian dance in 6/8 time, characterized by alternations between major and minor tonalities and a quickening of tempo throughout the composition.
  • progressive rock A subgenre of rock that reached its peak in the early 1970s and attempted to blend the visceral style of rock music with outside influences: classical, jazz, folk, and world musics, for example.
  • à la [French] In the manner of.
  • triste [Italian] Sad.
  • allant [French] Going on, lively.
  • prologue The introduction or preface to a dramatic work. The prologue usually tells the audience the background to the story about to be presented.
  • mariachi [Spanish] Traditional Mexican ensemble popular throughout the country, consisting of trumpets, violins, guitar and bass guitar.
  • gai [French] Gay, merry.
  • bergamasca [Italian] A kind of Renaissance clumsy rustic dance.
  • fundamental The base note upon which a chord is built.
  • zusammen [German] Literally, “together”. A directive to perform a certain passage of music together with other musicians in the section. Typically found after a divisi.
  • lentezza [Italian] “Slowness”.
  • Motown A style of music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the late 1960s.
  • giubiloso [Italian] Jubilant.
  • similar motion In part-writing, similar motion is the situation in which two voices of the composition move in the same direction, either ascending or descending, but they do not necessarily cover the same interval.