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

  • prestissimo [Italian] Extremely fast tempo marking, usually around 200 BPM.
  • ragtime Late nineteenth century piano style created by African-Americans, characterized by highly syncopated melodies.
  • third An interval of three diatonic degrees, counting the first and last degree.
  • slur A curved line drawn over or under a series of notes, indicating that those notes should be played legato.
  • natural A symbol placed by a note signifying that the note should be played unaltered, as opposed to the sharp or flat of the note.
  • espressivo [Italian] “Expressive”.
  • volta [Italian] “Time”, as in “first time” (prima volta) or “second time” (seconda volta).
  • world music A 20th century term used by the music recording industry to categorize non-American music that does not fit into any of the established genres. This music tends to be folk music from outside of the United States of America.
  • phrasing The clear rendering in musical performance of the phrases of a melody.
  • acoustics The science that deals with the study of sound. Also, the art of optimizing sound in a room or other enclosed space, considering reverberation and other acoustical qualities.
  • key On a woodwind instrument, the keys are the metal disks that close or open soundholes by means of levers operated by the performer's fingers.
  • aria [Italian] Lyric song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment, generally expressing intense emotion; found in opera, cantata, and oratorio.
  • rinforzare [Italian] To reinforce.
  • estampie [French] A type of early instrumental music of the 13th and 14th centuries, consisting of independent sections strung together.
  • guerriero [Italian] Martial, warlike.