Multilingual Music Glossary

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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

  • flageolet [French] A simple recorder with four finger holes, popular in the 17th century in England.
  • bis [Latin] Literally, “twice”. A directive to repeat a passage.
  • anacrusis One or more unstressed notes preceding the first downbeat in a bar.
  • one hundred and twenty-eighth note A note having the time duration of one hundred twenty-eighth of the time duration of a whole note.
  • doucement [French] Softly.
  • prima volta [Italian] “First time”; may refer to the first ending of a repetition.
  • coloratura soprano [Italian] A type of operatic soprano who specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs and leaps.
  • beat A throbbing that is heard when two tones are slightly out of tune.
  • prima donna [Italian] Literally, “first lady”. Term used in opera for the principal female singer of the opera or of the opera company.
  • section A group of identical or similar instruments in an ensemble.
  • quodlibet [Latin] A humorous composition that contains snatches of popular melodies and texts presented concurrently or consecutively.
  • sight-reading The practice of playing or singing a composition at sight, without previous preparation.
  • hemiola In modern musical parlance, a metrical pattern in which two bars in simple triple time are articulated as if they were three bars in simple duple time.
  • triplet Three notes of equal length that are to be performed in the duration of two notes of equal length.
  • meno [Italian] “Less”.