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

  • mezzo [Italian] Half, medium.
  • soprano [Italian] The highest female voice.
  • marziale [Italian] Martial, with a military feeling.
  • double exposition In a concerto, a twofold statement of the theme, once by the orchestra and once by the soloist.
  • crescendo [Italian] A directive to smoothly increase the volume.
  • immer [German] Ever, always.
  • pensoso [Italian] Thoughtful, pensive.
  • più [Italian] “More”.
  • son [French] Sound.
  • sextuple meter Compound metrical pattern that consists of six beats to every measure.
  • quadrille [French] An early 19th century ballroom dance for four or more couples.
  • sgarbato [Italian] Rude, unkind, impolite.
  • invention Mostly in reference to baroque music, a short, contrapuntal composition, usually implying an originality of idea.
  • galop [French] A lively ballroom dance, generally in 2/4 time.
  • rhythm and blues An American music style popular between the 1940s and 1960s. Generally played by a lead vocalist or instrumentalist, a rhythm section, and an ensemble of voices, wind instruments, or guitar. Most R&B is vocal, in quadruple time, and in a major key, but characterized by blue notes.