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

  • altissimo [German] Term used to indicate the tones of the second octave above the treble staff (G6 to F7), which are said to be “in altissimo”.
  • 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.
  • anthem A choral setting of an English religious text similar to a motet, usually used in church with or without organ accompaniment.
  • comp Jazz term used to describe the accompaniment backing up a soloist.
  • ledger line Short, horizontal line added to the top or the bottom of a staff for the reception of a note too high or too low to be represented on the staff.
  • assai [Italian] Much, very much.
  • suite [French] A work made up of a series of contrasting dance movements, generally all in the same key.
  • register A division of the range of an instrument or singing voice. Usually registers are defined by a change in the quality of the sound between a lower range and a higher range.
  • impetuoso [Italian] Impetuous, vehement.
  • open-hole A flute finger key with a perforated center, allowing the use of techniques such as pitch bending or glissando.
  • incidental music Music written to accompany dramatic works.
  • breath mark Indication of where to breathe in vocal and wind instrument parts. It may look like a large comma or apostrophe or like a tick/checkmark (✓), and is always written above the staff.
  • affannato [Italian] Anguished.
  • mordent An ornament indicating that a note is to be played in a single rapid alternation with the note above or below.
  • Longo numbers A numbering system identifying keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti.