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

  • prima donna [Italian] Literally, “first lady”. Term used in opera for the principal female singer of the opera or of the opera company.
  • con [Italian] “With”.
  • absolute music Music that is not explicitly “about” anything. In contrast with program music, absolute music has no words and no references to stories or images or any other kind of extra-musical idea.
  • dolcissimo [Italian] Very sweet, very soft.
  • obbligato [Italian] Literally, “obligatory”. Important part of a music that that should not be omitted.
  • refrain [French] A verse which repeats throughout a song or poem at given intervals.
  • simple interval An interval covering a single octave or less.
  • severità [Italian] Strictness, severity.
  • Minnelied [German] A love song composed in the Minnesang tradition.
  • trill Ornament consisting of the rapid alternation between one tone and the next above it.
  • head joint The top section of a flute, with the tone hole where the player initiates the sound by blowing air across the opening.
  • Ausdrucksvoll [German] Expressive.
  • transposition Shifting a melody up or down in pitch, while keeping the same relative pitches.
  • vocal range The range of notes that a singing voice can encompass.
  • moto [Italian] Motion, movement.