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

  • chord A set of three or more (according to certain definitions, even two) different notes that sound simultaneously.
  • choro [Portuguese] Literally, “cry”, or “lament”. Brazilian popular music instrumental style, born in 19th-century Rio de Janeiro. In spite of the name, the style has often a fast and happy rhythm, characterized by the improvisations of the musician.
  • con fuoco [Italian] Literally, “with fire”. A directive to play with vehement energy or fervid emotion.
  • baroque The music of the period circa 1600–1750, directly following the Renaissance and preceding the Classical era. Its style is characterized by rich ornamentation.
  • ballata [Italian] A type of fourteenth-century italian secular song, similar to the French virelai.
  • mezzo forte [Italian] Moderately loud. Not quite so loud as forte.
  • libretto [Italian] A “little book” that contains the complete text of an opera, oratorio, and so forth.
  • immer [German] Ever, always.
  • di molto [Italian] “By much”.
  • phrasing The clear rendering in musical performance of the phrases of a melody.
  • mutig [German] Courageous, spirited.
  • pivot [French] A chord that is placed in a transition between two keys, serving a different function in each key and providing smooth movement between them.
  • eilen [German] To hasten, to accelerate.
  • ancora [Italian] “Still”, as in “still more slowly”.
  • Ryom Verzeichnis [German] A numbering system identifying compositions by Antonio Vivaldi.