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

  • forefall An ascending appoggiatura.
  • cori spezzati [Italian] Literally, “broken choirs”. A style of performance with groups of singers placed in different locations of a building.
  • Manualiter [German] Organ compositions that are to be performed on the manual alone, i.e. without the pedals.
  • affannato [Italian] Anguished.
  • parlando [Italian] “Speaking”.
  • crescendo [Italian] A directive to smoothly increase the volume.
  • veloce [Italian] Fast.
  • symphony In the early 18th century, any instrumental prelude, interlude, or postlude. In modern usage, the term is applied to a large composition for orchestra, generally in three or four movements. The symphony may also be defined as a sonata for orchestra.
  • head joint The top section of a flute, with the tone hole where the player initiates the sound by blowing air across the opening.
  • amabile [Italian] Lovable, charming, amiable.
  • quadruplet A group of four notes played in the time usually taken to play six.
  • tristezza [Italian] Sadness.
  • branle [French] Quick French group dance of the Renaissance.
  • Ryom Verzeichnis [German] A numbering system identifying compositions by Antonio Vivaldi.
  • cadenza [Italian] An improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a free rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display.