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

  • ionian In the system of modes, the ionian mode is the one based on C; therefore, it is the modern major scale.
  • triste [Italian] Sad.
  • ritardando [Italian] Gradually delaying the tempo.
  • pasticcio [Italian] A composition assembled from passages taken from numerous other sources by various composers.
  • downbeat The first beat of a measure, the strongest in any meter.
  • resonator Term referring to those parts of instruments which resonate or vibrate, thus enhancing the sound of the instrument.
  • al segno [Italian] A directive to return to the sign.
  • über [German] “Above”, “over”.
  • big band A type of musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late 1940s. A big band typically consists of approximately 12 to 25 musicians and contains saxophones, trumpets, trombones and a rhythm section.
  • refrain [French] A verse which repeats throughout a song or poem at given intervals.
  • fresco [Italian] “Fresh”, vigorous, lively.
  • music Broadly speaking, sounds organized to express a wide variety of human emotions.
  • gig A term commonly applied to a musical engagement of one night's duration only.
  • etwas [German] “Somewhat”.
  • cantando [Italian] Singing.