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

  • foxtrot Ballroom dance popular in the 19th century.
  • scale A series of notes in ascending or descending order that presents the pitches of a key or mode, beginning and ending on the tonic of that key or mode.
  • amaramente [Italian] Bitterly, mournfully, grievingly.
  • false note A muted or dampened note that has rhythm but often no discernible pitch.
  • legato [Italian] Literally, “tied together”. A directive to perform a certain passage in a smooth, connected style. It is usually indicated by a slur over the affected notes.
  • fundamental A base pitch from which a series of harmonics is produced.
  • étude [French] Study piece that focuses on a particular technical problem.
  • tonguing In the performance of wind instruments, the technique of using the tongue to produce certain sounds and effects, and especially the technique in which notes are attacked and articulated.
  • off-beat A rhythm that emphasizes the weak beats of a bar.
  • sentence Term applied to a complete, independent musical idea, usually consisting of two or four phrases, ending with a cadence.
  • con brio [Italian] With vivacity or spirit.
  • doppel [German] “Double”.
  • con slancio [Italian] With energy.
  • demi [French] “Half”.
  • overtone A constituent frequency of a sound other than the fundamental frequency.