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

  • dotted note A note that has a dot placed to the right of the notehead, indicating that the duration of the note should be increased by half again its original duration.
  • semitone The interval of a minor second.
  • cover Recording that remakes an earlier, often successful, recording.
  • gallant style A clear, elegant, uncomplicated style that arose in contrast to the more complex style of Baroque counterpoint.
  • vocalise [French] A vocal exercise that is sung without words, typically using different vowel sounds.
  • villancico [Spanish] A 15th and 16th century form of Spanish poetry that was often set to music.
  • flute A woodwind instrument that is held horizontally and sounded by blowing across the mouthpiece of the instrument.
  • coloratura soprano [Italian] A type of operatic soprano who specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs and leaps.
  • Motown A style of music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the late 1960s.
  • heavy metal Rock style that gained popularity in the 1970s, characterized by simple, repetitive ideas and loud, distorted instrumental solos.
  • Gregorian chant Monophonic melody with a freely flowing, unmeasured vocal line; liturgical chant of the Roman Catholic Church.
  • opera A drama set to music, usually sung throughout, originating in 17th-century Italy.
  • paraphrase In the Renaissance, a melody borrowed from another source (usually chant) and then elaborated freely. In the 19th century, a virtuoso composition using popular melodies, usually from operas, in an elaborated manner.
  • Manualiter [German] Organ compositions that are to be performed on the manual alone, i.e. without the pedals.
  • claque [French] A group of people employed to stimulate applause and other expressions on the part of the audience.