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

Hint: Don't worry about accents over letters, just skip them.

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…

You may browse the glossary alphabetically, or directly search for a term by using the search box above.

If you are looking for a symbol, check out our Guide to Musical Symbols.

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

  • pantonality Term used to describe music that is not in one tonality or key, but shifts freely among many or all keys.
  • villanella [Italian] A Renaissance polyphonic vocal form, usually with a simple tune in the top voice, and somewhat homophonic, regular rhythms in the lower voices.
  • brillante [Italian] Bright, brilliant.
  • accompagnato [Italian] Accompanied.
  • non-transposing instrument An instrument which is notated in the same key on paper that it sounds when played.
  • classical The music of the period circa 1750–1825. The Classical period falls between the Baroque and the Romantic periods.
  • fermata An element of musical notation indicating that a note should be sustained for longer than its note value would indicate.
  • lamentevole [Italian] Plaintive, mournful.
  • double flat An accidental sign consisting of two flat symbols, that lowers a note by two semitones.
  • Kammer [German] Chamber, room.
  • savamment [French] Skilfully, expertly; with knowledge and experience.
  • microtone Musical interval smaller than a semitone, prevalent in some non-Western musics and in some twentieth century art music.
  • courante [French] A family of triple meter dances from the late Renaissance and the Baroque era.
  • rasch [German] Rapid, swift.
  • cadence A sequence of chords that terminates a musical phrase or section.