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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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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Some random terms

  • con tenerezza [Italian] “With tenderness”.
  • responsorial singing Singing, especially in Gregorian chant, in which a soloist or a group of soloists alternates with the choir.
  • common chord A chord consisting of the root, third, and fifth.
  • rondò [Italian] A form in which a principal theme (sometimes called the refrain) alternates with one or more contrasting themes, generally called episodes, but also occasionally referred to as digressions, or couplets. Possible patterns in the Classical Period include ABA, ABACA, ABABCA, etc.
  • bizzarro [Italian] Odd, whimsical, irregular.
  • stinger A chord at the end of a march that is used to punctuate the ending of the composition. The stinger is typically played by the entire ensemble on the last beat of the last measure of the composition and contains an accent.
  • teneramente [Italian] Tenderly.
  • jazz A musical style created mainly by African-Americans in the early twentieth century that blended elements drawn from African musics with the popular and art traditions of the West.
  • foxtrot Ballroom dance popular in the 19th century.
  • 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.
  • dal segno [Italian] A directive to go back to a specific place of a composition, marked by a sign.
  • early music European music from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque.
  • gaudioso [Italian] Joyous, joyful.
  • turn An ornament consisting of four notes, alternating the main note with the one above it and the one below.
  • carol A festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with church worship, and often with a dance-like or popular character.