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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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

  • waltz Ballroom dance type in triple meter; in the Romantic era, a short, stylized piano piece.
  • incalzando [Italian] In a pressing or chasing manner.
  • piece A term for any composition that is a complete work in itself. This could be a self-contained movement of a larger composition, such as an aria of an opera, or the entire composition.
  • retrograde Backward statement of a melody.
  • allegrezza [Italian] Cheerfulness, happiness, joyfulness.
  • neoromantic A compositional style of the 20th century embodying the techniques and characteristics of the romantic period.
  • tacet [Latin] Literally, “he is silent”. An indication that a performer is to be silent for some time.
  • quasi [Italian] “Almost”.
  • canticle A sacred hymn or song.
  • einschlafen [German] Literally, “falling asleep”. A directive to slacken the time and diminish the tempo and the tone.
  • homophony Music in which one voice leads melodically followed by the other voices more or less in the same rhythm. In contrast with polyphony.
  • trio sonata [Italian] A baroque sonata for two treble instruments and continuo, generally requiring four performers.
  • comodo [Italian] Comfortable.
  • bis [Latin] Literally, “twice”. A directive to repeat a passage.
  • rumba [Spanish] A dance originating in Cuba as a combination of the musical traditions of Spanish colonizers and of Africans brought to Cuba as slaves.