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

  • zusammen [German] Literally, “together”. A directive to perform a certain passage of music together with other musicians in the section. Typically found after a divisi.
  • con slancio [Italian] With energy.
  • lointain [French] “Distant”, “faraway”.
  • piangendo [Italian] Literally, “crying”. In a tearful, mournful or plaintive manner.
  • rhythm The subdivision of time into a defined pattern.
  • bolero [Spanish] A moderately slow Spanish dance in 3/4 time.
  • figure A short musical phrase.
  • larigot [French] A shepherd's flute or pipe.
  • lullaby A cradle song. A song sung to a child to soothe him to sleep or a gentle, quiet song.
  • harmonic minor scale A minor scale where the seventh tone is raised by a semitone, both ascending and descending.
  • fluttertonguing Wind instrument technique in which the tongue is fluttered or trilled against the roof of the mouth.
  • larghissimo [Italian] An extremely slow tempo, slower than largo.
  • formalism The tendency to elevate the formal aspects above the expressive value in music, as in Neoclassical music.
  • dopo [Italian] “After”.
  • Anlaufen [German] To open, to increase in volume.