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

  • sonatina [Italian] A form popular in the late classical era that consisted of a short or “light” sonata; often the sonatina contained an exposition and recapitulation without the development section. The form has been revived in the 20th century by various composers.
  • festivo [Italian] Merry, festive.
  • ragtime Late nineteenth century piano style created by African-Americans, characterized by highly syncopated melodies.
  • restez [French] A directive to remain on a note.
  • custos [Latin] (Plural: custodes.) A symbol that appears at the end of a staff line with a single voice). It anticipates the first note of the following line and thus helps the player or singer to manage line breaks during performance. Custodes were frequently used until the 16th century.
  • clos [French] The second ending of a repeated section.
  • toujours [French] Always.
  • equal temperament Tuning system dividing the octave into 12 equal semitones.
  • theme and variations A style of composition that first presents a basic theme and then develops and alters that theme in successive statements.
  • attack The method of beginning a phrase.
  • gioioso [Italian] “Joyful”.
  • prima volta [Italian] “First time”; may refer to the first ending of a repetition.
  • pavane [French] Stately Renaissance court dance in duple meter.
  • savart [French] A unit of measurement for musical intervals, corresponding to about 3.986 cents.
  • tonic The note upon which a scale or key is based.