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 2432 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

  • monotone A single sustained, unvarying tone, or a succession of notes of the same tone. Often used in the recitation of liturgical texts.
  • Hertz [German] The basic unit of measurement of frequency, definable as one cycle per second. Usually abbreviated “Hz”.
  • diatonic scale A seven note musical scale, consisting of five whole steps and two half steps.
  • corps [French] Literally, “body”. May indicate the body of an instrument or a company of performers.
  • klingen [German] To resonate.
  • Stück [German] A piece of music.
  • eilen [German] To hasten, to accelerate.
  • ober [German] Upper, higher.
  • agilità [Italian] A directive to perform with lightness or agility.
  • madrigal choir Small vocal ensemble that specializes in a cappella secular works.
  • elegante [Italian] Elegant, graceful.
  • pantomime Theatrical genre in which an actor silently plays all the parts in a show while accompanied by singing.
  • monothematic Work or movement based on a single theme.
  • con mala grazia [Italian] Ungracefully, awkwardly.
  • chaconne [French] Baroque form in 3/4 time similar to the passacaglia, in which the variations are based on a repeated chord progression.