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

  • estinto [Italian] Literally, “extinguished”. A directive to perform as soft as possible.
  • 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.
  • cadenza [Italian] An improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a free rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display.
  • fiddle A name for the violin, especially when used to perform folk music.
  • sheet music A generic term to mean any piece of paper with the notation of a composition printed on on it.
  • countermelody A sequence of notes, perceived as a melody, written to be played simultaneously with a more prominent melody.
  • misterioso [Italian] Mysterious.
  • rant A country dance of Scotland and Northern England in duple meter and binary form.
  • über [German] “Above”, “over”.
  • degree Any tone of the diatonic scale.
  • vivo [Italian] Lively.
  • gioioso [Italian] “Joyful”.
  • variation An altered version of a rhythm, motive, or theme.
  • fresco [Italian] “Fresh”, vigorous, lively.
  • Longo numbers A numbering system identifying keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti.