Multilingual Music Glossary

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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

  • tune An air or melody, a succession of sounds that has definite character and shape and is pleasing to the ear.
  • string quintet Standard chamber ensemble made up of either two violins, two violas and cello, or two violins, viola and two cellos.
  • Ryom Verzeichnis [German] A numbering system identifying compositions by Antonio Vivaldi.
  • jota [Spanish] A type of Spanish dance song characterized by a quick triple meter and guitar and castanet accompaniment.
  • Eingang [German] An introduction, preface or prelude.
  • mazurka A lively Polish dance in 3/4 or 3/8 time with the accent usually on the second or third beat of the measure.
  • di molto [Italian] “By much”.
  • ossia [Italian] An alternative version of a music, usually only a few measures long and marked as an added staff.
  • cori spezzati [Italian] Literally, “broken choirs”. A style of performance with groups of singers placed in different locations of a building.
  • orchestra An instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large, with string, brass, woodwind sections, and possibly a percussion section as well.
  • mainstream Music which is currently popular and in demand.
  • sheet music A generic term to mean any piece of paper with the notation of a composition printed on on it.
  • one hundred and twenty-eighth note A note having the time duration of one hundred twenty-eighth of the time duration of a whole note.
  • fois [French] “Time”, as in “first time” (première fois) or “second time” (deuxieme fois).
  • ritenuto [Italian] Literally, “kept back”. Immediate reduction of speed.