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 2484 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

  • impromptu [French] A single-movement piano composition of the Romantic era, usually short, with a spontaneous character.
  • fiero [Italian] Proud, haughty, noble.
  • sopra [Italian] “Above”.
  • fine [Italian] Literally, “end”. An indication of where a composition ends when there is a repeat.
  • metronome Device used to indicate the tempo by sounding regular beats at adjustable speeds.
  • tonality The organization of a composition around a tonic.
  • lamentevole [Italian] Plaintive, mournful.
  • troppo [Italian] Too much.
  • secular Nonreligious.
  • retrograde Backward statement of a melody.
  • staccatissimo [Italian] A style of playing notes in a detached, separated, distinct manner that shortens the notated duration of the note in a more exaggerated way than normal staccato.
  • spagnoletta [Italian] An Italian dance of the late 16th century.
  • contrary motion Simultaneous motion of two voices, one of which is in opposition to the other, with one voice rising in pitch while the other one falls in pitch.
  • rinforzare [Italian] To reinforce.
  • clavier [French] Any keyboard instrument.