Multilingual Music Glossary
M
- M.M. Marking typically found at the beginning of a composition, identifying the tempo of the composition in terms of beats per minute. This marking originally stood for “Mälzel Metronome”, but has since come to designate “Metronome Marking”.
- M.V.
See mezza voce.
- ma
“But”.
- maat
See measure.
- maderas
See woodwind.
- madrigal Renaissance secular work originating in Italy for voices, with or without instruments, set to a short, lyric love poem.
- madrigal choir Small vocal ensemble that specializes in a cappella secular works.
- madrigale
See madrigal.
- maestoso
Majestic.
- maestro
A title of respect given to a master musician.
- maggiore
See major.
- mainstream Music which is currently popular and in demand.
- mais
“But”.
- majeur
See major.
- major Term referring to a sequence of notes that define the tonality of the major scale. This series consists of seven notes: the tonic, followed by the next note a whole step up from the tonic, the third is a whole step from the second, the fourth is a half step from the third, the fifth is a whole step from the fourth, the sixth is a whole step from the fifth, the seventh is another whole step, followed by the tonic, a half step above the seventh.
- malinconico
Melancholic.
- mambo
Dance of Afro-Cuban origin with a characteristic quadruple-meter rhythmic pattern.
- man mano
See poco a poco.
- mancando
A directive for the volume to grow quieter and die away.
- Manieren
See ornament.
- mano a mano
See poco a poco.
- Manualiter
Organ compositions that are to be performed on the manual alone, i.e. without the pedals.
- manuscript See autograph.
- manuscrit
See autograph.
- manuscrito
See autograph.
- marc.
See marcato.
- marcato
Marked, accented, emphasized, stressed.
- march A military piece characterized by strongly accented duple meter and clear sectional structures.
- marche
See march.
- marcia
See march.
- mariachi
Traditional Mexican ensemble popular throughout the country, consisting of trumpets, violins, guitar and bass guitar.
- mars
See march.
- Marschmusik
See march.
- martellato
Literally, “hammered”. Strongly marked.
- martial music Music with a military feeling.
- marziale
Martial, with a military feeling.
- mask See masque.
- masque
English genre of aristocratic entertainment that combined vocal and instrumental music with poetry and dance, developed during the 16th and 17th centuries.
- mäßig
See moderato.
- mässig
See moderato.
- mayor
See major.
- 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.
- meantone temperament Temperament yielding acoustically pure thirds by decreasing the natural fifth by 16 cents. Due to the non-circular character of this temperament, only a limited set of keys are playable. Used for tuning keyboard instruments for performance of pre-1650 music.
- measure The smallest metrical divisions of a composition, containing a fixed number of beats, the first of which bears an accent.
- medeltonstemperatur
See meantone temperament.
- mediant The third note of a diatonic scale.
- medieval See Middle Ages.
- medley A piece of music that is composed of melodies of other compositons strung together.
- Mehrstimmigkeit
See polyphony.
- Meistergesang
A tradition of songwriting and performance in Germany during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance.
- melisma (Plural: melismata.) A group of notes sung melodically to a single syllable.
- melismata See melisma.
- mélisme
See melisma.
- melodia
See melody.
- melodic minor scale A minor scale where the sixth and seventh tones are raised by a semitone when the scale is ascending. When the scale is descending, the melodic minor scale is the same as the natural minor scale.
- mélodie
See melody.
- Melodram
See melodrama.
- melodrama A spoken dialogue that is accompanied by music.
- mélodrame
See melodrama.
- melodramma
See melodrama.
- melody Succession of single tones or pitches perceived by the mind as a unity.
- meno
“Less”.
- menor
See minor.
- menuet
See minuet.
- menuetto
See minuet.
- mestizia
Sadness.
- mesto
Sad.
- mesure
See measure.
- meter The basic scheme of note values and accents which remains unaltered throughout a composition or a section of it.
- metre See meter.
- metrical modulation The shifting from one meter to another in the middle of a composition.
- metro
See meter.
- metronome Device used to indicate the tempo by sounding regular beats at adjustable speeds.
- Metronome marking See M.M..
- Metrum
See meter.
- mezza voce
Literally, “half voice”. A directive to perform in a quiet or restrained manner.
- mezzo
Half, medium.
- mezzo forte
Moderately loud. Not quite so loud as forte.
- mezzo piano
Moderately soft. Not quite so soft as piano.
- mezzo-soprano
The female voice between soprano and contralto.
- mf
See mezzo forte.
- microtone Musical interval smaller than a semitone, prevalent in some non-Western musics and in some twentieth century art music.
- middenstemming
See meantone temperament.
- middentoonstemming
See meantone temperament.
- Middle Ages A period from about 600 AD until about 1450 AD. Sometimes divided divided into two periods, the early middle ages (ca. 600–1100) and the late middle ages or Gothic Period (ca. 1100–1450).
- middle C First C below the 440 Hz A. It is the note on the ledger line halfway between the bass and treble clef on the grand staff. It is the lowest C that a concert flute can make.
- MIDI Acronym for “Musical Instrument Digital Interface”; technology standard that allows networking of computers with electronic musical instruments.
- militare
Military.
- mineur
See minor.
- minim See half note.
- minima
See half note.
- minimalist music Contemporary musical style featuring the repetition of short melodic, rhythmic and harmonic patterns with little variation.
- Minnelied
A love song composed in the Minnesang tradition.
- Minnesang
A tradition of Medieval courtly and secular music in Germany, cultivated by the nobility. The main focus of the music of this tradition was the idea of Minnedienst, servitude to love, often illustrated as the devoted knight entirely loyal to an unattainable lady with no hope of her love in return.
- Minnesinger
A poet or musician of the Minnesang tradition in Germany, active during the 12th through the 15th centuries.
- minor Term referring to a sequence of notes that define the tonality of the minor scale. The main difference from the major scale is the third, which is lowered by a semitone. The sixth and seventh degrees are usually lowered, too, generating the natural minor scale.
- minore
See minor.
- minstrel A court musician or entertainer of the 12th through 17th centuries who performed professionally.
- minuet A 17th-century court dance in moderate triple meter, originating in France.
- minuetto
See minuet.
- misterioso
Mysterious.
- misura
See measure.
- misurato
A directive to perform in a measured or strict tempo.
- mit
“With”.
- mit Dämpfer
See dampen.
- mit halber Stimme
See mezza voce.
- mit Steigerung
With exaltation.
- mitteltönige Stimmung
See meantone temperament.
- mixolydian The Gregorian mode based upon the fifth tone of the scale. This mode, based on G, includes all the tones of the C major scale.
- modal Having to do with modes; this term is applied most particularly to music that is based upon the Gregorian modes, rather than to music based upon the major, minor, or any other scale.
- mode A series of notes into which the octave is divided according to specific systems. These systems or modes are used as the basis for composing music. Examples of modes are the major and minor scales.
- mode ecclésiastique
See church mode.
- moderado
See moderato.
- moderato
A moderate tempo, faster than andante but slower than allegretto, usually around 100–120 BPM.
- modéré
See moderato.
- modérément
“Moderately”.
- modo
Way, manner.
- modo ecclesiastico
See church mode.
- modo eclesiástico
See church mode.
- modulaatio
See modulation.
- modulación
See modulation.
- modulation Moving from one key to another.
- modulazione
See modulation.
- modulering
See modulation.
- modus
See mode.
- moins
“Less”.
- mol
See flat.
- Moll
See minor.
- molli
See minor.
- molto
“Very”, “much”.
- monody Term applied to Italian songs written to be performed by one voice with instrumental accompaniment dating from the first half of the 17th century.
- monofonia
See monophony.
- monophony Music that is written for only one voice or part.
- monothematic Work or movement based on a single theme.
- monotone A single sustained, unvarying tone, or a succession of notes of the same tone. Often used in the recitation of liturgical texts.
- morbidezza
Softness, tenderness.
- mordent An ornament indicating that a note is to be played in a single rapid alternation with the note above or below.
- mordente
See mordent.
- morendo
Literally, “dying away”. Gradually diminishing in volume and tempo, fading away.
- moresca
An exotic Renaissance dance simulating a battle between the Moors and the Christians.
- mormorando
Murmuring.
- mosso
Moved, agitated.
- motet Polyphonic vocal genre, secular in the Middle Ages but sacred or devotional thereafter.
- motief
See motive.
- motif
See motive.
- Motiv
See motive.
- motive The briefest intelligible and self-contained fragment of a musical theme or subject.
- motivo
See motive.
- moto
Motion, movement.
- moto perpetuo
Literally, “perpetual motion”. A term used to describe rapidly executed and persistently maintained figuration.
- Motown A style of music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the late 1960s.
- motteggiando
Bantering.
- mottetto
See motet.
- mouvement
See movement.
- movement Complete, self-contained part within a larger musical work.
- movimento
See movement.
- movimiento
See movement.
- mp
See mezzo piano.
- multiphonics The technique of performing two or more tones simultaneously on an instrument that is designed to produce only one tone at a time, like the flute.
- munter
See vivace.
- murky A style of keyboard playing in which the bass consists of quick alternating octaves rather than slower, longer notes.
- murtosointu
See arpeggio.
- music Broadly speaking, sounds organized to express a wide variety of human emotions.
- music drama Wagner's term for his operas.
- musica antica
See early music.
- música antigua
See early music.
- musica da camera
See chamber music.
- música de cámara
See chamber music.
- musica sacra
See sacred music.
- musical Genre of twentieth century musical theater, especially popular in the United States and Great Britain; characterized by spoken dialogue, dramatic plot interspersed with songs, ensemble numbers and dancing.
- musico
Term applied to any musician in the 17th and 18th centuries.
- musique ancienne
See early music.
- musique concrète
Music made up of natural sounds and sound effects that are recorded and then manipulated electronically.
- musique de chambre
See chamber music.
- musique sacrée
See sacred music.
- mute A mechanical device used with string and brass instruments to muffle the tone.
- muthig
Courageous, spirited.