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

  • tailgate A slang term for a trombone Glissando in Dixieland jazz.
  • andantino [Italian] A moderate tempo marking, which can be faster or slower than andante.
  • genre Term used to identify a general category of music that shares similar performance forces, formal structures and/or style.
  • jig A vigorous dance originating in the British Isles in the 15th century or earlier, usually in compound meter.
  • augmentation Statement of a melody in longer note values, often twice as slow as the original.
  • bestimmt [German] With decision.
  • binary form Two-part structure of music; usually each part is repeated.
  • piangendo [Italian] Literally, “crying”. In a tearful, mournful or plaintive manner.
  • symphonic poem A piece of orchestral music in one principal self-contained section called a “movement” in which a program from a poem, a story or novel, a painting, or another source is illustrated or evoked.
  • MIDI Acronym for “Musical Instrument Digital Interface”; technology standard that allows networking of computers with electronic musical instruments.
  • refrain [French] A verse which repeats throughout a song or poem at given intervals.
  • envoi [French] A short final stanza of a ballade which serves as a summary or dedication.
  • binary measure A measure containing two beats.
  • contralto [Italian] The lowest female voice.
  • Italian overture The baroque precursor of the classical symphony, evolved during the 17th and 18th centuries; it is characterized by its three movement form, consisting of a fast, a slow, and a fast movement.