Glossary of Italian music

Updated on Dec 12, 2024

Edit

Comment

Music media Music media in Italy

Music awards Sanremo Music Festival (festival and awards)Festival di Napoli (festival and awards)Tenco Plates and AwardsLunezia AwardsMusic AwardsCoca Cola Summer Festival (festival and awards)MTV AwardsFestivalbar (festival and awards)Telegatti Music charts Federation of the Italian Music Industry (sales chart)EarOne (airplay chart) Music festivals FestivalsUmbria Jazz FestivalRavello FestivalFestival dei Due Mondi National anthem "Il Canto degli Italiani"

This is an article on the terminology used to describe the music of Italy. There is also an article on Italian musical terms used in English.

Italian music terminology consists of words and phrases used in the discussion of the music of Italy. Some Italian music terms are derived from the common Italian language. Others come from Spanish, or Neapolitan, Sicilian, Sardinian or other regional languages of Italy. The terms listed here describe a genre, song form, dance, instrument, style, quality of music, technique or other important aspect of Italian music.

Dances

alessandrina: A skipping dance from the area around Pavia

alta danza: Early Spanish name for the saltarello

argismo: A Sicilian term for the tarantella healing ritual, from argia, spider

ariosa: A Carnival dance

balùn: A folk dance

ballarella: A variant name for the saltarello

ballo di baraben: A ritual dance

bas de tach: A Carnival dance

crellareccia: A wedding dance in the sonata per la sposa of Alta Sabina

bal drabces: A Carnival dance

danza dei coltelli: The dance of the knives, a knife dance derived from the tarantella

forlana: Venetian term for the furlana

friulana: Venetian term for the furlana

furlana: A folk dance, from Campieli, favored in Venice

furlane: Venetian term for the furlana

frullana: Venetian term for the furlana

gagliarda: Italian term for the galliarde

gagliarde: Italian term for the galliarde

giga: A skipping dance from the area around Pavia

ballo dei Gobbi: A Carnival dance, dance of the hunchbacks

ballo liscio: A ballroom dance

ballo di Mantova: A folk skipping dance

monferrina: A 6/8 dance historically associated with Monferrato and the valleys of Fassa and Rendena

muleta: A Carnival dance

pas in amur: A Carnival dance

passo brabante: An alternate term for the saltarello

passu'e trese: A Sardinian folk dance

perigurdino: A skipping dance from the area around Pavia

piana: A skipping dance from the area around Pavia

povera donna: A skipping dance from the area around Pavia, a Carnival ritual dance

pizzica tarantata: An old form of the tarantella

rezianka zagatina: A folk dance

roncastalda: A folk skipping dance

rose e fiori: A Carnival dance

ruggero: A folk skipping dance

russiano: A folk dance, said to originate in Russi

sa seria: A Sardinian folk dance

saltarella: A variant name for the saltarello

saltarelle: A variant name for the saltarello

saltarello: A widespread, leaping folk dance, originally in 3/4 time, and later in 3/8 and 6/8, derived from a court dance that evolved from the galliarde and was originally known in Spain as the alta danza, from saltare, to leap

savatarelle: A variant name for the saltarello

sos gocios: A Sardinian folk dance

sos mutos: A Sardinian folk dance

sposina: A skipping dance for brides from the area around Pavia

stuzzichetto: A variant name for the saltarello

su ballu: Popular Sardinian dances

ta matianowa: A folk dance

ta palacowa: A folk dance

ta panawa: A folk dance

tammorriata or tammuriata: A Campanian couple dance, accompanied by lyric songs called strambotti and tammorra tambourines

tarantel: An alternate term for the tarantella

tarantella: A couple dance in 6/8 time, intended to cure the supposedly poisonous bite of the tarantula

tarantismo: An Apulian term for the tarantella healing ritual

tarantolati: The tarantella ritual as it is practiced in Puglia

tarentella: An alternate term for the tarantella

tarentule: An alternate term for the tarantella

ballo tondo: An alternate term for ballu tundu

ballu torrau: A Sardinian folk dance

trescone: A folk dance, one of Italy's oldest

ballu tundu: The launeddas dance

ballu tzopu: A Sardinian folk dance

ballo della Veneziana: A 2/2 dance of Venetian origin

Instrumentation

arpicelli: The Viggiano harp

bena: A Sardinian clarinet

bifora, also pifara: a Sicilian double reed instrument of the oboe family, related to the shawm and to the piffero

bunkula: A cello.

cannacione: A historical, rural form of lute

cembalo: A hammered dulcimer

chitarra: A guitar, also a voice in trallalero ensembles that imitates the guitar

chitarra battente: A four- or five-steel stringed guitar, beating guitar

chiterra: A Sardinian guitar

ciaramella: A single-reed pipe, or oboe, also a bagpipe in Alta Sabina

citira: A violin

du' bottë: Abruzzese double bass diatonic accordion

firlinfeu: A panflute

fisarmonica: A chromatic piano accordion

friscalettu: A Sicilian folk flute

ghironda: A hurdy-gurdy most common in Emilia, Lombardy and Piedmont

launeddas: A Sardinian clarinet, played using circular breathing

lira: A three-stringed bowed fiddle, played on the knee, most common in Calabria

mandola: A string instrument similar to both the guitar and mandolin

mandolino: An Italian lute with eight or twelve strings

müsa: A bagpipe

organetto: A diatonic button accordion which accompanies the saltarello, and has largely replaced the bagpipe

piffaro, piffero: A double-reed shawm

piva: A kind of Lombard bagpipe

putipù: A friction drum

raganelle: A cog rattle

ribeba: An alternate term, rebab, for the scacciapensieri

scacciapensieri: A mouth harp found in the Alpine north and Sicily, care-chaser

simbalo: A tambourine

solitu: A Sardinian traditional shepherd's flute

surdulina: A bagpipe from Basilicata

tamburello: A small frame drum, used to accompany the tarantella, also a tambourine

tamburini: A tambourine

tammora: A large frame drum

tamura: A large frame drum

torototela: A bowed, one-string fiddle, most common in northeast Italy

triangulu: A Sardinian triangle

triccheballacche: A Neapolitan percussion instrument, built with mallets attached to a wooden frame, wooden clapper

tromba degli zingari: An alternate term, trumpet of the Gypsies, for the scacciapensieri

trunfa: A Sardinian jaw harp, or mouth harp, trump, similar to the scacciapensieri

tumborro: A Sardinian tambourine

zampogna: A southern Italian bagpipe, most commonly with two drones and two conical chanters

zampogna a paro: A single-reed and two- or three drone zampogna, found in Calabria and Sicily

zampogna zoppa: A mostly double-reed and variably droned zampogna, found in central Italy

Songs, formats and pieces

addio padre: A post-war political song

ajri: A form of Albanian-Calabrian multi-part song

asprese: A form of multi-part song from Lazio

banda comunale: A local, civic band

a bandieri bella: A form of Calabrian secular multi-part song

baride: Sicilian brass bands

basso: A kind of song in Dignano

bei: A kind of Tuscan polyphony, especially known near Monte Amiata, also bei-bei

bitinada: A singing style for three men, most common in Rovigno in Istria

boare: work songs

canti alla boara: A kind of lyric song associated with the cantaustorie

buiasche: A kind of polyphonic song from the village of Bogli

butunada: A song form peculiar to Rovigno

camminareccia: A piece of wedding music in the sonata per la sposa of Alta Sabina

canzone a ballo: A dance song

canzone Italiana: Italian song

canzone Napoletana: A kind of popular song from Naples, Neapolitan song

canzune: A Sicilian term for lyric songs

canti a catoccu: A kind of lyric song

canti carnascialeschi: Carnival songs

cepranese: A form of multi-part song from Lazio

cioparedda: A form of Calabrian multi-part song

concertini: Small, violin-based ensembles most common in Emilia, Bagolino and Resia

canto a coppia': A kind of central Italian two-part singing similar to canti a vatoccu

cozzupara: A form of Calabrian multi-part song

canto a dispetto: A Tuscan term, song of the despised, equivalent to canto a vatoccu

endecasillabo: A central Italian song form with phrases of eleven syllables

canti alla falciatora: Scything songs

fogli volanti: Printed popular songs called in English broadsides, most commonly used for Italian ballads

giustiniane: A kind of popular historic song, named after Leonardo Giustiniani

laude: Strophic songs, often in Latin

canti lirici: Italian lyric songs, or canto lirico-monostrifici

canti alla longa: A kind of lyric song

maggi a serenata: A maggio love song

maggio della anime purganti: A maggio song for the souls in Purgatory

maggio delle ragazze: A maggio song for young girls

maggio drammatico: A music and drama celebration held during maggio

maitinade: A kind of dance song, most common in Trento; it is composed of six-line stanzas of eleven syllables per line

mantignada: A song form peculiar to Sissano

metitora: A form of two-part song from Lazio

canti alla mietitora: Harvesting songs

mondine: A kind of rural, woman's folk song

canto alla monmarella: work songs

montasolina: A form of multi-part song from Lazio

ninna nanna: A folk lullaby

a oli oledda: A form of Calabrian multi-part song

orazioni: A kind of Sicilian narrative folk song

canti degli orbi: A kind of Sicilian narrative folk song, associated with blind musicians

orologio della passione: An alternate term, used in musical collections, for the canto della passione

ottava rima: An eight line song, most common in Central Italy, especially Lazio, Tuscany and Abruzzo

pajarella: A form of Lazio multi-part song

canto della passione: A central Italian begging song, performed before Easter, also known as orologio della passione (clock of the passion)

alla pennese: A kind of two-part singing from Lazio, similar to canti a vatoccu

canto a pennese: A work song

canti a pera: A kind of lyric song from Gallesano

piagnereccia: A piece of wedding music in the sonata per la sposa of Alta Sabina

poeti contadini: An alternate term, peasant poets, for ottava rima

polesane: A kind of dance song

canti de questua: Begging songs

recchia: A kind of central Italian two-part singing similar to canti a vatoccu

a recchione: A form of multi-part song from Lazio

a reuta: A form of Lazian multi-part song

rispetti: A kind of lyric song

a rosabella: A form of Calabrian multi-part song

serenata: A love song

sonata per la sposa: A musical ritual from Alta Sabina

sonetto: A lyrical form consisting of four lines of seven syllables

canti alla stesa: A kind of lyric song

stornelli: A kind of solo lyric song, from the Provençal estorn, to challenge

stornello: A Sicilian folk song

storia: A kind of southern, long song

strambotti: A kind of lyric song, from the Provençal estribar, to lash

stranotti: A kind of lyric song

strina: A form of Calabrian multi-part song

tenores: Sardinian polyphonic chant

testamenti: A kind of Carnival song

tiir: A kind of polyphonic song from Premana in Lombardy

trallalero: A kind of Genoese polyphony

canti a vatoccu: A kind of polyphonic lyric song, usually for two to three women, songs in the manner of a bell clapper, most common in Umbria, and the Apennines of Abruzza and the Marche

verolana: A form of multi-part song from Lazio

villanella: A form of Calabrian multi-part song

villotte: A kind of lyric song with verses of 8 or 11 syllables

a voca regolare: A form of Calabrian multi-part song

a voca diritta: A form of Calabrian multi-part song

vjersh: A form of Albanian multi-part song found in Calabria and Basilicata

Techniques

accordo: A multi-part singing technique, also canto ad accordo

basci: The bass voice in a trallalero ensemble

bassu: The bass voice of the Sardinian tenores

boghe: The lead vocalist of a Sardinian tenores ensemble

chitarra: A guitar, also a voice in trallalero ensembles that imitates the guitar

contra: The counter-vocalist of the Sardinian tenores

controbasso: The baritone vocalist of the trallalero tradition

contrubassu: Alternate term for controbasso, the baritone vocalist of the trallalero tradition

cuntrètu: A falsetto voice

mesa boghe: The middle voice of the Sardinian tenores

primmu: The tenor voice in a trallalero ensemble

Other terms

bandautore: A cantautore who composes music for a band

bello ideale: An aesthetic idea which embraced a predominant melody and other elements, beautiful ideal

boghe ballu: In Sardinian, harmony, or a danceable singing rhythm, literally we dance with our voice

cantastorie: Itinerant musicians, now most commonly found in Sicily

cantautori: Popular, modern singer-songwriters

carnevale: The Italian Carnival

carnevale de Bagolino: A very famous Carnival, in the town of Bagolino, Brescia

condanna della vecchiaccia: An Umbrian ceremony that heralds the return of spring, the condemnation of the crone

maggio: A May celebration

mamutones: Masked performers in processions in Mamoiada in Sardinia

scacciamarzo: A spring holiday

sega la vecchia: An old mid-Lent ceremony, the sawing of the witch

tarantate: Women who had been supposedly poisoned by the tarantula bite, and intended to cure themselves through the tarantella ritual

tratto marzo: A spring holiday

urlatori: A shouter, an expressive vocalist

la vecchia: A carnevale ritual from Pontelangiorno

veglie: A central Italian musical gathering

References

Glossary of Italian music Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA