Italian music terms are words and phrases used when talking about music from Italy. Some of these terms come from standard Italian, while others are taken from regional languages such as Neapolitan, Sicilian, Sardinian, or other languages spoken in different parts of Italy. These terms describe types of music, styles, dances, instruments, qualities of sound, techniques, or other important features of Italian music.

Dances

• alessandrina: A type of skipping dance from the area around Pavia
• alta danza: An early Spanish name for the saltarello
• argismo: A Sicilian word for the tarantella healing ritual, from argia, meaning spider
• ariosa: A Carnival dance
• bal drabces: A Carnival dance
• ballarella: Another name for the saltarello
• ballo dei Gobbi: A Carnival dance, also called the dance of the hunchbacks
• ballo della Veneziana: A two-step dance of Venetian origin
• ballo di baraben: A ritual dance
• ballo di Mantova: A folk skipping dance from Mantua
• ballu tundu: A traditional Sardinian folk dance
• ballu tzopu: A Sardinian folk dance
• balùn: A folk dance
• bas de tach: A Carnival dance
• crellareccia: A wedding dance performed in the sonata per la sposa of Alta Sabina
• danza dei coltelli: A knife dance, derived from the tarantella
• forlana: A Venetian term for the furlana
• friulana: A Venetian term for the furlana
• furlana: A folk dance from Campieli, popular in Venice
• furlane: A Venetian term for the furlana
• frullana: A Venetian term for the furlana
• gagliarda: An Italian term for the galliarde
• gagliarde: An Italian term for the galliarde
• giga: A skipping dance from the area around Pavia
• liscio: A ballroom dance
• monferrina: An 8-beat dance historically linked to Monferrato and the valleys of Fassa and Rendena
• muleta: A Carnival dance
• pas in amur: A Carnival dance
• passo brabante: Another name 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, also a Carnival ritual dance
• pizzica tarantata: An older 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, believed to originate in Russi
• sa seria: A Sardinian folk dance
• saltarella: Another name for the saltarello
• saltarelle: Another name for the saltarello
• saltarello: A widespread, leaping folk dance, originally in 4 time, later in 8 time, derived from a court dance that evolved from the galliarde and was known in Spain as the alta danza, from saltare, meaning to leap
• savatarelle: Another 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: Another 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 songs called strambotti and tammorra tambourines
• tarantel: Another name for the tarantella
• tarantella: A couple dance in 8 time, intended to cure the supposed poison from a tarantula bite
• tarantismo: An Apulian term for the tarantella healing ritual
• tarantolati: The tarantella ritual as practiced in Puglia
• tarentella: Another name for the tarantella
• tarentule: Another name for the tarantella
• ballo tondo: Another name for ballu tundu
• ballu torrau: A Sardinian folk dance
• trescone: A folk dance, one of Italy’s oldest dances

Instrumentation

• arpicelli: The Viggiano harp
• bena: A Sardinian clarinet
• bifora, also pifara: A Sicilian double reed instrument of the oboe family, similar to the shawm and piffero
• bunkula: A cello
• cannacione: A historical, rural type of lute
• cembalo: A hammered dulcimer
• chitarra: A guitar, also a vocal style in trallalero ensembles that mimics the sound of a guitar
• chitarra battente: A guitar with four or five steel strings, known as the beating guitar
• chiterra: A Sardinian guitar
• ciaramella: A single-reed pipe or oboe, also a bagpipe in Alta Sabina
• citira: A violin
• du' bottë: An Abruzzese double bass diatonic accordion
• firlinfeu: A panflute
• fisarmonica: A chromatic piano accordion
• friscalettu: A Sicilian folk flute
• ghironda: A hurdy-gurdy commonly found 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 that accompanies the saltarello, often replacing the bagpipe
• piffaro, piffero: A double-reed shawm
• piva: A type of Lombard bagpipe
• putipù: A friction drum
• raganelle: A cog rattle
• ribeba: An alternate name for the scacciapensieri, also called rebab
• scacciapensieri: A mouth harp found in the Alpine north and Sicily, also called 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 with mallets attached to a wooden frame and a wooden clapper
• tromba degli zingari: An alternate name for the scacciapensieri, also called the trumpet of the Gypsies
• trunfa: A Sardinian jaw harp or mouth harp, also called trump, similar to the scacciapensieri

• tumborro: A Sardinian tambourine
• zampogna: A southern Italian bagpipe, typically with two drones and two conical chanters
• zampogna a paro: A zampogna with a single reed and two or three drones, found in Calabria and Sicily
• zampogna zoppa: A zampogna mostly with a double reed and varying numbers of drones, found in central Italy

Songs, formats and pieces

• addio padre : A song about politics after a war
• ajri : A type of song from Albania and Calabria that has multiple parts
• asprese : A type of song from Lazio with multiple parts
• banda comunale : A group that plays music for local community events
• a bandieri bella : A type of non-religious song from Calabria with multiple parts
• baride : Brass bands from Sicily
• basso : A type of song from Dignano
• bei : A type of music from Tuscany with multiple voices, especially near Monte Amiata, also called bei-bei
• bitinada : A style of singing for three men, common in Rovigno, Istria
• boare : Songs used for work
• canti alla boara : A type of song with words, connected to storytellers
• buiasche : A type of music with multiple voices from the village of Bogli
• butunada : A song style unique to Rovigno
• camminareccia : A piece of music played during a wedding ceremony in Alta Sabina
• canzone a ballo : A song meant for dancing
• canzone Italiana : An Italian song
• canzone Napoletana : A popular type of song from Naples
• canzune : A Sicilian word for songs with words
• canti a catoccu : A type of song with words
• canti carnascialeschi : Songs sung during Carnival
• cepranese : A type of song with multiple parts from Lazio
• cioparedda : A type of song with multiple parts from Calabria
• concertini : Small musical groups that use violins, common in Emilia, Bagolino, and Resia
• canto a coppia' : A type of two-part singing in central Italy, similar to canti a vatoccu
• cozzupara : A type of song with multiple parts from Calabria
• canto a dispetto : A Tuscan term for a song about being looked down on, similar to canti a vatoccu
• endecasillabo : A type of song in central Italy with phrases that have eleven syllables
• canti alla falciatora : Songs sung while cutting grass
• fogli volanti : Printed songs called broadsides in English, often used for Italian ballads
• giustiniane : A type of song about history, named after Leonardo Giustiniani
• laude : Songs with repeated sections, often in Latin
• canti lirici : Italian songs with words, also called canto lirico-monostrifici
• canti alla longa : A type of song with words
• maggi a serenata : A love song during the maggio festival
• maggio della anime purganti : A maggio song for souls in Purgatory
• maggio delle ragazze : A maggio song for young girls
• maggio drammatico : A celebration of music and drama during maggio
• maitinade : A type of dance song from Trento with six-line verses of eleven syllables each
• mantignada : A song style unique to Sissano
• metitora : A type of two-part song from Lazio
• canti alla mietitora : Songs sung while harvesting crops
• mondine : A type of folk song sung by women in rural areas
• canto alla monmarella : Songs used for work
• montasolina : A type of song with multiple parts from Lazio
• ninna nanna : A lullaby from folk traditions
• a oli oledda : A type of song with multiple parts from Calabria
• orazioni : A type of storytelling song from Sicily
• canti degli orbi : A type of storytelling song from Sicily, performed by blind musicians
• orologio della passione : Another name for canto della passione, used in music collections
• ottava rima : A song with eight lines, common in central Italy, especially Lazio, Tuscany, and Abruzzo
• pajarella : A type of song with multiple parts from Lazio
• canto della passione : A song performed before Easter in central Italy, also called orologio della passione
• alla pennese : A type of two-part singing from Lazio, similar to canti a vatoccu
• canto a pennese : A song used for work
• canti a pera : A type of song with words from Gallesano
• piagnereccia : A piece of music played during a wedding ceremony in Alta Sabina
• poeti contadini : Another name for ottava rima, meaning peasant poets
• polesane : A type of dance song
• canti de questua : Songs used to beg for help
• recchia : A type of two-part singing in central Italy, similar to canti a vatoccu
• a recchione : A type of song with multiple parts from Lazio
• a reuta : A type of song with multiple parts from Lazian regions
• rispetti : A type of song with words
• a rosabella : A type of song with multiple parts from Calabria
• serenata : A love song
• sonata per la sposa : A musical tradition during weddings in Alta Sabina
• sonetto : A song with four lines, each with seven syllables
• canti alla stesa : A type of song with words
• stornelli : A type of solo song with words, originally from Provençal
• stornello : A traditional song from Sicily
• storia : A long song from the south
• strambotti : A type of song with words, originally from Provençal
• stranotti : A type of song with words
• strina : A type of song with multiple parts from Calabria
• tenores : A type of music from Sardinia with multiple voices singing together
• testamenti : A type of song sung during Carnival
• tiir : A type of polyphonic song from Premana in Lombardy
• trallalero : A type of music from Genoa with multiple voices
• canti a vatoccu : A type of song with multiple voices, usually for two to three women, common in Umbria and the Apennines of Abruzzo and

Techniques

• accordo: A singing style where multiple people sing together, also called canto ad accordo
• basci: The lowest voice in a trallalero group
• bassu: The lowest voice in the Sardinian tenores group
• boghe: The main singer in a Sardinian tenores group
• chitarra: A guitar, also the name for a voice in trallalero groups that sounds like a guitar
• contra: The singer who responds to the lead in the Sardinian tenores group
• controbasso: The baritone singer in the trallalero tradition
• contrubassu: Another name for controbasso, the baritone singer in the trallalero tradition
• cuntrètu: A falsetto voice
• mesa boghe: The middle voice in the Sardinian tenores group
• primmu: The tenor voice in a trallalero group

Other terms

• bandautore: A singer-songwriter who writes music for a band
• bello ideale: An aesthetic idea that includes a main melody and other musical elements, often considered beautiful
• boghe ballu: In Sardinian, a term for harmony or a rhythm used in singing that is suitable for dancing; literally, "we dance with our voice"
• cantastorie: Traveling musicians, now most commonly found in Sicily
• cantautori: Popular, modern singer-songwriters
• carnevale: The Italian Carnival
• carnevale de Bagolino: A very famous Carnival held in the town of Bagolino, Brescia
• condanna della vecchiaccia: An Umbrian ceremony that announces the return of spring, involving the condemnation of the crone
• maggio: A celebration held in May
• mamutones: Masked performers who take part in processions in Mamoiada, Sardinia
• scacciamarzo: A spring holiday
• sega la vecchia: An old mid-Lent ceremony, involving the symbolic "sawing" of the witch
• tarantate: Women who were believed to have been poisoned by a tarantula bite and who tried to cure themselves through the tarantella dance
• tratto marzo: A spring holiday
• urlatori: A shouter, or an expressive vocalist
• la vecchia: A Carnival ritual from the town of Pontelangiorno
• veglie: A musical gathering in central Italy