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
: A Carnival dance
ballarella: A variant name for the saltarello
ballo dei Gobbi: A Carnival dance, dance of the hunchbacks
ballo della Veneziana: A 2/2 dance of Venetian origin
: A ritual dance
ballo di Mantova: A folk skipping dance
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 in the sonata per la sposa of Alta Sabina
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 liscio: A ballroom 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 : 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 : 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 : A folk dance, one of Italy's oldest