| L | Longo, after the cataloguer of Domenico Scarlatti's musical compositions |
| L' | (French) the |
| La | (Italian, French) the |
| Lächelnd | (German) laughing |
| Lâcher | (French) to loosen (e.g. the snare of a drum) |
| Lacrimoso, Lagrimoso | (Italian) tearful |
| Lage | (German) position (in string playing) |
| Lagnoso, Lagnevole | (Italian) doleful |
| Lagrimando, Lagrimoso | (Italian) tearful |
| Lai, Lay | a 14th-century French song form |
| Laisser | (French) to allow, to leave |
| Lament | a sad tune |
| Lamentando, Lamentabile, Lamentevole, Lamentoso | (Italian) lamenting |
| Lamentazione, Lamento | (Italian) lamentation, lament |
| Lancio | (Italian) gusto |
| Länder | a popular German dance rather like a slow Waltz |
| Ländlich | (German) rustic |
| Lang | (German) long |
| Langoureux, Langoureusement | (French) languorous, languorously |
| Langsam | (German) slow |
| Langsammer | (German) slower |
| Languendo, Languente, Languemente | (Italian) languishing |
| Langueur | (French) languor |
| Languido, Languidamente | (Italian) languid, languidly |
| Languissant | (French) languishing |
| Languore | (Italian) languor |
| Largamente | (Italian) slowish and dignified |
| Large | (French) slow and dignified |
| Largement | (French) slowish and dignified |
| Larguer | (French) breadth |
| Largo | (Italian) broad |
| Larigot | old name for the flageolet rather like the recorder |
| Lasciare | (Italian) to allow to |
| Lasciate | (Italian) allow!, let! |
| Laut | (German) loud |
| Laute | (German) lute |
| Lautenmacher | luthier, a maker of stringed instruments |
| Lavolta | volta |
| Lay | lai |
| Le | (French) the |
| Leader | the first violinist in a conventional orchestra, concert-master |
| Lebendig | (German) lively |
| Lebendiger | (German) livelier |
| Lebhaft | (German) lively |
| Lebhafter | (German) livelier |
| Lebhaftigkeit | (German) liveliness |
| Leer | (German) open strings on a violin |
| Legato, Legando, Legabile | (Italian) smooth playing style in which the notes seem bound together |
| Legatura | (Italian) tie, bind, slur, syncopation |
| Léger, Légère | (French) light |
| Légereté | (French) lightness |
| Légèrement | (French) lightly |
| Leggero, Leggere | (Italian) light |
| Leggeramente, Leggermente | (Italian) lightly |
| Leggerezza, Leggeranza | (Italian) lightness |
| Leggerissimo | (Italian) as light as possible |
| Leggiadro, Leggiadretto | (Italian) graceful |
| Leggiadramente | (Italian) gracefully |
| Leggiero, Leggiere | (Italian) light |
| Leggieramente, Leggiermente | (Italian) lightly |
| Leggierezza, Leggieranza | (Italian) lightness |
| Leggierissimo | (Italian) as light as possible |
| Leggio | (Italian) music stand, music desk |
| Legno | (Italian) wood |
| Leicht | (German) light style, easy |
| Leichtigkeit | (German) lightness, easiness |
| Leichtfertig | (German) giddy, frivolous |
| Leid | (German) sorrow |
| Leidenschaft | (German) passion |
| Leidenschaftlich | (German) passionately |
| Leise | (German) soft, gentle |
| Leiser | (German) softer |
| Leisten | (German) to perform |
| Leistung | (German) performance |
| Leitmotiv | (German) a theme identified with a character in an opera |
| Lene, Leno | (Italian) gentle |
| Lent (Fr.), Lento (It.) | slow |
| Lentando, Lentato, Lentamente, Lentezza, Lentissimo | (Italian) slowing, slowed, slowly, slowness, very slow |
| Lentement, Lenteur | (French) slowly, slowness |
| Les | (French) the |
| Lesto, Lestamente, Lestissimo | (Italian) quick, quickly, very quickly |
| Letzt | (German) last |
| Levare | (Italian) to lift, to take off |
| Levate | (Italian) lift off! |
| Levet | a piece to be played under a bedroom window in the morning |
| Levezza | (Italian) lightness |
| Liaison | (Italian) legato, slur, tie or bind |
| Liberamente | (Italian) freely |
| Libertà | (Italian) liberty, freedom |
| Libre, Librement | (French) free, freely |
| Libretto | (Italian) the literary text of an opera or oratorio |
| Licenza | (Italian) license, freedom |
| Lié | (French) slurred, tied |
| Liebe | (German) love |
| Liebesgeige | (German) viola d'amore |
| Liebesoboe | (German) oboe d'amore |
| Lied, Lieder | (German) song, songs |
| Liedercyklus | (German) song cycle |
| Liederkranz | (German) song cycle |
| Liedersammlung | (German) song collection |
| Lietissimo | (Italian) very joyous |
| Lietezza | (Italian) joy |
| Lieto | (Italian) joyous |
| Lieve | (Italian) light |
| Lievemente | (Italian) lightly |
| Lievezza | (Italian) lightness |
| Ligature | slur, tie or bind, an adjustable band that holds the reed on instruments of the clarinet family |
| Linke hand | (German) left hand |
| Lirico | (Italian) lyric |
| Liscio, Liscia | (Italian) smooth |
| Liuto | (Italian) lute |
| Livre | (French) book |
| Loco | (Italian) place |
| Loin, Lointain | (French) distant, faint |
| Lontananza | (Italian) distance |
| Lontano | (Italian) distant |
| Los | (German) loose, free in style |
| Lourd, Lourde | (France) heavy |
| Lourdement | (French) heavily |
| Lourdeur | (French) heaviness, weight |
| Loure | (French) an old Normandy bagpipe, a rustic dance |
| Luftig | (German) airy |
| Lugubre | (Italian) lugubrious |
| Lumineux | (French) luminous |
| Lunga, Lungo | (Italian) long |
| Luogo | (Italian) loco |
| Lusingando | (Italian) flattering, to play in an intimate manner |
| Lustig | (German) cheerful |
| Lustigkeit | (German) cheerfulness |
| Lustspiel | (German) comedy |
| Luth | (French) lute |
| Luthier | a maker of stringed instruments |
| Lutto | (Italian) mourning |
| Luttosamente | (Italian) mournfully |
| Luttoso | (Italian) mournful |
| Luttuoso | (Italian) mournful |
| Lyra, Lyre | a Greek harp |
| Lyrique (Ger.), Lyrisch (Ger.) | lyrical |
Services
