I remember getting a copy of Joel Leach's A Concise Guide to Music Industry Terms from Mel Bay, which -- while interesting and educational -- was ultimately of little use to someone in my position. (You can read my review of Leach's book here.) It turns out what I really wanted was John Robert Brown's A Concise Guide to Musical Terms, which was perfect for someone like me who knows a lot about music but, often, lacks the right terminology or stumbles across something in a book, liner notes or press release that is outside my area of expertise.

What I mean is, this book defines everything -- and I think I can say, quite literally, everything -- that has to do with music.

The book is nicely compact, slim at just over 200 pages (including the index), easy to carry around in an instrument case or gig bag, or just as handy on the shelf in your home or studio. But it's tightly packed, typically with more than two dozen brief but thorough definitions per page.

Turn to any page at random and you'll likely find something interesting. Say, for instance, page 30, which covers everything from calcando (Trampling. Quickening gradually.) to cantata (Sung. A sacred or secular vocal work with solos, choruses and orchestral accompaniment.) with, in between, more than 25 other definitions for words such as calliope, calypso, camminando and cantador. Or, on page 103, such musical terms as malaguena (Andalusian folk dance, from Malaga), mano sinister (left hand), maracuta (slow, heavy Afro-Brazilian processional music) and mardakion (a type of accordion).

Suffice it to say, if there's a musical word or phrase that you'd like defined, Brown has probably done the work for you and you can find it here. A Concise Guide to Musical Terms is an amazing resource for musicians, music lovers or just someone with a casual interest in music.

Every music library should have a copy.