2) In 18th- and 19th-century music, a lyrical song or an instrumental piece of a similar character.
3) A designation of 16th-century Italian secular vocal music, including certain members of the frottola family.
4) An important type of instrumental music of the 16th and 17th centuries that developed from the Franco-Flemish chansons of Josquin, Janequin, Sermisy, and others. The immense popularity of these chansons is reflected in the numerous arrangements found in nearly all 16th-century sources of lute and keyboard music, French as well as Spanish, German, and Italian. In Italy, composers went even further, writing original compositions in the style and form of the French models, either for organ or for instrumental ensembles. This procedure marks the beginning of a long and interesting development, which, in the instrumental field eventually led to the sonata of the 17th century, and in keyboard music, paved the way for the fugue.