Musical Terms
8eva - an octave higher
A tempo - resume the normal speed after a diversion
Accelerando (accel.) - gradually becoming faster
Adagio - slowly, leisurely
Ad libitum - at pleasure, quite freely
Agitato - with agitation
Allargando - broadening out, often with an increase of tone
Allegretto - moderately fast; slightly slower than allegro
Allegro - lively and reasonably fast
Andante - at an easy walking pace
Andantino - a little slower (or a little faster than Andante)
Animato - with animation
Arco - (for string players) with the bow
Attacca - go on at once
Ben marcato - well marked
Brilliante - sparkling, brilliant
Brio - vigour
Calando - getting softer and slower
Cantabile - in a singing style
Capo - the beginning
Con anima - with feeling
Con brio - with spirit
Con forza - with forza
Con grazia - with grace
Con moto - with movement
Con sordini - with the mutes
Crescendo (cresc.) - gradually becoming louder
Da Capo (D.C) - from the beginning
Dal capo al fine or D.C. al fine written under the last bar of apiece of section - the music is to be repeated right from the beginning until it reaches the word ¡®fine (the end).
Dal Segno - from the sign ; the music is to be repeated from where the sign occurs earlier in the piece, then carrying on to the end.
Decrescendo (decresc.) - gradually becoming softer
Diminuendo (dim.) - gradually becoming softer
Dolce - soft and sweet
Forte (f) - loud
Forte - piano (fp) - loud then immediately soft
Fortissimo (ff) - very loud
Forzando (fz or sfz) - with a strong accent
Giocoso - gay, merry
Grave - very slowly
Grazioso - gracefully
Largo - slowly and stately, broad
Larghetto - slower than Largo
Legato - smoothly
Leggiero - lightly
Lento - slowly
Loco - at the normal pitch (generally after playing an octave higher)
Maestoso - majestically
Main droite (M.D.) - right hand
Main gauche (M.G) - left hand
Marcato - marked, accented
Meno mosso - slower, less movement
Mezzo forte (mf) - moderately loud
Mezzo piano (mp) - moderately soft
Mezzo staccato - moderately short and detached; shown by dots covered with a slur
Misterioso - mysteriously
Moderato ¨Cat a moderate speed
Molto - very, much
Morendo - dying away
M.M - Maelzel¡¯s metronome
Opus - a work or group of works
Ossia - or (an alternative version)
Ped. - depress the sustaining pedal of the pianoforte
Perdendosi - dying away
Pesante - heavily
Piacevole - pleasing
Piano (p) - soft
Pianissimo (pp) - very soft
Piu mosso - quicker
Pizzicato (pizz.) - plucked (in string music)
Poco - a little
Poco a poco - little by little (gradually)
Presto - very fast
Prestissimo - extremely fast, or as fast as possible
Rallentando (rall.) - gradually becoming slower
Risoluto - with resolution, boldly
Ritardando (retard.) - gradually becoming slower
Ritenuto (riten. or rit.) - immediately slower or hold back
Ritmico - rhythmically
Scherzando - playfully
Sempre - always
Senza - without
Sforzando (sf) - a strong (sudden) accent
Simile - in a similar manner
Sostenuto - sustained
Staccato - detached, short; note sustained for half the written length (shown by a dot above or below each note)
Stringendo - gradually faster
Subito - suddenly
Tempo - the speed of the music
Tenuto (ten.) - hold
Tranquillo ¨Cquietly, calmly
Tre corde - release the left, soft pedal of the pianoforte (with three strings)
Troppo - too much
Une corda - depress the left, soft pedal of the pianoforte (with one string)
Vivace - lively
Vivo - lively
Signs:
- accent; give prominence, play with force
[Respectively, strong accent marcato, normal accent, and tenuto]
- the music or passage between the dots is to be played again
(fermata) - musical symbol placed over a note or rest to be extended beyond its normal duration
- tie or bind, indicating that the note being played or sung sustained, unbroken, through the total time value of the notes
- slur; a group of notes are played under a single bow stroke (string), or without retonguing (wind), or in one breath (singing), so that the notes move smoothly with no perceptible break
- metronome mark, indicating the speed at which a piece is to be played; 60 crotchets to the minute
- up - bow (bowed instrument - bow is pushed across the string); up - stroke (guitar - the string is plucked with the hand moving upwards)
- down - bow (bowed instrument - bow is pulled across the string); down - stroke (guitar - the string is plucked with the hand moving downwards)
- a less strong accent placed above or below the note meaning that it is to be stressed but not as strongly as when marked as > or
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