Musical Terms

A Cappella

Unaccompanied vocal piece

A tempo

Resume normal speed

Accelerando

Gradually faster

Ad libitum

At pleasure (style and speed at performers discretion)

Adagietto

Fairly slow

Adagio

Slow

Adagissimo

Very slow

Alla Breve

Two minims in a bar

Allargando

Getting slower

Allegretto

Fairly lively and fast

Allegro

Fast, lively

Andante

Moderate (walking) pace

Animato

Animated

Appassionata/o

Passionately

Arpeggio

Like a harp

Bis

Twice

Brio

Vigour

Cadenza

A passage usually towards end of a solo piece, where soloist plays alone in a skilled way

Canon

Piece of music where one voice repeats the part of another, throughout the whole piece.

Capo

The beginning

Capriccio, Caprice

A light, free piece of music

Coda

A passage at the end of a movement

Codetta

Little coda

Con Anima

with feeling

Con moto

With movement

Crescendo

Gradually louder

Da capo

From the beginning

Decrescendo

Becoming gradually softer

Diminuendo

Becoming gradually softer

Dolce

Sweetly, tenderly

Dolcissimo

Very sweetly and gently

Dolente

Sadly

Duet

Piece for two players

Energico

With energy

Espressivo

With expression

Finale

The last movement

Fine

The end

Forte

Loud

Fortissimo

Very Loud

Forzando

Forcingly, sudden emphasis or accent

Fuga

A fugue

Fugato

In fugal style

Fugue

A piece of music of contrapuntal style, based on a theme, with more than one voice

Furioso

Furiously

General pause, Grand pause

Everyone to remain silent (pause)

Glissando

Rapid scale passage produced by sliding over keys or strings

Grandioso

Grandly

Grave

Very slow and solemn

Grazioso

Gracefully

Impetuoso

Impetuously

Incalzando

Increasing speed and tone

L'istesso Tempo

Keep same speed

Lacrimoso

Sadly, tearfully

Lamentoso

Mournfully

Larghetto

Slightly faster than largo

Largo

Slow and stately

Legatissimo

As smooth as you can

Legato

Smooth

Leggiero

Light and delicate

Lento

Slow

Loco

Back to playing notes at their normal pitch

Lontano

As from a distance

Lunga pausa

Long pause

Lusingando

Coaxing

Ma non troppo

But not too much

Maestoso

Majestically

Main droite, Mano destra

Right hand

Main gauche, mano sinistra

Left hand

Mancando

Dying away

Marcia

March

Martellato

Hammered out

Marziale

Martial

Mesto

Sadly

Mezza voce Mezzo forte

Moderately loud

Mezzo Piano

Moderately quiet

Moderato

Moderate time

Morendo

Gradually dying away

Moto, Movimento

Movement

Muta

Change

Non troppo

Not too much

Obbligato

Obligatory, musn't be omitted

Ostinato

Persistently repeated

Ottava bassa

Octave lower

Parlando, Parlante

Sung in a talking fashion

Passionato

Passionately

Patetico

With feeling

Pausa

A Rest / break

Perdendosi

Dying away

Piacevole

Agreeable

Piangevole

Plaintively

Pianissimo

Very soft

Pizzicato

Plucked

Pochissimo

As small as possible

Portamento

Smooth glide from note to note

Prestissimo

As fast as possible

Presto

Very fast

Primo volta

First time

Quasi recitativo

Like a recital

Rallentando

Getting slower gradually

Repetizone, replica

Repeat

Rigoroso

Strictly, rigorous

Risoluto

Bold

Risvegliato

More animation

Ritardando

Gradually slower

Ritenuto

Hold back

Scherzando

Playful

Segue

Carry on

Sempre

Always

Senza misura

In free time

Senza sordini

Without mute

Sforzando, sforzato

Accented (forced)

Slargando, slentando

Gradually slower

Smorzando

Dying away

Soave

Smooth

Solenne

Solemn

Sordini

Mute

Sospirando

Sighingly

Sostenuto

Sustained

Spiritoso

Spirited

Staccatissimo

Very detached

Staccato

Detached

Stringendo

Gradually faster

Suave

Gentle, smooth

Sul Ponticello

Play near the violin bridge

Tacet

Silent

Tempo comodo

At a convenient speed

Tempo giusto

Strict time

Tempo primo

Back to original speed

Teneramente

Tenderly

Tosto

Rapid

Tranquillo

Calm

Tremolando, tremolo

Very rapid repetition of one or two notes

Tutta forza

Full power, as loud as possible

Unis

Play in unison again

Veloce

Quick

Vibrato

Vibrating

Vigoroso

Bold

Vite, vivace, vivement, vivo

Quick and lively

Voce

Voice

Volti subito

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