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
Turn page quickly