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