Musical Terms Glossary

General Terms
Al Fine to the end Coda The Ending Passage Con Sordino With Mute Da Capo To the Beginning (The Head) Dal Sengo From the Sign Dim dimuendo, softer Divisi Divided Fermata Hold or Pause Fine The End Mosso Motion Poco a Poco Little By Little; gradually Senza Sordino Without Mute Seque Continue Without Pause Soli A passage featuring a Section Solo A passage featuring 1 performer Subito Suddenly Tacet Resting during a section Timbre Characteristic Sound Tutti All, Everyone Style & Articulation Legato Smooth Leggiero Lightly Maracato Marked with Emphasis Peasante Heavy Sostenuto Sustained Staccato Detached, short no accent Tenuto held slightly longer Tempo Indicators Adagio Slow, at easy Allegro Lively Andante Walking Tempo Andantino little faster than Andante Grave Slow and Solemn Largo Very slow Moderato Moderate Tempo Presto Fast Prestissimo Very Fast, superlative Vivace Vivacious, Lively Tempo Changes Accelerando gradually Faster Affretando Hurrying Allargando Slowing and Broadening Calando Gradually Slower and Subdued Meno Mosso Less Motion Molto Meno Mosso Much Less Motion Morendo Dying Away Piu Mosso More Motion Rallentando Gradually Slower and Slower Ritardando Gradually Slower Ritenuto Suddenly Slower, for a short Time Rubato Varying Tempo Smorzando Rapidly Dim. Tempo and Volume Strigendo Pressing Onward, Speeding Up Veloce Increaing Speed Velocissimo-with the utmost velocity

Modifiers Auxiliaries
A with, in, at Assai very Ben Well Con With Di/d/da of In-in La/Lo/Le/ - the Listesso - the same Ma but Meno less Molto Much Non not Pui more Poco little Primo First Quasi Almost, as if, like Sempre always Senza without Simile continue in like manner Stesso same Tanto same Troppo too much Expression Affettuoso Tenderly Animato Animated Appassionato Passionate Bravura Skill, brilliance, powerful Brilliant Brilliantly Brio - Spirit, life Calmato Calm Calore Warmth, animation Canatbilie in a swinging style Dolce Sweet, mild Doloroso Sad Expressivo Expressive Forza Force, strength Fuoco Fire Furioso Furious Giocoso Playfully, joking Grazioso Graceful Maestoso Majestic Marcia March like Maziale Martial, military Misterioso Mysterious Pomposo Pompous Ponderoso Heavy Preciso Precise, exact Scherzando Joking Scherzo Joke Semplice Simple Spirituoso Spirited Tranquillo Tranquil

Tem po Mark in gs Slowest Larghissimo Largo Larghetto Grave Lento Adagio Adagietto Andante Andantion Moderato Allegretto Allegro Vivace (Allegro Vivace) Veloce Presto Prestissimo

Very Slow to Slow

Medium

Fast to Very Fast

Fastest

Pianissimo Piano Mezzo Piano Mezzo Forte Forte Fortissimo

Fun d ame nta l D yna m ic Mark in gs pp Very Soft p Soft m Medium Soft Medium Loud mf Loud f Very Loud ff Dynamic Modifiers One note or chord played with stress of force, usually followed by a dynamic change Like Sforzando but without a following crescendo or decresendo Arti cul ati ons

Sforzando

sf sfz fz

Forzando

De
High Hard Less

Day

Da
Pitch Tongue Accent

Doe

Do
Low Soft More

Be a Dum Dit Player! Long Notes Articulate with the syllable Dum And Short Notes Articulate with the syllable Dit