Musical Term |
|
Abbreviation |
English |
Other information and examples of usage |
a |
|
|
at; to; by; for; in |
eg: a tempo = in time (back to the previous speed). |
a capella |
 |
|
unaccompanied |
usually in choral music |
a piacere |
 |
|
at pleasure |
The performer is not bound to follow the given rhythm exactly. |
accelerando |
 |
(accel.) |
gradually getting faster |
An increase in the speed of the music. |
accento |
|
|
accented; emphasised |
|
ad libitum |
 |
(ad lib.) |
at choice; freely |
1) A passage may be performed freely.
2) An instrument in a score may be omitted. |
adagietto |
 |
|
rather slow |
Usually a little faster than adagio |
adagio |
 |
|
slowly |
Often indicates a speed somewhere between andante and largo |
affabile |
|
|
friendly |
|
affettuoso |
 |
|
tenderly |
|
affrettando |
 |
|
hurrying |
|
agitato |
 |
|
agitated; restless |
|
al; alla |
|
|
in the manner of |
eg: alla marcia = in the style of a march |
alla breve |
 |
|
with a minim beat |
|
allargando |
 |
|
broadening |
|
allegretto |
 |
|
fairly quick |
Faster than Andante and usually slower than Allegro |
allegro |
 |
|
fast |
|
alt |
|
|
high |
"in alt" is used in volcal music to refer to notes in the octave above
the treble stave. |
amabile |
 |
|
amiable; pleasant |
|
amore |
|
|
love |
|
andante |
 |
|
walking speed |
Moderately slow |
andantino |
 |
|
like walking speed |
This can mean either slightly slower or slightly faster than andante.
It is ambiguous. |
anima |
 |
|
soul; spirit |
eg: con anima = with spirit |
animando |
 |
|
becoming more lively |
|
animato |
 |
|
animated; lively |
|
appassionato |
 |
|
with passion |
|
arco |
|
|
with the bow |
An instruction to string players to use the bow. |
arioso |
|
|
like an aria |
Play in the style of an aria (singing) |
assai |
 |
|
very |
eg: allegro assai = very fast |
attacca |
 |
|
go straight on |
Indicates an immediate move to the next section of music. |
ben |
|
|
well |
|
bis |
|
|
twice |
Indicates the repetition of a short passage. |
bravura |
 |
|
skill; brilliance |
|
brio |
 |
|
vigour |
eg: con brio = with vigour |
calando |
 |
|
getting softer; dying away |
Usually includes slowing down |
cantabile |
 |
|
in a singing style |
|
cantando |
 |
|
singing |
|
capriccioso |
 |
|
in a whimsical or fanciful style |
|
col; colla; colle |
|
|
with |
eg: colla voce = with the voice |
come |
 |
|
as; similar to |
eg: come prima = as before |
comodo |
 |
|
convenient |
eg: tempo comodo = at a comfortable speed |
con |
 |
|
with |
eg: con moto = with movement |
crescendo |
 |
(cresc.) |
gradually getting louder |
|
da capo |
 |
(D.C.) |
from the beginning |
An instruction to repeat the misc from the beginning. |
dal segno |
 |
(D.S.) |
from the sign |
An instruction to repeat the misc from the sign. |
deciso |
 |
|
with determination |
|
decrescendo |
 |
(decresc.) |
gradually getting softer |
|
delicato |
 |
|
delicate |
|
diminuendo |
 |
(dim.) |
gradually getting softer |
|
dolce |
 |
|
sweetly |
eg: dolcissimo = as sweet as possible |
dolente |
 |
|
sad; mournful |
|
dolore |
 |
|
grief |
eg: doloroso = sorrowful |
doloroso |
 |
|
sorrowful |
|
doppio movimento |
 |
|
twice as fast |
|
e; ed |
|
|
and |
|
energico |
 |
|
energetic |
|
espressivo |
 |
(espr.) |
expressive |
|
estinto |
 |
|
as soft as possible |
|
facile |
 |
|
easy |
|
felice |
 |
|
happy |
|
fermata |
|
|
pause |
|
feroce |
 |
|
fierce |
|
fine |
 |
|
the end |
Often used in conjunction with "da capo" or "dal segno"
to indicate where to end the piece after repeating.
eg: al fine = to the end |
flessibile |
 |
|
flexible |
|
forte |
 |
(f) |
loud; strong |
|
fortepiano |
 |
(fp) |
loud then immediately soft |
|
fortissimo |
 |
(ff) |
very loud |
|
forza |
 |
|
force |
eg: forzando (fz) = strongly accented |
fretta |
 |
|
haste |
|
fuoco |
 |
|
fire |
|
furioso |
 |
|
furious |
|
giocoso |
 |
|
playful; humerous |
|
giojoso |
|
|
joyful; merry |
|
giusto |
 |
|
proper; exact |
|
grandioso |
 |
|
grandly |
|
grave |
 |
|
very slow; solemn |
|
grazioso |
 |
|
graceful |
|
impetuoso |
 |
|
impetuous |
|
incalzando |
 |
|
getting quicker |
|
inquieto |
 |
|
restless |
|
in relievo |
 |
|
prominent |
A direction to make the melody stand out. |
lacrimoso |
 |
|
sad |
|
largamente |
 |
|
broadly |
|
larghetto |
 |
|
rather slow |
Slightly faster than largo. |
largo |
 |
|
rather slow; stately |
|
legato |
 |
|
smoothly |
Indicates no break between notes. |
leggiero |
 |
|
light; nimble |
|
lento |
 |
|
slow |
|
liberamente |
 |
|
freely |
|
l'istesso |
 |
|
the same |
eg: l'istesso tempo = at the same speed |
loco |
 |
|
at the normal pitch |
Used to cancel an 8va direction. Also used to confirm that 8va is not
intended. |
lugubre |
 |
|
mournful |
|
lunga |
 |
|
long |
eg: lunga pausa = long pause |
lusigando |
 |
|
coaxing |
|
ma |
 |
|
but |
eg: allegro ma non troppo = quick but not too quick |
maestoso |
 |
|
majestic |
|
mancando |
 |
|
fading away |
|
marcato |
 |
(marc.) |
emphatic; accented |
|
marziale |
 |
|
in a military style |
|
meno |
 |
|
less |
eg: meno forte = less loud |
mesto |
 |
|
sad |
|
mezzoforte |
 |
(mf) |
moderately loud |
|
mezzopiano |
 |
(mp) |
moderately soft |
|
misterioso |
 |
|
mysterious |
|
misura |
 |
|
measure |
eg: alla misura = in strict time; senza misura = in free time |
moderato |
 |
|
moderate speed |
eg: allegro moderato = moderately fast. |
molto |
 |
|
very; much |
eg: allegro molto = very fast |
morendo |
 |
|
dying away |
|
mosso |
 |
|
movement |
|
moto |
 |
|
movement |
|
niente |
 |
|
nothing |
|
nobilmente |
 |
|
nobly |
|
non |
|
|
not |
|
nuovo |
 |
|
new |
e.g. di nuovo = again |
obbligato |
 |
|
obligatory |
Indicates that an instrument has a special role and is essential. |
ossia |
 |
|
or; alternatively |
Often used to indicate a simpler version of a difficult passage. |
ostinato |
 |
|
persistent |
Generally refers to a persistently repeated rhythmic or melodic figure. |
parlando |
 |
|
speaking |
A direction for a singer to sing in a conversational style. |
patetico |
 |
|
with deep feeling |
|
pausa |
 |
|
pause |
|
per |
|
|
by; for; to |
|
perdendosi |
 |
|
dying away |
|
pesante |
 |
|
heavy |
|
piacevole |
 |
|
pleasant |
|
piangevole |
 |
|
plaintive |
|
pianissimo |
 |
(pp) |
very soft |
|
piano |
 |
(p) |
soft |
|
piť |
 |
|
more |
e.g. piť forte = louder |
pizzicato |
|
|
plucked |
An instruction to string players to pluck the strings, rather than bow
them. |
placido |
 |
|
calm; peaceful |
|
pochettino |
 |
(poch.) |
rather little |
|
poco |
 |
|
a little |
e.g. poco a poco = little by little |
possible |
 |
|
possible |
e.g. presto possible = as fast as possible |
precipitando |
 |
|
rushing; headlong |
|
presto |
 |
|
very fast |
|
prima |
 |
|
first |
(Prima; Primo) e.g. prima volta = first time; tempo primo = revert to
the speed at the beginning of the piece of music |
quasi |
 |
|
as if; resembling |
e.g. quasi recitativo = like a recitative |
rallentando |
 |
(rall.) |
gradually getting slower |
|
rigoroso |
 |
|
strict |
|
rinforzando |
 |
(rf; rfz) |
reinforcing |
|
risoluto |
 |
|
bold; strong |
|
ritardando |
 |
(rit.) |
gradually getting slower |
|
ritenuto |
 |
(rit.) |
held back |
|
ritmico |
 |
|
rhythmically |
|
rubato |
 |
|
with some freedom of time |
|
scherzando |
 |
|
playful; joking |
Also scherzoso. |
scherzo |
|
|
joke; jest |
A movement in a piece, generally light and humerous in nature. |
seconda |
 |
|
second |
(Seconda; secondo) |
semplice |
 |
|
simple; plain |
|
sempre |
 |
|
always |
e.g. sempre staccato = always detached |
senza |
 |
|
without |
e.g. senza misura = freely (not in time) |
segue |
 |
|
go straight on |
|
sforzando |
 |
(sf; sfz) |
forced; accented |
|
simile |
 |
(sim.) |
in the same way |
|
slargando |
 |
|
getting slower |
|
slancio |
 |
|
enthusiasm |
|
smorzando |
 |
(smorz.) |
dying away |
Both tone and speed |
soave |
|
|
gentle; smooth |
|
solenne |
 |
|
solemn; grave |
|
sonoro |
|
|
resonant; with rich tone |
|
sopra |
 |
|
above |
|
sospirando |
 |
|
sighing |
|
sostenuto |
 |
|
sustained |
|
sotto |
 |
|
below |
eg: sotto voce = in an undertone |
spirito |
|
|
spirited |
|
spiritoso |
 |
|
spirited |
|
staccato |
 |
|
detached |
|
strepitoso |
 |
|
noisy; boisterous |
|
stretto |
 |
|
quickening the speed |
Also means overlapping entries of a fugue subject. |
stringendo |
 |
|
gradually getting faster |
|
subito |
 |
|
suddenly |
|
tacet |
 |
|
silent |
A direction that a particular part has nothing to play in a section
of music. |
tanto |
 |
|
so much |
|
tempo |
 |
|
speed |
eg: a tempo = return to the previous speed, after a slowing down or
speeding up. |
teneramente |
 |
|
tenderly |
|
tenuto |
 |
|
held |
|
tosto |
 |
|
swift; rapid |
|
tranquillo |
 |
|
calm |
|
trionfale |
 |
|
triumphant |
|
triste |
 |
|
sad; sorrowful |
|
troppo |
 |
|
too much |
eg: allegro ma non troppo = fast, but not too fast. |
tutti |
 |
|
all; everyone |
|
veloce |
 |
|
swift |
|
vigoroso |
 |
|
vigorous; strong |
|
vivace |
 |
|
lively |
|
vivo |
 |
|
lively |
|
voce |
 |
|
voice |
|
volante |
 |
|
flying; fast |
|
volta |
 |
|
time |
e.g. prima volta = first time |
volti subito |
 |
(V.S.) |
turn the page at once |
|