TERM |
DEFINITION |
Accelerando (Accel.) |
Gradually faster |
Ad libitum (Ad lib.) |
Tempo at pleasure |
Adagio |
Slow |
Allegro |
Lively, fast |
Allegretto |
Rather lively
(but less so than Allegro) |
Andante |
At a moderate pace |
Arco |
Direction to string players to resume use of the
bow after a passage of pizzicato |
A tempo |
Resume normal tempo |
Attaca |
Go on at once |
Brillante |
Brilliant |
Brio |
Vigour |
Calando |
Decreasing both tone & speed |
Capo |
The beginning |
Coda |
A passage added at the end of a movement |
Col |
With |
Col legno |
A direction to string players to use the wood of
the bow |
Colla voce |
To follow the solo instrument or voice |
Con |
With |
Con sordino |
With the mute |
Crescendo (Cresc.) |
Becoming gradually louder |
Da capo (D.C.) |
From the beginning |
Decrescendo (Decresc.) |
Becoming gradually softer |
Diminuendo (Dim.) |
Becoming gradually softer |
Divisi (Div.) |
A direction to orchestral players
(usually strings) to divide into two or more groups |
Dolce |
Tenderly, sweetly |
Espressivo (Espr.) |
With expression |
Finale |
The last movement |
Fine |
The end |
Forte (f) |
Loud |
Forte piano (fp) |
Loud, then soft |
Fortissimo (ff) or (fff) |
Very loud |
Forzando (fz) |
Forcing, a sudden attack |
Giusto |
Strict time |
Glissando |
A rapid playing of a scale passage |
General Pause (G.P.) |
Silent |
Grandioso |
Grandly |
Grave |
Very slow, solemn |
Lacrimoso |
Sadly |
Larghetto |
Less slow than largo |
Largo |
Slow and stately |
Legato |
Smooth |
Lento |
Slow |
Loco |
Notes are to be played at their normal pitch |
Ma |
But |
Ma non troppo |
But not too much |
Maestoso |
Majestically |
Marcato (marc.) |
Marked, accented |
Meno |
Less |
Meno mosso |
Less movement |
Mezzo forte (mf) |
Moderately loud |
Mezzo piano (mp) |
Moderately soft |
Mit |
With |
Molto |
Much |
Muta |
Change, e.g. Muta D in C is a direction
to the Timpani player to tune the drum previously in D,
to C |
Non |
Not |
Non troppo |
Not too much |
Obbligato |
Cannot be omitted |
Ostinato |
Frequently repeated |
Ottava (Ott.) |
Octave |
Pausa |
A rest |
Ped. |
Depress the sustaining pedal of the piano |
Piano (p) |
Soft |
Pianissimo (pp) or (ppp) |
Very soft |
Pizzicato (Pizz.) |
Plucked strings |
Poco |
A little |
Prestissimo |
As fast as possible |
Presto |
Very quick |
Rallentando (Rall.) |
Becoming gradually slower |
Rinforzando (rf) |
Reinforcing |
Ritardando (Ritard) |
Gradually slower |
Ritenuto (Rit.) |
Held back |
Sempre |
Always |
Senza |
Without |
Senza sordino |
Without mutes |
Sforzando (sf) or (sfz) |
Forcing, accented |
Sordini |
Mutes |
Sostenuto |
Sustained |
Spiccato |
Detached, with springing bow |
Staccato (Stacc.) |
Detached |
Stringendo |
Gradually faster |
Sul |
On |
Sul G |
On the G string (violin) |
Sul ponticello |
Near the bridge (a direction to string players) |
Tacet |
Silent |
Tempo |
Speed |
Tenuto (Ten.) |
Held |
Tre corde |
Release the soft pedal of the piano |
Tremolando (Tremolo)
|
The rapid repetition of a note or rapid alteration
of two notes |
Tutta forza |
As loud as possible |
Tutti |
All |
Una corda |
Hold down the soft pedal of the piano |
Unis |
String players to play in unison after having been
divided |
Veloce |
Swift, quick |
Vibrato |
Vibrating |
Vivace |
Quick, lively |
Volti subito (V.S.) |
Turn the pages quickly |