Piano Grade 4 and 5 - Terms, Signs, and Instruments

anime, animato

animated, lively

lebhaft, vivace

lively

douce, dolce

sweet

lent, adagio/lento, langsam

slow

modere, moderato, massig

at a moderate speed

ruhig, tranquillo

peaceful

retenu, ritenuto

held back

vite, allegro

quick

schnell, allegro/presto, vite

fast

comodo/tempo comodo

convenient, at a comfortable speed

con brio

with vigour, lively

larghetto

rather slow

rubato/tempo rubato

with some freedom of time

stringendo

gradually faster

affettuoso

tenderly

amabile

pleasant, ‘amiable’

appassionato

with passion

deciso

with determination

mesto, traurig

sad

misterioso

mysterious

ritmico

rhythmically

alla breve

with a minim beat

assai

very

come prima

as before

this ornament is a…

trill

this ornament is a…

upper mordent

this ornament is…

lower mordent

this ornament is…

turn/upper turn

this ornament is…

acciaccatura, grace note

this ornament is…

appoggiatura

con pedale

with the right pedal

senza pedale

without the right pedal

una corda

press the left pedal

tre corde

release the left pedal

mano sinistra (m.s)

with the left hand

mano destra (m.d)

with the right hand

this means…

press the right/sustain pedal, release it at the star or the vertical line

this means…

spread the chord from the bottom, also appears in harp music

a niente

to nothing

morendo, perdendosi, smorzando

dying away

rinforando, rinf, rf, rfz

reinforcing

sotto voce

in an undertone

largamente

broadly

cantando

singing

con dolore

with grief

con spirito

with spirit

doloroso

sorrowful

sonoro

resonant, with rich tone

ad libitum

at choice

attacca

go straight on to next part of music

quasi

as if, resembling

transposing instruments

trumpet, clarinet, clarinet in A, horn, cor anglais, piccolo, double bass

single/double reed instruments

clarinet is single, oboe, cor anglais, bassoon are double

definite pitch

tubular bells, xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, vibraphone, celesta

indefinite pitch

tambourine, castanets, tamtam, triangle