ABRSM Grade 3 Foreign Terms

Tenuto

Hold the note for its full length

A tempo

in time

Accelerando (accel.)

gradually getting quicker

Adagio

slow

Allegretto

fairly quick (but not as quick as allegro)

Allegro

quick (literally cheerful)

Allegro moderato

moderately quick

Andante

at a medium 'walking' speed

Cantabile

in a singing style

Crescendo (cresc.)

gradually getting louder

Da capo (DC)

repeat from the beginning

Dal segno (DS)

repeat from the sign "S"

Decrescendo (decresc.)

gradually getting quieter

Diminuendo (dim.)

gradually getting quieter

Fine

the end

Forte (f)

loud

Fortissimo (ff)

very loud

Legato

smoothly

Lento

slow

Mezzo

half

Mezzo forte (mf)

moderately loud (literally half loud)

Mezzo piano (mp)

moderately quiet (literally half quiet)

Moderato

moderately

Pianissimo (pp)

very quiet

Piano (p)

quiet

Poco

a little

Rallentando (rall.)

gradually getting slower

Ritardando (rit.) (ritard.)

gradually getting slower

Ritenuto (rit.) (riten.)

held back

Staccato (stacc.)

Short and detached

Tempo

speed, time

Al, alla

to the, in the manner of

Allargando

broadening (getting a little slower and probably a little louder)

Allegro

assai very quick

Andantino

slightly faster than andante (but may also mean slightly slower)

Con, col

with

Dolce

sweet, soft

E, ed

and

Espressivo (or espress or espr)

expressive

Fp (= fortepiano)

loud, then immediately soft

Giocoso

playful, merry

Grave

very slow, solemn

Grazioso

graceful

Largo

slow, stately

Ma

but

Maestoso

majestic

Meno

less

Molto

very, much

Mosso (moto)

movement (meno mosso: slower; con moto: with movement)

Non

not

Più

more

Presto

fast (faster than allegro)

Senza

without

Sforzando, sforzato (sf, sfz)

forced, accented

Simile (or sim.)

in the same way

Sostenuto

sustained

Troppo

too much (non troppo: not too much)

Vivace, vivo

lively, quick

Agitato

agitated

Animato

animated, lively

Ben

well

Energico

energetic

Forza

force

Leggiero

light, nimble

Marcato, marc

emphatic, accented

Pesante

heavy

Prima, primo

first

Risoluto

bold, strong

Scherzando

playful, joking

Semplice

simple, plain

Sempre

always

Subito

suddenly

Tranquillo

calm

Triste, tristamente

sad, sorrowful

Short and detached

Accented

Repeat from here

Repeat the previous section

"Common time" or 4/4

Play an octave higher

Play an octave lower

Pause - hold the note longer than usual

Metronome marking - play 66 crotchets/quarter notes per minute

Marcato, emphasised or accented

Half or mezzo staccato - slightly detached

Staccatissimo - very short and detached

Tenuto - hold the note for its full length

"Cut common time" or 2/2

Maestoso

Majestically

Prestissimo

As fast as possible

Triste, Tristamente

Sadly