Italian Musical Terms

Vocabulary flashcards covering key Italian performance terms from the lecture notes.

Tempo commodo

At a comfortable speed.

Tempo giusto

In strictly correct time; at a consistent speed.

L'istesso tempo

At the same speed as the preceding section.

Non troppo

Not too much.

Grave

Slow and solemn.

Rubato

With some freedom in the time (flexible tempo).

Stringendo

Pressing forward; gradually getting faster.

Perdendosi

Fading away in sound and tempo.

Smorzando

Dying away.

Rinforzando

Reinforcing; suddenly strengthening the tone.

Pesante

Heavily; weightily.

Cantando

In a singing style.

Tenuto

Held or sustained for full value.

Piacevole

Pleasant; agreeable.

Portamento

A smooth, continuous glide from one note to another.

Dolente

Sadly; plaintively.

Doloroso

Sorrowful; mournful.

Sotto voce

Softly; in an undertone.

Giocoso

Playful; merry.

Grazioso

Gracefully.

Assai

Very; quite.

Quasi

As if; almost.

Scherzando

Jokingly; playfully.

Subito

Suddenly; immediately.

Sul ponticello

Bow near the bridge.

Sul tasto

Bow near the fingerboard.

Tremolo

Rapid back-and-forth bowing to create a shimmering effect.

Pizzicato

Pluck the string with the finger.

Arco

With the bow (after pizzicato).