ABRSM Grade 2 Foreign Terms

Metronome marking - play 66 crotchets/quarter notes per minute

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 (alla marcia - in the style of a march)

Allargando

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

Con, col

with

Dolce

sweet, soft

E, ed

and

Espressivo (or espress or espr)

expressive

Fp (= fortepiano)

loud, then immediately soft

Grave

very slow, solemn

Grazioso

graceful

Largo

slow, stately

Ma

but

Meno

less

Molto

very, much

Mosso (moto)

movement

Non

not

Più

more

Presto

fast (faster than allegro)

Senza

without

Troppo

too much

Vivace, vivo

lively, quick

Short and detached

Accented

Repeat from here

Repeat the previous section

"Common time" or 4/4

Pause - hold the note longer than usual

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

Con moto

with movement

Dal segno

From the sign

Lento

Slowly

Piu mosso

With more movement

Ritenuto (riten.)

held back